Official Roban 120mm A-10 Warthog V2 EDF Jet Thread

[Skytrakvideo]

Recently purchased the V2 arctic camo version, cost me £450 (560usd) more to get it to the UK with shipping and import tax. If only Motionrc Europe stocked it!
I read all the information I could find and watched all the YouTube videos ..... and still bought one!
The retract motors are very slow, about 25 seconds, probably will need upgrading at some stage, other than that the airframe is really nice.
Always wanted a larger A10 since I filmed Ali Machinchy flying his Mibo A10 a few years ago.
https://youtu.be/mDP-sNlTTKY ..... way out of my price range!

[jinkrat4791]

I really want to pull the trigger on this plane, but for a twin turbine conversion. The lack of talking about this model is really keeping me away. I wish there was more pilots talking and sharing about this plane.

I felt the same way as you for a long time, when I talked to Gary at Efflux Rc to price the electric power system when I was still hesitant to buy the kit he told me he had built many turn key power systems for this model. There's quite a few of these models flying. I met a guy on the Rc Groups thread that has helped me white a bit through my build and he has two of these, the green camo and the grey version. He tells me it has very mild flight characteristics but it's very aerobatic as well, if you haven't seen one up close it's a really nice kit. I have the version 1, so I've had to do some mods to the wing center section but supposably these issues have been addressed. I wouldn't wait too long to decide because I'm not sure if roban is going to do another production run but I do know if you need a replacement part such as a wing panel or such u can get it directly from the factory. I was going to buy a V2 center section from them but I'm comfortable with the mods I've made to my V1. The retracts are Chinese junk, I didn't take a chance with them and had Down & Locked upgrade mine and now I feel they are bullet proof. My suggestion would be to go for it, I've never seen a turbine version but it would probably be spectacular.

[jinkrat4791]

Recently purchased the V2 arctic camo version, cost me £450 (560usd) more to get it to the UK with shipping and import tax. If only Motionrc Europe stocked it!
I read all the information I could find and watched all the YouTube videos ..... and still bought one!
The retract motors are very slow, about 25 seconds, probably will need upgrading at some stage, other than that the airframe is really nice.
Always wanted a larger A10 since I filmed Ali Machinchy flying his Mibo A10 a few years ago.
https://youtu.be/mDP-sNlTTKY ..... way out of my price range!

If you are going to put that kind of money in a model I wouldn't trust the retracts from the start, the factory motors do not have enough torque to fully retract the gear with the wind resistance in flight. But your main concern should be the controller. I don't know of anyone, and I've been following the Rc Groups thread for over 2 years, that hasn't had the controller burn up within 3 flights, many burn up during testing while installing the gear, had mine rebuilt by Down & Locked. I don't care to belly land mine

[jinkrat4791]

Life batteries don't self discharge and dont suffer when stored fully charged, you can charge them now and they will be ready to go at Christmas and it won't hurt the cells. It's one of the best features of A123/LiFe batteries

Thank you, I could never get a straight simple answer to that question. It's not easy for someone like me that is fairly new to electric flying to get answers to questions that involve batteries and charging. I was out of the hobby for about 7;years and prior to my return I was flying all gassers. I decided to give electric a try and I don't think I'll ever go back. I jumped in a little over my head with this A 10, as far as fully understanding an EDF system, but I managed to make several old glow DF models fly back in the day so I figured it couldn't be anymore aggravating than them. I saw u answered my other question about the model rotating, I'v seen vids and it looks like it rotates fine, I was concerned beasce I'v talked
To a few people on the other thread and they said it's difficult to rotate. They said it takes a ton of elevator an you have to let off just as it rotates or you can tip stall it as soon as the tires leave the ground. Do you own and fly this model?

[Skytrakvideo]

Jink....

Totally agree with you on the retracts, definitely won't be using them or the driver board, I don't like poor quality whether rc gear or anything, I'm already looking to modify and maybe fit Electron retracts and controller, should be relatively easy to adapt the struts to fit as I have a lathe, a bit more effort adapting the mounting points in the A10, time will tell!
Talking about quality I've had a Jeti Duplex DC16 for a few years , best radio gear out there...in my opinion!

