All-New Freewing PJ50 Twin 70mm EDF Jet - Official Thread

[Twowingtj]

avanti127 Very nice window mod!

[Gilatrout]

avanti127 inspired me to go ahead and do a full cut out for the windows. I tinted some sheet plastic with a paint the model car guys use then cut out the lenses with my cricut cutter to insert into the lens holders I printed.

Almost time to paint, but I think I'll add pilots first.

[Evan D]

Very nice!

[Hugh Wiedman]

avanti127 inspired me to go ahead and do a full cut out for the windows. I tinted some sheet plastic with a paint the model car guys use then cut out the lenses with my cricut cutter to insert into the lens holders I printed.

Almost time to paint, but I think I'll add pilots first.

Excellent, see you're getting a head start on next year's Mayhem!

[GliderGuy]

With (after this morning flights) 150 landings, I have come to the conclusion that the PJ50 will REALLY benefit from a gyro when flying in wind above 6-7 mph.

Any gust can tip up a wing followed by a wing waggle that is a challenge to handle during approach and landing. More often than not….a tip scrape happens or a go around is initiated.

Normal flying (not landing) she does great. Slow down, add flaps, get on final…low and slow…then have a gust hit her / watch out. You’ll have your hands full.

I increased the aileron EXPO to 50%, and that helped.

However, today I flew her with a Hobby Eagle A3 in normal mode (blue light) and gain on 25%. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Now she does the approach to landing w/o wing waggling, and she behaves like my other EDFs (AL37 needs aileron EXPO, too).

Calm to weak winds = no issue. Other than that, she very much benefits from a gyro. It’s not just me. I have watched some YouTube on board videos. On approach, she definitely gets to dancing when the wind is blowing.

She is sooooo much better, now.

I will be ordering more gyros. This particular one interfaces with my 6 ch Futaba RX perfectly well.

-GG

[xviper]

With (after this morning flights) 150 landings, I have come to the conclusion that the PJ50 will REALLY benefit from a gyro when flying in wind above 6-7 mph.

After my experience with the AL-37, which acts similarly in winds, I installed the AR637T (SAFE select/AS3X) in my PJ. The AL has a HobbyEagle and the lower winglets amputated. Both planes have been very solid in any kind of wind I fly in.

[GliderGuy]

After my experience with the AL-37, which acts similarly in winds, I installed the AR637T (SAFE select/AS3X) in my PJ. The AL has a HobbyEagle and the lower winglets amputated. Both planes have been very solid in any kind of wind I fly in.

Yep….ordering several more gyros for the other planes…especially the AL37.

-GG

[xviper]

Yep….ordering several more gyros for the other planes…especially the AL37.

-GG

It waddled like a fat hippo on the dance floor.

[GliderGuy]

Noticed that the PJ50 started rolling right slightly after lowering the flaps.

There was no hint of the problem during pre-takeoff control checks.

Might want to add some extra glue to the flap horns!!!

Likely the “partial loosening” of the flap horn was a result of the stress encounter with the embankment a few weeks ago.

BUT——Never hurts to check that your control horns are securely glued.

Roll problem solved.

-GG

[MeyerVW]

Is the AS3X not enough to help with the waggle on the PJ and the AL?

[GliderGuy]

Is the AS3X not enough to help with the waggle on the PJ and the AL?

My total gyro experience is 10 flights with the Hobby Eagle A3 in the PJ. It seems to be a basic gyro, and it is always on in the “normal” mode. Seems good enough for my needs. It tamed the waggle wing of the PJ.

If a more complex / $$ is used, that’s gotta be OK, I am pretty sure. But, I must defer to gyro experts.

-GG

[xviper]

I commented on this in post #408.

[guapoman2000]

Lots of excitement on this Maiden Flight session. Complete Dead Stick landing due to battery pack taking a dump. We had a few from other RC Clubs in the area as well to witness first hand this new Jet. I was thrilled and lucky to have flown it for a few laps around the field.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEB4XXLj6g4

[ThePhantom]

Hey guys just wanted to share a couple of night shots of my PJ-50 and a dusk flight video. I also did Custom Logo Lights like the real G5 and wheel brakes. Easier to see the PJ at night than during the day with white clouds as the background lol. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LwpMO4uPTY

[ColtPilot]

Flip flop lights installed and work perfectly. Really bright.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8EMwSVye9zdU2V9U8

[Dkurtzid]

I’m concerned about the 30 inch long battery wire. There has always been caution to keep the battery connector length as short as possible. The rule of thumb was any length longer than 12 inches needed to have a capacitor bank or 2 added for each 12 inches of length. Otherwise there was the risk of catastrophic failure of the ESC. I see no such provision for that and the capacitors on the ESC‘s themselves Look fairly normal.

Don

[xviper]

If you're concerned about it, I would suggest you do something about it to yours. Personally, I'm not concerned. They've sold hundreds, if not thousands of these in the past several months and some get flown a couple dozen times a day and so far, there have not been anyone that I've read about that have had dead ESCs due to these long battery runs. Those who lose their PJ are far more likely to have their PJ meet with catastrophic failures when it suddenly takes an unplanned dirt nap.
Mine failed once but then, I put in a used battery on that flight and I was able to do a dead stick when the ESCs hit the LVC.

[GliderGuy]

Hi Don,

I 100% agree with Xviper. I’m one of those who put thousands of flights on an EDF…even to the point of retiring a bird for spare parts because the EPO begins to become “ugly” from foam cell boundary separation caused by repetitive air load stress.

Several birds I fly have long leads. Flying or flown: A-10, AL37, P-38, F-4, MiG-29, B-2 and PJ50.

Knock on wood, but if anyone is to experience an ESC failure, I have a VERY HIGH probability and no failures / NOTHING. No BEC failures experienced either. Failures albeit infrequently = control servos, gear door servos, steering servos, landing gear servos.

Nada zip zero ESC failures. But there is more to the story…..please read on.

I baby the ESCs allowing 1:30 low throttle cruise at the end of a flight. The AL37 ESCs run hot, so after landing, I put a battery powered fan under her ESC area while I am changing batteries. I typically am back in the air in about 3 minutes…flying up to 40 flights in a day. AND it gets HOT here (95F is my personal limit for long term flying). The pilot is the failure mode when it is soooo hot.

In cold weather, I give the ESC a short warm up before the first flight at low power to minimize the thermal shock.

If doing ground runs, I keep a fan on the PJ and AL37 ESCs. For the A-10, F-4 and MiG, I do at least a minute at very low power cool down as their EDFs blow air across the ESCs when doing ground runs.

Heat is a killer of electronics. Act on this as gospel. If you do, you will have a higher possibility to enjoy problem free ESCs. Long wire leads….ummm…apparently not so much of an issue.

Aside: I was researching flying in EXTREMELY hot desert conditions around the globe. Flights being made in 120+ (even 140F). Cool downs and special consideration for throttle use = FEW ESC ISSUES. Interesting.

-GG

[martconnor]

In case anyone of you needed an AU Product page link. Would just like to give options to enthusiasts in other locations like AU so shipping costs will hopefully be lesser.

[Tekniqueman]

My plane is somehow twisted, on the first flight I have to klick the ailerons stick on the TX all way to the right which was something like 5-6 mm. on the ailerons! After that it still like to turn left/roll if I don’t compensate. That was really an experience when I landed it first time. Any idea where to straight the plane?