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

[Alpha]

Welcome to Hobby Squawk, NJP! I really appreciate you deciding to "join and get involved". Your 'Hawg is quite a sight! Deep n' Dirty! I really enjoy seeing everyone's personalized models. We hope you get comfortable and stay with us a long time.

Minor bit about the insignias being upside down..

[NJP]

Cheers Guys

Thank you for welcoming me into this amazing forum.

Much appreciated......I will indeed share my techniques and details. But Most was learnt straight off this forum site. I documented a lot of this A10. If you are handy with an airbrush then the world is your oyster. Enough. Looking forward to reading everyone posts.

[Hardway]

:Cool:NJP, glad you are here!

[NJP]

Cheers Again

Quite correct Alpha.MotionRC. Unfortunately it is something you don't appreciate if you don't do many US Military planes plus reading the instructions. To think I spent ages researching this plane and missed the point of the stars aka insignia. I only noticed the mistake some 7 months back myself. And yes it is all in the detail and it will be remedied in the future by airbrushing out and ordering more Callie graphics or masking out myself. It is a bit like hanging the Union jack Flag upside down. Its interesting that the fact my UK fellow modellers never noticed them.

Also it is one of those mistakes you get drawn towards constantly once you have spotted it.

Better get modelling.

[NJP]

I have attached a few Pictures of when I was pursuing the idea of implementing Rivet detail. This was abandoned. I spent a few months testing on foam blocks and using different implements to get the effect I wanted. It felt the best result was when the foam was covered in some Poly C to accentuate the detail. Then the whole process of base shading was implemented and preferred which I will attach a further few pictures in a second post.

My garage was full of test blocks of rivet details at different stages - fresh - weathered etc . All Now Dumped. Had fun doing it.

So it was previous postings on this Forum that pushed me to try out ideas. Using Old Rotring pens which I have dozens ( from the days of draughting - Now Cad ) you could create different rivets and clasps. Pasted foil disks can create a 3D cover inspection plate. Tooth picks - pencils You can go on. Just doing these exercises and tests was fun.

[NJP]

Last Post

I am a big fan of airbrushing and over here I use Vallejo paints - Air especially - ready to go. But a Great Book to get inspired on weathering techniques is the Book by Rob Ferreira. Ok its on tanks but the techniques can be applied on airframes. This then led me to pre and post painting to get the effects I wanted.

So after mapping out all the camouflage and lines, I applied the masks to create the joints after pre shading. A bit time consuming.

The camouflage was the most tricky bit - used rolled blue tack - newspaper - masking tape only. Auto paint masks was too big. Started with the lighter colour and then finished with the darker but in some cases one sat on the other so process had to be altered.

Pictures explain.

[Beeg]

Research and attention to detail always take time with good results, Great job!
As my grand pappy used to say "A vast project requires a vast idea otherwise it turns out half-vast." :Cool:

[Aros]

Great stuff! Really appreciate the research approach.

[bbolz]

Awesome NJP. Lots of detail in your Arctic theme and love the weathering and wear. I may get that far after some flights.I too am going to finish mine in the "Flipper" design. What did you use for masking? I was having trouble with tape lifting off the gray down to the foam. Finally am using wet printer paper which seems to work well but you have to watch the moisture content carefully.

[NJP]

bbolz If this is any help to you. To do the artic camouflage I used the following.

Masking Tape

Blu Tack ( Silly Putty )

A large piece of flat balsa to be used as a rolling pin

A large pile of old architectural magazines , Brochures - plenty of these in the office.

Firstly to create the Masks.

Roll the Blu Tack ( silly Putty ) to 4-5mm round and create the longest tube possible with a piece of balsa or whatever you have at hand

Tear up the brochures into strips - small bits for small spaces and then larger bits for bigger spaces

Use the Blu Tack tube to follow your camouflage outlines.

Then start to fill in the mask with torn strips of brochure taped to the edge of the Blu Tack tube

Why Blu tack ?

You can create a soft edge for airbrushing - don’t directly blast paint tight into the crevice. leave a soft edge. You might have to experiment here on a test strip.

Plus you can vary the thickness of the tube - to create scale edges

Blu Tack is flexible and can follow most sharp curves cleanly

Then spray

Then pull off

Then start again

Note Don’t stick the masking tape to the model surface- important

Only the Blu Tack is pressed on to the surface - lightly - so tube is consistent.

The torn up paper is fixed to the Blu Tack with masking tape

All torn up brochure is held together to each other by masking tape NO TAPE ON THE MODEL SURFACE

This is the only way I know if multiple camouflage colours are used - also for consistency.

Others may have steady hand.

[bbolz]

That is fantastic. I'm all in. I have been using printer bond paper soaked in water, blotted and stuck to the surfaces. That seems to be the best method I've found so far, but he water content is critical, too dry it lifts, too wet it leaks. Too bad the A-10 has been a learning experience for me, my first foamie. Your method sounds great. I also love your weathering. If you find a good way to simulate rivets, keep us informed. Your work is exquisite!

