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

[themudduck]

Thanks Pat it was all your inspiration lol.

And yes kept it light as possible, lucky for me I work for an actual aerospace company where we have lightweight epoxy...I just borrowed a little of that. 😁

Aha! An aerospace Company in Seattle, hmm. Well instead of "Splat" perhaps we should call you "Boing".

(sorry I couldn't help it. Because the LG is spring loaded)

[Splat]

Aha! An aerospace Company in Seattle, hmm. Well instead of "Splat" perhaps we should call you "Boing".

(sorry I couldn't help it. Because the LG is spring loaded)

🤣🤣🤣

[dsmithwc04]

I just bought the A10 and was wondering what all things I should address prior to maiden? 526 pages is a lot...

[Gringotuerto]

I just bought the A10 and was wondering what all things I should address prior to maiden? 526 pages is a lot...

It is pretty good out of the box, but I can summarize some of the main themes in the previous 526 pages:
1. The elevator should be trimmed a bit up; there is a drawing in the manual showing this, but many of us didn't read the manual and discovered this in the air. This same part of the manual gives guidance on ele mix with flaps.
2. As with many MotionRC manuals, the CG is a little conservative. Most people fly with it a bit farther back (86mm is good).
3. As with many MotionRC manuals, the aileron throw at high rates is pretty "adventurous". Make sure you have low rates available.
4. 250 of 500 pages are dedicated to "bucking." Any tricycle gear plane can buck on landing, but this one does more than most.
A. The plane comes with compression spring nosegear and extension springs on the mains. On the upgrade page you can order the opposite (extension spring nosegear, and compression spring mains). The extension spring (trailing link) nosegear is not straightforward to install because it hits the gear door. I personally have compression springs on all three. Different people have different philosophy on this, and there are infinite hacks and tinkers with the landing gear posted in the foregoing pages and on RCgroups.
B. In any case, land slowly and on the mains. This is what prevents bucking, whatever landing gear you have.
5. It sucks current. Use high-C batteries and be conservative on your flight timer at first.

I guess that's about it. Have fun, it's a great plane!

[Waconut]

I just bought the A10 and was wondering what all things I should address prior to maiden? 526 pages is a lot...

Also order some 5mm square carbon fiber tube and install 2 pieces inside the fuse in the cockpit area. There are 2 grooves, one on each side of the fuselage to epoxy it in place.I think the pieces I added are approx. 17 inches long. This will help strengthen the front of the fuse for when you have the bucking bronco syndrome on a bad landing.
You are going to love the plane it fly’s great!!

[dsmithwc04]

Thanks guys! I’ll order some carbon tube asap.

[Elbee]

Thanks guys! I’ll order some carbon tube asap.

Welcome to Hobby Squawk, D4. Glad you are onboard. Good luck with your F-18C. I have been working on modding and repainting it like for.........ever. On a different note, may I suggest that you rethink using your email address as your public moniker. It is more a privacy issue for you than anything else. Many members use their actual names which is great, though the idea that anyone has access to your personal email address this easily could lend itself to you receiving all kinds of unwanted spam. And frankly just how many Russian Dating Sites can one guy handle at a time. . Check in with Aros by private message if you'd like to change it. Just my $00.02. Best, Steve (LB) Thomas

[Warthog]

Try some "Model Air" AV paint. Gris Claro 71.050 light gray. And the dark is Gris Mar OSC.71.053 dark sea gray. Both dead nuts match!! Airbrush paint, but can be brushed on too.

[Waconut]

Hi Guys,
I took the A-10 out today for flights 8 thru 12. I love how this thing fly's. After being away from flying for 5 years it is nice to be going to the field again. After 3 weekends of flying I am finally getting comfortable flying again. Cant wait for next weekend .

Here is a video I shot of the A-10 today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15i3qXFlfog

[dsmithwc04]

Finished my maiden and was able to get 3 flights in. What a beauty she is in the air! Such an easy flier too. Landing on stock mains is perfect on my bumpy geo fabric runway. Half flaps, idle power with a healthy sink rate and then flare just before touchdown. Gets a nice smooth landing with no bounce to speak of!

[dsmithwc04]

Try some "Model Air" AV paint. Gris Claro 71.050 light gray. And the dark is Gris Mar OSC.71.053 dark sea gray. Both dead nuts match!! Airbrush paint, but can be brushed on too.

Nice! Any idea on colors for the 70mm F16 Grey scheme or the 90mm F22?

[Warthog]

Nice! Any idea on colors for the 70mm F16 Grey scheme or the 90mm F22?

No. I don't have one of those.

[Splat]

Well got the new nose gear in yesterday, everything back to normal there. Charged my batteries to fly this morning but woke up to 15 mph winds gusting 30ish so decided not to press my luck lol. Discharging for storage to try next weekend ugh.

[Spad Driver]

now I'm a hog drver!.
picked this baby up from a local flyer. Needs main gear replacement with the upgraded suspension. Was able to replace the nose wheel with a main wheel from a freewing 90mm T-45. Perfect fit and much smaller diameter. Will be installing 5mm square carbon fiber tubes along inside of fuselage. Have purchaced a reinforcement 3d printed plate for nose gear and am thinking of cutting reinforcement plates for main gear mounts.
can't wait to take her to my local field and FLY!.

