Official Freewing 70mm F-35 V3 (2019 Version) Thread

[dradams2]

Callie will be doing the livery of VFA-147 for me. (The Argonauts)

I just did the major wing cut. I will be inserting a 1" block where the cut is to move the leading edge 1" forward. I will be messing with the airfoil some here but hopefully not too much. Lots of carbon fiber rods going in for strength.


I also did some sanding on the elevators so you can see better what I am doing to them.

[tab28682]

A fun conversion. F-35C CF-01 tail markings would give a little extra visibility, as it did for the AF-01models.


One observation on your balsa horizontail tail extentions. Always a good idea to run the grain of the balsa parallel to the leading edge of the surface or to run it spanwise, instead of cordwise. Too easy to break off the tips when the grain is cordwise, even if you have some thin ply laminated between layers of balsa, a carbon rod added, or even when covered with light glass.

[Alpha]

dradams2 I've been waiting for someone to do this conversion! Thanks for sharing your process and progress!

[dradams2]

Oops. sorry. Does this help a little. I just laid the elevators on top of the existing one so you could see the modification I am doing. I am not going for true scale but close. I am converting my F-35A to an F-35C.

[Crick3t]

dradams2 - what are we doing in these pictures? Wing tips have been cut off, strange note cards taped to the wing. What did we miss here?

Can you explain this project and hacking up the wings? I think i can speak for all of us when i say we are curious what you are doing.

Cheers!

[xviper]

Here they are. Still a long ways to go and the tricky stuff is coming next.

Did I miss your post about why you lopped off the wing tips? I'm curious what you're going to do.

[gooniac33]

As ChevPro said. It's separating the ailerons from a single channel into 2 channels on the receiver. This gives you the opportunity to use the ailerons as Flaps (Flaperons) or as Spoilers (Spoilerons). Flaperons deploy the ailerons in a downward position to function as a regular flap. Spoilerons do the same thing but deploy the ailerons in an up position. Both spoilers and flaps are used to help create lift at lower speeds. They also help to slow the plane down by increasing drag. Some planes spoilers are more effective than flaps. The F35 happens to be one of these planes that prefers spoilers to flaps.

I'll get a few pictures of my setup at some point today and post so you can see what I am doing.

Spoilerons work a lil different than flaps. They change the way that the wing stalls. The also tend to make the plane pitch up which causes more drag and help the plane sink. It also makes it so that the wing can have a much higher angle of attack before stalling. In my experience it makes them stall more predictable and manageable. I had a 180mph pylon racer that would not slow down for landing at all unless spoilerons were used. I have meantto try this on my F-16 and F-35 but haven't gotten around to it yet. Both planes could benefit from them for sure...

[dradams2]

Here they are. Still a long ways to go and the tricky stuff is coming next.

[Chevpro]

Got my F-35 in and started putting it together. The wings look a little weird though. Got a long ways to go because I don't think the scotch tape will hold up for long. 🙂

Where's the end of your wings?

[Crick3t]

Got my F-35 in and started putting it together. The wings look a little weird though. Got a long ways to go because I don't think the scotch tape will hold up for long. 🙂

What exactly is on your wings in the picture? Are you masking off for painting?

[dradams2]

Got my F-35 in and started putting it together. The wings look a little weird though. Got a long ways to go because I don't think the scotch tape will hold up for long. 🙂

[tab28682]

I have the F16 and the F35 and the Hawk all with the same 2210kv inrunner. Radar speeds straight and level:

F35: 113mph
F16: 108mph
Hawk: 111mph

Very interesting results.

Something must be a little non-optimal on the F-16: Inlet ducting, thrust tube exit diameter, or cheater hole drag.

It would seem you could likely tweak the F-16 in those areas and get a few more MPH out of it.

[Crick3t]

ok thanx and i expect when deployed they still work as alerons 4 roll control on landing

That's correct you still have aileron control even with Flaperons / Spoilerons deployed. You must keep your travels in mind. Since you'll have Ailerons being used as flaps or spoilers they will already have a certain amount of travel / throw being used. Just watch be mindful of travel and adjust settings as needed (flap/spoiler deployment throw, servo end points, travel rates, etc.)

[f4u ausie]

ok thanx and i expect when deployed they still work as alerons 4 roll control on landing

[Crick3t]

can u guys educate me on spoilerons flaperons,,, i hav no idea....thanx

As ChevPro said. It's separating the ailerons from a single channel into 2 channels on the receiver. This gives you the opportunity to use the ailerons as Flaps (Flaperons) or as Spoilers (Spoilerons). Flaperons deploy the ailerons in a downward position to function as a regular flap. Spoilerons do the same thing but deploy the ailerons in an up position. Both spoilers and flaps are used to help create lift at lower speeds. They also help to slow the plane down by increasing drag. Some planes spoilers are more effective than flaps. The F35 happens to be one of these planes that prefers spoilers to flaps.

I'll get a few pictures of my setup at some point today and post so you can see what I am doing.

[JamesonC]

The stock F-16 was close to the same straight and level top speed as the inrunner in my experience. The real difference comes when you point the nose up. The inrunner has more thrust. But there is something keeping the F-16 from being really fast. It may just be the cheater being draggy or the intake... not sure... but The F-35 is for sure faster! But even that one has a big ole cheater...

I never did get a radar reading on the stock outrunner, but the inrunner really changed the plane for me. Top speed, takeoff distance, vertical, 1/2 throttle cruising. You name it and it improved it.

[Chevpro]

Second on the spoilerons.

You need to split the aileron servos to separate channels.

I use a couple degrees of spoilerons with no elevator compensation. The plane almost floats in with no wing rock.

Todd

[f4u ausie]

can u guys educate me on spoilerons flaperons,,, i hav no idea....thanx

[Crick3t]

I had the F35 out today doing some experimenting with flaperons & spoilerons. I had 4 total flights trying all sorts of mixes of flaperons/elevator & spoiler/elevator. With what I experienced today I can say that the F35 really likes the SPOILERONS!

Flaperons deployed at 30% with no elevator mix and the plane wanted to go nose down and head for the ground. I landed & added in 10% up elevator. The addition of the down elevator helped to keep the plane a lot more level. However this really didn't take out a lot of air speed or slow things down as much as i thought or would have liked. It also seemed to add a lot of wing rock when things did get slowed down.

Spoilerons deployed at 30% with no elevator mix and the plane wanted to climb hard. The nose instantly pitched up about 45% and the plane just started climbing and loosing speed. I landed an added in 10% down elevator. This helped but not enough. Landed added in another 5% of down elevator. Deployed the spoilerons in my test with the additional down elevator and it felt great. The plane slowed way down and seemed to be really stable. Didn't experience the wing rock like i did with the falperons. Spoilerons really lets you float this thing in for landing. It's hard not to make a good landing with this setup.

Hopefully in the next few days i'll get a little video showing my setup and how it works. I would recommend SPOILERONS for F35 to anyone that wants to slow it down and make some gorgeous landing!

[gooniac33]

I have the F16 and the F35 and the Hawk all with the same 2210kv inrunner. Radar speeds straight and level:

F35: 113mph
F16: 108mph
Hawk: 111mph

The stock F-16 was close to the same straight and level top speed as the inrunner in my experience. The real difference comes when you point the nose up. The inrunner has more thrust. But there is something keeping the F-16 from being really fast. It may just be the cheater being draggy or the intake... not sure... but The F-35 is for sure faster! But even that one has a big ole cheater...