[bbolz]

Got the fix for the AR9350! Actually found out from a video posted from Motion. As it turns out you have to "iniatalize" the ESC's on the A-10. I never had to do that before either. So easy fix, you just unplug the batteries from the plane, run the throttle sticks up to full (I know crazy, right?) then plug in the plane batteries. You'll get the confirmation tones and cell count beeps. Then run the throttle stick down to low and you should get the ready to go tones. That's it!

[MikeT]

Got the fix for the AR9350! Actually found out from a video posted from Motion. As it turns out you have to "iniatalize" the ESC's on the A-10. I never had to do that before either. So easy fix, you just unplug the batteries from the plane, run the throttle sticks up to full (I know crazy, right?) then plug in the plane batteries. You'll get the confirmation tones and cell count beeps. Then run the throttle stick down to low and you should get the ready to go tones. That's it!

That's the procedure for Throttle Calibration on every ESC. Never had to do that to "initialize" ESC's, kinda weird bit the bottom line is it worked..

Mike

[Hardway]

Every electric plane needs that procedure done to get the full range from the ESC...;)

[bbolz]

Thanks Hardway. I'm going back to check my other electrics too. This is coming from an old fuel pattern guy. I converted my old 80's pattern plane to electric but am now wondering if you can get a whole sequence out of a pack. I doubt it but I'm going to try whenever we get some decent weather here in NW Indiana. The AR12310T uses separate receiver packs so maybe this will help a bit.

[OV10]

Thanks Hardway. I'm going back to check my other electrics too. This is coming from an old fuel pattern guy. I converted my old 80's pattern plane to electric but am now wondering if you can get a whole sequence out of a pack. I doubt it but I'm going to try whenever we get some decent weather here in NW Indiana. The AR12310T uses separate receiver packs so maybe this will help a bit.

Hello BB.........the majority of pattern (precision aerobatic) flyers these days are using electric power.
The primary voltage used is 10S(2 serial 5S packs) and are able to complete a whole sequence with no issue.
One of my prodigy students(age 14) went on to compete in pattern using the 1400mm FMS F3A Olympus with 6S power starting right out in the intermediate category with it. :Cool:
He's now 17 and has lost interest in RC (hope for the moment) because of girls/cars.:(

[MikeT]

Thanks Hardway. I'm going back to check my other electrics too. This is coming from an old fuel pattern guy. I converted my old 80's pattern plane to electric but am now wondering if you can get a whole sequence out of a pack. I doubt it but I'm going to try whenever we get some decent weather here in NW Indiana. The AR12310T uses separate receiver packs so maybe this will help a bit.

I see no reason why you couldn't get a entire sequence out of your battery.

Mike

[bbolz]

Gonna give the Sportsman and Advanced a try. By the way does anyone have a list of the available voice list on the Spektrum radios? It's crazy to have to scroll through 160 items on the transmitter. I thought I saw one somewhere but can't find it now.

[fhhuber]

Thanks Hardway. I'm going back to check my other electrics too. This is coming from an old fuel pattern guy. I converted my old 80's pattern plane to electric but am now wondering if you can get a whole sequence out of a pack. I doubt it but I'm going to try whenever we get some decent weather here in NW Indiana. The AR12310T uses separate receiver packs so maybe this will help a bit.

Actual results depend on the airplane and which version/class of Pattern you will be flying.

SPA you may be tight on battery capacity if you are at the same takeoff weight with one of the classic planes built by the standards of the late 1970's.
People do this and it works.

If you were one of the few who worked to keep the aircraft weight down you have some margin to go with a larger pack without significant adverse effects.

The people doing electric generally build the planes lighter to allow for pack weight and the SPA power (watts) restriction.

Trying to use the 1980's airplane in modern Pattern, its probably worse. You'll be wanting a bigger pack pushing aircraft weight up (but no watts limit) The pack needed will fit, but the weight will be likely to adversely affect performance. (if not pushing it over the 11 lb limit)

The issue is you are doing the conversion on the older style airplane, previously flown using glow.
There are lower stresses in some areas of the electric aircraft and now built specifically for e-power will have a lighter fuselage. That is a weight savings you can apply to increased battery capacity.

I stuffed a 5000 watt 12S system in a composite "Brio" Pattern plane several year ago. It could do the Pattern sequences on 10S and make weight or I could put in the 12S pack set for extreme performance and be several ounces over the limit for competition.

Currently working on a King Kobra e-conversion, aiming for just under the SPA power limit (Motor chosen to be able to exceed the watts limit, then adjust with prop selection). I'm using every trick I know to keep weight down.

[bbolz]

Thanks FH, I do have a light weight Wind 110 form Esprit that I intend to fly in pattern this year but have converted an old Freahaire II to electric. Just for an experiment but not to compete I don't think. We will see. Thanks for the input.