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

[Aros]

Niiiiiice job Warthog!

[Twowingtj]

Warthog Nice touch!

[Warthog]

Thank all of you! Hadn't used my airbrush in a long time.

[Elbee]

Warthog, I just love that kind of stuff and on the 'skin scale' of 1-10, it's a 10. Bravo Zulu, Sir. Best, LB

[Warthog]

Thank you Elbee!

[sam51401]

I think that would go really well on the real ones at Ft Wayne. Maybe the crew chief on the Cmndrs bird will get incentive

[Warthog]

What kind of brake system are people using, and where do you get it?

[themudduck]

I use grass, it slows the model very nicely on landing!!!

Sorry, I couldn't resist. One brake technique I've seen is to use a small piece of rubber against the wheel (where the wheel collar makes contact) to jam the wheel, so it doesn't roll without resistance.
The A10 doesn't have wheel collars but you could probably do something like this by installing something on the axle. The idea is, the nose wheel provides some resistance so that the model will come to a stop faster on landing. (For takeoffs, the thrust will overcome the resistance). Its a cheap way to have a brake, but its simple and doesn't offer any control.

I haven't seen anything on the squawk about electronic brakes for this model. But I'm sure that you could find one that could work.
And I'll bet someone else will pipe up and show us one.

[Phantom]

What kind of brake system are people using, and where do you get it?

I attempted to put electic magnetic brakes on the mains when I first got my A-10, but the retract motor seemed to strain quite a bit when pulling the gear up just sitting static on my plane stand. I figured I wouldn't get to many cycles on them before I burnt the motors up, especially when adding the air resistance at climb out speed. So I pulled them back off.

[gravity tester]

What kind of brake system are people using, and where do you get it?

Hi Warthog- As others are eluding to, brakes on this plane might be more lipstick on this hog than necessary. I have flown mine on grass, pavement and occasional dirt (accidentally, I swear) and never felt like I couldn't stop or was missing something exciting. However, the beauty of this hobby is always in the eye of the beholder, right? If you wanna have at it, you might take a look at http://www.dreamworksrc.com. They have several wheel and brake sets for jets that would fit although you might find the pricing a little sporty and there will be a weight penalty. The stock FW main wheel is 85mm (3-1/4") and feather-light, relatively speaking. Intairco has an 83mm set of wheels and brakes and Xicoy has a 78mm set that might also work without looking cartoon small. You can also buy the brake kits as separates and adapt to your FW wheel but here again, the cost and weight penalty might be more than the extra roll out is worth. Have fun!

[Warthog]

I attempted to put electic magnetic brakes on the mains when I first got my A-10, but the retract motor seemed to strain quite a bit when pulling the gear up just sitting static on my plane stand. I figured I wouldn't get to many cycles on them before I burnt the motors up, especially when adding the air resistance at climb out speed. So I pulled them back off.

Phantom, I never thought about that. Your right. I just replaced the mains on my hawg too. I guess I'll stick with the light weight stock gear. I have already added enough extra weight to the plane. Thanks!

[Warthog]

Hi Warthog- As others are eluding to, brakes on this plane might be more lipstick on this hog than necessary. I have flown mine on grass, pavement and occasional dirt (accidentally, I swear) and never felt like I couldn't stop or was missing something exciting. However, the beauty of this hobby is always in the eye of the beholder, right? If you wanna have at it, you might take a look at http://www.dreamworksrc.com. They have several wheel and brake sets for jets that would fit although you might find the pricing a little sporty and there will be a weight penalty. The stock FW main wheel is 85mm (3-1/4") and feather-light, relatively speaking. Intairco has an 83mm set of wheels and brakes and Xicoy has a 78mm set that might also work without looking cartoon small. You can also buy the brake kits as separates and adapt to your FW wheel but here again, the cost and weight penalty might be more than the extra roll out is worth. Have fun!

Thanks for the info. GT. I'm going with the stock gear. Tomorrow will be the "Maiden" flight!

[Warthog]

Well,,, Maiden it today and it bounced bad on the first landing and broke the nose gear. Which landing gear bounces less, the trailing link or the telescopic?

[Phantom]

Well,,, Maiden it today and it bounced bad on the first landing and broke the nose gear. Which landing gear bounces less, the trailing link or the telescopic?

I bought the upgraded gear all around, but I only installed the upgraded mains. That and cutting a 1/3 off the spring in the stock nose gear along with moving the CG back well behind what the manual called for eliminated all bronco/bouncing.

