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

[Hugh Wiedman]

Wow extraordinary job on the livery! Good job all around! I flew mine for the first time in a while, first time with the completed 3DPUP cockpit and wow did I ever underestimate the weight and how it effected my CG! Another prime example of not completing a sound preflight check list. I put my battery in the same location as always. Nope. So Hugh Wiedman you are rocking a 105mm CG?
Another oddity I need to square away is I have a Hobby Eagle gyro in her, I think is dialed but man she wants to yaw to the left something fierce! I adjust the rudder trim to no avail. Always somethin' lol.

If I remember correctly, the 3DPUP cockpit I did in the "Red" Canadian F-18 ended up adding about 4.75 ounces to the nose, including the JHH Full Body pilot. In order to get to 103 mm, I now have 1 ounce of lead in the elevator stations and I removed the circuit board and ended up installing everything under the battery tray so I could move an 814 gr 6000 SMC all the way back, allowing for an aft maximum balance point of almost 110mm (which was a bit too much for me to handle, especially on the bumpy grass runway). On the F-18 "Tiger", I did the same with all the electronics under the tray, but did not do a 3DPUP cockpit, instead, my version of a 2D cockpit, which ended up weighing only 1.25 ounces more than the bare stock cockpit (and did not add any lead in the tail). This allows a lot more freedom to play with the CG.

Regarding your yaw to the left, not sure what's up with that. The last time I flew the "red" Canadian is when I had issues with the flaps and it rolled violently to the left. I think it was the flaps (even reduced the delay to 0-which made the handling issue happen immediately), as it seemed to start on a previous flight (with 4 second delay) and only when deploying full landing flaps, but who knows (she sure wanted to make a hard left turn all of a sudden, maybe like yours). I was using an AR636 and up till then, no issues. Additionally, I noticed that the right horizontal stabilizer servo had developed a severe case of the shakes. Since that outing, I replaced both flap servos, the elevator servo and wired the flaps and ailerons directly into a new AR637T (all set up the same on the Tiger). Haven't had a chance to fly either yet, but nervously waiting to find out how/if it worked out. On that last "mishap" flight, I was at 110 mm (first time there) and it seems that the flap issues were exacerbated by the further aft balance, so now going back to 100-103.

[fredmdbud]

They call their plane "AL-37", but we all know it's the 737-MAX, a real plane. Where's the outcry?

Looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, flies like a duck ... you know it's Blue Diamonds. I very much doubt the actual squadron really cares.

Stay calm and buy/build/fly on.

[davegee]

Well, even if it does, the name of (VA) VFA-146 is Blue Diamonds. And if we buy, build, and fly these planes as a little dedication to history, then it shouldn't be that much trouble to get the name right. Sorry Motion... luv your stuff, but that little miscue is like this mosquito flying' 'round my head right now!

It doesn't say "Gray Diamonds" anywhere on the airplane that I'm aware of, not having seen the airplane yet in person. What I'm annoyed at is that it is marketed on the website as the NEW Gray Diamonds F-18C! I think Motion RC "stepped in it" with this miscue. They probably won't change anything, though...

[nuts-n-volts]

Well, even if it does, the name of (VA) VFA-146 is Blue Diamonds. And if we buy, build, and fly these planes as a little dedication to history, then it shouldn't be that much trouble to get the name right. Sorry Motion... luv your stuff, but that little miscue is like this mosquito flying' 'round my head right now!

[Evan D]

Does the plane actually have Gray Diamonds on it somewhere?

[fredmdbud]

They can just rename it Blue Diamonds (subdued) and be done with it. Only the CAG's plane gets the full peacock color scheme.

[davegee]

I just wrote Motion as well. 146 is one fine squadron, always has been, and deserve to be called by the right name. "It just ain't right!"

Well said!! This is beyond annoying to me, and I was never in the Navy! As you said, it just "ain't right" that they came up with a stupid Gray Diamonds name to market this plane, which the Chinese Must have known was based on a real squadron, VFA-146, since they put the decal on their friggin' models! That, along with the classic logo and "NH" on the tails!

[nuts-n-volts]

I just wrote Motion as well. 146 is one fine squadron, always has been, and deserve to be called by the right name. "It just ain't right!"

[davegee]

Yeah a lot different then at Miramar. Funny though. I lived in Miramar when the filled Top Gun and now Fresno right next to Lemore where they filmed Top Gun 2. I think they are following me.

Gravy

My best friend from childhood was in VF-2 with F-14s and then a Top Gun instructor at NAS Miramar in the early-mid '80s. He was one of the consultants for story ideas when Jack Epps came there looking to put together a script for the proposed Top Gun movie. One of the ideas he used was that famous flat spin and ejection where Goose gets killed. It was loosely based on a real incident, although it was embellished a lot for the movie.

[davegee]

"Strike Fighter Squadron 146 also known as the "Blue Diamonds" is a United States Navy operational fleet strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore California. They fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet and are attached to Carrier Air Wing 11, deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt."

I have pictures of the blue diamond somewhere from the LNAS air show two years ago.
Gravy

Just seen you said they marketed as "Grey Diamonds" Yeah whats up with that? I hate when companies do that stuff.

