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

[Hardway]

Copy!! Thank you sir!!

[crxmanpat]

I just did this too. Couldn't find a piece of metal sheet thick enough, so I just bought a T brace used for construction. The width was perfect so I just cut the ends and center section.

[Clearblue]

What option did you try?

I reasoned that If I could diminish the stiffness of the springs, that I could reduce or eliminate the hop! So I stretched them out slightly. And thought it worked! But flight five and flight six that morning proved that I hadn't fixed squat! Now waiting on replacement nose gear. Plan on doing the "Fix" next. And I also removed some of the length from the front compression spring.

[Pogo]

Tom, awesome flight and incredible looking A-10!

Thanks T-Cat!
Tom

[Sky Wolf]

Thought I'd post this event for those of us in Texas, and/or for those who may be coming to Texas around October 7th. Great event that Motion RC will be "Main Featured" in for Warbirds over Grapevine Event.

Special Guests...Captain Mike and Pilot Ryan. Everyone come on down to Texas if you can!!

It's going to be an incredible weekend! Many new planes on display and for specially discounted coupon price. They are also hoping to get the newest "Unveiled" model ready for show. Come join Mike and Ryan and have some good ol' fashion Texas fun, flying, and fellowship!

https://youtu.be/0C4ISC6m1pA

[downwindleg]

Finally got some video (7th flight) and took photos of the nearly finished paint, weathering and (sigh) rivets- from the nacelles back hasn't been done yet. I think on the landing I forgot to get off the elevator and the bumpy field didn't help but the modified gear seemed to cope with it ok.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyDA...ature=youtu.be
Tom

Great job Tom on the flight and the details. Great field as well. Looks like you have the exact type of field that Alpha had in mind for these gear. I'm still waiting for the new gear which should be along any time before I chance another flight. Meanwhile enjoying flying the Spit and the other birds in my aviary. Brad

[Porkster]

I see many getting discouraged about this plane over the bouncing and nose wheel issues caused by it but if you do these simple fixes you can fly her on grass, pavement or textile without bouncing and you will have a solid, straight nose wheel.

I know I have some naysayers but I have over 30 bounce free flights with this setup and several others are having success with this setup as well.

1: Reverse the freaking struts, to do this you need to take the plastic covers off of the main gear retracts (throw them in the trash so you can tighten the struts when they get loose), then remove the strut from the retract and move it to the other side with the wheel facing the wingtip. You may need to clearance the strut and plate like the pictures below, some haven't had to do it but some have.

2: Make a new retract plate using the old one as a template but make the slot where the trunion rotates less shallow (see picture below) so it will stop the trunion travel and keep the strut from bending back. Put the original plate back on top of the new one for extra support.

3: Cut about 3/8" off the nose wheel strut spring (sorry no picture).

4: To give the retract a little more strength you can drill a hole through the battery tray and run a zip tie around the long end of the retract (again, see picture below).

*Bonus* If you have already broken the nose gear strut pin and are having trouble getting a new one the Freewing 1600mm Spitfire axles work great if you cut down the flange a little and cut a second flat on them.

This will be the last I post about this fix, use it or not but if you want a really great taking off, flying and landing A-10 this will do it.

Trust me im so doing this to mine, I've ordered a new kit version, hopefully it will be here late this week.
I may repair the old one and make it a euro scheme but for now the replacement will be modded with your landing gear revisions!

[Pogo]

Great job Tom on the flight and the details. Great field as well. Looks like you have the exact type of field that Alpha had in mind for these gear. I'm still waiting for the new gear which should be along any time before I chance another flight. Meanwhile enjoying flying the Spit and the other birds in my aviary. Brad

Thanks for the kind words Brad. Actually I've just started flying regularly there this year as the lush and long grass at a closer sod farm field is too much for the A-10, especially the nose strut. I'm glad you're enjoying the Spit, I've been lurking on that thread. :)
Tom

[crxmanpat]

Here's a little something I did to beef up the nose gear mounting. If you look into the battery bay, you'll notice 3 square slots in the plastic plate on which the forward battery sits (just behind the forward battery strap). If you look down into the front and rear holes, you'll see two of the screws that mount the nose gear in place.