[Reeper38]

Has anyone converted this bird to twin turbines yet?

[Reeper38]

Can someone help me please ..i would like too see where I would or should reinforce the version 1 ...i just started the build last night and would like some ideas of esc placement and structural mods if needed

[Go4it]

Regarding version2. Has anyone down a build on this jet?

[jinkrat4791]

Jink....

Totally agree with you on the retracts, definitely won't be using them or the driver board, I don't like poor quality whether rc gear or anything, I'm already looking to modify and maybe fit Electron retracts and controller, should be relatively easy to adapt the struts to fit as I have a lathe, a bit more effort adapting the mounting points in the A10, time will tell!
Talking about quality I've had a Jeti Duplex DC16 for a few years , best radio gear out there...in my opinion!

Skytrak, I'd love to have a Jeti, I plan on getting one when I feel it's time to retire my Spektrum. One thing about the struts, there's been quite a few people who have had the nose strut folding on them, one I know of was on a maiden take off roll on a salt flat. I'm going to try to use mine but I'm going to diss-assemble them and make sure there are flat spots on the posts where the set screws are, I'm guessing there isn't, and when I re-assemble them I'm using something like the JB Weld for aluminum on every part that I can for additional strength. I did the same when I assembled the elevator mechanism. I'm still not completely comfortable with the nose strut even after taking those steps. I considered getting a new one from Down and Locked but my build has been a money pit, for what I have in it I could have built a skymaster. Or close to it anyway.

[jinkrat4791]

Skytrak, I'd love to have a Jeti, I plan on getting one when I feel it's time to retire my Spektrum. One thing about the struts, there's been quite a few people who have had the nose strut folding on them, one I know of was on a maiden take off roll on a salt flat. I'm going to try to use mine but I'm going to diss-assemble them and make sure there are flat spots on the posts where the set screws are, I'm guessing there isn't, and when I re-assemble them I'm using something like the JB Weld for aluminum on every part that I can for additional strength. I did the same when I assembled the elevator mechanism. I'm still not completely comfortable with the nose strut even after taking those steps. I considered getting a new one from Down and Locked but my build has been a money pit, for what I have in it I could have built a skymaster. Or close to it anyway.

I don't want to mislead anyone by saying my build has been a money pit. I could have built it for less but I've done a ton of mods and I'm adding a lot of additional scale details including glassing and feathering the nacelles to the fuse and an accurate snow cammo paint job and of course decals from Callie. Plus every componet I have used has been top shelf. I'm hoping the end result will be one of the nicest Robans flying. I may even sell it after a round of proving flights. It's been a headache from opening the box and I'm at a point where I can't stand to even look at it much less work on it. Hopefully it will fly like a dream and I will forgive it for dragging me for two years.

[Aros]

Well we're pulling for ya jinkrat4791. Hope she turns out how you hope.

[jinkrat4791]

Thanks Aros, I need all the support I can get on this one

[Reeper38]

Where yall mounting your esc's?

[jinkrat4791]

Where yall mounting your esc's?

I'm mounting mine on a lite ply tray I made with foam padding and velcro straps right behind the canopy in the top of the fuse, I extended the motor wires so I wouldn't have to extend the battery leads to the point of having to add caps

[Reeper38]

Thats what i was thinking right on cg ...are u mounting them upside down?

[jinkrat4791]

Yes, it the top of the fuse, out of the way

[Reeper38]

Has anyone added brakes ? And if so where do I get them please?

[jinkrat4791]

Know of plenty of people that have added brakes, just don't know if they used the factory struts. Xicoy makes a 105mm set that comes out to 3.95 in. The wheels look sort of scale but not as good as the factory ones. If you are still going to send your gear to D & L I'd check with him on the brakes too.

[Reeper38]

I talked to him today and he still doesn't have brakes...is there a way to add them to the factory struts

[Go4it]

I was going to build the Roban 120mm A-10 Warthog V2 EDF and things changed. I have Two JP 120mm 760kv with 150A ESC purchased as a comb from Turbines.com. If interested I will be listing the set for sale. RCgroups and other forums. https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...B#post45143465