Official Freewing T-33 Shooting Star 80mm EDF Thread

[Chilly Bear]

I use FoamTac on all the retract re-implantations.

I used Foam-Tac on the first one. I was going to fly today, pulled on the other before I loaded up and it popped out. 🙄 The two did not have the same glue which is very weird. The one that popped out today had a blob of what appeared to be canopy glue and maybe Foam-Tac or something similar. Might try Gorilla Glue on this one so I can see how I like it.

[Chilly Bear]

I would put the receiver in something, a mock up and try it again at the same place, then try it at home in your street or some field without a hedge?

Thanks for your suggestions. I guess the issue for me is not whether it works places other than where I operate it. If I can do a range test from the center of the top of the empire state building with the aircraft being inside a bank vault sitting on the sidewalk and it works fine, it doesn't help the situation. I require the receiver to work at the field I fly from with the hedge. If it doesn't then I have to use one that does, irregardless of its stellar performance in other locations.

[flyinhigh042]

Yes, same thing, but in typical Spektrum fashion it's over twice as much money to buy. They're just capacitors that store up some juice and if voltage drops they instantly release it

Agreed.

[Quickstop]

I’ve started using the capacitors that Motion rc sells, is this the same thing?

Yes, same thing, but in typical Spektrum fashion it's over twice as much money to buy. They're just capacitors that store up some juice and if voltage drops they instantly release it

[Beachsideflyer]

I don't have the T-33, but I had two "light" brown outs with a new F-22 using the Admiral 6 Channel RX600SP DSMX Compatible Receiver with the built-in gyro. and the blue box, so thought I'd chime in. I was fortunate to get the plane back both times shortly after losing power and control, particularly the second time where it went into a full-deflection downward spin.

I pulled the receiver and am sending it back to MRC for analysis (and a refund). But after pulling the receiver, I tested everything and installed a new Spektrum AR620. No frame losses >20 and no holds - receiver voltage never drops below 4.9V and then only momentarily (vs. 5V BEC setting). I've flown with that receiver six times without a glitch now (no gyro) so I'm fairly confident it was the receiver that caused the issue. I checked every connection in the plane and purchased the Spektrum flight log to help diagnose the problem, but everything tests fine with the new receiver.

I think something is dropping the voltage to the Admiral Receiver far enough to cause a momentary brown out on mine, likely due to the gyro. I left it on factory setting for gains and all those servos moving were too much for it I think. Perhaps my mounting didn't isolate enough vibration as well, who knows.

The only other brown out I've had (sadly) was on my Mirage 2000. That one was a Lemon receiver, but I put in an FMS EDF that was pushing the boundaries of what the ESC can handle, so have only myself to blame on that one. I have learned I want a separate BEC or receiver power source though. I think a high number of these issues are due to a lack of sufficient, stable and clean power to the receiver, if only momentarily.

I’ve started using these, supposedly helps prevent brownouts...so far, so good.

[Beachsideflyer]

I’m running Spektrum remote receivers with an Aura 8 on three of my Freewing EDF’s. I always install one of these little gems for insurance. Never had a single issue.
https://www.spektrumrc.com/Products/...ProdID=SPM1600

I’ve started using the capacitors that Motion rc sells, is this the same thing?

[Turbinefancy]

Sharing my friend’s formation video of our T-birds in formation. I was flying lead. Watch it in 4K on large screen. Credit: Aerocali

[wvrailfan]

I'm way late to this party, but I just maidened my T-33 today. My hat's off to Motion and Freewing, this is a sweet flying model. It has plenty of speed if you want it, yet slows down for very smooth landings.

JB

[xviper]

I use FoamTac on all the retract re-implantations.

[Chilly Bear]

I have yet to have a retract come out on this plane, however, I've had to re-glue many other retracts back in on other planes (actually did one yesterday on an Eflite Phantom). When a retract comes out due to a bad landing or landing in the rough, foam is going to get ripped apart. Some will stay on the retract mount while some will stay on the wing side and some will get torn off and hang there in little hunks. If your retract doesn't slide right back into the slot it came out of smoothly, that means it's catching on bits of foam that's just hanging out of their natural location. You are then forcing the retract back against those little hunks that aren't in place. It's up to you to either find those hunks and glue them back in their places or yank them out entirely and forget about them. On all of the ones I've re-glued, there was no need to hold them in place. They just went in and stayed there, waiting for the glue to set. If yours needs holding in place, then I'd surmise that you didn't do your prep work first before putting the retract back in the hole.
Insofar as removing the one that didn't get ripped out, some people simply extend the gear, grab it and give it some good tugs to see if it'll rip out. If it comes out fairly easily, then you can do a better job of gluing it back in. I've never had one where I could tear it out by my own doing. If the retract is even 1/2 glued in well, it's going to take a pretty good impact to rip it out, likely far more than I would like to impart on the unit on my own at home. Just imagine the amount of force that the retract encounters "in the field" when it comes down hard or suddenly runs into a different type of terrain. Sorry, but I'm not willing to give it that kind of force by choice nor would I want to replicate that kind of sudden impact, not knowing if the retract has a lot of glue or just a little less glue than it should have. Each individual owner, of course, is more than welcome to "give 'er" and see what happens.

