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

[Fast Eddie]

Hi Fast Eddie, the UBEC is essentially taking the 25v from your flight battery and knocking it down to 5v. Some of that excess is converted to heat energy. Warm is to be expected, hot if over time is acceptable, but too hot to touch for a couple seconds or melting should be avoided. The normal expected interval from power on to taxi/flight/taxi to power off is normally around 10 minutes. If you plan on "working on" your model for significantly longer, like, 30 minutes, it doesn't hurt to plug a 2s or 3s battery into the battery connector instead of a 6s battery. I soldered up an EC5-to-Deans adapter for this purpose. Having a lighter battery during setup also helps when I'm flipping these big planes upside down to change linkages, etc.

Thank you Alpha, not too hot to touch, just warm. I will take your advise on smaller batteries when on the bench.
Looks like tomorrow is Maiden day.:)

Sure would like to come to Apollo field some day soon and fly with you guys.

[401 FOOT CEILING]

Nice clear shot of the pod :

[RCjetdude]

The graphics from Callie for my RED DEVILS make over. It's going to be fun putting this long piece of vinyl on the fuse.:Silly:

Yeah but it is going to be awesome!

[ColtPilot]

Nice clear shot of the pod :

Not sure if this is a recent picture, however the upgraded A-10C no longer has the pod. All the birds at Selfridge no longer have them. There may be a few that still have them mounted. I'm removing mine as this tail number doesn't have It. I'll cut it right at the fuse line.

[Alpha]

Some units have removed only the Pave Penny pod, while others have fully removed both the pod and its mount/standoff fairing. The Black Snakes pilot I consulted said they hadn't used the pod for years even though they left it mounted, although gradually they removed the pod, then the fairing altogether.

pod only removed:


pod and fairing removed:



One of the reasons why we made the standoff fairing removable with a screw is so that people can display their model to match their chosen markings, if they're so inclined.

I like the asymmetrical look of the Pave Penny so mine stayed on.

For ultra detailers, the real pave penny pod actually has a clear window for the forward bulb section. A 25mm clear plastic bulb would look great with detailing inside.

[RCjetdude]

I've got my Blacksnake.... The nose art decal was tricky but not terrible.. I like how it turned out.

[TomPatton]

Good job! Looks great...

[abeeb]

Been out several times with this carry stand.
Works well for transport and field assembly.
On this one I have to remove a couple of the ordinance for the wings to fit properly.
I am building another for my second A-10 and will build it so wings will fit without any ordinace removal.

Hi Tom, I like your carrying stand, especially since it holds the wings. Do you have the pipe and fitting piece lengths, basically the plan and parts list, for the newer version that would allow for all the ordnances installed? Also, it would appear that with this configuration, you could have the landing gear down as well...?

[401 FOOT CEILING]

Not sure if this is a recent picture, however the upgraded A-10C no longer has the pod. All the birds at Selfridge no longer have them. There may be a few that still have them mounted. I'm removing mine as this tail number doesn't have It. I'll cut it right at the fuse line.

Well, alrighty then...maybe I'll just mount a spare tire there.

[TomPatton]

Hi Tom, I like your carrying stand, especially since it holds the wings. Do you have the pipe and fitting piece lengths, basically the plan and parts list, for the newer version that would allow for all the ordnances installed? Also, it would appear that with this configuration, you could have the landing gear down as well...?

Yes you can leave gear down.
I am making another for A-10 #2, the only thing I am changing is the location of the inside upright that holds the wing in place. That way you can leave all ordinance in place.
A couple guys have asked for measurements but I have been working a ton of overtime, 12 hr swing shifts which doesn't leave me much time for anything else. Not even flying the last 2 weeks...
I apologize, but after today I am off for the week and will post dimensions tomorrow or possibly this evening when I get home...
It's not pretty but works really well...

[Fast Eddie]

https://youtu.be/Z0NO5eN-NnA

Maiden the A-10 today - :) 3 Flights. What an awesome aircraft. Gentle and predictable. Nerves were shaking at first. Was worried about the dreaded bounce a few people have experienced. plus the jitters of a maiden. I just went in with the mindset that it should behave like the Flightline F7F Tigercat. and that calmed the nerves. For the weight, I was really surprised how it slows down really nice for gentle touchdowns. Next flights will be with ordinance. I will post video of Maiden when club member sends link to me. Above link is my 2nd landing that my son captured on his cell phone.

[TSHobbies]

Ready to maiden mine today..got the basic paint job done, I'll weather it and add decals after I maiden it. build went smooth ,other than getting the servos hooked to the board..think I invented a few cuss words during that part. I'll be using 2 Admiral 5000 50cs for my first flight...after that its Turnigys.

[TSHobbies]

Great landing Eddie! hope mine looks half as good at least!

[bill34207]

That's the way it's supposed to be done. Excellent landing Eddie.

[Fast Eddie]

Great landing Eddie! hope mine looks half as good at least!

Thanks, handles very well, throttle management when landing, held constant elevator pressure and just let the energy bleed off for a smooth touchdown. You'll do great, good luck

[Aros]

Sweet landing Eddie! That's how it's supposed to be done! :Cool:

[abeeb]

Yes you can leave gear down.
I am making another for A-10 #2, the only thing I am changing is the location of the inside upright that holds the wing in place. That way you can leave all ordinance in place.
A couple guys have asked for measurements but I have been working a ton of overtime, 12 hr swing shifts which doesn't leave me much time for anything else. Not even flying the last 2 weeks...
I apologize, but after today I am off for the week and will post dimensions tomorrow or possibly this evening when I get home...
It's not pretty but works really well...

Thanks, Tom. No rush. Make sure you get some flying in on your time off before anything else!

[sailing1]

Hi, new to the thread but have been watching for a long time. I have had my A10 done now for some time but am holding off on the maiden due to some eye surgery. My A10 is set up with dual 90 MM fans and esc's from a couple of Stingers that have seen better days. Just wondering if anyone else has tried the Stinger 90 mm 12 blade fans and what their experiences have been.

[slamdance64]

https://youtu.be/Z0NO5eN-NnA

Maiden the A-10 today - :) 3 Flights. What an awesome aircraft. Gentle and predictable. Nerves were shaking at first. Was worried about the dreaded bounce a few people have experienced. plus the jitters of a maiden. I just went in with the mindset that it should behave like the Flightline F7F Tigercat. and that calmed the nerves. For the weight, I was really surprised how it slows down really nice for gentle touchdowns. Next flights will be with ordinance. I will post video of Maiden when club member sends link to me. Above link is my 2nd landing that my son captured on his cell phone.

Great job on the landing Eddie! The A-10 is nice and stable with flaps down and the nose up and just use throttle to control the rate of descent. I was flying a few flights today with 1/2 flaps in slow flight to get comfortable with how much control you have.

Happy flying

Brent

[RCjetdude]

Hi, new to the thread but have been watching for a long time. I have had my A10 done now for some time but am holding off on the maiden due to some eye surgery. My A10 is set up with dual 90 MM fans and esc's from a couple of Stingers that have seen better days. Just wondering if anyone else has tried the Stinger 90 mm 12 blade fans and what their experiences have been.

I might get to try mine tomorrow or Tuesday. Waiting on an ESC.