Official Freewing 70mm F-16C Falcon V2 Thread

[Rich81]

You're talking 70's? I personally think the FW 70mm is like one of the most awesome EDFs available. Still saying the Gripen is best but the 70mm F-16 and Yak-130 are close behind (both these have the XRP 13b/ 2200 set ups that are slightly better than the newer inrunners FW has).

Yeah, I'm talking 70's. That's the top of my experience level...for now. I don't have a Gripen but, "ditto" on the F-16 and the Yak-130!

[Evan D]

You're talking 70's? I personally think the FW 70mm is like one of the most awesome EDFs available. Still saying the Gripen is best but the 70mm F-16 and Yak-130 are close behind (both these have the XRP 13b/ 2200 set ups that are slightly better than the newer inrunners FW has).

[Rich81]

Sorry to say but it disappointed me... First I did pull out the fan, ESC and receiver (sold fan and receiver already) and put in nice non smart stuff and a Jet Fan/ HET 8S set up. I also pulled some of their extensions and Y's and ran my own and put each surface and steering on their own channels of a 8ch receiver. Programed flaperons (plus elevator compensation), tailerons, and a aileron to taileron and rudder mix for better rolls. Set it up with book max rates. Roll and pitch, even yaw all needed to be bumped way up to get the rates I wanted even with the tailerons mixed in. Speed and vertical are great.

Biggest issue is balance. Book says 95 +/- 5mm and knowing book settings I moved it back a bit. Actually I move the batteries as far aft as I could and check where it was and let it fly. It was at 113.5mm and still nose heavy in flight. I do my balance with gear down by the way.

So why am I disappointed in a jet that flies like a F-16, is fairly fast, has good vertical, nice scale detail and excellent landing gear? Good question really... I also took out my box stock Gripen. Actually box stock except I added Kallen's missiles and I gave the canards more travel so I can do proper air brakes, but the flight settings are stock. And no TV on this one. The Gripen remain my favorite plane, easily said, no contest, not even close. And this is the stock one, not to mention I have another Gripen on 8S with TV that's even better.

Add to this that I had an off runway excursion into our 15" tall grass that bent the nose cone and snapped off the pitot tube which really brought to life (again) why I buy so few HH marketed airplanes. Going on line there are no spares. It looks like the spares just haven't gotten here yet but some are marked out of stock and some back order which tells me that maybe they got some and sold out, not sure. Either way it's one of the things that HH does that irks me. The others are their marketing, part pricing and that they discontinue quickly. Also they charge tax when many others don't but they can't control that. So searching around I did find some sites that claimed to have parts. Oh, and that the nose cone doesn't come with the plastic end cone or pitot tube??? And at $20 plus shipping plus tax!! Anyway, that's my feed back on the plane and on HH...

Aw man, sorry to hear. I will say: 1) I think the FW F-16 flies better than the HH Thunderbird, but I got a Thunderbird also because, after the 1st crash with the FW I figured I wanted at least (1) F-16 that flies, in case the FW became a display model. "You can't go wrong with EF BNF." While I still think that to be true, refer to 1). I just saw my 1st one in person at the field this past weekend and the pilot said he liked it but it flew "heavy". I'd think something is bound to be "off" when you do that much modification though, right!?! Oh well, I hope you can get it sorted out to do better for you. With the 70mm my eyes have been opened at how some of the decals are..."slightly off" So I'm going at with paint pens and whatnot. *fingers crossed*

[Evan D]

Sorry to say but it disappointed me... First I did pull out the fan, ESC and receiver (sold fan and receiver already) and put in nice non smart stuff and a Jet Fan/ HET 8S set up. I also pulled some of their extensions and Y's and ran my own and put each surface and steering on their own channels of a 8ch receiver. Programed flaperons (plus elevator compensation), tailerons, and a aileron to taileron and rudder mix for better rolls. Set it up with book max rates. Roll and pitch, even yaw all needed to be bumped way up to get the rates I wanted even with the tailerons mixed in. Speed and vertical are great.

Biggest issue is balance. Book says 95 +/- 5mm and knowing book settings I moved it back a bit. Actually I move the batteries as far aft as I could and check where it was and let it fly. It was at 113.5mm and still nose heavy in flight. I do my balance with gear down by the way.

