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

[Dirty Dee]

Ok, now about the landing........

Pilot Ryan and Capt. Mike posted a video of a bunch of touch-n-gos with the A-10 at their relatively small field. Showcases how slow you can get this bird with full flaps. Might help you visualize if it will work for your field:

[purduephigam]

Or maybe just think about brakes.

[T-CAT]

For landing in that distance you describe Grady, it would come down to practice and consistency to land with a short rollout. This plane surprises people with how slow it will actually land. I know I sure was surprised, pleasantly of course, by the slow landing speed for the weight of the aircraft. These long wings are a massive help. Once you hold a stabilized approach consistently, the landings are a non-event and can land and slow it down in a good distance of rollout. However, I have never measured the distance of landing, and estimating will be of no good use to you. One thing is consistent, the price of the jet with its batteries and receiver included, and it’ is not inexpensive, ha-ha. So, it sounds like a bit of a risk at your flying site, and you’ll have to decide whether it’s worth the risk.

[tclaridge]

Taking off on packed surface is easy in 200 ft with full flaps, but landing will take practice because of the rollout. You will have to nail it to stop in 200'. I would not take the risk with such a big (expensive) model.

[themudduck]

I would suggest a takeoff with half flaps, and use full flaps for landing. (when my flaps are full down, they are WAY down.) :Cool:

I often land on a 300' Geotex (smooth surface) runway and I don't have brakes - well, when landing with full flaps and a headwind it will stop in 200 feet. But in a less-than perfect landing (lets say, if I don't get it slowed down enough, or maybe there's no wind) I sometimes end up running off the end into the grass. On a grass field, a 200' runway isn't a problem since the grass will stop it pretty quickly.

But as TCAT said, landing in a small area really takes practice, practice, and more practice. And you'll want to practice somewhere else - because if you screw up at the ball field then your expensive beautiful A10 will end up going right through a chain-link fence or something. :Scared:

So you need to practice landing slow, with full flaps, at another field where you have more room to work with. Then once you've convinced yourself that you can do it, then you can try the ball field.

[xviper]

This is my third flight ever and the landing was still a bit dicey. You can see that it does stop fairly short. As you can see, had it not been for the bounce after the first touchdown, it would have stopped without needing the hill for help.

[Grady.c]

Ok thanks everyone I live about 30 minutes away from the jeffco aeromodelers field and have a friend that lives there that can drive me.

[themudduck]

Xviper, that hill is the bomb! Looks like it comes in handy sometimes actually, but I'll bet landing from the other direction is REALLY fun!!

[xviper]

Xviper, that hill is the bomb! Looks like it comes in handy sometimes actually, but I'll bet landing from the other direction is REALLY fun!!

Yes, it is. You have to get within a yard of the top of that hill or you won't touch down soon enough and the plane rolls into the gopher hole patch at the other end. In winter, we use the hill as a ski jump launch for our "skidders". The hill is also a great catcher for floaty sailplanes.
Oh, one bad thing about that hill is that last year, a rabbit dug its den on the hillside. A flyer was walking down that hill with his big CZ Cub, stepped in the hole and fell on his TX and plane. Chopped off 3 fingertips. Much can be said about using the throttle cut.

[themudduck]

Wow, I can't imagine having to explain that to the doctor...

(holding three fingertips in a baggie): well Doc, it was like this, I was walking down the hill carrying my giant foamie Cub, and I stepped in a rabbit hole, which caused me to face-plant onto my airplane, and at the same time I dropped my radio, and the throttle lever hit the ground and went to full power, and then my hand that was holding the plane got stuck in the propeller. So you can call me "stumpy". And it has nothing to do with my drinking problem, I swear! Did anyone find my shoe?

[xviper]

Wow, I can't imagine having to explain that to the doctor...

(holding three fingertips in a baggie): well Doc, it was like this, I was walking down the hill carrying my giant foamie Cub, and I stepped in a rabbit hole, which caused me to face-plant onto my airplane, and at the same time I dropped my radio, and the throttle lever hit the ground and went to full power, and then my hand that was holding the plane got stuck in the propeller. So you can call me "stumpy". And it has nothing to do with my drinking problem, I swear! Did anyone find my shoe?

They couldn't use the recovered finger tips. Too mangled. They threw them into biohazard waste. We call him "Stumpy" now.

[Grady.c]

They couldn't use the recovered finger tips. Too mangled. They threw them into biohazard waste. We call him "Stumpy" now.

Tell me his thumbs were okay. You need those to fly!

[xviper]

Tell me his thumbs were okay. You need those to fly!

Thumb and index finger OK, but he took up darts and gave up RC. I think the whole deal really spooked him.

[themudduck]

You're kidding me, this is like a joke! He took up darts!?! Like those are safer??

Now I have this picture in my head of "Stumpy" in some bar, throwing darts, telling his new girlfriend "Yeah I got my hand messed up by an airplane propeller. Darts are my thing now! <thunk> AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

:Scared::Scared:

[xviper]

"Truth is stranger than fiction."

[Elbee]

You're kidding me, this is like a joke! He took up darts!?! Like those are safer??

Now I have this picture in my head of "Stumpy" in some bar, throwing darts, telling his new girlfriend "Yeah I got my hand messed up by an airplane propeller. Darts are my thing now! <thunk> AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!

:Scared::Scared:

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh, is right, soon to be known as One-Eyed Stumpy...LOL Sorry I couldn't help it. Play darts myself when there's enough Guinness in the room. Best, LB

[Grady.c]

Thumb and index finger OK, but he took up darts and gave up RC. I think the whole deal really spooked him.

Aw man thats a bummer. Did you get the rabbit that dug the hole at least? I know that if a rabbit made me lose my fingers I would start an air campaign against it.

[xviper]

Aw man thats a bummer. Did you get the rabbit that dug the hole at least? I know that if a rabbit made me lose my fingers I would start an air campaign against it.

The little critters seem to occupy the holes for only one year, then they're gone. The eagles and hawks take care of them pretty quick. One juvenile bun was hiding under our lawn mower this past spring. In the next hill up, was a coyote den. He was there for just one season. I stepped in that one up to my thigh one day going to fetch a downed plane. Luckily, there was no coyote in there.
To stay on topic, 2 weeks ago I was flying my A-10 and had to do a go around for a second landing attempt. As the plane flew up that hill (within 5 feet above it), a coyote came out of the tall grass at the edge and followed it up the hill. I so wish I had a camera going. That would have been epic.

[Grady.c]

The little critters seem to occupy the holes for only one year, then they're gone. The eagles and hawks take care of them pretty quick. One juvenile bun was hiding under our lawn mower this past spring. In the next hill up, was a coyote den. He was there for just one season. I stepped in that one up to my thigh one day going to fetch a downed plane. Luckily, there was no coyote in there.
To stay on topic, 2 weeks ago I was flying my A-10 and had to do a go around for a second landing attempt. As the plane flew up that hill (within 5 feet above it), a coyote came out of the tall grass at the edge and followed it up the hill. I so wish I had a camera going. That would have been epic.

Yeah thats really cool! I have eagles around here and they like to glide with my opterra! Its also funny to see the elk and deers reaction when I buzz them!

[Alpha]

Much can be said about using the throttle cut.

I try to echo this sentiment whenever I see it and spread the word: "Throttle Cut, Use It or Lose It!"

I've heard and also witnessed too many preventable injuries that a few seconds of radio programming could have prevented.