HSD 105mm F-16 EDF Jet

[Hugh Wiedman]

Thank you. Yes, the plane is really fun to fly and is the perfect size for me. However, I need to reinforce the main landing gear at the bottom of the front fuselage mount and glue it better. Braking with the wheels seems to be putting a lot of pressure on it, and it tore the small plastic part out of the EPO. But otherwise, the new model seems solid. This photo is from the internet, but I tried to narrow down the problem area. Has anyone else had this problem?

I think it's called the Aros factor! Not on this but on others, usually the door is binding (slightly) somewhere. I usually try to straighten out any rods and clean any paint/debris on the hinges if it is binding. Remove the rod and see how free the door swings. Those gear door servos have as much torque as a wet noodle! I've even had a gear door that was slightly binding and not opening completely and it stopped the retract from coming fully down, another wet noodle!

[EDF-Jetpilot]

@Hugh Wiedman: Here, this is the part with the screw (front main landing gear cover) where the small plastic part was glued back in place and reinforced with fiberglass. The small screw sits in this plastic part and stabilizes the front main landing gear rod to the bulkhead. Heavy braking during landing ripped the thing out. Now it should hold.

[EDF-Jetpilot]

This is my 3D printed cockpit and a pilot with movable arms that fits perfectly.

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/hsd-f-16-cockpit

[Aros]

I haven't had that issue with the 3 models I've had from V1 to V2. And Hugh Wiedman gets pinches for that Aros Factor remark even though it's true!!!

If the CG is dialed, it's a nice flyer and easy to land. Not incredibly fast but scale looking. Great size, looks and sounds great. I'm sure I'll get #4 next year. I can't seem to quite this model. I just wish they had more livery options to choose from. Not that that's a deal breaker for me since I like to paint my models anyways.

[EDF-Jetpilot]

I haven't had that issue with the 3 models I've had from V1 to V2. And Hugh Wiedman gets pinches for that Aros Factor remark even though it's true!!!

If the CG is dialed, it's a nice flyer and easy to land. Not incredibly fast but scale looking. Great size, looks and sounds great. I'm sure I'll get #4 next year. I can't seem to quite this model. I just wish they had more livery options to choose from. Not that that's a deal breaker for me since I like to paint my models anyways.

If you were around, I'd have you paint all my jets... I can't and don't have the drive.

[DCORSAIR]

I've had 3 of those HSD F-16's and 3 of the HSD T-33's, they are great flyers. That seems to be a common problem with the F-16, I reinforced mine as well and no issues after that. I have now sold all my EDF jets and big helicopters but kept one of the HSD T-33's, I really enjoy flying the big T-33 for now anyway, I don't get out to the runway much anymore these days and only check in here once in awhile, I got into model trains and seem to be enjoying that, I didn't know they were that expensive though, I may get back into flying more, I think it's cheaper....

[EDF-Jetpilot]

I've had 3 of those HSD F-16's and 3 of the HSD T-33's, they are great flyers. That seems to be a common problem with the F-16, I reinforced mine as well and no issues after that. I have now sold all my EDF jets and big helicopters but kept one of the HSD T-33's, I really enjoy flying the big T-33 for now anyway, I don't get out to the runway much anymore these days and only check in here once in awhile, I got into model trains and seem to be enjoying that, I didn't know they were that expensive though, I may get back into flying more, I think it's cheaper....

[Aros]

Looks like HSD might be coming out with a couple new liveries. I spotted these on a random website yesterday.

[DCORSAIR]

Ooooh sweet

[EDF-Jetpilot]

Ooooh sweet

If that's true, I'll freak out and buy a second one in the Belgian livery (Dream Viper).

[EDF-Jetpilot]

https://www.facebook.com/EssentialRCDaily/posts/rc-news-new-turbineedf-f-16-from-hsd-jets-to-be-released-soon-nice-scheme-/1320601482956895/

[DCORSAIR]

That is awesome, I will take the Aggressor livery myself if I was to get another F-16, but that Viper livery looks great though.

[Aros]

That Viper livery has my attention.

[EDF-Jetpilot]

Oh... on flight 11, after consistently soft landings and touchdowns on the main landing gear on the runway, as seen in the video, the nose landing gear broke off. The adhesive surface of the plastic bracket simply but completely broke away. The sad thing is that this caused the landing gear door and its bracket to be ripped off, as well as the landing gear servo cable and the nose section, which is completely destroyed for the first 10 cm, since the F-16 rolled off the runway and stuck on the grass strip. Ugly... and all because of the carelessly glued nose landing gear! Thanks, HSD! I had checked it after unpacking it, and it was still holding then.

