Official Freewing 80mm EDF F-86 Sabre Thread

[Lon]

Decided to upgrade my F-86 to the inrunner and 100amp ESC....DANG! The ESC/Motor wires are a few inches short!! And my soldering skills/experience is terrible to make up some extensions. I see MotionRC sells the extensions in 16awg, but the upgrade ESC is 12awg. Thinking that's not a good idea to buy/install 16awg.

[bluewaterjoe]

Hey that MIG-21 doen't look that bad LOL... What the heck is that spear on the front! I like it!

Do you guys find that it's easier to lose orientation with the jets? I'm watching some you tube videos where the jet is pretty far away and the guy is doing some fast barrel rolls. Seems
like it would be hard to come out of the rolls knowing if you're right side up or upside down??

[bluewaterjoe]

Hi Grossman! I had to google what Nefi is :). Saw a bunch of pics on Flickr and it looks like a good time with a lot of cool planes. I may have to get down there if work and time permits.
Thanks for the invite!

[Grossman56]

Hey BWjoe! Your in Chicago, maybe you'd consider going to Nefi in Muncie in the middle of June, a bunch of us, including Charlie and me, will be there and you can check out a big variety of birds there and actually see them fly. The best way to judge whether it fits your needs and environment. The runway factor had got to be taken in to consideration.

Grossman56

[F106DeltaDart]

They just need the same system in an F-106, then the looks problem is solved :).

[Alpha10]

It is hideous... until you fly it and see what amazing things it can do!! here it is performing on a short runway...

That's a great flying plane man... I just can't get past the looks haha! It's gotta have the look to boot for me.

[gooniac33]

Definitely... The MIG21 is a great flier if you can get past it's horrible looks haha!

The F86 should've been a 90mm for sure, but it does pretty well on good 80 considering it's size!

It is hideous... until you fly it and see what amazing things it can do!! here it is performing on a short runway...

[Alpha10]

The F-86 is a great entry into the bigger edfs. It is actually the size of a 90mm jet if you think about it. The F-5 is a fraction of the size but still uses the same power system and has much higher performance as a result. The only issue with the F-86 and cross winds is the taxi. It tips pretty easily.

Now another thing to think about here... the Mig-21 is a great plane too! Wider stance and really wide speed range. The wings are stubby but the airfoil is really thick! I would say that it is a good one to start with too....

Definitely... The MIG21 is a great flier if you can get past it's horrible looks haha!

The F86 should've been a 90mm for sure, but it does pretty well on good 80 considering it's size!

[gooniac33]

The F-86 is a great entry into the bigger edfs. It is actually the size of a 90mm jet if you think about it. The F-5 is a fraction of the size but still uses the same power system and has much higher performance as a result. The only issue with the F-86 and cross winds is the taxi. It tips pretty easily.

Now another thing to think about here... the Mig-21 is a great plane too! Wider stance and really wide speed range. The wings are stubby but the airfoil is really thick! I would say that it is a good one to start with too....

[AZFlyer]

I love my F-86. It's the best EDF to fly in windy conditions, I think. I've flown it fine with 10mph wind 90 degree across the runway, and it handles fine.

I don't think it's that fast, but it sounds great. It sounds a lot better than any other EDF I own, including the T-45. The way the fuse is tuned for the 80mm fan is great. Sounds like a jet screaming by, especially in a hard bank turn away from the pilot.

I fly an Admiral 5000. I removed the ESC bracket and push the battery all the way back against the fuse. Didn't have to carve out anything (I don't think). I get 4 minutes out of it, no problem.

Definitely recommended as the first big EDF for someone new at these.

Enjoy!

[bluewaterjoe]

Great wealth of information from you guys and, again, it's much appreciated!

I think it makes perfect sense to get the Marie in the air and get comfortable with it, especially with the field size. After all, that's why I bought her and look forward to flying it as well :). The 80mm Sabre is still in my sights and It's great to know it's
within close reach. Man, I have to figure out how to carve out more flying time. This work stuff gets in the way :).

I may also pilfer a receiver from another plane and for $89 bucks get the 64mm Sabre as a stepping stone to get my jet fix while flying the Marie.
I watched some videos of the 64mm and I can see Chopper's point as how it can belly land in a short distance.

I like that there are multiple levels to this hobby as it never gets dull.

You guys have given me a lot of great options to consider. Thanks Again!
Joe

[AkumaZeto]

I would wait. You need to be more than profeciant with high powered warbirds. When I started this thread last year I was ready to make the jump but I would not advise this if you have not flown larger high powered low wing birds. It does need one hell of a roll out on landing too

[gooniac33]

Chopper and gooniac33.. Thanks for the great input and sharing your perspectives!

