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

[Hugh Wiedman]

Hey Hugh, Had an interesting flight today with my F-16 on 8S with HIV SMC batteries. After about 1 min lost power to the EDF and ESC beeped twice ( ESC could not start EDF)
Had not reprogrammed the ESC for HIV batteries. Do you think that is why it shut down power to the EDF? After crash recovery the EDF would go full throttle and shut down again.
Last question. I promise.... Once you reprogram the ESC to HV batteries, can you still use standard Lipo's or do you need to reprogram the ESC again?

If I remember, you have a Castle ESC in it. After I programmed mine (although it is a 6S) it removed the low voltage cutoff (actually not removed, just reduced as per their chart). Originally, when I plugged the 6S HiV batteries in, fully charged, I got 7 beeps, so it thought it was a 7S battery and used that cutoff point, which ended up around 50-60% battery charge. At that point (tested it out on the bench before flying it), when the batteries got down after maybe 2 minutes, the motor began to pulse and loose power. After letting it sit for a bit, the batteries rebounded enough to get full throttle, but only for a short time before loosing power and pulsing. After I changed the low voltage cutoff, it doesn't exactly beep the number of cells anymore, just allows you to drain the battery to that new point before loosing power and pulsing. You can still use standard 4.2 volt batteries, but again, it will not beep the indicated number of cells.

I'm not sure why you lost power so quickly, after 1 minute, would have expected it to go 2 min, but maybe being 8S and thinking it was 9S the cutoff voltage is much higher. And not sure why the ESC would not start the EDF again. Is the Castle ESC for 8S?

Should work fine after changing the the low voltage for an 8S as per the Castle website chart. Suggest you first test it out on the bench and do a 3-4 minute simulated flight adjusting the throttle for take-off, cruising, etc.(or whatever you're timer is set for). Let me know how it comes out.

BTW, on the Freewing ESC's that I had to remove the low voltage cutoff (1 F-18 &1 F-4), with a HiV battery it gives no beeps. With a standard 6S at 4.2 volts it still gives 6 beeps even after removing the low voltage cutoff. I reprogrammed 5 other Castle ESC's in my Extreme Flight 3D planes and one in a Beast BiPlane and another in an Aces High FW 190, and they work perfect, either HiV or regular, and the ESC does not beep at all.

[NEWBIE]

I fell in love with this bird and picked her up. I only fly Jets and have been very successful. I own a f-35 and f-16 which I have flown each about 150 times and both still look great, minus a few landing gear issues and or wing scrapes. Long story short, on my maiden with this one I put the battery where the plane was nose heavy. It was a SMC high voltage 5300 which is10 grams lighter than the admiral 5000. Is anyone flying with the 5000 pack? Where did you place the battery? In front of the two yellow lines or behind them. I placed mines in front making the plane WAY to nose heavy. I also put the elevators with the 7mm to give it more lift.

I had strange issue where the flaps would not work 1 out of 10 times the flaps would get stuck coming up on one side. I was told that the blue control box can cause issues like that, or the wing may have a wiring issue and try swapping out the wings.

Any CG tips are welcome. When I had the plane with the landing gear down, I tested the CG to be on the plastic right behind the rear wing screws. I had watched the videos on you tube for motion RC and that is where the CG was recommended. It could not have been more off, I would let go of the elevator and it would literally nose dive, I put 32 clicks of elevator trying to trim it and nothing. Then came time to land and without flaps and my short field, I made the stupid mistake of trying the flaps on a maiden with a nose heavy plane. I don't mind you all pointing out my errors, that is what I am here for. I want to learn how to fly this plane. I had a spektrum ar631 in it with everything by the book.
THE NEWBIE

[Elbee]

I fell in love with this bird and picked her up. I only fly Jets and have been very successful.

Hey Newb,
Welcome to "the Squawk".

Check the myriad posts, all your answers are there, I can assure you.

I know, I know, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack, but there you have it.

Is it your Right-hand Flap that is sticking? I had to trim a bit-o-foam away from the inner RH flap so it did not rub the fuselage at full extension.

Your experience will definitely be needed as the wing loading is medium-high on the Hornet. You'll want those flaps to be fully functional for landings.

