Freewing Ares 3D

[xviper]

Any ideas on when this will be available? Looks like another must have.

[Evan D]

Later this month. On the water now.

[Evan D]

Flown 8S and I haven't seen that it will be offered as a 8S, only 6 and kit plus. The video also shows it has two gyros in it and battery placement with a 6s and 8s 5000 (in those shots you can see the plane doesn't have a receiver in it. Says release August 15.


The all-new Freewing Ares 3D 90mm EDF Vector Sport Jet, like the Avanti, originates from Sebart (Italy) original design. The project was initiated in 2021, with Freewing leading the design and Sebart providing in depth guidance and testing. After four years, it has finally been created and will officially launch on August 15!
The flight performance of the Freewing Ares 3D shocked us! The four-minute debut promotional video showcases what it can achieve. If we were to map the Ares’ flight capabilities into a hexagonal radar chart, its performance could be adjusted via settings to cater to different technical demands. For this reason, we have temporarily decided against releasing a non-vectored thrust version. Our goal is to offer a single variant that can adapt to pilots of varying skill levels, allowing them to progress from beginner to advanced flight modes through different configurations.
➤ Conventional Flight
By selecting a more forward center of gravity (CG) and disabling vector control (while keeping it powered to prevent accidental nozzle movement), the Ares can be flown like a conventional aircraft. In this mode, its flight characteristics remain gentle, closely resembling the flight experience of the Avanti, or even surpassing in some aspects (such as high-angle stall behavior).
➤ Intermediate Flight
With a slightly aft CG and vector control enabled, along with adjustments to the vector-rudder and vector-elevator mixing, the aircraft becomes more agile, capable of performing various vectored maneuvers to enhance flight enjoyment.
➤ 3D Flight
For experienced 3D pilots, selecting an aft CG, enabling full vector control, and fine-tuning advanced mixing settings unlocks even more aerobatic maneuvers, delivering an exhilarating flight experience.

( Note: The hovering maneuvers demonstrated in the video were performed using the 8S version. The 6S version can also achieve hovering by switching to a fixed landing gear (available separately as an easy, non-destructive upgrade), which we will showcase in a follow-up video. )

Reducing weight to improve the thrust-to-weight ratio is crucial for executing 3D hovering maneuvers. While maintaining strict weight control, the Freewing Ares incorporates the latest design elements seen in current Freewing products, including:Second-generation vectored thrust nozzle structure, QUICK II screw-less release portable structure of main wing, Quick Link connection system, Screw-mounted tail wing and control board, Full-paint (including white sections), Optimized LED lighting layout, Battery cooling air ducts, Plastic protective covers……
Hope you guys enjoy this cool sport jet, Thanks.

www.freewingmodel.com
Email: freewing@sz-freewing.com / dorah@sz-freewing.com

[xviper]

Flown 8S and I haven't seen that it will be offered as a 8S, only 6 and kit plus. The video also shows it has two gyros in it and battery placement with a 6s and 8s 5000 (in those shots you can see the plane doesn't have a receiver in it. Says release August 15.

Buying the ARF+ and then putting in an 8S system may be more money than I can justify. Will be interesting to see what comes. Then there's always RCCastle for those outside the USA.

As an aside, I do have the Gripen with the vector nozzle and I can't hover that one very well either.

[Evan D]

The Gripen is heavy. I had three. The first I did a repaint and put a 8S jetfan in it and still didn't have decent hover power. The second was a stock 6S with the older fan and the third a stock with TV and the new fan. None were hoverable other than point it up and it would hold for a second or three. I have since sold #2, the stock non TV one.

[xviper]

I couldn't do tricks like spins with my Gripen, except really sloppy ones. This Ares shows promise in that area.

[F35Pilot]

I need help on XTM setup of mixing and the two stabilizers on this Ares 3D jet. Our 34 year old club field is a groomed grass runway and we have a wind problem as we our near the Pacific Ocean. I had to get another Freewing 90mm F18 jet because on landing when it was 2 feet from the ground, a wind gust rolled the jet and the missile rack on right wingtip dug into our grass runway cartwheeling the jet breaking it in several pieces.

The replacement jet has a Jeti receiver with built-in stabilizer. It has one switch to turn it on/off and a 3-position switch for stabilizer Flight Modes:

Pos Up - Heading Hold (used for knife edge and high alpha hover into the wind)
Pos Middle: Damping mode (Normal flight)
Pos Down: Training mode (plane stays level, will not tilt 30° on yaw, pitch or roll. Must use on landing to keep F18 wings level)

I downloaded the Ares 3D manual and it shows using XTM Switch SD to switch between 3D flight mode (Heading Hold) and Standard flight mode (Normal Damping) using receiver channel 12.

Channel 11 is for Gyro sensitivity. I would have it on my 2 position switch SC for High Rate/Low Rate.

Jeti makes a 14 channel receiver but has no stabilizer so I have to use Ares 3D two stabilizers. This jet has no wingtip missile rack like my F18 but … the wing aileron leading edge at the wingtip is past the hinge point and would dig into the grass if a wind gust rolled it on landing if I moved ailerons to level the plane.

[F35Pilot]

I had several of my RC Club friends tell me to do this:
I am removing both their EG01 Gyros for lighter weight and use a Jeti REX12A and have no Gyro On/Off channel so always on. Then I will have my 90mm F18 Flight Modes:

SD Up - Heading Hold for Hover and advanced aerobatic maneuvers.

SD Md - Damping for normal flight.

SD Dn - Training Mode for takeoff and landing stays level on wind gusts.

[Evan D]

On mine the gyros have two modes, light off no gyro at all, light green standard damping gyro. My sensitivity is on a slider and I am flying with it centered most of the flight. It does hover a bit better with high gain.

[xviper]

Freewing released this assembly, radio setup video. I found the radio setup part very informative but some of it is irrelevant to me as I would likely do a 10-ch set-up. I'm very reluctant to spend another $400.00+ for a 14-ch "power safe" Spektrum RX. The video is meant for Futaba but the principles are the same. It covers the full 13-ch set-up, SBUS set-up and an 8-10ch set-up (requires 4 Y's). I'm still curious about the gyros. Does one turn OFF one gyro when hovering and doing stunts and the opposite when flying "straight"? Or or they both ON or OFF all the time?

(Communications with Raymond @RC Castle ........................ It seems the first run of this plane is quite low numbers, with most of the product targeting the US market (ie, MotionRC) with some going to the EU and OZ markets. Very little was kept for the China market and what there was, have all but sold out. Only a couple of AliExpress sellers has a "few". RCC doesn't expect to see any stock till mid-end Sept. I would love to get one from Motion but with the possibility of 25+% tariff when it gets to Canada, I'm somewhat reluctant, however, my last couple of planes from US in recent months were not tariffed. I'm not sure what's going on there.)

[Evan D]

They are linked to both be on or off at the same time depending on the mode input. If you don’t plug it in it defaults to on. Same with the gyro gain. Don’t plug it in and both default to medium gain.

I like low-medium gain for regular flying and high for hovering.

If you don’t want to do the surfaces and TV set up in the manual or the two gyro channels obviously you can get by with fewer channels.

Thr, Ail, Ele, Rud, Gear, Flaps, Rev, TV, TV.

You could even Y the TVs to the Ele and Rud.

[xviper]

Thanks, Evan - helpful as always. Are full span ailerons strictly for high roll rate on this plane. They don't really do much under hover conditions, do they?

[Evan D]

I can’t say one way or the other. In my hover mode I have full span ailerons and also a mix of elevator to flaps.

I could guess that neither really effect the hover.

[Airguardian]