Official Freewing 80mm Avanti S Sport Jet Thread

[OV10]

Made trip all the way down under and the box don't even have a tear or crease, good for you Shirty so now get tearin that box a new one LOL

[Shirty]

Lol yep. Box looks pretty good, no big dents or anything. I'm suddenly feeling a bit sick and won't be able to go to work today. Cough cough.
:)

[Westsider]

Avanti S on the west coast ( North of Apollo anyway).:Cool: UPS guy just shook his head. :wacky

[TomPatton]

Avanti S ready for maiden....

[TomPatton]

Forgot to mention, I put 3 coats of Minwax Pro Series Spar Urethane on this one...

[sam51401]

Can someone please list the batteries used in that "out of box" 8S setup? I'm going to guess 2 4s 3000ma but not over 4000ma!!????? Im intrigued with possible 8S configs if its capable of this out of the box.

[Grossman56]

Got mine today!! What a great looking plane, didn't get a chance to completely assemble it, maybe tomorrow.
Some slight disfiguration on the starboard wing, so I'll have to touch that up. I notice that the yellow decal that flows under the canopy does not match the color that it blends into on the fuse, no big deal, just noticed that.
TSHobby, remember I ordered that pilot from you back at the beginning of the year? Well, he fits perfectly onto the Avanti, so I'll have to get busy painting him and will show some pics of him in the cockpit when I'm done.

Grossman56

[TomPatton]

Mine to, where paint meets the decal... But who is going to notice at a 100 mph plus...lol...

[T-CAT]

Some fun assembly will be done tonight! I got the plane today, but is at home waiting to be opened until I get off work. I'll get to work on the afterburner, Jetfan power system install, ESC soldering, thrust tube install, and the rest will have to wait for another day when I have more time. Can't wait to open it!

[TomPatton]

You can see it here, right behind the canopy...

[T-CAT]

Congrats to all you that received theirs, and to folks about to receive theirs. What's funny, is that Shirty is right, as lots of people may suddenly take a day off work when they receive their plane, ha-ha.

[Grossman56]

Sorry boss I have the Avanti flu, it's been going around you know!

Grossman56

[T-CAT]

Hahaha!

[Shirty]

Unpacked, all looks good. Mines the same, decal not quite the same colour or lines up with the rest, but no biggie. Now to get busy, where's that build video lol. Thanks motion, again no dramas with the freight, all safe and sound. Cheers boys.

[Aros]

The Avanti Flu... LOL

Glad you boys are getting yours!

[OV10]

I'm just waiting for that Swine flu to hit me LOL Now ship me that Hog :P

[HellHathNoFury]

[QUOTE=Shirty;n77200]Unpacked, all looks good. Mines the same, decal not quite the same colour or lines up with the rest, but no biggie. Now to get busy, where's that build video lol. Thanks motion, again no dramas with the freight, all safe and sound.

Hey Shirty.. Build video?? I thought you would have memorised it by now.. You've had enough time..LOL

[T-CAT]

Overall the plane looks nice upon inspection of all the parts. The paint job is decent, as the lines are good enough for a PNP plane. Overspray is expected, and I'm cool with that as long as it's not sloppy and uneven. All the plastic pieces that were glued on seem to be very well glued upon pulling on each piece (all control surface plastic mounts, servo horns, servos glued well in their pockets, etc.), and that's a MAJOR plus. Freewing gets a high five for that because the beyond irritating when a person needs to reglue almost every surface to make it correct (starts to defeat a PNP plane). I've already stated long ago the great things I like about the plane, which is a TON, so no need to repeat. The pieces are strong and well engineered. Everything looks to be included in the box and assembly will be a snap.

The negatives:

- The factory must have zero skill applying decals. If they can't seem to apply them correctly, please leave them off. I'll do it myself. If you crack a decal, please don't reposition it to make it seem like it hasn't been done. Lots of the decals are lifting in various areas and must be tacked down.
- The nose door fitment is rather hideous. I'll have to fix the alignment, as well as the rigidity. They are too long without any added strength to keep from shifting.
- One of my wing tips came crinkled and is barely holding on by a thin layer of foam/paint. It's not fun to look at a brand new plane with a crinkle on the wing or any part and have to glue something new when it's not your fault in the first place.
- Split flaps had to be broken free before adding the control rods, etc. and activating the flap servos. That's not a huge deal, but something worth noting just for peace of mind that you won't accidentally overload a servo if your split flaps are stuck well. I'm not sure if the manual mentions to check for that, but it would be a good idea to tell people to do so.
- The white paint on the canopy is pitted in the rear and front areas. It's a bit unsightly, but fixable. However, I shouldn't have to fix it since it should have been painted correctly from the get-go, ya know ;).

I'm not the pickiest of people, but some of these things are a bit dumb to have to deal with regardless of the price of the plane. Freewing is my preferred manufacturer of foam jets, but I still expect more of them. I always expect better QC plane after plane after plane, but every now and then it still feels like it's possible to get a plane that slips by the QC folks, whoever that may be. I'd rather a company take a bit more time to create the product with more care, and even raise the price by a small amount just to ensure it's done correctly all the time, every time. That's just some feedback for Freewing from a customer.

Thats it for now, as I'll delve into some of the assembly. I can't wait to get the plane in the air.

[T-CAT]

Be sure to check over your EDF tab mounts on the fuselage. One of mine had no glue on it and slide right out. You may want to check the motor wires as well, as one of mine (only knew because I'm installing a different power system) was squeezed between the foam and the fuselage.

[Twowingtj]

Mine didn't seem to have the cosmetic issues you have on yours T-Cat. I think I'll pull the fan just to check the mounts. Better safe than sorry. Have a few flights with no issues.

I have lost the front end of one nose gear door, my fault. I see some on RCG have layed a CF strip on the inside of both doors to add strength and help keep straight.

To all those with the Avanti flu, one flight will put a smile on your face and cure what ails you:). She's a keeper for sure.

OV-10, I'm kind of feeling a case of Swine Flu comming on too:a10. Going to get some more flights on the Avanti today while we're waiting.