Official Freewing F/A-18C Hornet 90mm EDF Thread

[ColtPilot]

Make sure you check the elevator servos. The right one crapped out as evidence by the video. Only one flight as I just finished it. Send me a link for the scale cockpit. Thanks

https://photos.app.goo.gl/J1CseiG7kVRk4k3L9

[ColtPilot]

Alpha that 3D cockpit for the F-18 definitely is outstanding, it will really jazz it up. There are only about 2 thousand individual parts that make it up, so don't forget to order the encyclopedia with it that describes where each piece goes. If it helps, which I've never been accused of that, I also stuck a 1/10 scale JH hobby pilot in as well, but you need a crowbar to squeeze him in with and you may have to name him Arnold.

Like to know more about the 3d cockpit. Like to put that in mine.

[Elbee]

Like to know more about the 3d cockpit. Like to put that in mine.

CP, Replied to your PM, Best, LB

[Mizer67]

Make sure you check the elevator servos. The right one crapped out as evidence by the video. Only one flight as I just finished it. Send me a link for the scale cockpit. Thanks
https://photos.app.goo.gl/J1CseiG7kVRk4k3L9

I had the same issue with mine a few flights in where it would twitch like that on one of my elevator servos. Motion sent me replacement for them quickly.

When I checked my servos, the one that was doing it had some significant cuts in the servo wires and both had some cuts. Might be coincidental, but was good that it caused me to pull them and check. Might want to pull yours out and check them, it's a tight squeeze to get them in there with some sharp corners that aren't kind on the servo wire insulation if you try to force them into the hole.

Also, while you're in there look for any separation in the glue joint around the elevator pivot arms and hold down bracket if you've flown it a few times. Something like this will only get worse and cause a crash if not repaired. It's hard to see this joint if you have the elevator half installed.

[ColtPilot]

I had the same issue with mine a few flights in where it would twitch like that on one of my elevator servos. Motion sent me replacement for them quickly.

When I checked my servos, the one that was doing it had some significant cuts in the servo wires and both had some cuts. Might be coincidental, but was good that it caused me to pull them and check. Might want to pull yours out and check them, it's a tight squeeze to get them in there with some sharp corners that aren't kind on the servo wire insulation if you try to force them into the hole.

Also, while you're in there look for any separation in the glue joint around the elevator pivot arms and hold down bracket if you've flown it a few times. Something like this will only get worse and cause a crash if not repaired. It's hard to see this joint if you have the elevator half installed.

Really pushed on mine and are solid. It would be very difficult to have it separate on mine. Since mine is newer I believe they fixed that problem.

[Mizer67]

Really pushed on mine and are solid. It would be very difficult to have it separate on mine. Since mine is newer I believe they fixed that problem.

Mine is about 2 weeks old...

I pushed on mine pretty good before flying it too. Pretty hard to measure 5-6 lbs. of force, but I wasn't gentle.

I had similar servo issues as you also. If you pull them and find cuts in the wires too, while it might be purely coincidental, I'd keep and eye on these.

One odd flight behavior I saw was that the nose was slightly delayed in rotating in maneuvers, then caught up and "snapped" through. If you start seeing something similar, look to these.

[Evan D]

I just built one a week and a half ago and it was fine, both the stab mount and wires. That said you may have received it two weeks (or whatever) ago but you have no idea of when the factory put it together.

[Mizer67]

I just built one a week and a half ago and it was fine, both the stab mount and wires. That said you may have received it two weeks (or whatever) ago but you have no idea of when the factory put it together.

No, I don't know for sure. I do have the 1900kv motor, so I'd suspect it was assembled "recently" given that motor wasn't available on earlier production runs.

What you say might be true, could be "new old stock" but in my line of work, we'd pull any items with an issue like this one and correct them before shipping them out. In the end, it would be less expensive.

[Elbee]

Okay, so it's MiG this and Gripen that, Yamamoto vs Missouri and the Fletch. However, I am still weathering hub caps. I really like all you Guys, but I gotta get to work. Best, LB

[DurobRC]

Hello,
Mine F18 90 mm high performance base grey is ordered. Ordered from motion rc Europe, I am living in Belgium. I wil go with the golden dragons theme and i am 3d printing all of the ornaments myself.
love reading this forum.
greetings Robby

[ColtPilot]

Hello,
Mine F18 90 mm high performance base grey is ordered. Ordered from motion rc Europe, I am living in Belgium. I wil go with the golden dragons theme and i am 3d printing all of the ornaments myself.
love reading this forum.
greetings Robby

Very nice. Should present well in flight.