So why am I disappointed in a jet that flies like a F-16, is fairly fast, has good vertical, nice scale detail and excellent landing gear? Good question really... I also took out my box stock Gripen. Actually box stock except I added Kallen's missiles and I gave the canards more travel so I can do proper air brakes, but the flight settings are stock. And no TV on this one. The Gripen remain my favorite plane, easily said, no contest, not even close. And this is the stock one, not to mention I have another Gripen on 8S with TV that's even better.

Add to this that I had an off runway excursion into our 15" tall grass that bent the nose cone and snapped off the pitot tube which really brought to life (again) why I buy so few HH marketed airplanes. Going on line there are no spares. It looks like the spares just haven't gotten here yet but some are marked out of stock and some back order which tells me that maybe they got some and sold out, not sure. Either way it's one of the things that HH does that irks me. The others are their marketing, part pricing and that they discontinue quickly. Also they charge tax when many others don't but they can't control that. So searching around I did find some sites that claimed to have parts. Oh, and that the nose cone doesn't come with the plastic end cone or pitot tube??? And at $20 plus shipping plus tax!! Anyway, that's my feed back on the plane and on HH...

Nice, that's gonna be cool! I can see that this 70mm is pretty stable so I may ditch the stabilizer and go for the flaperons...or not. I think some of the guys were shocked with how well she handled and how gently I got her down. Part of me says, "why mess with a good thing", (the other part says, "to make it better of course")...

I really want to get the F-22 so I can have FFS and do tailerons.

[Rich81]

Congrats! Awesome report.

I just ordered the EF 80mm F-16. Already have my DX-18 programmed and a Orange 8ch with satellite and a trusty 100A FW ESC set out for it. Planning on flaperons and tailerons plus separate steering and a bunch of mixes. I have no need for the smart stuff EF uses and plan on selling the RX and ESC to recoup some of the cost.

E

Nice, that's gonna be cool! I can see that this 70mm is pretty stable so I may ditch the stabilizer and go for the flaperons...or not. I think some of the guys were shocked with how well she handled and how gently I got her down. Part of me says, "why mess with a good thing", (the other part says, "to make it better of course")...

I really want to get the F-22 so I can have FFS and do tailerons.

[Evan D]

Congrats! Awesome report.

I just ordered the EF 80mm F-16. Already have my DX-18 programmed and a Orange 8ch with satellite and a trusty 100A FW ESC set out for it. Planning on flaperons and tailerons plus separate steering and a bunch of mixes. I have no need for the smart stuff EF uses and plan on selling the RX and ESC to recoup some of the cost.

E

I just had a successful re-maiden (this weekend)...what can I say: "Thank you, Sir, May I have another" Wow she really flies. I flew my trusty Yak 1st and then took the plunge, by that time, I had the field all to myself (sorry, no footage). I see now the difference between the way she flies vs. the Viperjet. I'm using 4000mah 60C Zee packs (weight?). Batteries were positioned with the back even with the canopy cut out. I came down at 3:30 with 3.8v/cell. On the second flight, I went a little harder than the 1st. I love the way she loves to high alpha in the hard elevator pulls. I took off with 70% rates and immediately switched to 100% after that, just a few clicks of up elevator trim, and the rest is in the books. I needed this for a confidence boost after my crash two weeks ago. I was able to get 2 full flights in. Thanks again everyone for your help (Kallend, Evan D, anyone else I'm missing).. . I did cut the cheaters in the wheel wells and I ditched the Admiral for a 7ch OrangeRX. At this point, I couldn't be much happier...until I get my AB ring installed. I did still use the BB as I had no reason to blame it last time and all the Y-cables got to be a bit much. It was easier to keep it simple for cable management at this point although I may get rid of it later. Next flights may include sidewinder missiles on the wingtips and 3-D printed rails. I really like the look of the empty wing rails. I find that when we get afternoon storms, afterwards there is almost no wind and the field is empty by the time I can get there from work. Works out very well. Since this went well, I did go ahead and order a decal set, so I can get her looking scale again. Other than that, I'm looking forward to my next chance to get this bird up in the air, again.



Yeah, you can believe I triple-checked these before this takeoff.



Yep, I did the rudder separation but not the flaperons, yet...I will say that OrangeRX has pretty much become my favorite non-BNF receiver. I'm looking at incorporating some of the telemetry abilities in the future. Including flight pack voltage (I haven't figured how to set an alarm yet) and battery temperature.




Wow, that scenery and the flying are absolutely beautiful.

