Official Freewing 80mm A-4E/F Skyhawk Thread

[TomPatton]

Since I am not using the hump for the aircraft I am modeling, I made mine into a removable camera mount.

Hey, that is a great idea!
I am doing my 2nd A-4 in the Blue Angels scheme and that should be really convenient.
Just wondering how aggressive you can get and not have the extra weight of the camera pull the hump off if you pull some negative g's...
We had a guy show up at our field a couple weekends ago. High dollar electric 3-D airplane. He was flying doing some tumbles and spins and the canopy flew off and the plane went out of control immediately, crashed and burnt.
Both 5S packs burnt to a crisp...
Turns out, he mounted a separate 2 cell pack in his canopy to operate the receiver.
No canopy, no reciever.
Oh, I forgot to mention the canopy was only held in place by magnets, the reason for my concern with the hump camera mount...
The magnets are probably great to secure the canopy, but any extra weight and negative g's and it may separate from the plane...
Let me know how this works out because I would like to use it.
The only draw back is losing my camera over a dense soy bean field...

[tcatalon]

This was my attempt at a high Alpha landing, I forgot to compensate for the height of the grass and I knocked the Aux. tanks loose on touchdown...https://youtu.be/EsqjTQltSX8

[seaviper]

Tom...I dont like doing high G negative stuff anyway. It's not healthy for the bird. So on recce missions I will keep her shiny side up, mostly.
Unless you're in a "4g negative dive with a MiG28" I doubt you will have any trouble.

tcatalon...very nice job on the landing! Well done!

[seaviper]

Actually there is a cavity under that hump. You could tuck a folded parachute in there for sure. hmmmmm

[ryramZ]

RCjetdude: There still seems to be a lot of confusion regarding the correct point to measure the cg from. Can you confirm whether the last photo showing your cg measurement is your latest (185mm) or an earlier 195mm setting? Based on Xplaneguy/Ryan's posts (588 & 597 on page 30) it looks like your measurement in that photo to where the guns are installed is more like 200mm. Xplaneguy says that the cg should be measured from where the guns are installed. If the photo shows your latest setting then this may be 15mm to far aft?

Perhaps Ryan or Xplaneguy can clarify?

I set up my personal a4 by the addendum. Old, heavier admiral 5000 up to the board, right side up gear tucked and naked for cg 195 right at plastic wire cover forward.

After my first flights the next time I went out I installed an A3l hobbyeagle gyro, rx and board all under the tray. I still fly with the old 5000 in the same place. I do put the new 4500 and 5000 over the board location however. I love how it behaves. Very predictable. Up mix for flaps by the book.

[Monty500]

RCjetdude, Ryan, Xplaneguy, thanks for your responses. I'll set mine up per the addendum when it arrives. It's still on it's way to NZ but should be here soon :)

[e4dragongunner]

Maiden Slated for this Saturday! ;-) Hope to get VIDS!!!!

[TomPatton]

MRC comes thru again!!! This is a great company. Been in the hobby since1989 and have never had such customer friendly service. I use to order a lot from Horizon, but no more. I even ordered my Prometheus bipe from MRC instead of Horizon...

Anyway, I ordered a second A-4, to do up Blue Angels style when they came in stock last week, and it arrives damaged...
The box was crushed in on one of the bottom corners. The peculiar thing about it was the outside brown box container was not damaged. I am assuming someone packaged it that way in China. That is just my opinion. So I sent pics of box and parts to MRC last night and bright and early this morning I had an order notification from MRC that the parts were on the way...
What a fantastic company!!!
Thanks to all you guys that work for Motion, you guys are the best!!!

[dahawk]

There's actually a chance you could win a brand new FW A-4 at our fundraiser on October 7th. There's one in the raffle ! Open flying on the 8th.

https://www.hobbysquawk.com/forum/the-lounge/hobby-squawk-events/94857-sat-oct-7th-4th-annual-warbirds-over-grapevine-a-fundraiser-for-snowball-express/page2

https://youtu.be/KBaSKqxlvII

[poochies]

Ok I'm planning on flying this with a bunch of admiral 40c 4500 packs , I think this is a more powerful setup than the mirage and F5 which I get comfortably 3.5 minutes on the battery, can I expect roughly the same times with the A4? Thanks

[RCjetdude]

Got to fly mine this evening. What a sweetheart! This A-4 is an amazing flier. Makes me look good. So solid and smooth. I love it!