The price on the 64mm is definitely easy on the wallet and certainly is an option to consider. Chopper, it does sound like you and I are in similar spots and its helpful to hear your experiences on the progression. I'll have to watch some YouTube videos on that size and thanks for the tip on the underhand launch (never tried that). I'm guessing jumping to jets in either the 64mm or 80mm will be a fun rush. However, I gotta say after watching some of the videos on the 80mm I'm drawn to the substantial size and the awesome sound it produces.

All you guys have commented on the size of the runway and that's probably my biggest concern at this point. Our field is grass and just doesn't feel that big compared to most of the videos I've seen. I'm thinkng take offs would be fine but the landings may be a different story! I'd probably have to hit the very beginning of the field right after the tall grass ends. I guessed our field is about 200 feet but I may have to do a bit of measuring. I'm kinda judging how far it is from Home to first base on a baseball diamond and thinking it's about twice that distance. maybe...

I'm in a suburb of Chicago so our weather is still a bit chilly (although this weekend is supposed to hit the upper 50's) so I have a few weeks before pulling the trigger on this. I'm also sitting on a new FMS P51-D V8 Marie that
I need to get together.

Anyway... I'm thinking this jet thing is gonna be a blast!! Then there's that red Yak-130 that looks so cool :) ...

Thanks again Guys!
Joe

The Yak is a great plane too! It is a little smaller and faster than the F-86 but they handle the same. The F-86 is a really sweet flying plane though. it is perfect for a first bigger EDF. It is forgiving in the air and just enough of a challenge on the ground to get you ready for the others in the series.

[F106DeltaDart]

I agree with OV10, best to get used to the Mustang first and feel out how much space you need for landings. The thing that concerns me is a 200 ft grass takeoff. I didn't fly mine on grass much, but when I did it took a long time to get airborne ~400ft ish with half flaps. Granted, mine wasn't the best cut or smoothest grass, but its still cause for concern..100 ft takeoffs is no problem on pavement or geotex though.

[OV10]

Hello BWJoe and welcome to the Squawk,
Based upon your description of where you are flying from and the smaller size of the warbirds your presently flying I would give a little pause to the acquisition on the 80mm Sabre for just a little.
As lead flight instructor at our club I would truly recommend that you get some flight time under your belt with that Marie.
The reason I say this is because it is twice the flight weight of anything your presently flying which brings with it another venue of characteristics that you need to become familiar with when flying these larger weight birds that have more torque & faster landing speeds just to name a few. Once your comfortable managing this bird versus it managing you on TO's and landings then the jump to that Sabre becomes a lot easier.
I've seen to many wide eyed pilots that run before they walk and more often than not get a surprise they weren't ready for which usually cost them money sooner than expected.
Just another perspective. ;)
With best regards,

[bluewaterjoe]

Chopper and gooniac33.. Thanks for the great input and sharing your perspectives!

The price on the 64mm is definitely easy on the wallet and certainly is an option to consider. Chopper, it does sound like you and I are in similar spots and its helpful to hear your experiences on the progression. I'll have to watch some YouTube videos on that size and thanks for the tip on the underhand launch (never tried that). I'm guessing jumping to jets in either the 64mm or 80mm will be a fun rush. However, I gotta say after watching some of the videos on the 80mm I'm drawn to the substantial size and the awesome sound it produces.

All you guys have commented on the size of the runway and that's probably my biggest concern at this point. Our field is grass and just doesn't feel that big compared to most of the videos I've seen. I'm thinkng take offs would be fine but the landings may be a different story! I'd probably have to hit the very beginning of the field right after the tall grass ends. I guessed our field is about 200 feet but I may have to do a bit of measuring. I'm kinda judging how far it is from Home to first base on a baseball diamond and thinking it's about twice that distance. maybe...

I'm in a suburb of Chicago so our weather is still a bit chilly (although this weekend is supposed to hit the upper 50's) so I have a few weeks before pulling the trigger on this. I'm also sitting on a new FMS P51-D V8 Marie that
I need to get together.

Anyway... I'm thinking this jet thing is gonna be a blast!! Then there's that red Yak-130 that looks so cool :) ...

Thanks again Guys!
Joe

[gooniac33]

Hey guys... need your opinions..

I'm jonesin for this F-86 but am wondering if it's out of my league. I've been flying warbirds for about a year and a half. specifically:
Parkzone Corsair
Eflight P-47 Thunderbolt
ares P-51 (around 800mm)
FMS 800mm BF109
Also a bunch of UMX planes (Eflite corsair, mig 15, eflite P-47, eflite PT-17)

I am comfortable flying the Parkzone corsair and P-47 thunderbolt inverted, do barrel rolls, etc..

