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**jetpltrich** · Mar 24, 2025, 12:02 PM

Three flights yesterday. Wind was out the northwest, and I was flying off of runway 23. Wind 310/8 gust 10-12 KNOTS, a slight quartering crosswind. I wanted to see how well the Plus RX would do. You can definitely see it's working hard. Enjoy!!!

**jetpltrich** · Mar 24, 2025, 07:39 PM

My friend Zach got some great video flying the F-18. Three flights of video edited down to 2:30. I noticed on landing my flaps did not go to landing flaps, they stopped at takeoff. Need to look at that tomorrow. Please enjoy.

**Hugh Wiedman** · Mar 25, 2025, 10:12 AM

Originally posted by jetpltrich View Post

My friend Zach got some great video flying the F-18. Three flights of video edited down to 2:30. I noticed on landing my flaps did not go to landing flaps, they stopped at takeoff. Need to look at that tomorrow. Please enjoy.

She sure flies nice with that Plus RX!!

Love the dust on the runway, makes it look like the real thing.

On the flaps not working, both of my F18's have had that issue. Definitely doesn't fly well when one flap goes to full flap deployment and another stays flat.

On mine, it was never the same flap that didn't deploy. First I wired the flaps directly avoiding the circuit board-still didn't help. Finally replaced the flap servos with Hitec flaps and that solved the issue on both!

It seems the stock Freewing flap servos just don't have enough guts when in flight with high aerodynamic forces to work 100% of the time. Hate to say it, but the only way to solve that issue is replacing the flap servos, drop in fit for the hitec HS-5065MG+ Digital Mighty, 11.9g servo (23.68mm X 11.6mm X 24mm), about $38 each. I know, more

to make things work properly.

I'm sure other similar servos will work as well. Sorry I forgot to warn you about the flap servos earlier, but actually thought it was just an issue for me since we all know I'm SPECIAL!

**jetpltrich** · Mar 25, 2025, 03:51 PM

Originally posted by Hugh Wiedman View Post

She sure flies nice with that Plus RX!!

Love the dust on the runway, makes it look like the real thing.

On the flaps not working, both of my F18's have had that issue. Definitely doesn't fly well when one flap goes to full flap deployment and another stays flat.

On mine, it was never the same flap that didn't deploy. First I wired the flaps directly avoiding the circuit board-still didn't help. Finally replaced the flap servos with Hitec flaps and that solved the issue on both!

It seems the stock Freewing flap servos just don't have enough guts when in flight with high aerodynamic forces to work 100% of the time. Hate to say it, but the only way to solve that issue is replacing the flap servos, drop in fit for the hitec HS-5065MG+ Digital Mighty, 11.9g servo (23.68mm X 11.6mm X 24mm), about $38 each. I know, more

to make things work properly.

I'm sure other similar servos will work as well. Sorry I forgot to warn you about the flap servos earlier, but actually thought it was just an issue for me since we all know I'm SPECIAL!

I’ve had my suspicions on these flap servos and I’m going to purchase the ones you suggest.

My step son, Marine reserve F-18, purchased one and has several flights on it and says it’s flying characteristics mimic the real thing. He called me yesterday and said he went vertical and let it fall out into flat spin, several turns and the recovery was flawless.

Richard

**jetpltrich** · May 9, 2025, 09:17 AM

Arctic Splinter!

This is my parts F-18 cobbled together with spare parts I had from previous F-18’s. With Spektrums Plus receiver you can really lock this plane in. Without it was a nightmare to fly and subsequently I wrecked a few. I really like how my paint scheme turned out. Agressor Squadron Arctic Splinter paint scheme. | Richard Jones

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Fde962RVs/

This is my parts F-18 cobbled together with spare parts I had from previous F-18’s. With Spektrums Plus receiver you can really lock this plane in. Without it was a nightmare to fly and subsequently...

**Elbee** · May 9, 2025, 12:38 PM

jetpltrich

Congrats, Sir. Very nicely done.

Best, LB

**Hugh Wiedman** · May 19, 2025, 03:55 PM

Finally decided to upgrade the horizontal stab servo's in both my F-18's, just in case. The stock FW servos would occasionally chatter as it "searched" for neutral, never a good sign. Although I have generally had decent luck with stock FW servos, better safe than sorry. I'd already upgraded the flap servos in both F-18's to hitecs, as I had a hell of a time with one or the other flap not deploying as those tiny 9gr servos just didn't cut it. For the elevators, I wanted to go with ProModeler's which I used in my Mig-29 several years ago and have been very happy with.

ProModeler is made here in Florida, they are competitively priced with hitec and MKS and IMO are much better. They are powerful, quiet, smooth as silk and consistently return to neutral with no searching or chattering. For the 2 F-18's, I used 2 DS1010DLHV's ($45 each) and a ProModeler servo reverser in each and beefed up the servo mounts. The stock 23gr servos have one mounting screw on each side where the ProM have 2 on each side. Also upgraded my F-4's with a single ProModeler DS1660CLHV (cost $95).

If you replace your F-18 servos, a word of advice. The servo wire channels in the F-18 are barely large enough to get the plugs through and even worse snake around at several points. Almost impossible to pull the wire out for the existing, with a cord attached, and then pull new wires back through. So if you decide to replace the entire length, as I did, it's going to be a B....(female dog).

I exposed a section in the main wheel well underneath were the rudder and elevator servos snake at an angle and it made it much easier to pull from each side. I then cut a thin piece of .040 white styrene and glued it back shut over the exposed channel (one of the photos below). Sweeeeet Upgrade!!