[Alpha]

Yeah....my Turnigy Heavy Duty packs help to settle the jet during windy conditions, though I prefer the Admiral 5000 packs for ripping it on the deck. ;)

Hey Tony, what's the weight on your Turnigy Heavy Duty packs? Those are good packs for the money in my experience. Good warm up packs, especially in wind, like you said.

[Boots Whirlygig]

Possibly a good power upgrade for the Skyhawk, or any of the FreeWing 80mm jets, is the FreeWing A-10 nine blade fan unit and motor.
Using the same battery and ESC, the A-10's edf is over 62g lighter, and purportedly produces 100g more thrust than the A-4's. The edf housings externally are identical, and all components are the same, and you can physically interchange the motors and rotors.
The robust metal edf housing has 7 stators compared to only 5 on the plastic, and is needed for the 12 blade rotor that weighs 42g compared to the 26g of the 9 blade rotor. I wouldn't try the 12 blade rotor in the light plastic A-10 housing. If you have a FW F-86 with its 1750kv power and swap in the 1900kv motor and 9 blade rotor, and 100A ESC, the thrust goes from 5.7lbs to 7.2lbs and u lose some weight to boot if u also use the plastic shroud. Whatcha think?

[RCjetdude]

Hey Tony, what's the weight on your Turnigy Heavy Duty packs? Those are good packs for the money in my experience. Good warm up packs, especially in wind, like you said.

I know that mine weighs 878 grams just for the record.

[Kloverzero]

Ok I'm planning on flying this with a bunch of admiral 40c 4500 packs , I think this is a more powerful setup than the mirage and F5 which I get comfortably 3.5 minutes on the battery, can I expect roughly the same times with the A4? Thanks

You better go with the 5000's, or find a way to get the 4500 farther forward. It need the nose weight the 5000 offers at the edge of the battery tray. I accidentally put a 4000 in mine, and almost lost it.

[TomPatton]

You better go with the 5000's, or find a way to get the 4500 farther forward. It need the nose weight the 5000 offers at the edge of the battery tray. I accidentally put a 4000 in mine, and almost lost it.

I have been flying mine on the old Admiral 5000's but have new 5000's I want to use. Are you placing the new ones as far forward also and getting the same flight characteristics?
Thanks

[themudduck]

I've used the old Admiral 5000's and the new Admiral 5000's in mine, both all the way forward against the stop, and haven't noticed any difference at all.

[crxmanpat]

OK, Scooter 1.5 is done and ready for action on Sunday! I'm still going to use the RT 6250, but move my CG up to 185mm. I did not realize the replacement fuse does not come with a nose cone, so I have that and a new canopy on order. But what I have will work for now.

[RuthR720]

Boots Whirlygig, that's a good idea. I was going to install the upgraded inrunner from my retired A-6 into my ARF plus. It will probably exceed the aft cg limit which would then require a heavier battery. I like the performance of the A-4 with my 4000mAh battery so I may experiment with the 9-blade fan and motor combo from the A-10.

[Boots Whirlygig]

Boots Whirlygig, that's a good idea. I was going to install the upgraded inrunner from my retired A-6 into my ARF plus. It will probably exceed the aft cg limit which would then require a heavier battery. I like the performance of the A-4 with my 4000mAh battery so I may experiment with the 9-blade fan and motor combo from the A-10.

I think the 9 blade, while giving faster acceleration and vertical performance,will not provide the top end speed of the 12 blade, with its greater efflux speed, due to its greater blade pitch. It's a trade off that works well for the A-10 but may not satisfy those looking for all out speed in a slicker airframe. The 9 bl would improve grass field operation and give longer flight time, IMO.