Official Freewing MiG-29 Fulcrum Twin 80mm Thread

[jasmith41]

I agree. The Mig is big and impressive in flight but it's not my "go to" jet for everyday fun flying. The Su-35 is OK but my absolute all time favorite is my highly modified Eflite Su-30. It's not a high alpha beast but it rocks in the big, fast, vertical maneuver arena.

Do you still have the stock EDFs in it, or have you upgraded them...?

I've yet to grab my stones and maiden mine, but i did put some up-rated FMS fans in it for improved performance based on Hugh W's recommendations...

[radfordc]

While I find the plane very cool, large, great presence, does great "tricks" and lands super smooth, etc, there's something disconcerting in the way it flies. I have this plane in the same category as my 90mm F-104 and B-2, a special day plane, though I'll fly it before either of those.

I agree. The Mig is big and impressive in flight but it's not my "go to" jet for everyday fun flying. The Su-35 is OK but my absolute all time favorite is my highly modified Eflite Su-30. It's not a high alpha beast but it rocks in the big, fast, vertical maneuver arena.

[Evan D]

I agree 100%.

I posted my ideas about the design issues over a year ago and won't bore you by repeating them here. Suffice it to say there are some fundamental design features that I take issue with, and beefing up the servos is just a band aid that while preventing the worst outcomes really doesn't address the fundamentals .

[kallend]

I didn't put many flights on mine without TV's since they were crashing, FW/ Motion was sending out better servos, and the alpha lock issue. That said it had all the same oddities before the TVs too.

While I find the plane very cool, large, great presence, does great "tricks" and lands super smooth, etc, there's something disconcerting in the way it flies. I have this plane in the same category as my 90mm F-104 and B-2, a special day plane, though I'll fly it before either of those.

I posted my ideas about the design issues over a year ago and won't bore you by repeating them here. Suffice it to say there are some fundamental design features that I take issue with, and beefing up the servos is just a band aid that while preventing the worst outcomes really doesn't address the fundamentals .

[Evan D]

I didn't put many flights on mine without TV's since they were crashing, FW/ Motion was sending out better servos, and the alpha lock issue. That said it had all the same oddities before the TVs too.

While I find the plane very cool, large, great presence, does great "tricks" and lands super smooth, etc, there's something disconcerting in the way it flies. I have this plane in the same category as my 90mm F-104 and B-2, a special day plane, though I'll fly it before either of those.

[kallend]

As I've repeatedly said the TVs may help get the plane out of the alpha lock but it still doesn't fly quite right.

Is that only since you installed the TVs, or was it always not quite right?

Funny how they hit the ball out of the park with the SU-35 but the MiG has been such a difficult child. (Nicely mixed metaphors there).

[Evan D]

As I've repeatedly said the TVs may help get the plane out of the alpha lock but it still doesn't fly quite right.

[skybolt]

For the MiG, I'm more concerned about stabs and rudders, this time around. The jet does some weird things I'm not totally fond of that would be better dealt with using stabilization on conventional controls.

For example, the jet has a tendency to wing rock with turbulence a bit more than I find visually-aesthetically pleasing, and a more pressing concern, the jet has a bit of a tendency to suddenly drift and deviate when pulling a bit too hard on the pitch stick. I do compensate it with rudder but my reflexes can't possibly be fast enough to make it look cool.
Finally, the plane has a tendency to want to drop the nose after coming out from a roll, which is annoying and when using an aft shifted CG (beyond 15mm), landing becomes quite a bit tricky. A gyro on the stabs and rudders would help with all that much more than on the nozzles. The gyro on the nozzles would be great on the other hand to reduce high alpha wobble and enhance post stall controllability overall. :)

Does it drift and deviate to the same side each time you pull a bit too hard on the pitch control

[jasmith41]

thanks guys. in the words of Brittany Spears, i did it again...

[GliderGuy]

No gyro, AS3X or SAFE will rescue you if you stall out on the turn from base to final. I expect the RX is fine, they are amazingly robust, but give it a good check out.

Agreed….especially if you get pushed by a gust into alpha lock on base to final. I say this as I sit looking at a bunch of pieces that used to be a MiG-29. And…I did have a gyro (no thrust vector installed).

The gust increased the effective angle of attack almost instantaneously beyond critical.