I totally agree! I did ask the Motion help desk about it, and they replied that it "wasn't a part of any "real" squadron. It's just what Freewing (from China) decided to make up, and the fictitious "Gray Diamonds." I then asked them "Why did they put VFA-146 (which is the Blue Diamonds, since 1956!) on it?? I said that ANY former or present VFA-146 squadron member, upon seeing this would have a WTF moment! It's like Freewing's Blue Angels F-18s and saying that they don't represent any real unit in the Navy/USMC.

This would have been a nice way to honor a specific squadron that is still active and defending our Country. Should have called them Blue Diamonds and I would have been happy. Either that, or leave off the VFA-146 decal, or make it VFA-001 or some fictitious number.

Cheers

davegee

[Gravythe clown]

Yeah a lot different then at Miramar. Funny though. I lived in Miramar when the filled Top Gun and now Fresno right next to Lemore where they filmed Top Gun 2. I think they are following me.

Gravy

[Evan D]

Hate is a strong word... I hated my time at Lemoore, man was it hot there.

"Strike Fighter Squadron 146 also known as the "Blue Diamonds" is a United States Navy operational fleet strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore California. They fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet and are attached to Carrier Air Wing 11, deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt."

I have pictures of the blue diamond somewhere from the LNAS air show two years ago.
Gravy

Just seen you said they marketed as "Grey Diamonds" Yeah whats up with that? I hate when companies do that stuff.

[Gravythe clown]

"Strike Fighter Squadron 146 also known as the "Blue Diamonds" is a United States Navy operational fleet strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore California. They fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet and are attached to Carrier Air Wing 11, deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt."

I have pictures of the blue diamond somewhere from the LNAS air show two years ago.
Gravy

Just seen you said they marketed as "Grey Diamonds" Yeah whats up with that? I hate when companies do that stuff.

[Evan D]

Also interesting that the cockpit is totally gray and all the spares are marked "base gray". They list a decal sheet but it's also marked base gray. Same decal sheet is in the base gray version too. Would be interesting to see what the decals are of.


"90mm EDF F/A-18C Hornet Decal Sheet - Base Gray from Freewing - FJ3142107"


"Note: This decal sheet is not available with either PNP or ARF PLUS in the box. It is available for purchase as a spare part only."

[davegee]

I see Motion has now come out with a new paintjob for the F/A-18C 90 mm airplane that is already prepainted and has markings on it. It is being marketed as the "Gray Diamonds" F-18 by Freewing (China.) I'm thinking of getting the plane, and researched the squadron that is on the side of the model, VFA-146. These are and have been since 1956, the "Blue Diamonds." Not sure why they market a real squadron by something they never were called. Oh, well...

davegee

[Polyphren]

To guarantee the CG, I put my batteries on a wooden slider in a defined position. Vertical movements of the slider are supressed by a foam block, which cannot change position when the canopy is closed.

[Polyphren]

Hi Hugh,
your settings seems to be very similar to mine.
My CG is around 100mm perhaps 103mm. That‘s hard to measure with my fingertips only. The neutral position of my elevators ( after triming) is 35mm.
I think, I need a second flight (less nervous 😁) to see how the setting works.
Perhaps I‘ll change the steering, too. At the moment, I applied the ailevator modus, e.g. rolling includes both ailerons (100%) and elevators (80%).

Here is my neutral elevator.
The red and yellow marks are low rates or high rates respectivly.

[Aros]

Wow extraordinary job on the livery! Good job all around! I flew mine for the first time in a while, first time with the completed 3DPUP cockpit and wow did I ever underestimate the weight and how it effected my CG! Another prime example of not completing a sound preflight check list. I put my battery in the same location as always. Nope. So Hugh Wiedman you are rocking a 105mm CG?
Another oddity I need to square away is I have a Hobby Eagle gyro in her, I think is dialed but man she wants to yaw to the left something fierce! I adjust the rudder trim to no avail. Always somethin' lol.

[Hugh Wiedman]

Finally my Hornet had her maiden flight.
Only knowing the flight characteristics of the F22 Raptor, I was surprised how nose heavy the Hornet is. And my CG already included an additional offset following the advice of airguardian.
Anyhow after some trimming I was able to end the flight with a successful touch down.

Great looking F-18! Where did you end up balancing at. Definitely looked a bit nose heavy at the beginning (maybe as a result of where your neutral elevator position was), before you had it trimmed out, although on the landing it did not look nose heavy after it got it's feet on the ground, actually looked a bit tail heavy. For what it's worth, my neutral elevator position when balanced at 105 mm (not ready to go to >110mm ala AirGuardian), was 37mm below the line made by the vertical stabilizers casing fitting into the fuselage. I tried mine at 115 mm but the nose kept popping off the ground when taxing and on take-off run every time it hit an uneven portion of grass, which is everywhere. I liked the way it flew, but didn't like the ground handling, just need to get more comfortable with that.

[Polyphren]

Finally my Hornet had her maiden flight.
Only knowing the flight characteristics of the F22 Raptor, I was surprised how nose heavy the Hornet is. And my CG already included an additional offset following the advice of airguardian.
Anyhow after some trimming I was able to end the flight with a successful touch down.