When I bounced my 3rd landing on maiden day, I cracked the plastic where the forward screws go in. In fact, the one in the front slot in my pic was completely broken away, and there was nothing left for that screw to grab onto. At first I CA'd the plastic back together, but it raised the front of the gear slightly, preventing the forward gear door from closing fully.

So what I did was get some hardwood square stock, cut it down to fit the two openings, taped off the screw holes, filled the slots about 1/3 with 5-minute epoxy, then shoved the square stock into the slots. Finally, I filled the remaining space with epoxy.

After the epoxy cured, I tapped new screw holes in the square stock from the nose gear side, and used 1" wood screws in place of the stock screws. I also made a new metal support bracket which is about twice at thick as the stock plate and made of hardened steel. This plate is not going to bend!

Since I had also cracked the plastic on the front screw on the other side, and it's not accessible from above, I cut away the broken plastic, dug out some foam, and cut a small length of the square stock and epoxied it in place.

My nose gear is now in very strong and the front gear door closes properly.

[ColtPilot]

The 6250's came in and can't wait to try them. Loading the video from the Ohio E-Jets and E Warbirds event. It's going to take awhile to download.

[crxmanpat]

Got my 6250s on Saturday and will be flying them this weekend.

[ColtPilot]

The video from E-jets and E-warbirds in Ohio. 3 FW A-4's fly together and other aircraft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHKsXq9e134

[dahawk]

I've been flying mine on the 6250 RT's You'll get at least another minute. Still balances fine. Pat, how did the 5800 perform in the A4?

[crxmanpat]

The 5800s worked perfect in the A-4. Did all 4 flights with them. Getting 3:30 with 25% left in the pack on mixed flying.

[RCAV8R]

Still plugging along with the paint project. I did the rivots, and then highlighted both those and the panel lines. Next comes the layering of tones a la Alpha's method...what's there now is just primer! Off to the Reno Air Races this weekend, but back at it next week. Rob

[Thomas W]

Didnt I read in here somewhere that someone used colored pencils to do the panel lines? If so, would I have to seal them with some polycrilic to seal them on? I dont trust my painting skills well enough yet to try a wash.

[dahawk]

The 5800s worked perfect in the A-4. Did all 4 flights with them. Getting 3:30 with 25% left in the pack on mixed flying.

Awesome ! I have a pair of them. Andy from www.rcjetwerx.com is coming to our event on October 7th. He'll have a one-day special deal

[crxmanpat]

Didnt I read in here somewhere that someone used colored pencils to do the panel lines? If so, would I have to seal them with some polycrilic to seal them on? I dont trust my painting skills well enough yet to try a wash.

You're probably thinking of me. I took a black charcoal pencil and lightly drew in the lines, then took a fine hard-bristle brush and rubbed the lines in to spread the charcoal and soften the lines. I finished it off by spraying it with Testors Dullcote.

[T-CAT]

Didnt I read in here somewhere that someone used colored pencils to do the panel lines? If so, would I have to seal them with some polycrilic to seal them on? I dont trust my painting skills well enough yet to try a wash.

That was me. It's very simple and allows easy sealant with matte Minwax Water Based Polycrylic either brushed or sprayed on.

[Xtraflyr]

Didnt I read in here somewhere that someone used colored pencils to do the panel lines? If so, would I have to seal them with some polycrilic to seal them on? I dont trust my painting skills well enough yet to try a wash.

On my 50cc P40 I just used a #2 pencil and a 3view drawing. Then just did a guesstimate of where the panel lines were. Then you take a paper towel,and wipe from the panel line towards the back of the plane. I did not do any rivet detail though.