The only plane I fly that has been flagged as "advanced" by motion RC is the BF109. I can fly that okay if I don't try anything fancy like inverted or barrel rolls. This one
taught me about wing tip stalls :( and I crashed it several times in the beginning.

Do you think the F-86 is within reach for my progression? It looks awesome and I wanna hear that woooshhh!! I'm leaning towards rolling the dice and trying :)

Thanks! Joe

it is a perfect jet for you just going by what you have listed! Really easy to fly but it has the jet sound and speed. The only issue is the runway you will fly from. You need a decent size runway.

[chopper]

bluewaterjoe, you remind me of myself - about the same length of time flying and many of the same planes. If you must have an F-86, I've recently had a lot of luck with the 64 mm version. This was my first 'real' EDF (other than the UMX a-10 and Habu). I got it about 3 weeks ago and have been flying it about every 2nd or 3rd day since then. My first two launches were overhand and resulted in the plane inverting and nose diving into the ground (twisting my wrist on release?). I had reinforced the fuselage by gluing a sheet of thin balsa into the front intake so the only damage was some minor crumpling of the foam at the very front. 3rd launch was an underhand toss and I haven't looked back since. It was an adjustment from my warbirds, much more twitchy than I was used to, so I turned the rates way down. Also, if you need to scrub a landing you need to be a little ahead of the ball to give it time to spool back up to gain speed for a go-around. There also isn't a rudder, but I haven't missed it too much. Which brings me to the other benefit of the 64 mm version - it's a belly lander. I also have a relatively short blacktop to work from. Landing some of my other planes is like hitting a carrier deck sometimes. A carrier deck lined with concrete parking blocks and backed by a ditch. The 64 mm can land about anywhere with minimal fuss and is extremely forgiving of cartwheels, endos, high grass, mud, and nose first landings. Just mount some carbon fiber dowels it the fuel tanks it uses as landing pods, and make matching holes in the wings to epoxy them into. You can cut the throttle and glide it in just as easily as a trainer. last weekend I put a Hobby Eagle Gyro in it and wondered why I never used one before. I get about 4.5 minutes of spirited (usually around 2/3 throttle) flying on the 3s 1800 batteries I use. I'll probably upgrade to the 12 blade fan since I'm comfortable with it now and it was pretty easy on my budget due to the price. From the air you'd probably be hard-pressed to tell mine from the real one, but I don't get nervous when my timer goes off and tells me it's time to land. Just sayin.

[bluewaterjoe]

Hey Guys.. Thanks a lot for your perspectives and the warm welcome - I really appreciate it!

Our field is grass and I'm guessing we have about 200 feet. The field is a big square surrounded by about three foot tall weeds/shrubs. So, the lowest you can get before hitting the beginning of
the field is about 3-4 feet. Hitting the field as early as possible is definitely something I'll have to practice with my current warbirds. Good call on that Lon!
Also, in regards to the difference in speed being an exciting change is a change I'm really looking forward to. I've stopped shaking
with my current warbirds lol. Maybe that's a good indication to take the next step :).

It's really helpful to hear your three perspectives and opinions regarding the flight characteristics, CG and battery options. You guys have given me the confidence to get one of these birds
and experience another facet to this fun hobby. Man, it really has grabbed me... so much fun!

Thanks guys for taking the time to help me out!
Joe

[RCjetdude]

It is one of my personal favorite EDF's. I think you would be fine based on what you are saying because the plane flies really well fast or slow and is easy to land. I fly mine with a variety of batteries. A Roaringtop 5800 35C which is the lightest and what I balanced it with. I followed the CG recommendations I found on RCG which places the CG somewhat aft of the manual placement. The heaviest battery I fly it with is a Turnigy HeavyDuty 5000 60C and I can almost grease every landing with it. With the lightest pack there seems to be a little greater tendency for it to want to bounce on landing so I plan to try moving it a little forward and see how it behaves. So far I have been extremely impressed with the landing gear and even with a few bouncy landings or touching down in the grass just short of our runway they have not even bent. I don't consider myself to be an exceptional pilot but the F-86 makes me look good. I set it up just like the manual said for throws and installed an A3L gyro set to just past 12 o'clock on the gain pot and it is rock solid and smooth. Some have thought it lacked power but I think it flies fine on the stock setup. I am going to try the 1800 kV Mig-21 fan in it though just for kicks and giggles.