Official Freewing T-33 Shooting Star 80mm EDF Thread

[flyinhigh042]

I'd like to report a possible glitch in this plane. I had my maiden on this plane last week and I included a video in my last post here. As I stated before, the maiden and the second flight went quite well and I didn't report a small incident that I thought was due to a high cross wind. Just as the plane left the ground, it took a sudden but momentary roll to the left to about 30 degrees of bank. I was ready for it and I corrected it and the rest of the flight went without any other incident. The second flight ............................. .

my question is probably unrelated to your issues. However, I’m just curious which brand of transmitter/receiver you are using? I have heard of instances where certain brands don’t play well with the blue box. Only curious. Thanks for the information.

[xviper]

my question is probably unrelated to your issues. However, I’m just curious which brand of transmitter/receiver you are using? I have heard of instances where certain brands don’t play well with the blue box. Only curious. Thanks for the information.

On this plane, I'm using a Lemon DSMX 10-ch. with DSMX satellite. My intention was to split off the steering servo to a separate channel to make for better trimming independent of the rudder. I'm also using this RX in my Freewing A-10 for a couple of years now and I have not isolated any of the servos from the blue box except for the steering servo. I found one other plane that I had to take the blue box out of the equation and that was the Avanti S. I've sold it and can't remember what the glitch was on that plane, nor can I remember what kind of RX I was using on it. You may have an interesting point. I'll have to check to see what king of RX is in every plane with a blue box as I take them out to fly. So far, only the two planes have had issues with the blue box. The rest have flown without incident, except for my AL-37, which has not been maidened yet.

[Beeg]

Hummm, curious.. I lost my Avanti a couple weeks ago when it wouldn't respond in a gradual decent.....into the ground. Was running a Lemon Rx with the blue box... Haven't had any other issues with Lemons and bluebox's in any of my other Flight Line or Freewing airplanes. I wonder if I didn't have moisture issues as I left my Avanti in the barn for awhile over winter.

[Ron1950]

I always y harness the elevator and aerilons by passing the blue box

[Phantom]

I'd like to report a possible glitch in this plane. I had my maiden on this plane last week and I included a video in my last post here. As I stated before, the maiden and the second flight went quite well and I didn't report a small incident that I thought was due to a high cross wind. Just as the plane left the ground, it took a sudden but momentary roll to the left to about 30 degrees of bank. I was ready for it and I corrected it and the rest of the flight went without any other incident. The second flight ............................. same thing happened and again I thought it was due to the cross wind. Then the next day, I went to fly it again, but this time, upon lift off, the plane rolled over into the inverted and crashed into the ground. The canopy was scraped up and the end pieces broke off. The whole vertical tail section broke off, with the tip of it snapping off completely from the rest of the tail fin. This time there was no cross wind. The retracts stopped working and stayed down. Repaired the tail fin. All control surfaces worked but the retracts still did not work. I surmised that there is some signal interference that caused the ailerons to glitch and retract failure. While doing the repair, I surmised that there may have been some "cross-talk" either within the circuits of the control board or the wing boards. I disconnected the ailerons and retracts at the wing board and used "Y's" to connect directly to the RX, bypassing the boards completely. I left the elevator and rudder and nose steering on the control board.
Today, I flew the plane again twice. Both flights went perfectly. No glitches. Take offs were without any noteworthy mention. Ailerons were solid, retracts worked, both flights were textbook. Landings flawless. I believe there is signal "leaching" across clumsy soldering points on the control board or the wing boards. I can't say which is at fault. I didn't care to spend the time to experiment and find out by risking another flight that involved either boards. Bypassing both eliminated the glitches. It's unfortunate that I now have a perfectly flying airplane that is scraped up and repaired. A couple of spectators still remarked how beautiful it looked in the air, where you can't see the repaired damage.
I don't believe this is a universal issue. The people who do the soldering of these boards must do so many every day, that I think they get a little sloppy occasionally in trying to do as many as they can during their shift at work. I don't believe an automated system can do that much better. If a thousand are done, there has to be a few that get away from them. When these boards first showed up on models, I spoke of this signal "cross talk" or leaching. I also thought that due to some circuits having common grounds, that this could be another weak point. This experience has confirmed my feelings on this topic. I can clearly understand why some owners have little faith in these boards and will immediately take them out of the equation.

Xviper I've had similar issues with those exact symptoms! No crashes yet, other than the road rash when one of the mains pulled out on roll out. But I just replaced my left main retract because it stopped working in the down position. I'm do some bypassing...

[timmybeetle]

regarding blue box I thought I did read something about it this I found with google search,

https://www.hobbysquawk.com/forum/rc-airplanes/miscellaneous-rc-airplane-topics/202058-mcb-e-blue-box-issues-post-up-your-experiences

grts Hans

[xviper]

regarding blue box I thought I did read something about it this I found with google search,

https://www.hobbysquawk.com/forum/rc-airplanes/miscellaneous-rc-airplane-topics/202058-mcb-e-blue-box-issues-post-up-your-experiences

grts Hans

Issues with the “blue box” is not new as indicated by that thread. However, they aren’t issues that are in the majority of models with the control boxes nor with a big number for any given model. These issues are varied and appear from time to time in different models and different circumstances so a blanket statement can’t be made. Only specific encounters of issues can be brought up when they occur so owners of any given plane can be on the lookout.

