Official Freewing Twin 80mm/90mm A-10 Thunderbolt II Thread

[Gringotuerto]

In the news today....

https://news.yahoo.com/air-force-awards-10-pilot-162339589.html

People landing planes with no gear and no canopy....sounds like a typical weekend down at the RC field.

[Hugh Wiedman]

USA! 🇺🇸

How do you get that beast to the field, in the back of a semi? You could just about fit inside the cockpit! Love to see a video of that creature in the air. I'll bet half of our neighborhood would run and hide if you flew it over my house. Bring it on so I can assess who I need to keep an eye on around here!

[WOUTLAW]

USA! 🇺🇸

[Gringotuerto]

I flew mine today for the first time in a while. I noticed one flap servo was lagging behind the others, but after I cycled flaps a few times it started moving at the same speed as the others. I guess it just needed to wake up. So I went ahead and took off, everything went fine. But I suppose that is a sign I should consider replacing that servo.

[DarthSyd]

Thanks Pat, xviper and mshagg for the info. Sounds like separate batteries will do (saves me soldering too!)

Cheers

[mshagg]

I keep em seperate on all three of the twin 80mms.

Yeah I get the theory about having everything in parallel but for my 2c it feels like a solution looking for a problem.

[xviper]

Flex mine today after a long winter’s sleep. Using 2 batteries - one connected to the lead with the BEC, the second to the other lead. Works very well, don’t see any reason to fuss over joining the batteries together. It’s worked this way from day one.

[crxmanpat]

I think the vast majority are running one pack per motor. If I recall, a couple guys have done the parallel thing so that you won't have one battery crap out and end up flying on one motor. However, it does fly on one motor if one happens to give out.

[DarthSyd]

Hi Guys,

On the topic of batteries, I've just bought the iconic A-10. I'm wondering are most of you running separate batteries for each ESC/motor (as it comes wired up for) or are you setting it up to connect batteries in parallel and effectively run one pack for both ESC/motors?

Cheers Darius.

[xviper]

I saw a guy who used red/green clothespins, which is a cheaper but larger version of the same thing. I use the "a place for everything" method that many people seem to use (in other words, you mentally designate distinct places for charged/uncharged batteries, and stick to it). I think this works really well for the simple reason that you naturally have to take some action anyway...by that I mean, if you remove a battery from a plane, you can't simply skip the step of setting it down, because it is in your hand until you take the action of laying it down somewhere.

I do the same thing or at least I try to. Fresh batteries in the tool box. Used batteries on the ground or floor of the car. Of course, sometimes I'll outsmart myself and put a used one down not on the ground (and not in the tool box) and in my hurry, I grab the used one. That's happened once in ten years. With any method, we always find a way to outsmart ourselves - that's the MORON side of the brain that surfaces now and then.

[Gringotuerto]

These are great if you only have a few batteries. They cost 20 bucks CAN + imports fees when they get here. With all the batteries I've got, I'd need 200 bucks worth. I'm just going to have to bare the burden of my own mistakes when it comes to making sure I put in a fresh battery every time I fly. Even with these, I can just see a day when I forget to flip the little tab and the end result will be the same.

I saw a guy who used red/green clothespins, which is a cheaper but larger version of the same thing. I use the "a place for everything" method that many people seem to use (in other words, you mentally designate distinct places for charged/uncharged batteries, and stick to it). I think this works really well for the simple reason that you naturally have to take some action anyway...by that I mean, if you remove a battery from a plane, you can't simply skip the step of setting it down, because it is in your hand until you take the action of laying it down somewhere.

[xviper]

FYI - There was a discussion on the MiG-29 thread about battery management and an almost crash.

Here’s a slick little visual “helper”...

Tiny, too. 2cmx1cmx0.2cm

Link follows....ordered some!

-GG

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y6JM98R...V0PQ7GJVGJAB39

These are great if you only have a few batteries. They cost 20 bucks CAN + imports fees when they get here. With all the batteries I've got, I'd need 200 bucks worth. I'm just going to have to bare the burden of my own mistakes when it comes to making sure I put in a fresh battery every time I fly. Even with these, I can just see a day when I forget to flip the little tab and the end result will be the same.

[GliderGuy]

FYI - There was a discussion on the MiG-29 thread about battery management and an almost crash.

Here’s a slick little visual “helper”...

Tiny, too. 2cmx1cmx0.2cm

Link follows....ordered some!

-GG

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y6JM98R...V0PQ7GJVGJAB39

[ColtPilot]

Yup, that was my first A-10. Looked real nice when Pete YouTubed it and it even looked nice just out of the box. However, it never flew right and the quality was pretty pitiful. After hundreds of dollars of renos and upgrades, it still never flew right. Not wanting to sell it or give it away just so someone else would have the misery I had with it, I took out all the re-usable stuff and cut the thing up into little pieces so it would fit into a garbage bag. Once it was gone, it felt sooooo good.
PS. That canopy opening system was such garbage and Mickey Mouse, I never used it. Thought about trying it years later on the FW A-10, but playing with it in my hand, I tossed it in the garbage, too.