I, too, love this airframe.

Best, LB

[Evan D]

I am flying mine on 8S so a bit heavier, 880-890g. I have my balance at about 95mm gear down and it flies excellent there. Some have their CG even back as far as 103-105mm. When I built mine I thought their pushrod placement was silly, if I put the aileron and flap pushrods on the outer hole of the servo I would have to really reduce the servo travel in the radio. Moving them in not only has me using the servos resolution better but also increases the effective torque the servo is putting out. I also moved the elevators to the inner hole. I think because of this I have had no issues with things like a flap hanging up that some have reported. Maybe you have too much flap throw if they are binding on the fuselage sides too. While there is a lot of info here there is more on RCGroups too. Let me add that tailerons really make this plane fly much better too.

[Aros]

I've finally given up on this model. It's my favorite active jet (Blue Angel) and she looks great but I have been snake-bitten by this model too many times to count. I'm glad some are enjoying her, I just can't seem to find a happy place with her. The wing loading is part of the issue but all the models I have had of this one (um, like 8!?!) it just feels "off" to me. Like gremlins. I've been flying jets for over a decade and have had hundreds upon hundreds of successful flights with all kinds of jets but this one just has me perplexed and makes me feel like I am new to flying jets, lol.

Maybe Freewing will come out with a less finicky, lighter-wing loaded one down the road.

[Elbee]

Aros, but it's so pretty. Best, LB

[DCORSAIR]

I've finally given up on this model. It's my favorite active jet (Blue Angel) and she looks great but I have been snake-bitten by this model too many times to count. I'm glad some are enjoying her, I just can't seem to find a happy place with her. The wing loading is part of the issue but all the models I have had of this one (um, like 8!?!) it just feels "off" to me. Like gremlins. I've been flying jets for over a decade and have had hundreds upon hundreds of successful flights with all kinds of jets but this one just has me perplexed and makes me feel like I am new to flying jets, lol.

Maybe Freewing will come out with a less finicky, lighter-wing loaded one down the road.

I agree, had two of them and after many flights of trying different CG ranges, flap adjustments and I never felt like I got either one dialed in, I was so happy to see both of those Jets leave my hanger

[Aros]

That's a good way of putting it. It just never felt dialed in. No matter how many flights I had.

[Hugh Wiedman]

That's a good way of putting it. It just never felt dialed in. No matter how many flights I had.

I like both my F-18's because of just that. They keep me on my toes as I've never felt comfortable with any flight and it constantly reminds me that can happen at anytime! But when I get a good flight and landing, it's like Christmas! My biggest problem is landing on a bumpy thick grass runway (our natural runway state). Unless everything is perfect in my technique (yah, right, like that's going to happen) and haven't encountered a crosswind or gust, it occasionally tips with the narrow mains when it first contacts the ground and the missile rails on the outside dig into the ground, causing all kinds of havoc. But they look too cool to fly it without them. And you can't say flying the F-18 is boring. When I get too cocky, I just take out one of the F-18's and it brings me back down where I should be!

[Airguardian]

I still need to pull mine back together after the crash I had... but in the meantime, have some full scale inspiration!

[Cape Jets]

I've finally given up on this model. It's my favorite active jet (Blue Angel) and she looks great but I have been snake-bitten by this model too many times to count. I'm glad some are enjoying her, I just can't seem to find a happy place with her. The wing loading is part of the issue but all the models I have had of this one (um, like 8!?!) it just feels "off" to me. Like gremlins. I've been flying jets for over a decade and have had hundreds upon hundreds of successful flights with all kinds of jets but this one just has me perplexed and makes me feel like I am new to flying jets, lol.

Maybe Freewing will come out with a less finicky, lighter-wing loaded one down the road.

Well I've joined Aros and I'm sure many more that has given up on this jet. Yes she looks great on the ground & when she fly's she looks great in the air. The issue is we spend more time repairing this bird than flying. I know everyone says its part of the hobby to have occasion failures, but this bird takes more of its share than any other bird I fly. After 7 replacement fuses and main wings it time to step back and fly the birds that like me Maybe we will revisit her again next year since all I need is a new fuse to get her back in the air.......

