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

[Carlbrainiac]

Quick question. What does a servo tester do that just sitting there wiggling the sticks can't? Might seem like a silly question but I'm just wondering if it's worth getting a servo tester. I've never needed one before. Just sit there a wiggle the sticks for a while. And I dont hook up any of my control surfaces until I have the receiver installed so I know all the servos will be centred.

I think if a servo tested notified of any issues like unusual resistance or temperature etc. If it could actually test and diagnose then I'd probably get one. But from what I can tell all they do is what I can do with the sticks while watch tv...

[thisguy65]

Hang in there bud, I know how you feel about this one, already been through it, mine was a headache at first, think I got it now, the BB was my main issue then the flap issue which I never really figured out, didn't change rx or anything, now it's flying good, maybe yours will be good once you figure it all out, only thing running through the BB is my gear and lights.

I’m trying, really am.

What was tour flap issue? Randomly deploying? Sorry so much has been going on.

so your flap issue just cleared up?

[RCjetdude]

I've been experimenting along with a friend's help on redoing the controls on the F/A-18C Hornet to more resemble that on the real thing. Although we didn't try to get the "toe-in" on the two rudders when the flaps are down, we now have functional tailerons, full-span flaps for take off and landings (the ailerons droop down in line with the flaps but still act as ailerons, in concert with the tailerons. It looks cool and flies great. We have 6 flights on it so far, and today we tested the full-span flaps for takeoffs and landings. Wind was gusty and close to 20 mph down the runway this morning, but it flew like a champ. My friend doesn't post on Hobby squawk, but he did post on an EDF Jets group how he set everything up, for those interested.

That would be Shaquille? I spoke with him on the phone and he was immensely helpful with getting mine set up. I just have to set the throws. Looks like it lands really nice.

[Bobaroo]

Quick question. What does a servo tester do that just sitting there wiggling the sticks can't? Might seem like a silly question but I'm just wondering if it's worth getting a servo tester. I've never needed one before. Just sit there a wiggle the sticks for a while. And I dont hook up any of my control surfaces until I have the receiver installed so I know all the servos will be centred.

I think if a servo tested notified of any issues like unusual resistance or temperature etc. If it could actually test and diagnose then I'd probably get one. But from what I can tell all they do is what I can do with the sticks while watch tv...

Not trying to initialize another Electronics Jihad here .... But . Let's just say your Servo has a Lifespan of x1000 of these x3 min flights !! That equates to a Value in Time. Now,... let's hook them up and run them hard and hot on some AutoCheck device for something like x10 - x30 mins to see what happens. I think that by doing this, the Back end of the Service Life gets decreased to some degree... Moreover, I can't see the practical application of this testing on a $10 Servo that will never in it's normal Lifespan, ever encounter a continuous x30min flight inside one of my EDFs !!

We all know that a Servo failure in flight, especially a Critical Servo, can lead to some very interesting outcomes. Some worse than others, but regardless, after a Servo Failure, we certainly have to rearrange our priorities. Cheers !!

[Bobaroo]

In Flight Servo Failure results may vary !!

[thisguy65]

To show I’m not bat s*** crazy. ;)

https://youtu.be/f3UGDqtDeWI

[Aros]

To show I’m not bat s*** crazy. ;) https://youtu.be/f3UGDqtDeWI

Gremlins! :(

[thisguy65]

BEC measured at 5volts dead on
Luckily I had some Freewing 9gram servos. Just had to shorten the lead.

picture of the servo with the germlin

[DCORSAIR]

I’m trying, really am.

What was tour flap issue? Randomly deploying? Sorry so much has been going on.

so your flap issue just cleared up?

My flap issue was a strange one, I put in more flap than what the book calls for first off, I have my flaps on a dial knob, so everytime I rolled in full flaps on the ground they worked fine, in flight they would go about 1/2 flaps, so when I landed I would roll my knob back then full and they would come down, so I took out my full flap settings and went to the book settings and haven't had any issues when I roll them down in flight, checked my radio with my other 5 jets on the same radio and they work fine, so I don't know what it was but I was getting a weird roll with more than what the book calls for on the flaps, now it's fine with no twitches or anything, strange, yes but hey it flies.