Ouch!

Fairly certain if the thrust vector kit was installed, recovery would have been possible.

-GG

[kallend]

ultimately, probably just bad piloting, but same thing happened on maiden flight #2 - i think i was too slow on my final turn on approach and she lost lift, at that point as3x took over trying to correct and i was doing the same thing on the ground with my radio and it just resulted in disaster #1... and now #2, which is basically what the fuselage was after last Sunday so i stripped her down and now i wait for spare parts... :)

No gyro, AS3X or SAFE will rescue you if you stall out on the turn from base to final. I expect the RX is fine, they are amazingly robust, but give it a good check out.

[jasmith41]

What were the original issues?

ultimately, probably just bad piloting, but same thing happened on maiden flight #2 - i think i was too slow on my final turn on approach and she lost lift, at that point as3x took over trying to correct and i was doing the same thing on the ground with my radio and it just resulted in disaster #1... and now #2, which is basically what the fuselage was after last Sunday so i stripped her down and now i wait for spare parts... :)

[kallend]

For the MiG, I'm more concerned about stabs and rudders, this time around. The jet does some weird things I'm not totally fond of that would be better dealt with using stabilization on conventional controls.

For example, the jet has a tendency to wing rock with turbulence a bit more than I find visually-aesthetically pleasing, and a more pressing concern, the jet has a bit of a tendency to suddenly drift and deviate when pulling a bit too hard on the pitch stick. I do compensate it with rudder but my reflexes can't possibly be fast enough to make it look cool.
Finally, the plane has a tendency to want to drop the nose after coming out from a roll, which is annoying and when using an aft shifted CG (beyond 15mm), landing becomes quite a bit tricky. A gyro on the stabs and rudders would help with all that much more than on the nozzles. The gyro on the nozzles would be great on the other hand to reduce high alpha wobble and enhance post stall controllability overall. :)

Well, the high alpha wobble was apparent in the video, which is why I made the comment. Not as good (yet) as the SU-35 at high alpha.

[Airguardian]

For the MiG, I'm more concerned about stabs and rudders, this time around. The jet does some weird things I'm not totally fond of that would be better dealt with using stabilization on conventional controls.

For example, the jet has a tendency to wing rock with turbulence a bit more than I find visually-aesthetically pleasing, and a more pressing concern, the jet has a bit of a tendency to suddenly drift and deviate when pulling a bit too hard on the pitch stick. I do compensate it with rudder but my reflexes can't possibly be fast enough to make it look cool.
Finally, the plane has a tendency to want to drop the nose after coming out from a roll, which is annoying and when using an aft shifted CG (beyond 15mm), landing becomes quite a bit tricky. A gyro on the stabs and rudders would help with all that much more than on the nozzles. The gyro on the nozzles would be great on the other hand to reduce high alpha wobble and enhance post stall controllability overall. :)

[kallend]

Second flight session with the VT MiG. Better this time with more aft CG again and a couple of rails added back in but still have to set it up better and I'm feeling like the jet could really do with a gyro... :p

At least on the VT nozzles.

[GliderGuy]

Second flight session with the VT MiG. Better this time with more aft CG again and a couple of rails added back in but still have to set it up better and I'm feeling like the jet could really do with a gyro... :p

Impressive multiple alpha lock recoveries starting at 2:30 and beyond. Now that’s COOL!

-GG

[kallend]

I'm not putting the OEM Rx back in her though - just to make sure that wasn't part of her original issues. 🤣🤣🤣

What were the original issues?

[Airguardian]

Second flight session with the VT MiG. Better this time with more aft CG again and a couple of rails added back in but still have to set it up better and I'm feeling like the jet could really do with a gyro... :p

[skybolt]

If you want to understand the WHY, read this thread:

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...ns-workarounds

Very interesting reading. The caps on the Mig ESC are fully enclosed I have put them on top of the ESC to get some cooling they do not interfere with the airflow and fit nicely against the foam lip above the ESC.

[jasmith41]

not really related, but does anyone with an ix20 know what the 'SD' in the upper left corner of the screen by the model name is and why it would be running...? Mine all of a sudden started eating battery the other day after having a hard time starting and then i noticed this 'SD' thing is running and can't figure out what it is or how to turn it off...

Please advise if you know something about it and thanks in advance...

j.