Don't know about yours, but mine flew great. Changed out the landing gear to E-flights as the plastic gear always broke. Had a lot of flights on this bird and still have it.

https://youtu.be/CHI1QwpK4CY

[xviper]

That's from the old LX A-10. I found it unreliable after time.
Mike

Yup, that was my first A-10. Looked real nice when Pete YouTubed it and it even looked nice just out of the box. However, it never flew right and the quality was pretty pitiful. After hundreds of dollars of renos and upgrades, it still never flew right. Not wanting to sell it or give it away just so someone else would have the misery I had with it, I took out all the re-usable stuff and cut the thing up into little pieces so it would fit into a garbage bag. Once it was gone, it felt sooooo good.
PS. That canopy opening system was such garbage and Mickey Mouse, I never used it. Thought about trying it years later on the FW A-10, but playing with it in my hand, I tossed it in the garbage, too.

[MikeT]

Hey guys! I've got a couple of these awesome A-10's, one I'm flying now stock and the other I'm working on customizing. Anyway after reading all of these threads (and I mean all of them) it dawned on me that about 7 years ago I bought a BlitzRC A-10 that has been moving with me over the years but I never even started. So, long story short, there is a canopy retract mechanism in the kit that I'm going to modify to fit and operate the canopies on my Freewing A-10's. It can be found bananahobby.com. If the hyperlink doesn't work just go to banana and look at the A-10 and then spare parts. It will take a little craftiness but I can see how it's rigged on the Blitz A-10, even has springs to draw the canopy forward at closure. They are very close to the same size (in fact the blitz A-10 is a little smaller airframe but the cockpits are almost the same size.

BlitzRCWorks RC - Radio Controlled - RC (bananahobby.com)

So for those of you who would like to add an opening canopy I do think that this mechanism can go a long way to helping you kit bash your way into it! I'll post my progress but don't hold your breath, I work on mods at the same pace I work on paying my taxes (I pay em, but not fast!)!

That's from the old LX A-10. I found it unreliable after time.
Mike

[ColtPilot]

Hey guys! I've got a couple of these awesome A-10's, one I'm flying now stock and the other I'm working on customizing. Anyway after reading all of these threads (and I mean all of them) it dawned on me that about 7 years ago I bought a BlitzRC A-10 that has been moving with me over the years but I never even started. So, long story short, there is a canopy retract mechanism in the kit that I'm going to modify to fit and operate the canopies on my Freewing A-10's. It can be found bananahobby.com. If the hyperlink doesn't work just go to banana and look at the A-10 and then spare parts. It will take a little craftiness but I can see how it's rigged on the Blitz A-10, even has springs to draw the canopy forward at closure. They are very close to the same size (in fact the blitz A-10 is a little smaller airframe but the cockpits are almost the same size.

BlitzRCWorks RC - Radio Controlled - RC (bananahobby.com)

So for those of you who would like to add an opening canopy I do think that this mechanism can go a long way to helping you kit bash your way into it! I'll post my progress but don't hold your breath, I work on mods at the same pace I work on paying my taxes (I pay em, but not fast!)!

I still have 3 Blitz RC Works A-10's. I've hung them up and only fly the FW. 4years running. Built 3 FMS and 1 E-flight. Mine is loaded with other stuff and did think about adding the retract mechanism to the canopy. Enjoy the FW A-10.

[ITVader]

Hey guys! I've got a couple of these awesome A-10's, one I'm flying now stock and the other I'm working on customizing. Anyway after reading all of these threads (and I mean all of them) it dawned on me that about 7 years ago I bought a BlitzRC A-10 that has been moving with me over the years but I never even started. So, long story short, there is a canopy retract mechanism in the kit that I'm going to modify to fit and operate the canopies on my Freewing A-10's. It can be found bananahobby.com. If the hyperlink doesn't work just go to banana and look at the A-10 and then spare parts. It will take a little craftiness but I can see how it's rigged on the Blitz A-10, even has springs to draw the canopy forward at closure. They are very close to the same size (in fact the blitz A-10 is a little smaller airframe but the cockpits are almost the same size.

BlitzRCWorks RC - Radio Controlled - RC (bananahobby.com)

So for those of you who would like to add an opening canopy I do think that this mechanism can go a long way to helping you kit bash your way into it! I'll post my progress but don't hold your breath, I work on mods at the same pace I work on paying my taxes (I pay em, but not fast!)!

[GliderGuy]

How to place RF chokes correctly?

See post 10834
Mar 28, 2021, 08:56 PM

And subsequent comments. Also, I suggest you enter "ferrite' or "choke" or "RF choke" in the search window and read all the various posts that come up. Keep the chokes as close to the ESC as possible. The end result is shown below. Clip it on...pretty simple.

More than one wire can pass through a single choke.



-GG

[Miroslav Cerny]

The topic of the RF chokes has been discussed a lot in the various forums (F-4, AL37, MiG-29, A-10 threads). Just enter "ferrite" or "RF choke" or "choke" in the search window and begin reading what has been posted to date.

Thanks for your time....could save yourself and others the loss of a plane. The main thing is...they are cheap, easy to install, light in weight....and a possible solution to prevent crashes of high current EDFs. So....why not use them? Can't hurt. AND...worth noting...some mfgs install them in their planes as they come from the factory. When I purchased a Futaba SR-10 servo reverser, it also had one installed on it.

-GG

How to place RF chokes correctly?