[Airguardian]

It should have been a slightly bigger scale with slightly lower comparative wing loading and then it wouldn't have given so many trouble IMO.

[Elbee]

It should have been a slightly bigger scale with slightly lower comparative wing loading and then it wouldn't have given so many trouble IMO.

AG, Acknowledged and Agreed. I've thought about cheating the Wing Area by extending the tip an inch and adding a little more washout.

A wing rebuild could be done also adding approximately an inch to the LE without ruining the plan view profile too much. Possibly as much as an additional 40 square inches to the wing area.

Flyibility versus aesthetics is always a compromise.

Best regards, LB

[Airguardian]

But hence why I suggested having made it slightly larger :)
As a matter of fact, the F-18 is the only EDF model I fly where I have had orientation issues on a regular basis due to size... so the extra size would come handy in more than one sense...!

[Aros]

Well I've joined Aros and I'm sure many more that has given up on this jet. Yes she looks great on the ground & when she fly's she looks great in the air. The issue is we spend more time repairing this bird than flying. I know everyone says its part of the hobby to have occasion failures, but this bird takes more of its share than any other bird I fly. After 7 replacement fuses and main wings it time to step back and fly the birds that like me Maybe we will revisit her again next year since all I need is a new fuse to get her back in the air.......

Welcome fellow club member, lol.

I agree with Airguardian, she needs to be a bit bigger and lighter to really enjoy this model. It pains me to have to give this model up as the F/A-18 Blue Angel is my favorite modern jet. I just can't stomach spending so much money over and over on a model that keeps biting me in the rear. Hopefully Freewing comes out with an updated, lighter version somewhere down the road.

[Airguardian]

And LARGER

I wouldn't complain about a twin 80mm F-18 Super Hornet, while at it... it would be a nice companion to the Freewing MiG-29 ^^

[Airguardian]

w00t ^^

[eightmileshigh]

I currently had my maiden flight on the Freewing F18 BA model. all went perfect, balance was perfect and aircraft took only one click of trim to fly straight. However, on landing in approach flaps setting the f18 started to wander and become suspect in controlling it. All flap controls are perfect in the set up and travel exact. I landed the plane and continued to fly it 4 more times without flaps and it’s great. Take off with the same flaps setting works fine. 🧐 Anyone else with these problems? I do have somewhat sloppy main gear doors when deployed in the down position. Any suggestions?

[Hugh Wiedman]

I currently had my maiden flight on the Freewing F18 BA model. all went perfect, balance was perfect and aircraft took only one click of trim to fly straight. However, on landing in approach flaps setting the f18 started to wander and become suspect in controlling it. All flap controls are perfect in the set up and travel exact. I landed the plane and continued to fly it 4 more times without flaps and it’s great. Take off with the same flaps setting works fine. 🧐 Anyone else with these problems? I do have somewhat sloppy main gear doors when deployed in the down position. Any suggestions?

I have different trim settings with each flap position on both of my F-18's and they now fly stable with whatever flap position I use. If your TX is capable, set up Flight Modes with your flap switch as the variable. This will allow you to trim Ail/El/Rd at each flap position. Spektrum uses a Flight Mode setting (not to be confused with Flight Modes in their RX-something different) where you enable FM's, set it for your flap switch, then go into "Trim Utilities" and switch each surface you want (at least Aileron & Elevator- Rudder may not be as important) from "Common" to FM. Now you can trim for level flight at each position of your flaps and you will not see any "change" in flight characteristics when you deploy flaps after you trim in flight at each position. Those trim positions are then specific for each flap position. I use this on every model that has flaps. Although the "Flap System" allows some different Elevator trims on each position, those are essentially just guesses when you start out. FM's allow fine tuning it in flight. For me, this is one of the "must have" setups for any aircraft with flaps. No matter how good you set up the throws and travel on the flap servos, they may not always deflect "exactly the same".

[Donjay25]

Hi all,

I’m looking to get the freewing F18 or the Freewing F4 Phantom. I’ve read a lot about the F18 being a bit touchy and challenging. Those of you that have both, which do you prefer to fly and why?

Thanks!

Ant