Freewing 80mm A-10 Modifications

[RCjetdude]

I painted right over the factory paint after giving it a wipe down with some denatured alcohol. The only things I shot some primer on before painting were any styrene I added (wing slats) or any places I had sanded to bare foam (some of the mold seams) and I only put the primer in those places to help the paint stick.

[t33jetman]

PAINTING QUESTION: for those who have already changed the paint scheme on their A10. Did you have to remove the factory paint and then primer? Or did you just paint over the factory paint without primer?
Need to know before I start on mine on which is going to be the easiest why to go.

[RCjetdude]

RCjetdude that looks great. You do good work for sure and I wish I had the skills and time to do mods like that to mine, only mods I did to mine were mess up on the decals.......:Silly:

Looks great to me. It's good to see a Termite. I was originally going to do the brown peanut dessert storm but changed my mind last minute to the Euro green instead. I am getting a second one and will be dropping a pair of the 80mm 1750kV fans in it and going Black Snakes. I will keep it largely stock otherwise but the modder in me is already thinking I will at least sheet the cockpit with styrene and add a gear door sequencing module. Do you plan to do any mods to it or just fly it like it is? It looks great like It is so just curious.

[DCORSAIR]

RCjetdude that looks great. You do good work for sure and I wish I had the skills and time to do mods like that to mine, only mods I did to mine were mess up on the decals.......:Silly:

[crxmanpat]

I have added an additional air intake vent to the battery area. I cut a slotted area under the refueling decal and added a cut spoon to act as a scoop. From the top you can't even tell it's there.

While my extra venting on the bottom did help get some more airflow into the battery area, they were still warmer than usual. Hopefully this will help. I will find out tomorrow.

I think this mod has finally done the trick. Batteries still come down a little warmer than some of my other jets, but they are now definitely cooler than before, and there is not heat build-up in the battery cavity. On my maiden flight, when I opened the hatch a heat wave came out. Now it stays pretty cool in there.

[RCjetdude]

Phenomenal work! I noticed that you removed the tank behind the seat and put the retaining rings on, among other things. Nice attention to detail. Love all of the detail. I'd be afraid to fly it if I did that much work to it.

Thanks. Apparently they could secure a Thermos there but rarely used it so the rings were frequently left empty. That is what I was going by.

[vduniec]

Phenomenal work! I noticed that you removed the tank behind the seat and put the retaining rings on, among other things. Nice attention to detail. Love all of the detail. I'd be afraid to fly it if I did that much work to it.

Canopy/cockpit mods (continued from post #194)

Ok, getting back to the cockpit mods. For the ejection seat I looked at a lot of pictures to get a basic understanding of it in my head. Mine is removable so here are a couple shots of the framework with it removed.





The seat was made from 3/32" plywood after I made poster board templates and trial fit them. I started with the sides.







After I had the basic shape and size determined I embellished it with styrene, dark gray photo album paper and an olive colored felt I found at a local Jo Ann's craft store.







Be creative. I did mine this way adding detail as I saw I could. There is no right or wrong way to do this. I also added a Velcro pad to the back of the pilot to help keep him in the seat.



Once in his seat you can't even see the Velcro.

[crxmanpat]

FYI, I am currently limited to 20 sets as that is all I have decal paper for. I am ordering more paper tomorrow and it will hopefully get here during the week (not just for these, I use a lot myself as well and didn't realize I was so low).

[crxmanpat]

OK gents, decals are now ready. If you have already contacted me via PM that you wish to buy a set, I will reply with PayPal instructions. If not, and you would like to order a set, either PM me here, or email me at crxmanpat at gmail.com (no spaces and use the @ sign of course). PayPal Friends & Family is preferred. ;)

IMPORTANT!!! - Please include your full mailing address on the PayPal transaction or PM. Thanks!

For the folks in the US & Canada, cost is $5 including postage and will include what is attached to this post (decals and instructions). If you are outside the US & Canada, I will see what the mailing costs are and let you know if it will be more.

I have attached PDF files of the decals and instructions here. If you are able to print your own decals, you are more than welcome to do so. Be advised that these are set up on US Standard 8.5x11 paper. If you are using anything other than that size, let me know and I'll send you the Word file so you can set them to fit whatever decal paper size you have. You will have to download the Barrel stencil font in order for the font to be correct. You can download it free here: http://www.dafont.com/barrel.font

[RCjetdude]

Wow, very cool. What did you use for the hinge pins of the linkage between between the servo and the canopy lift mechanism? Didn't mean to sound like you didn't do it right in the first place man, just thinking out loud. Truly, I am amazed at your enginuity! Brad

I didn't take your meaning that way at all. I used a ball link to attach the pushed from the servo to a small bracket on the bottom of the lifting arms. The lifting arms are secured either with screws or attached together with a wire pin.

[RCjetdude]

Canopy/cockpit mods (continued from post #194)

Ok, getting back to the cockpit mods. For the ejection seat I looked at a lot of pictures to get a basic understanding of it in my head. Mine is removable so here are a couple shots of the framework with it removed.