[Rich81]

I just had a successful re-maiden (this weekend)...what can I say: "Thank you, Sir, May I have another" Wow she really flies. I flew my trusty Yak 1st and then took the plunge, by that time, I had the field all to myself (sorry, no footage). I see now the difference between the way she flies vs. the Viperjet. I'm using 4000mah 60C Zee packs (weight?). Batteries were positioned with the back even with the canopy cut out. I came down at 3:30 with 3.8v/cell. On the second flight, I went a little harder than the 1st. I love the way she loves to high alpha in the hard elevator pulls. I took off with 70% rates and immediately switched to 100% after that, just a few clicks of up elevator trim, and the rest is in the books. I needed this for a confidence boost after my crash two weeks ago. I was able to get 2 full flights in. Thanks again everyone for your help (Kallend, Evan D, anyone else I'm missing).. . I did cut the cheaters in the wheel wells and I ditched the Admiral for a 7ch OrangeRX. At this point, I couldn't be much happier...until I get my AB ring installed. I did still use the BB as I had no reason to blame it last time and all the Y-cables got to be a bit much. It was easier to keep it simple for cable management at this point although I may get rid of it later. Next flights may include sidewinder missiles on the wingtips and 3-D printed rails. I really like the look of the empty wing rails. I find that when we get afternoon storms, afterwards there is almost no wind and the field is empty by the time I can get there from work. Works out very well. Since this went well, I did go ahead and order a decal set, so I can get her looking scale again. Other than that, I'm looking forward to my next chance to get this bird up in the air, again.

Sorry about the plane.

There should have been a small plywood hold down plate that hold the ESC in place. That said I usually pull new planes apart and tape those connections and check balance of the fan and the loctite things and put a dab of the white tube glue on the fan mounting screws when I put it back together. My 2hr builds usually take a couple days though...

Yeah, you can believe I triple-checked these before this takeoff.

You can do flaperons with a 6ch. The 7th is good to separate the steering from the rudder...

Yep, I did the rudder separation but not the flaperons, yet...I will say that OrangeRX has pretty much become my favorite non-BNF receiver. I'm looking at incorporating some of the telemetry abilities in the future. Including flight pack voltage (I haven't figured how to set an alarm yet) and battery temperature.

I got mine a couple of months ago but couldn't fly it because of a trip.
It's such a good flyer and crazy high alphas. The first plane I'm trying high alphas with and this plane really is stable.

Here is a video of me getting more and more comfortable with it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d24q3sa7-OM&t=38s

Wow, that scenery and the flying are absolutely beautiful.

[becevit]

I got mine a couple of months ago but couldn't fly it because of a trip.
It's such a good flyer and crazy high alphas. The first plane I'm trying high alphas with and this plane really is stable.

Here is a video of me getting more and more comfortable with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d24q3sa7-OM&t=38s

[Evan D]

You can do flaperons with a 6ch. The 7th is good to separate the steering from the rudder...

[Rich81]

Funny, that's what I ordered! 7ch OrangeRX, which is what I went to the last time I had an in-flight RX issue and I've had no problems since! AT least this ways I can do flaps, I know I don't "need" them but, why not! I don't need my gyro on remote gains all the time. I figure once I get it dialed in, I'm good.

[Evan D]

Just because it's inexpensive doesn't mean it's "junk". My favorite receivers are specific Orange brand one's from Hobby King. For me I get better range from them than genuine Spek, Lemons, or any others. Many are aghast that I fly my fast/ dangerous/ high(er) dollar planes with THOSE receivers...

That said I have heard of specific Admirals having issues, notably the 7ch stabilized ones. Yes I have also heard that other Admirals are having issues but so far no validated issues. By that I have seen a lot of people complain about "brand X" being crap only to find out their installation was poor or they bought the short range park flyer version and didn't know there was a difference or things like that. A person at the field yesterday couldn't figure out why his AS3X and SAFE weren't working, he bought a receiver that was telemetry and didn't have AS3X or SAFE...

[Rich81]

Some of the guys at our club have had problems with loss of signal with recent Admiral receivers.

Yeah, and of course I get "Admirals are cheap receivers", AFTER my plane goes down. All the electronics are good, I've already got me some strapping tape, just waiting on the parts (including a new receiver), and this FL weather with Elsa passing by, we'll go for it again...

[Evan D]

Other than the 7ch stabilized?