[Hugh Wiedman]

I finally joined Aros , and his Arctic Camo Club. Wasn't ever thinking of the A-10 until I saw his livery, along with a couple others ( Dlxpkg2000 and NJP ) that made me say "I Gotta Have One"! But I did notice in all the others, at least one "Arctic Thunder" on the engine nacelles had the state of Alaska backwards. I didn't notice it until my CO looked at it and said "Hey, Alaska looks funny"! Both of mine were backwards. Notified Callie and she is sending me new graphics with the state facing the correct way, can't have Sarah Palin giving me a hard time for disrespecting the great state of Alaska! This paint job was even more time consuming than my F-18 Canadian (except for the graphics) and I got to use all the swear words in my vocabulary more than once over 3 weeks. Now that Phase 1 is complete, I'll probably maiden it while I'm finishing the 3D cockpit (bought a spare to work on that simultaneously) which will probably take me another 2-3 weeks to finish. I gotta get out there and fly some more, sniffing paint is fun, but doesn't beat flying.

Replaced the front nose wheel with the trailing link for grass and also installed about 18 inches of carbon fiber tubes in the front battery bay section. I also installed the AR637T AS3X with a satellite and the RF chokes that GliderGuy recommended. Intend on using 2 RT 35C 6250 batteries, as I bench tested them with the twin 80 mm outrunners and got virtually the same power as the RT 70C and HRB 50-100C batteries produced, but they are a good 25 g lighter each. Removed the circuit board and placed it back on the side wall so I could get the CG at 87 mm as per some recommendations here. I'm setting the timer for 3:50 for the maiden, but expect to get well over 4:00. Does that make sense with 2 6250's?

As is my custom, I didn't exactly follow the "scale" paint job. Added a little yellow to the wing tips for better orientation (if I can't see this thing in the air then I'm in real trouble) and I always noticed growing up in the snow in the forests of Northern Michigan it was never just white or black with dirt, but always had several streaks of yellow in it (usually spelling out my name).

This color scheme worked out well with my "Nashville Digs" that I get to wear whenever I need a little country music fix and head north!





My 2 "North of the Boarder" corona virus projects, they both put a serious dent in my flying time!! Now all I need to do is find some snow around here.

[xviper]

Hugh, your planes are gorgeous. If those were mine, I would be so afraid to fly them for fear of the inevitable "road rash" that mine seem to be attracted to.

[DCORSAIR]

I finally joined Aros , and his Arctic Camo Club. Wasn't ever thinking of the A-10 until I saw his livery, along with a couple others ( Dlxpkg2000 and NJP ) that made me say "I Gotta Have One"! But I did notice in all the others, at least one "Arctic Thunder" on the engine nacelles had the state of Alaska backwards. I didn't notice it until my CO looked at it and said "Hey, Alaska looks funny"! Both of mine were backwards. Notified Callie and she is sending me new graphics with the state facing the correct way, can't have Sarah Palin giving me a hard time for disrespecting the great state of Alaska! This paint job was even more time consuming than my F-18 Canadian (except for the graphics) and I got to use all the swear words in my vocabulary more than once over 3 weeks. Now that Phase 1 is complete, I'll probably maiden it while I'm finishing the 3D cockpit (bought a spare to work on that simultaneously) which will probably take me another 2-3 weeks to finish. I gotta get out there and fly some more, sniffing paint is fun, but doesn't beat flying.

Replaced the front nose wheel with the trailing link for grass and also installed about 18 inches of carbon fiber tubes in the front battery bay section. I also installed the AR637T AS3X with a satellite and the RF chokes that GliderGuy recommended. Intend on using 2 RT 35C 6250 batteries, as I bench tested them with the twin 80 mm outrunners and got virtually the same power as the RT 70C and HRB 50-100C batteries produced, but they are a good 25 g lighter each. Removed the circuit board and placed it back on the side wall so I could get the CG at 87 mm as per some recommendations here. I'm setting the timer for 3:50 for the maiden, but expect to get well over 4:00. Does that make sense with 2 6250's?

As is my custom, I didn't exactly follow the "scale" paint job. Added a little yellow to the wing tips for better orientation (if I can't see this thing in the air then I'm in real trouble) and I always noticed growing up in the snow in the forests of Northern Michigan it was never just white or black with dirt, but always had several streaks of yellow in it (usually spelling out my name).

This color scheme worked out well with my "Nashville Digs" that I get to wear whenever I need a little country music fix and head north!





My 2 "North of the Boarder" corona virus projects, they both put a serious dent in my flying time!! Now all I need to do is find some snow around here.

Wow, that looks awesome Hugh, I also picked up another A-10, it is a well used one but I didn't want nothing to nice because I am flying off a dirt runway now, seems to handle it really good, the dirt is hard packed as well and watered daily, I won't have it long but for now I can just taxi out from my house and drive down about 25 yrs and take off. I will do the regular boring livery, I just don't have the patience to do a nice Artic camo paint job like that.

[Elbee]

[QUOTE=Hugh Wiedman;n273245]I finally joined Aros , and his Arctic Camo Club. I always noticed growing up in the snow in the forests of Northern Michigan it was never just white or black with dirt, but always had several streaks of yellow in it (usually spelling out my name).

That is "Hugh-larious". Congrats on the ACC Warthawg, she is a beautiful thing. Your work is awe-inspiring, the results speak for themselves. Outstanding, Sir. Bravo Zulu, my friend. Best, Steve

[Waconut]

Congrats Hugh,
She looks great and you will love how it fly’s. Just take that draggy ordinance off for the first flights. I put 4 flights on mine with the ordinance just to see how it flew and it does slow it down and makes it less responsive.
Later!!
Anthony

[Aros]

Hugh Wiedman you've done me proud! What a beauty!! Hat's off sir. Now go enjoy that beautiful bird and Happy Landings!