[xviper]

Well,,, Maiden it today and it bounced bad on the first landing and broke the nose gear. Which landing gear bounces less, the trailing link or the telescopic?

That depends on what type of surface you fly off of. This happened to me the first couple of flights. I think I've broken my front gear a couple of times. I started flying this plane off grass and it kangarood like crazy. I changed from the stock struts to trailing links and the landings were a bit better but still bounced a little. I've learned how to land it and it doesn't bounce off grass. Now, I fly it off GeoTex surface and it doesn't bounce at all. I think no matter which strut you have on this jet, it's going to bounce till you figure out how to land it. I would suggest keeping a little more speed up on approach and try it without any flaps and then with 1/2 flaps. Full flaps takes more finesse to land it smoothly.

[Warthog]

I bought the upgraded gear all around, but I only installed the upgraded mains. That and cutting a 1/3 off the spring in the stock nose gear along with moving the CG back well behind what the manual called for eliminated all bronco/bouncing.

Phantom,, what do you think the CG is on your hawg now? Once it was in the air, the plane flew GREAT! It is FAST!! Comes in HOT. I have trailing link on all three gears. So this afternoon I ordered the upgrade telescopic gear. I'm fling off of GeoTex too.

[Phantom]

Phantom,, what do you think the CG is on your hawg now? Once it was in the air, the plane flew GREAT! It is FAST!! Comes in HOT. I have trailing link on all three gears. So this afternoon I ordered the upgrade telescopic gear. I'm fling off of GeoTex too.

I fly off of an old concrete parking lot with alot of imperfections. Shortening the front spring still allows for full travel of the strut, but takes the power/bounce out of it. It acts much more like a shock absorber. The upgraded mains work same way, more shock absorption less bounce. The stocks mains I've heard are better for grass field ops. If you look at most of the early successful landings on YouTube, the vast majority of them were on grass. The biggest factor in preventing the bounce on this and any plane is CG. Too far forward and you provide the mass/weight over the nose gear to either pop the bird into the air early before reaching flying speed, should your bird hit a little bump on take off roll. Or a bronco situation upon landing, the mains act as a pivot point. With a heavy nose, even on good landings the nose rotates down and starts the bronco ride.

I'm on a walk with my family now, but I owe you my CG when I get home. I've posted it on here before with pics. I'll see if I can find it.

[Phantom]

Phantom,, what do you think the CG is on your hawg now? Once it was in the air, the plane flew GREAT! It is FAST!! Comes in HOT. I have trailing link on all three gears. So this afternoon I ordered the upgrade telescopic gear. I'm fling off of GeoTex too.

Also, this can fly within a huge CG range, and an incredible amount of additional weight, imperceptible to the pilot once in the air, these conditions will be manifested upon landing though.

I'll share a grainy video that my Korean friend took on his cell phone of one of my landings, full flaps you can slow this bird down considerably. The video is good enough so that you will be able to see the landing speed on touchdown. Keep in mind she has 2 8,000mah 6s 100c batteries on board, proper CG is key. You can fly her with more forward CG but she'll land hotter. I always land her flaps full, except in the most extreme of wind conditions then it's flaps approach, and I'm quitting for the day lol

[xviper]

That depends on what type of surface you fly off of. This happened to me the first couple of flights. I think I've broken my front gear a couple of times. I started flying this plane off grass and it kangarood like crazy. I changed from the stock struts to trailing links and the landings were a bit better but still bounced a little. I've learned how to land it and it doesn't bounce off grass. Now, I fly it off GeoTex surface and it doesn't bounce at all. I think no matter which strut you have on this jet, it's going to bounce till you figure out how to land it. I would suggest keeping a little more speed up on approach and try it without any flaps and then with 1/2 flaps. Full flaps takes more finesse to land it smoothly.

Sorry, I want to correct what I posted. It was another plane that I put trailing links on. This plane come with trailing links on the mains. I never changed them. I merely got better at landing it.

[Phantom]

Phantom,, what do you think the CG is on your hawg now? Once it was in the air, the plane flew GREAT! It is FAST!! Comes in HOT. I have trailing link on all three gears. So this afternoon I ordered the upgrade telescopic gear. I'm fling off of GeoTex too.

I have 2 marks on my A-10's wing root. One at 92mm for windy days, and 95mm for light wind days. I think the book called for 78mm and the most folks fly at 86mm. But at 92mm to 95mm I have no issues with the bird being tail heavy on final and landing. Once in the air the CG swings forward just a bit with the gear, but at 95mm you can fly patterns with the gear down and have no issues.