Freewing 80mm A-10 Modifications

[RCjetdude]

I may have missed it if it was discussed earlier, but ha anyone found a close match for the gray paint used on this plane. I would like to remove some of the injection marks and will need to do some touch up painting.

Jim

I haven't seen anything. I am going to go do a color match at Lowes but would prefer a bit more contrast between the two grays. They are so close together it is difficult to distinguish them.

[OV10]

FYI for those wanting to strengthen the nose area with CF in the side groves. It's actually 6mm vs the 5mm previously mentioned. I used square CF tube secured with Foam-tac. I put 17" worth on each side. Don't go overboard with the Foam-tac. No real noticable weight gain.

TJ......did you get that CF locally??

[wvrailfan]

I may have missed it if it was discussed earlier, but ha anyone found a close match for the gray paint used on this plane. I would like to remove some of the injection marks and will need to do some touch up painting.

Jim

[RCjetdude]

As for the rivets, I've seen posts where the person use a dowel sanded down to 5mm. I did this and tried it on the plane and they just looked big to me. I'm all about scale, I'm I being over critical. What size rivets are you guys doing on your A10's?

Mine were more like 1-2mm...

[RCjetdude]

FYI for those wanting to strengthen the nose area with CF in the side groves. It's actually 6mm vs the 5mm previously mentioned. I used square CF tube secured with Foam-tac. I put 17" worth on each side. Don't go overboard with the Foam-tac. No real noticable weight gain.

The slots may accept 6mm but I just used what I had which was 5mm.

[Twowingtj]

FYI for those wanting to strengthen the nose area with CF in the side groves. It's actually 6mm vs the 5mm previously mentioned. I used square CF tube secured with Foam-tac. I put 17" worth on each side. Don't go overboard with the Foam-tac. No real noticable weight gain.

[Ronniehinesh]

As for the rivets, I've seen posts where the person use a dowel sanded down to 5mm. I did this and tried it on the plane and they just looked big to me. I'm all about scale, I'm I being over critical. What size rivets are you guys doing on your A10's?

[Ronniehinesh]

So after 8 flights on the A10 my son who is an excellent pilot landed on grass with flaps (just as he has done on the other 7 flights. This time the plane decided it wasn't ready to land. On the third bounce the nose gear found a hole and the plane stopped on top of the nose section. New fus will be here Wednesday. I'm going to use the broken fus as a test bed to try different rivets and weathering. I'm also going to do the nose gear mod to get rid of the slop. I'm going to try carbon fiber and see how it does. I know there are s lot of great pilots on here but just an FYI watch the bounce.

[t33jetman]

Thanks for the thumb up.
The rivets to put on only took two hours ,with the radio on for some music. I didn't try to be perfect, just get them on fast so I could put the primer on.

[Alpha]

Looking good, t33jetman.

Seeing all those rivets reminds me of a conversation I had with Xplaneguy late one night. I was trying to decide if it would be worth taking another week to draw the rivets, depressions, round heads, etc on this A-10. Ultimately we agreed, for a variety of reasons, to omit them. We're all modelers after all, right? A shish kebab skewer, for those who wanted that look, saved lots of hours of redrawing and avoided potential issues with mold resolution surface smoothness.

As I'm fond of saying, All is a Balance.

Your A-10s are all looking fantastic, guys. Vduniec, good call on the blue training rounds and captive AGM-65. Keep posting photos, tips, tricks, Ins and Outs. 'Looks like this model is well on its way into our hall of fame over here.

[t33jetman]

I must say, this is the cheapest mode, but it does dress up the plane alot.

I used a shish kebab skewer sanded down and just pushed in on the foam lightly.

[RCjetdude]

I'm working on it bud :Cool:. We'll definitely compare as soon as I get another EDF to make the pair. The modified tailcones really set it off! Looks amazing! The tailcones on the 90mm nacelles are the only things I find unappealing about the set-up, so your mod cures that completely. I also personally like the look of the 12-blade fans (I have the 80mm 12-blade inrunner FW systems on my A-10 now) in comparison to the 9-blade. Oddly enough, I even like the silver (can even be painted easily) spinner in comparison to the stock black spinner on the fan unit. I know the spinner should be round and not pointed to be more scale, but I personally don't mind it a bit.

