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

[RCAV8R]

I used this with my airbrush:

Thanks Bob...I liked the finish you got! So there's no particular "shade" with that product? Rob

[Phatbob]

Thanks Bob...I liked the finish you got! So there's no particular "shade" with that product? Rob

Mine just says a black wash. I found it at a Train Hobby Shop. They use it for soot. I used it as exhaust staining on other planes.

[Phatbob]

Now I'm a seamstress. After 3 revisions, I think I have it. Now to tackle the rear covers and bungees'. Did you ever get to a point and ask, "Why am I doing this"? Then the other me kicks in and says, "Failure is not an option".

[Jimrc73]

Now I'm a seamstress. After 3 revisions, I think I have it. Now to tackle the rear covers and bungees'. Did you ever get to a point and ask, "Why am I doing this"? Then the other me kicks in and says, "Failure is not an option".

Nice touch, Bob!!! It really looks sharp.

Regards,
Jim

[Twowingtj]

Nice Bob! What did you use?

[Phatbob]

After multiple reiterations I decided they needed to be constructed in two pieces of cloth. I took my measurements and found a cone calculator on-line, made Masonite patterns and cut material. The material I used was Telio Stretch Rayon. After numerous and frustrating sewing attempts, I found Liquid Stitch. The stuff works fantastic! I did make quick patterns to hold the material while gluing. The glue dries in less than 30 minutes.

Now I need to do the rears. I have 1/8" elastic cord to connect the front and rear.

[Elbee]

PB, I am envious, nice job. I am on Day 2 of stripping the gray scheme of with acetone as per RCGeek. Works well, though is's sooooo slooooow. Best, LB

[RCAV8R]

Okay, so today I got in flights number 10-12. The first nine flights were last fall, so it felt like a maiden all over again. I did swap out the mains for the upgrades, but not the nose. I fly on a long, beautiful paved runway.

My challenge with the Hog is that it is so different than my other planes. I have the full size Carbon T-28 and the Stinger 90. The T-28 is the opposite end of the spectrum as it is as light as a feather. When I fly the A-10, I find myself trying to rein it in, pulling back to the point that I realize I am not flying. It seems fast! It's like I'm trying to make it fit the picture I have in my head, but then I realize my picture isn't working and I open it up. When I land, I cut the power early, thinking the weight is going to keep it going as it descends, but I invariably have to add power to hold the nose up. A couple of times today I was so slow on landing that is stalled and dropped suddenly, though fortunately I was right off he deck. When it happens it is so sudden...(later I was looking at the profile from the front to back and realizing how much of an airbrake that Nose door behind the NG strut makes). Ironically, I thought it was still coming in too fast. Once I took a good hard bounce, but I was already adding throttle so it recovered from any uncontrolled bouncing. I jammed the center worm screw in the NG retract, so now there's a bunch of slop forward and back as the screw isn't holding the strut/trunion securely, and when it's in the wheel well, the wheel drops down and keeps the door ajar. New retract I guess. :Angry: Does anybody know which one it is? Is it the Type C? My other landings were okay, non-eventful, but didn't feel as smooth as I want.

I have been moving my CG up a bit...I had the batteries moved as far aft as I could get them, and when it was on the ground, it felt like it was tail heavy (barely putting any weight on the NG). Each flight I moved them forward. I checked the CG when I got home (based on the new battery placement) and I am right at 80mm, close to where the directions said.

For me, I am making my glide path more shallow and keeping a little throttle on more often. I watched DCorsair do his video and I thought I would have more airspeed, without throttle, dropping in, but it wasn't working for me today. I wish I had endless batteries so I could check things out more times, but oh well. I love the plane, and I'm looking forward to learning what I need to in order to master this baby. It's making me a better pilot! :Cool: Rob

[downwindleg]

Hey Rob, good job on the "remaiden". I'm wondering what you thought about the new mains. Still too wet to fly at my field but I'm thinking next weekend if the forecast is accurate. Are you using a Spectrum radio? I use my battery timer throttle percentage to tell me when I'm down to 20 percent throttle on approach. The radio beeps at 20 percent or whatever you set it at as your pulling back the throttle. That way I know to stop at that percentage for final approach 'til touchdown. Works pretty good and keeps a more consistent approach speed for landings instead of "winging it" on the throttle. This plane is just too heavy to just kill the throttle on final.

[OV10]

I jammed the center worm screw in the NG retract, so now there's a bunch of slop forward and back as the screw isn't holding the strut/trunion securely, and when it's in the wheel well, the wheel drops down and keeps the door ajar. New retract I guess. :Angry: Does anybody know which one it is? Is it the Type C? :Cool: Rob

Type C is the correct one ;) https://www.motionrc.com/products/fr...4-nose-retract

The description page for that retract also indicates the particular usages

[RCAV8R]

Hey Rob, good job on the "remaiden". I'm wondering what you thought about the new mains. Still too wet to fly at my field but I'm thinking next weekend if the forecast is accurate. Are you using a Spectrum radio? I use my battery timer throttle percentage to tell me when I'm down to 20 percent throttle on approach. The radio beeps at 20 percent or whatever you set it at as your pulling back the throttle. That way I know to stop at that percentage for final approach 'til touchdown. Works pretty good and keeps a more consistent approach speed for landings instead of "winging it" on the throttle. This plane is just too heavy to just kill the throttle on final.

I really can't say there was anything different today Brad. I've had a couple of hard drops, one before with the oleos and one today, and no real difference. I've been fortunate that I've recovered before getting into an oscillating thing...I think I'll be able to say more when I get to the point that I am feeling like my landings are more intentional and not so reactionary!