The seat was made from 3/32" plywood after I made poster board templates and trial fit them. I started with the sides.







After I had the basic shape and size determined I embellished it with styrene, dark gray photo album paper and an olive colored felt I found at a local Jo Ann's craft store.







Be creative. I did mine this way adding detail as I saw I could. There is no right or wrong way to do this. I also added a Velcro pad to the back of the pilot to help keep him in the seat.



Once in his seat you can't even see the Velcro.

[downwindleg]

Wow, very cool. What did you use for the hinge pins of the linkage between between the servo and the canopy lift mechanism? Didn't mean to sound like you didn't do it right in the first place man, just thinking out loud. Truly, I am amazed at your enginuity! Brad

[RCjetdude]

I didn't realize there was a lip on the underside of the leading edge of the canopy or that it slid forward like the LX so that's cool. Second, I was refering to what you are calling the main beam. I didn't know at the time I posted that that was what you were calling it. Terminology is always half the battle. Now we know what to call that 3/8" plywood piece. Great pictures but I'm still having trouble understanding the mechanics of it. So you have 8 pictures in this latest post. I will use them as a reference. In picture #2 does that plate simply keep the main beam from falling through? In picture #4 does that sliding square tube attach to the underside of the canopy? In picture #8 if understand correctly you are using the foam tac as a " hinge" for the leading edge of the styrene plate.Wondering if a small Dubro nylon hinge, #119, might be more durable over time or? Makes good sense that the trailing edge of the canopy helps stabilize the styrene plate. In picture #9 I think I understand your explanation but a side view showing where the clip holes are drilled and where on the bottom of the styrene plate the small plastic bracket is glued. Also, the dimensions of the styrene plate and possibly a template of the main beam would be helpful. I'm wondering how the 1/8" ply sill attaches, I assume, to the bottom of the canopy. My hat is off to you figuring all this out dude! Waiting to see how the servo mechanism works and the video. Thanks, Brad

Ok Brad, I will do my best to hopefully answer your questions. Concerning picture #2 here is another shot from a different angle. It allows for the main beam to pivot up and down




The triangle shaped brackets are glued to the hatch and the 3/32 ply pieces are glued to the plate. They not only hold the brass hinge pin for the main beam but help keep it lined up straight as it moves up and down. The styrene sheet on the rear deck keeps the beam from falling through. In picture #4, yes the frame base that the canopy attaches to is secured to the sluding square box. Here are a couple shots of that.





It ends up making for a very rigid structure.

Here is a side shot of the small plate behind the canopy. I wish I had a better shot but the bracket is glued in the center of the plate and you can make out the angle of the wire retainer. It only needs to lift the plate a little bit as the canopy moves back to open.



Again, are there better ways to do it? Yes. A small hinge might work much better than the Foam Tac. The plate is cut to fit the panel lines for it just behind the canopy. Sorry I did not get a shot of where I drilled the holes for the wire retainer but the side shot above may help.

I will post a link to the video of the canopy movement here as soon as I can get it uploaded. Here is how I have secured the canopy servo which is just glued in place with Foam Tac.



I had to extend the servo arm to get enough travel.



And the link to the video.

https://youtu.be/4GgVqIb_UC0

[Fast Eddie]

My pilot is the 1/10th scale jet pilot from Jet Hangar Hobbies and the seat I scratch built. I am getting ready to post about how I did it.

Thank you, I'm looking forward to your post on it

[crxmanpat]

I have added an additional air intake vent to the battery area. I cut a slotted area under the refueling decal and added a cut spoon to act as a scoop. From the top you can't even tell it's there.

While my extra venting on the bottom did help get some more airflow into the battery area, they were still warmer than usual. Hopefully this will help. I will find out tomorrow.

[RCjetdude]

Could you provide a link or name where you picked up your pilot? Was it complete with seat?
I picked up spare cockpit to get started on detailing while I wait for 2nd shipment of Hogs.
Thanks

My pilot is the 1/10th scale jet pilot from Jet Hangar Hobbies and the seat I scratch built. I am getting ready to post about how I did it.

[RCjetdude]

The progress is slow but I'm enjoying the experience.

Looks great vduniec! I like all of the camo schemes but my favorite is the Euro green. I am enjoying seeing everyone's creativity come to life on this awesome plane. I just finished mine with the exception of Pat's ordnance decals. At least I can't think of anything else I want to do on it at the moment. LOLMaybe some TER's, maybe paint the wheels to match the struts... blast! now I gotta paint the wheels.

[Fast Eddie]

Here are some size shots of mine against a ruler.







If you cut some of the bottom of their seat off you could set it lower. Notice that my seat is not full depth.

Could you provide a link or name where you picked up your pilot? Was it complete with seat?
I picked up spare cockpit to get started on detailing while I wait for 2nd shipment of Hogs.
Thanks

[vduniec]

The progress is slow but I'm enjoying the experience.

[crxmanpat]

AN/ALQ131 detail complete!