Thanks! I haven't seriously looked at it or removed the excess from the box yet, but that sounds like great advice to me. Waiting on the glue.

[xviper]

When gluing the gear boxes in, how did you hold them in place? It takes a good bit of pressure to get them where they need to be in the wing. When removing the one that didn't come out do you just apply pressure until it comes out? Fix one and land in the grass to snap the other one off then repair? 🤣

I have yet to have a retract come out on this plane, however, I've had to re-glue many other retracts back in on other planes (actually did one yesterday on an Eflite Phantom). When a retract comes out due to a bad landing or landing in the rough, foam is going to get ripped apart. Some will stay on the retract mount while some will stay on the wing side and some will get torn off and hang there in little hunks. If your retract doesn't slide right back into the slot it came out of smoothly, that means it's catching on bits of foam that's just hanging out of their natural location. You are then forcing the retract back against those little hunks that aren't in place. It's up to you to either find those hunks and glue them back in their places or yank them out entirely and forget about them. On all of the ones I've re-glued, there was no need to hold them in place. They just went in and stayed there, waiting for the glue to set. If yours needs holding in place, then I'd surmise that you didn't do your prep work first before putting the retract back in the hole.
Insofar as removing the one that didn't get ripped out, some people simply extend the gear, grab it and give it some good tugs to see if it'll rip out. If it comes out fairly easily, then you can do a better job of gluing it back in. I've never had one where I could tear it out by my own doing. If the retract is even 1/2 glued in well, it's going to take a pretty good impact to rip it out, likely far more than I would like to impart on the unit on my own at home. Just imagine the amount of force that the retract encounters "in the field" when it comes down hard or suddenly runs into a different type of terrain. Sorry, but I'm not willing to give it that kind of force by choice nor would I want to replicate that kind of sudden impact, not knowing if the retract has a lot of glue or just a little less glue than it should have. Each individual owner, of course, is more than welcome to "give 'er" and see what happens.

[Chilly Bear]

When gluing the gear boxes in, how did you hold them in place? It takes a good bit of pressure to get them where they need to be in the wing. When removing the one that didn't come out do you just apply pressure until it comes out? Fix one and land in the grass to snap the other one off then repair? 🤣

[Chilly Bear]

Great! I'll try some clear Gorilla glue. Thank you.

[rifleman_btx]

One of the best glues out there

[AceMigKiller]

Ah yes, clear gorilla glue works awesome as well

[gravity tester]

FWIW, I used clear Gorilla glue (non foaming type) when mine got loose. I have 50+ flights on grass and concrete since then and they are still rock solid. It's not a quick field fix but I've been impressed.

[AceMigKiller]

I've used BSI Foam Glue (blue tube) with great success. On a structural point like this, I'd prefer that over CA which is susceptible to crack under repeated impact. Epoxy also tends to not stick super well to EPO.

[Chilly Bear]

I got in two more flights today on my T-33. I'm still waiting on Y-connectors so the nose gear was an issue again. I did get it down in time.

I made a landing on the grass and one of the main gearboxes came out of the wing. It subsequently cut a nice design on the bottom of the fuselage and the airplane flipped and bent the vertical stab, so back in the shop. I'll have to pull the other main off and glue it was well. There was very little glue on the box and none had transferred to the foam. What glue are y'all using to glue these back in?

[coyote137]

thank you radar-guy for putting the files
your work is fantastic

Paul

[timmybeetle]

Pilots

After some more flight with my T33, I removed blue box and LG reacts on switch now is much better.
Well my front gear was jammed again, it would not come out off the fuselage....., I fly from grass and pin in retract unit is weak for grass operation.
After some little pressure on LG when retracted I was able to get it out.
So I have to bend it back a little and after that I had 4 flight an no issues with front landing gear.
Also I noticed that this has in effect on steering of front gear, it didn't track right anymore before it was OK.
Luckily I have my steering on a separate channel so I trimmed it to go straight again.

grts Hans