I have a JR 9 channel, and unfortunately it doesn't have that feature on the throttle! I know some guys who use that too, and it does seem like a real plus!

How are the eyeballs? Rob

[RCAV8R]

Type C is the correct one ;) https://www.motionrc.com/products/fr...4-nose-retract

The description page for that retract also indicates the particular usages

Thanks OV10! Rob

[janmb]

After multiple reiterations I decided they needed to be constructed in two pieces of cloth. I took my measurements and found a cone calculator on-line, made Masonite patterns and cut material. The material I used was Telio Stretch Rayon. After numerous and frustrating sewing attempts, I found Liquid Stitch. The stuff works fantastic! I did make quick patterns to hold the material while gluing. The glue dries in less than 30 minutes.

Now I need to do the rears. I have 1/8" elastic cord to connect the front and rear.

Awesome work - looks brilliant!

Would love to have your measurements (no pun intended)

[downwindleg]

I really can't say there was anything different today Brad. I've had a couple of hard drops, one before with the oleos and one today, and no real difference. I've been fortunate that I've recovered before getting into an oscillating thing...I think I'll be able to say more when I get to the point that I am feeling like my landings are more intentional and not so reactionary!

I have a JR 9 channel, and unfortunately it doesn't have that feature on the throttle! I know some guys who use that too, and it does seem like a real plus!

How are the eyeballs? Rob

My left eye is healing nicely but had to go get some cheaters for reading and up close work. Can't have it both ways and I'd rather use glasses to read rather than fly.;)

[Phatbob]

Awesome work - looks brilliant!

Would love to have your measurements (no pun intended)

Cone Calculator.pdf

[janmb]

I have been moving my CG up a bit...I had the batteries moved as far aft as I could get them, and when it was on the ground, it felt like it was tail heavy (barely putting any weight on the NG). Each flight I moved them forward. I checked the CG when I got home (based on the new battery placement) and I am right at 80mm, close to where the directions said.

For me, I am making my glide path more shallow and keeping a little throttle on more often. I watched DCorsair do his video and I thought I would have more airspeed, without throttle, dropping in, but it wasn't working for me today. I wish I had endless batteries so I could check things out more times, but oh well. I love the plane, and I'm looking forward to learning what I need to in order to master this baby. It's making me a better pilot! :Cool: Rob

CG at 80 is fine. Most fly a little bit aft of that (mid 80ies), but 80 works just fine. Manual CG at 76 is a bit too nose heavy for my taste. I strongly dislike having to force the model into every single attitude change - and that's what a nose heavy config does.

As for landing, yes definitely use throttle.

A landing approach that allows zero throttle to be used has several problems.
1. Whatever energy you carry, you are stuck with. There's no way of having less than zero throttle if needed.
2. All focus ends up on the elevator - typically leading to hot landings that are hard to set down softly - at least occasionally.
3. Leads to bad habits in terms of using elevator to control the descent.

Pros of using throttle instead of elevator:
1. Allows for using elevator to adjust attitude, not altitude, which in turn translates to controlling speed
2. Allows for using throttle to control sink, both above and below the optimal path. Energy is continuously corrected, both when having too much and too little. Something that is not possible with an unpowered glide.
3. A better stance for aborted takeoffs since you are already in the throttle and don't have to slam it from zero. Especially important if ever planning to go into turbine models.

In general, throttle controlled landings provide more margins, more safety and more consistency. One can always argue that a lot of things are down to personal preference, but well... in some cases there are good choices and less good choices - from a purely objective point of view. There is a reason full size aircraft are landed this way too. With the exception of the space shuttle and sail planes (for obvious reasons), throttle play a far more important role during landing than the elevator ever does.

[janmb]

[ATTACH]n129717[/ATTACH]

Thanks!

[Dirty Dee]

Mk-20 Rockeye II for anyone who wants it:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2874400

[Hardway]

Mk-20 Rockeye II for anyone who wants it:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2874400

Wow. Those are awesome!

[RCAV8R]

CG at 80 is fine. Most fly a little bit aft of that (mid 80ies), but 80 works just fine. Manual CG at 76 is a bit too nose heavy for my taste. I strongly dislike having to force the model into every single attitude change - and that's what a nose heavy config does.

As for landing, yes definitely use throttle.

A landing approach that allows zero throttle to be used has several problems.
1. Whatever energy you carry, you are stuck with. There's no way of having less than zero throttle if needed.
2. All focus ends up on the elevator - typically leading to hot landings that are hard to set down softly - at least occasionally.
3. Leads to bad habits in terms of using elevator to control the descent.

Pros of using throttle instead of elevator:
1. Allows for using elevator to adjust attitude, not altitude, which in turn translates to controlling speed
2. Allows for using throttle to control sink, both above and below the optimal path. Energy is continuously corrected, both when having too much and too little. Something that is not possible with an unpowered glide.
3. A better stance for aborted takeoffs since you are already in the throttle and don't have to slam it from zero. Especially important if ever planning to go into turbine models.

In general, throttle controlled landings provide more margins, more safety and more consistency. One can always argue that a lot of things are down to personal preference, but well... in some cases there are good choices and less good choices - from a purely objective point of view. There is a reason full size aircraft are landed this way too. With the exception of the space shuttle and sail planes (for obvious reasons), throttle play a far more important role during landing than the elevator ever does.

I hear you! I just need to find the balance of the distance of the approach with the altitude. I completely agree about the relationship between power and elevator...I just have to get over my timidity about the speed of the landing and trust the AOA and rate of descent. AND, keep this an Air Force landing and not a Navy (carrier) one!!! :Cool:Hopefully more to report next weekend! Rob