[Elbee]

Hello,Mine F18 90 mm high performance base grey is ordered. Ordered from motion rc Europe, I am living in Belgium. I wil go with the golden dragons theme and i am 3d printing all of the ornaments myself. love reading this forum. greetings Robby

DR, Welcome to Hobby Squawk and to the Hornet Owners Society. Please post pictures as you build and modify your VFA-192 F-18. Glad to have you on board, Sir. Best, LB

[Aros]

Well I hesitated to post this but my maiden flight stunk and it was completely my fault. I used an Admiral 5000 which is very light. I went with the recommended CG of 88mm...However, I completely forgot from my last one that that particular battery sits a good two inches forward from where I had it. So the flight was predictably tail heavy. Come in for the landing...A bit hot but nothing crazy...Wheels touch and she immediately bounced and FLIPPED on its back!! Grrrrrrr. So the tails and canopy and my RunCam which I had mounted on top of the canopy were severely damaged.

So not a happy camper. But my Seahawks won so that helped ease the pain, lol. I ordered new Vstabs and a canopy so hopefully I can get her looking good as new again soon. God forbid I can keep a model pristine for more than 3 minutes. On a positive note, the HP version is a MAJOR power upgrade!

[ColtPilot]

Well I hesitated to post this but my maiden flight stunk and it was completely my fault. I used an Admiral 5000 which is very light. I went with the recommended CG of 88mm...However, I completely forgot from my last one that that particular battery sits a good two inches forward from where I had it. So the flight was predictably tail heavy. Come in for the landing...A bit hot but nothing crazy...Wheels touch and she immediately bounced and FLIPPED on its back!! Grrrrrrr. So the tails and canopy and my RunCam which I had mounted on top of the canopy were severely damaged.

So not a happy camper. But my Seahawks won so that helped ease the pain, lol. I ordered new Vstabs and a canopy so hopefully I can get her looking good as new again soon. God forbid I can keep a model pristine for more than 3 minutes. On a positive note, the HP version is a MAJOR power upgrade!

I put a Pulse 6s 5000 45c 1" in back of the nose gear casing front edge. Flawless maiden and squeaker of a landing nose high, mains, then the nose. Need to change out the elevator servo when it arrives and more flights. Sorry to hear about your maiden. Hope your parts get to you quickly and back in the air.

[Aros]

Thanks man. Glad your maiden went well. Lesson learned.

[Mizer67]

Well I hesitated to post this but my maiden flight stunk and it was completely my fault. I used an Admiral 5000 which is very light. I went with the recommended CG of 88mm...However, I completely forgot from my last one that that particular battery sits a good two inches forward from where I had it. So the flight was predictably tail heavy. Come in for the landing...A bit hot but nothing crazy...Wheels touch and she immediately bounced and FLIPPED on its back!! Grrrrrrr. So the tails and canopy and my RunCam which I had mounted on top of the canopy were severely damaged.

So not a happy camper. But my Seahawks won so that helped ease the pain, lol. I ordered new Vstabs and a canopy so hopefully I can get her looking good as new again soon. God forbid I can keep a model pristine for more than 3 minutes. On a positive note, the HP version is a MAJOR power upgrade!

I nearly did the same thing on my maiden flight.

I was distracted by some issues I was having and essentially stalled it about ~2-3 ft. above the runway. Total pilot error on my part.

It landed on the mains, the nose came down hard and it did a "kangaroo" hop to where the nose was pointing almost straight up. But it dragged the nozzles and settled on the gear. But I for sure tested the durability of the gear and they passed with flying colors.

After that I did a redneck "fix" to the nose gear and put some 100 mph tape around the area where the strut compresses to dampen rebound on the nose gear spring, since I couldn't get the spring out of the nose gear to cut the coils and got frustrated. I've since removed the tape, but still may revert to cutting off a few coils to dampen the rebound of the nose gear as it seems a little over-reactive to any bumps. Good for positive AoA on takeoff though. I am flying about 102mm for CG.

[Aros]

Wow, and I was at 88mm and it was tail heavy...102mm would be way worse? What am I missing here?

[Mizer67]

Wow, and I was at 88mm and it was tail heavy...102mm would be way worse? What am I missing here?

I may be mistaken, but I believe the manual specifies 88mm as the recommended CG.

Mine needs quite a bit of up trim that far up and flies inverted with about 1/4 - 1/3rd down stick that way. I looked up other CG recommendations and most were flying it further back, so I started there. I did need to reduce my elevator rates, but since I was already on the inner most hole for the extra torque and resolution, that took care of most of the reduction vs. the manual.

Have you tried an inverted up-line to see how it tracks? What you're seeing might not be tail-heaviness.

I will say at 88mm it flies more stable (for my example).

[Elbee]

Hey all, as my first check flight looms on the horizon, you gentlemen are making me a bit anxious. My overall weight will near to what Hugh Wiedman 's Canadian Show Team Hornet weighs. I would think we could all take a a few notes on his experience. Really glad to read that the power upgrade is worth the investment. I have done similarly with the Motion 90mm 12-blade and Inrunner upgrade. So good news all around. Sorry to read about your mishap, Aros but at least the blush is off the bloom. On the modification front, I have finished the NG strut bits, and it took much longer than expected but it will do. Best, LB

[Aros]

As always you continue to impress Elbee. I think as far as CG goes maybe we need a quick roll call from F/A-18C drivers to see where they are at with CG. Anyone care to chime in?