[kallend]

Well, I got the chance to maiden my F-16 Arctic Camo, this weekend, it DID NOT go well at all! Preflight checks (including range check) proved all was a go yet. After I cleared the runway on takeoff, I started my turn crosswind on climb out, I immediately noticed I didn't like my low rates (ailerons) and went to mid. Climb out was looking slow so I went ahead and pulled up the gear, as soon as I hear "gear up", she went down. A few guys at the field say it had to be the receiver but I can't prove that. Post crash analysis did show that none that none of my EDF/ESC connections were not taped or still connected for that matter. That would explain the engine loss but I don't know. Who knew that your ESC is moving around during flight!?! New fuse, wing, and nose gear, and nose cone are already been ordered. A3-L Gyro was working fine as she didn't tip a wing, just went down level. I was liking the fact that I went for the 10 channel Admiral, because I had/have my Gyro set up for remote gains and I can still do flaperons in the future...we'll see. I might go to a different receiver. Understandably, I'm little heart-broken at the moment, this was my favorite jet and I hadn't even gotten to fly her yet! I put the Yak up in the air after this to soothe my soul, it helped, but only a little!

Some of the guys at our club have had problems with loss of signal with recent Admiral receivers.

[Evan D]

Sorry about the plane.

There should have been a small plywood hold down plate that hold the ESC in place. That said I usually pull new planes apart and tape those connections and check balance of the fan and the loctite things and put a dab of the white tube glue on the fan mounting screws when I put it back together. My 2hr builds usually take a couple days though...

[Rich81]

Well, I got the chance to maiden my F-16 Arctic Camo, this weekend, it DID NOT go well at all! Preflight checks (including range check) proved all was a go yet. After I cleared the runway on takeoff, I started my turn crosswind on climb out, I immediately noticed I didn't like my low rates (ailerons) and went to mid. Climb out was looking slow so I went ahead and pulled up the gear, as soon as I hear "gear up", she went down. A few guys at the field say it had to be the receiver but I can't prove that. Post crash analysis did show that none that none of my EDF/ESC connections were not taped or still connected for that matter. That would explain the engine loss but I don't know. Who knew that your ESC is moving around during flight!?! New fuse, wing, and nose gear, and nose cone are already been ordered. A3-L Gyro was working fine as she didn't tip a wing, just went down level. I was liking the fact that I went for the 10 channel Admiral, because I had/have my Gyro set up for remote gains and I can still do flaperons in the future...we'll see. I might go to a different receiver. Understandably, I'm little heart-broken at the moment, this was my favorite jet and I hadn't even gotten to fly her yet! I put the Yak up in the air after this to soothe my soul, it helped, but only a little!

[Evan D]

I don’t know your sources but I also like coddar various sources, not too expensive and relatively light weight. I did buy a lot of Hobby Star but they changed. Heavier and more expensive for the same pack compared to earlier ones.

I like to use lighter weight packs with typically more capacity buy lower actual C. And I like to buy inexpensive and high quantities.

That power hobby 5000 is pretty light for a 5000, my 5000s are around 800gms. Looks like I will have to see if I can get a 4000 around 500gms which is what my current 3300s weigh. ..Just checked Power hobby, not available in uk, would cost around £200 with import duties etc so I will have to pass on that one Evan.

[kallend]

Different battery makes, different sizes. Different c rating different sizes. Too heavy bad cg. Light is faster over shorter time. Decide how you want to fly, measure the battery bay then shop around. I find 3300mah 6s 35c ok for 3.5 to 4 mins. I doubt anything over 4000mah will fit . Never been keen on flying bricks, saw someone towing a brick along the ground at a kite flying competition. He did not win

I can fit a 4500, but it flies better on a lighter 4000.

I find there's a diminishing return in putting bigger packs - you need more throttle to haul the extra weight through maneuvers so you don't get as much extra flying time as you might expect, along with the "flying brick" effect..

[paulrkytek]

I use between 3500 and 5200. I have Power Hobby 5000 100C that weigh 575g and work well. I do fly off pavement.

That power hobby 5000 is pretty light for a 5000, my 5000s are around 800gms. Looks like I will have to see if I can get a 4000 around 500gms which is what my current 3300s weigh. ..Just checked Power hobby, not available in uk, would cost around £200 with import duties etc so I will have to pass on that one Evan.

[Evan D]

I use between 3500 and 5200. I have Power Hobby 5000 100C that weigh 575g and work well. I do fly off pavement.