[RCjetdude]

Quick question. What does a servo tester do that just sitting there wiggling the sticks can't? Might seem like a silly question but I'm just wondering if it's worth getting a servo tester. I've never needed one before. Just sit there a wiggle the sticks for a while. And I dont hook up any of my control surfaces until I have the receiver installed so I know all the servos will be centred.

I think if a servo tested notified of any issues like unusual resistance or temperature etc. If it could actually test and diagnose then I'd probably get one. But from what I can tell all they do is what I can do with the sticks while watch tv...

I use mine all the time but not to sit there and cycle servos back and forth for 10 minutes. They are helpful to say drop retracts on a wing without having to connect it to the fuse, turn on your radio and install a battery. Also general troubleshooting. If a servo works on a tester but not when it is plugged into an extension or directly to an Rx you have a better idea what to check next.

[crxmanpat]

BEC measured at 5volts dead on
Luckily I had some Freewing 9gram servos. Just had to shorten the lead.

picture of the servo with the germlin

I'm assuming this was the flap servo you replaced? If so, a word of caution. Not all servos are created equal, so if you're replacing a servo that is Y'd to another servo for flaps, ailerons, dual elevators or dual rudders, you typically want to have matching servos so that throws are the same.

[fredmdbud]

Not trying to initialize another Electronics Jihad here .... But . Let's just say your Servo has a Lifespan of x1000 of these x3 min flights !! That equates to a Value in Time. Now,... let's hook them up and run them hard and hot on some AutoCheck device for something like x10 - x30 mins to see what happens. I think that by doing this, the Back end of the Service Life gets decreased to some degree... Moreover, I can't see the practical application of this testing on a $10 Servo that will never in it's normal Lifespan, ever encounter a continuous x30min flight inside one of my EDFs !!

We all know that a Servo failure in flight, especially a Critical Servo, can lead to some very interesting outcomes. Some worse than others, but regardless, after a Servo Failure, we certainly have to rearrange our priorities. Cheers !!

If a servo is faulty, it will fail sooner rather than later. The lifespan is called mean-time-to-failure (MTTF). If it tests OK to 0.5-1% of its service life, the probability of it failing later is smaller. But if it's going to fail, better on the bench than at the field, or worse, in the air.

For ex-military acquisition types, it's specified in the MIL-STD. :)

[flyAA]

I just got a tracking email for fedex. Looks like the wife surprised me for an early bday present. I just told her i wanted this a few days ago so looks like the second batch is on the way out!

[flyAA]

Duplicate

filler

[thisguy65]

I'm assuming this was the flap servo you replaced? If so, a word of caution. Not all servos are created equal, so if you're replacing a servo that is Y'd to another servo for flaps, ailerons, dual elevators or dual rudders, you typically want to have matching servos so that throws are the same.

Hey Pat, the replacement is the same just longer
lead. However I shorten it up to 100mm. Co firmed part numbers. I did notice the servo gear that the horn goes in to is a brass color on the model and nickel color on the new one

thanks for looking out!

[crxmanpat]

Hey Pat, the replacement is the same just longer
lead. However I shorten it up to 100mm. Co firmed part numbers. I did notice the servo gear that the horn goes in to is a brass color on the model and nickel color on the new one

thanks for looking out!

OK, just making sure. Sounds like you're good to go.

[Evan D]

I don't know if it's anything but your servo position is A LOT more forward compared to mine when retracted. Is it at 90 degrees at half flaps? Even moving it in a hole I'm only using 60/60 travel.

To show I’m not bat s*** crazy. ;)




https://youtu.be/f3UGDqtDeWI

[thisguy65]

I don't know if it's anything but your servo position is A LOT more forward compared to mine when retracted. Is it at 90 degrees at half flaps? Even moving it in a hole I'm only using 60/60 travel.

Here’s my % compare them to yours?

[thisguy65]

Here’s my % compare them to yours?

84% range (delta between 96 and 12)
not sure on the arm position. I’ll report back when the model is back together

[davegee]

That would be Shaquille? I spoke with him on the phone and he was immensely helpful with getting mine set up. I just have to set the throws. Looks like it lands really nice.

Yes, it was Shaq. He flew it twice this morning as we tested roll rates and flaps down takeoffs and landings. That makes six flights so far and he's giving me the sticks now to try it out on my own. Will report back, but he has set up many of my other planes before to my tastes, and they all fly as I like them.