[Aros]

Ugh, that sucks. Definitely contact them for sure.

[subhan.nasir]

Gents, on my last flight on the HSD F-16, she suddenly went into a self-induced roll. it was pretty windy that day however i somehow managed to recover it and land without damage. I fly mine in elevon configuration with a bit of aileron for roll and yes with a gyro. The normal roll is nowhere near as fast as what I experienced and I’m puzzled about what caused it. Could it have been signal loss, a servo malfunction, or something else? I’d appreciate your input

[Evan D]

Stall?

[GliderGuy]

Agreeing with Evan…tip stall. In gusty/windy conditions, you must fly faster.

Once a gust induces an asymmetric wing stall or a tip stall, that stalled wing is gonna drop. You can’t stop it unless you rapidly decrease the angle of attack by adding power or by adding down elevator.

Trying to catch it with aileron or rudder alone generally doesn’t work.

With full scale sailplanes or RC sailplanes on a winch or auto tow…nose way up…when a tip stalls, you can apply all the rudder and aileron you have and you can’t get the wing up. Relaxing the back stick unstalls the wing, and up the wing comes.

-GG

[subhan.nasir]

Stall?

I get what you’re saying but in my case I was flying at about two-thirds throttle into the wind and she suddenly started rolling almost like a drill bit.

[GliderGuy]

Two concepts being missed here…
-1 An aircraft can be stalled at any airspeed and in any attitude. All that’s required is the airfoil must reach its critical angle of attack. A strong gust at the wrong angle can induce a stall regardless of your throttle setting or attitude.
- 2 Once an aircraft is airborne, it cannot sense steady natural wind….strong gusts excepted.

Whin I take newbie pilots up in a full scale aircraft, I ask them to tell me what the natural wind is doing. They cannot tell me the answer. They can only look at and read the airspeed indicator. Unless they can see a GPS readout, they cannot tell me our ground speed which is true airspeed plus or minus natural wind. Yes…a zero ground speed is possible with a strong headwind natural wind or even flying with a backwards ground speed is possible, but the airplane is perfectly happy…it doesn’t know. It flies on airspeed.

An RC pilot “sees” his aircraft’s ground speed. Example…let’s say at 50% throttle and level flight, an on board GPS always records 60 mph ground speed. At sea level on a standard day, the airspeed will be 60 mph. The RC pilot will “see” the airplane go by at 60 mph on a calm day.

Now throw in a 40 mph natural head wind….The RC pilot at 50% throttle “sees” his bird going by at only a SLOW 20 mph!!!!

This may make him think he’s gonna stall! NOPE...wrong pilot perception!

So, an RC pilot must constantly be responding to the “visual” of ground speed vs his transmitter control settings. Throttle back and stick back and aircraft going by with the wind (tail wind)….the bird’s about to stall regardless of how fast the pilot sees the aircraft “moving” past him!

Conversely, at 50 % power and flying level against a 50 mph natural headwind, the RC pilot sees the aircraft moving at only 10 mph and might be concerned about an impending stall. NOPE! All is fine. The airspeed is 60 mph.

The RC pilot must not let the thought of “flying into the wind” or “flying with the wind” override what his transmitter settings are telling him. Low throttle and stick being held back should be telling the RC pilot he’s about to stall regardless of how “fast” he “sees” the aircraft moving.

It’s a lot of words to caution an RC pilot from thinking that flying into the wind or flying with the wind should make an aircraft stall or not stall. FLIGHT DIRECTION MAKES NO DIFFERENCE IN WHETHER YOU ARE NEARING THE CRITICAL ANGLE OF ATTACK!
Flight direction determines ONLY GROUND SPEED.

CONTROL INPUTS determine air speed (i.e., attitude, throttle, elevator, throttle inputs = airspeed).

It’s a complex concept for RC pilots to wrap their head around. But, some rides in a full scale aircraft will aid in this understanding.

I end by asking my passenger, “Tell me now…what is the natural wind doing outside our cockpit?” They don’t have a clue and cannot answer.

I throttle back and raise the nose by pulling back on the stick (control inputs) and the plane starts to buffet and the passenger will say, “We are about to stall.” Hmmmm…did my passenger say anything about the natural wind? NOPE!

Aside: While on the ground, natural wind is air speed. If I am on the ground and pointed into a natural wind of 20 mph and not moving, my airspeed indicator will be reading 20 mph. That’s why we take off into the wind.