Official Freewing Twin 70mm SR-71 Blackbird with Gyro EDF Jet Thread

[Aros]

Looks like this girl can come in shockingly slow at high alpha without any real issue but to avoid the unceremoniously slamming of the nose gear might require some skillful back pressure on the elevator stick.

[GliderGuy]

That’s SERVICE! IT IS HERE!!!

Will assemble tomorrow!


-GG

[Reptielenfreak]

That is fast, have fun and hopefully a succesfull maiden!

I wish i could buy this one but i only have about 60 to 80 meters of runway.. i dont know if thats enough??

[GliderGuy]

That is fast, have fun and hopefully a succesfull maiden!

I wish i could buy this one but i only have about 60 to 80 meters of runway.. i dont know if thats enough??

I fly the B-2, AL-37 and PJ-50 in 2 locations. One is 60 meters and one is 81 meters. The AL-37 eats up runway. They all do fine. However, the trick is having a hard surface that is wide enough to execute a WIDE “J” turn at the end to bleed off the remaining energy as you reach the end.

Executing a WIDE J turn at the end effectively increases the runway length.

I anticipate the SR-71 will behave similarly.

-GG

[GliderGuy]

Looks like this girl can come in shockingly slow at high alpha without any real issue but to avoid the unceremoniously slamming of the nose gear might require some skillful back pressure on the elevator stick.

There is always a sweet spot to avoid slamming the nose gear down and possibly getting into a crow hop situation. Either case, you will as a minimum bend the servo’s worm gear. Worst case (B-2 A-10)…you end up with a nose gear mount repair.

The B-2 needs to stay very flat in ground effect with power off to bleed speed before touching slightly nose high and as slow as possible. However, the AL-37 does best with nose held up and 4 clicks of power until just before the mains touch. Then lower the nose slowly.

Since both the SR-71 and the AL-37 are LONG between the mains and nose gear, I’m gonna try the AL-37 technique.

The PJ-50 does best with zero power on final and glider her in. With a gyro, the PJ-50 is an EASY bird to land.

Which method works best for the SR-71? Stay tuned.

Noted…the elevators are close to the mains like the B-2, so maybe the B-2 technique will be best.

Maybe someone who has flown the SR-71 will share how they land it without dropping the nose gear down after the mains touch?

-GG

[ElCid]

I so want to buy this right now but until I see some grass opps and know that it can take off from grass I just can't do it. I can't imagine dragging those six rear wheels behind it is very good on a grass surface.

[F106DeltaDart]

Mine arrived today. Looks fantastic! Planning a few minor changes (painting control links and screw heads, possibly updating the oversized pilots) before the maiden. Still haven’t settled on what scheme to choose for markings.

[Reptielenfreak]

I think alle black is the way to go, so no extra decals.

I wonder what will happen to the foam if you leave it in direct sun.. they specificly tell in the video not to do that and to store it cool

[Evan D]

Do you not have any foam planes that have gatored???

[kallend]

Do you not have any foam planes that have gatored???

My "Blackjack" Eurofighter is coming up to 2 years and has no gatoring on the black (or anywhere else). I do keep it under the trees when at the field and not in the air.

[Evan D]

Not the same kind of foam so irrelevant.

[CAPTNG]

Mine arrived today. Looks fantastic! Planning a few minor changes (painting control links and screw heads, possibly updating the oversized pilots) before the maiden. Still haven’t settled on what scheme to choose for markings.

Question for techno-pilots: can this be flown with a Spektrum AR8060T that has SAFE/AS3X and bypass the Freewing gyro?

[GliderGuy]

Got her assembled! Easy build / beautiful finish. Now to check out the gyro function for correctness and adjust servo connectors for centered position. Mount the RX, etc.

Then check the CG.

[GliderGuy]

All done except for the decals.

Post build impressions…drum roll please…and I am not affiliated with MRC LOL…here goes…

The quality of this PNP plane is excellent. I did not run into any snags getting her ready. The Admiral 6000 needed to be slid to the aft of the front battery bay to get the CG spot on (gear down). If one were to go with 2 batteries, some tail weight would be needed.

The range check was great. All quadrants. I have yet to taxi her, so I cannot comment on how well the nose gear is centered straight.

I added RF Chokes right at both ESCs on the lines that head back into the fuselage and an additional RF Choke between the UBEC and the RX. There is a green toroid ferrite choke already installed. I added another. RF Chokes are SOOO important to help prevent RF noise from the ESCs from disrupting your receiver.

A majority of the screws are Torx. I liked that! The inner main doors came default to “not scale”. They close after gear extension. I liked that that, too. It gets them out of harms way.

All the factory-installed screws were tight! The gyro was default “normal” (steady green light), and test “flying” in my hands proved that the gyro configuration is correct. There is an App you can download to configure the gyro, should you need to.

With the magnetic nose off, there is ample room in the bed of my Titan. Her right main fit into the tie down for the B-2…nice.

There is a seam line in the tail cone. I lined up the inner control surface with this seam. Then I lined the outer control’s trailing edge to the inner control’s trailing edge. I’m gonna start with about 3-5 mm of “trailing edge up”. Most of my birds require up elevator in cruise.

Rain for the next several days. Ugh.

Overall, I am VERY well pleased with the quality and design features. I’m ready to see how she holds up to her first 1,000 landings.

Next up…pilot flight reports as soon as the weather permits. Not going with any EXPO and will maiden on low rate. 6 ch gear, so no chute, no gyro settings changes, and no reverse thrust. I do plan to upgrade radios, so these other “neat’ features will be enabled soon. Timer is set for 3 minutes, and I will maiden at 50% throttle cruise. I anticipate 4-5 minutes at 50% throttle plus some full power acro (loops) and fast low passes…leaving 3.8V is my goal.

-GG

[kallend]

Not the same kind of foam so irrelevant.

Really? What kind of foam is in the SR71 then? The Euro has EPO.

[kallend]

Question for techno-pilots: can this be flown with a Spektrum AR8060T that has SAFE/AS3X and bypass the Freewing gyro?

AR8060T - is that a new receiver? I'm only familiar with the AR8360T and AR8020T in 8ch receivers from Spek.

[CAPTNG]

AR8060T - is that a new receiver? I'm only familiar with the AR8360T and AR8020T in 8ch receivers from Spek.

OOPS. Cut n paste err. So the question is, can the AR8360T replace the gyro and PNP receiver in the Freewing SR-71?

[Evan D]

Oh, that was your V3?

Really? What kind of foam is in the SR71 then? The Euro has EPO.

[kallend]

OOPS. Cut n paste err. So the question is, can the AR8360T replace the gyro and PNP receiver in the Freewing SR-71?

I imagine so, since it can certainly replace the stock gyro in the twin 64mm F-14 and in the 80mm F-22.

[kallend]

Oh, that was your V3?

Yes. This is my V2 (which is EPS)