I don't think the tail cones will interfere much with the air flow so it should still work fine. I just used two Krylon paint can caps and some fairly stout CF flat bar stock about 1/8" x 1/16" to support them inside the fan outlet ring which I cut down. I think I can live with the spinner as well. It definitely looks better.

[T-CAT]

I am building my 2nd A-10 (an ARF+) to have 90mm fans. I am using the 1550kV fans and 150A Cobra ESC's. I am going to experiment with 5S as well. So far I have the nacelles put together and the main components of the plane assembled. I need to pick up a BEC as that does not come with the ARF+ kit. I am trying to keep this one as stock as possible outside of the fans and my custom exhaust nozzles. I may do more cosmetic filling and sanding to warrent a two tone gray re-paint as a base for the Black Snakes livery and some weathering and I do plan to styrene sheet the cockpit but other that I don't plan to do much of anything else. T-CAT, I hope you are able to score another fan so we can compare notes.

I'm working on it bud :Cool:. We'll definitely compare as soon as I get another EDF to make the pair. The modified tailcones really set it off! Looks amazing! The tailcones on the 90mm nacelles are the only things I find unappealing about the set-up, so your mod cures that completely. I also personally like the look of the 12-blade fans (I have the 80mm 12-blade inrunner FW systems on my A-10 now) in comparison to the 9-blade. Oddly enough, I even like the silver (can even be painted easily) spinner in comparison to the stock black spinner on the fan unit. I know the spinner should be round and not pointed to be more scale, but I personally don't mind it a bit.

[RCjetdude]

I am building my 2nd A-10 (an ARF+) to have 90mm fans. I am using the 1550kV fans and 150A Cobra ESC's. I am going to experiment with 5S as well. So far I have the nacelles put together and the main components of the plane assembled. I need to pick up a BEC as that does not come with the ARF+ kit. I am trying to keep this one as stock as possible outside of the fans and my custom exhaust nozzles. I may do more cosmetic filling and sanding to warrent a two tone gray re-paint as a base for the Black Snakes livery and some weathering and I do plan to styrene sheet the cockpit but other that I don't plan to do much of anything else. T-CAT, I hope you are able to score another fan so we can compare notes.

[RCjetdude]

For those who have developed and excessive amount of fore/aft play in the nose gear I have done this to mine. Similar to what TiredIron did but simpler, faster and provides a bit of cushioning. I simply slit a piece of fuel tubing and pinched it under the plate. It might not last many flights, but is easily replaced.

Good idea. Keep us posted on how it holds up. I would like to know.

[afjetmech]

For those who have developed and excessive amount of fore/aft play in the nose gear I have done this to mine. Similar to what TiredIron did but simpler, faster and provides a bit of cushioning. I simply slit a piece of fuel tubing and pinched it under the plate. It might not last many flights, but is easily replaced.

[TiredIronGRB]

TiredIronGRB That cannon is awesome!!! The only suggestion I would give is to have used Hi output LCDs in white. 7000cl range. I use them on all my planes and you can see them in direct sunlight. The red led not so much.

The LED is white but shines through the the red tube, the LED is back in the fuse.

[quitcherbitchen]

TiredIronGRB That cannon is awesome!!! The only suggestion I would give is to have used Hi output LCDs in white. 7000cl range. I use them on all my planes and you can see them in direct sunlight. The red led not so much.

[RCjetdude]

Paints coming along it sure is a learning experience. I'll need to go back and touch up a few areas but all in all I'm pleased. I am taking a few "liberties" with the scheme to suit my taste.

Mike

There you go... Looking good Mike.There will always be a soft place in my heart for a Euro Green A-10. I just love 'em.

[MikeT]

Paints coming along it sure is a learning experience. I'll need to go back and touch up a few areas but all in all I'm pleased. I am taking a few "liberties" with the scheme to suit my taste.

Mike