[Ron1950]

finally got to maiden the t33 today, don't know why I was reluctant to do it as It flew great fast and friendly only needed 4 clicks of up. easy flyer love it

[flyinhigh042]

finally got to maiden the t33 today, don't know why I was reluctant to do it as It flew great fast and friendly only needed 4 clicks of up. easy flyer love it

Congrats! I’m no doubt going to buy a backup. This one is too good. I have the silver version, but that camo looks really cool as well... decisions.

[WarbirdFan66]

nice to read all the positive comments about the T-33 here because this one is the next plane on my shopping list, i mean if it gets back in stock

[Merry Boozer RC]

nice to read all the positive comments about the T-33 here because this one is the next plane on my shopping list, i mean if it gets back in stock

You definitely won’t be Disappointed. I have loved every flight I’ve had on the T-33. It’s fast!! But I’m more impressed how slow and gentle it can fly. The molded CG marks on the wing where perfect for me.

[sam51401]

Another successful maiden today with a twist in that i assembled it at the field
I did this practice several years back at the Jet Jam in that i assembled the FW 80mm A10 and maiden it with multiple flights at the event. Again this speaks volumes to the engineering and ease to which these can be assembled and literally fly of the bench.
I do have one question for James and Alpha about the JR style connectors supplied with the FW planes. I have found that the connectors have to be filed or shaved in width in order to be plugged in to Spectrum and JR receivers that have the keyed openings in the rcvr case.
Is this an issue that has been reported in past and is there any options or fix that you have looked in to or suggest. I have no problem inserting these in the blue box but its a PIA to have to alter all the connectors that plug in to the receiver.

[Spinny Testaverde]

The no look tandem T-33 fast pass 😉

[T-CAT]

LOL

[xviper]

I have found that the connectors have to be filed or shaved in width in order to be plugged in to Spectrum and JR receivers that have the keyed openings in the rcvr case.

This observation is confusing to me. The connectors found on this plane was not an issue in terms of connecting to the receiver. I'm using a Spectrum compatible RX and all the plugs were standard types and were never a problem to insert. None had to be filed or shaved or even blessed with holy water to go in. Did you get an oddball plane? Or did you plug them in backwards?

[Beeg]

Sounds like his may have Futaba style servo connectors with the blade key on one side instead of standard JR type servo connectors?

[sam51401]

Nope, the extensions as supplied from MRC that are already plugged into the blue box and they don't supply Futaba keyed connectors. I have JR and Spectrum receivers and both exhibit that issue that the width is just a smidge to large and must be scrapped with an exacto or filed. If a receiver is "open ported" at the pins, i.e. no case molded orientation, they would most likely go in. The blue box is this way as it has no key ref for the connector.

[Beeg]

Nope, the extensions as supplied from MRC that are already plugged into the blue box and they don't supply Futaba keyed connectors. I have JR and Spectrum receivers and both exhibit that issue that the width is just a smidge to large and must be scrapped with an exacto or filed. If a receiver is "open ported" at the pins, i.e. no case molded orientation, they would most likely go in. The blue box is this way as it has no key ref for the connector.

I hear what you're saying now. Yes, I've had that problem as well. Their connectors are slightly over spec to fit into a "standard" JR receiver slot.

[tab28682]

Still slowly plugging away at my T-33 to P-80 conversion. Most of the inlet rescupting is done. The rear wing fillets were removed and moved to the new loction.

I flat-topped the rear of the battery hatch, below the surface of the fuse. so that a new block of foam can be added and sculpted to match the upper fuse contour, in advance of adding the single place canopy. Clipped off the plastic wing tip mounts for the Fletcher tanks on the T-33 in preparation for the carved balsa wingtips for the P-80. Wingtip blocks ready to carve and install.

Ordered my markings for the P-80 from Callie on Sunday. After much consideration. I chose to use the markings for "Saggin Dragon", a P-80C that saw action in Korea. A fun scheme. Callie is running about a 6 week delivery on custom markings at this time, so perhaps I can time the project to be painted just in time for the markings.

[tab28682]

This observation is confusing to me. The connectors found on this plane was not an issue in terms of connecting to the receiver. I'm using a Spectrum compatible RX and all the plugs were standard types and were never a problem to insert. None had to be filed or shaved or even blessed with holy water to go in. Did you get an oddball plane? Or did you plug them in backwards?

I have had trouble with the jumper connections from the blue box to the RX as well as a few of the actual servo plugs on the installed servos. As mentioned above, the plastic of the MRC supplied connector is just a hair too large to slide into the Spektrum RX servo slots. No, we are not plugging the leads in backwards. Only aircraft I have with this issue so far are my 737 and both of my T-33s. Was not an issue on any of my other MRC aircraft, so not a universal problem. Likely a production batch issue with some of the connectors, possible a worn or slightly misaligned injection mold.