Official Freewing 90mm F-4 Phantom II Thread

[Elbee]

Anyone know if there is a way to 3d scan some 1/32 detail parts? I have a bunch of aftermarket parts that would be an awesome addition to the Phantom.

F-4 Joe, There is method I want to try and that is 2D to 3D scanning. It sounds simple though I have no clue. There is some free software on the Internet, but the premise is you take 360-degree digital photos of the object about every 20 degrees, I think, low and high, meaning the more angle images the better. Upload these into the software and that produces an 'object' file suitable for your slicing software. I do not have the software name, I will look it up later. Best, LB

[xplaneguy]

Enjoyed a few flights this evening with Justin Lamb at the Arizona Jet Rally. Justin drove down from Utah. Always a pleasure getting to meet and fly with members of the Motion RC customer family. Good times!

[poochies]

What he said!

Gray version ???? Got 500 to spend before the holidays hit me hard !!!

[fhhuber]

In a way I hope its 3 more months wait on the grey. I just had to pay my property tax and insurance.

[e4dragongunner]

I have 2 different Callie livery's just waiting for the gray.... I was gonna repaint my 8S .... but I think I will leave that Camo.... and get 6s Gray!

[Hugh Wiedman]

Been a while since my last post. About a month ago had a mishap with my F4 as the elevator bugged out on take-off resulting in a spectacular crash. I ordered a replacement immediately and have finished replicating my "Key West" Sundowner version in camo. Meanwhile, I discussed it with MRC, and you just know that these guys are the absolute best in customer service, and they ended up giving me some significant help in buying another F4 ARF plus version for only a "fistful of dollars". WOW, are these guys great, the class of the industry. The only thing not destroyed in the crash was the rudder (go figure), some of the 3D cockpit parts and of course the EDF, ESC and BEC. The rudder and the cockpit parts went into the replacement bird and the EDF and ESC now went into F4 number 2. I'm doing the additional F4 in the Blue Angel scheme. I was thinking of waiting for the grey to come out to do the Blue Angel, but couldn't pass up the sale on the camo ARF plus and I'm not known for my patience. And for the nominal cost, I was able to now end up with 2 F4's without much complaining from the wife, although she did say I should have waited to finish with MRC before immediately ordering the replacement (which of course was my plan anyway so I could get 2).

Finished painting the blue today, so still need to add the silver and yellow trim and of course Callie's graphics. I finished the cockpit out before starting the painting so just the easy stuff left. Still waiting for the 3D engine nozzles as they've been out of stock for a while. In the original F4 I installed an AR 6270T receiver with flight pack telemetry, but in both of these I opted for the AR636 with stabilization. I have these receivers in 24 planes and have gotten fairly proficient in programming them for many different circumstances, so I thought this might smooth it out just a bit. The only other plane I have without the AR636 is the Stinger 90, which has the AR 6270T, and it seems to fly well with that, so we'll see how the 636 reacts.

Should be finished by end of next week on the Blue Angel and will post some final photos. Won't get much done on it the rest of this week with Thanksgiving, and my wife's birthday, so next week back at it. Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving, I know I'm already giving thanks to MRC!

[e4dragongunner]

Hey Hugh! Love your repaint.....
Cept now....I need three effen F-4s.... Camo , Navy/Marine and Blue Angels !!!

[Hugh Wiedman]

Hey Hugh! Love your repaint.....
Cept now....I need three effen F-4s.... Camo , Navy/Marine and Blue Angels !!!

Thanks e4dragongunner, BTW, I grew up right next to Arlington Heights in Mt. Prospect before moving to Miami. Loved the area, but down here we can fly 12 months of the year (not counting a few Hurricanes).

[GMB]

You can add me to the list of guys who have had the nose gear connecting pin snap in two. Happened on my third landing and was not a hard landing. Touched down on the mains and when the nose gear came down it just simply snapped. I don't trust ordering the F4 connecting pin so I went with a F14 pin.

[Tanguy51]

Me too ! after 10 flight; I brake the nose gears' shaft. Please review conception of this ! i did the same like GMB, i replace it by F14 shaft i did in spare parts

[Aros]

Mine snapped as well but admittedly it was a pretty craptastic landing.

[andrew_flyguy]

If someone already posted this, I missed it - but here are the Home Depot color matches:

[fastforward]

I have a question for the F-4 experienced pilots. I am a low time EDF flyer (Avanti and L-39) wanting to move up to an F-4 at some point. What are the unique flying characters of the F-4 that one needs to watch out for? All of the videos I watch it looks like the take off and land with ease.

Thanks

Bob DeGood

[EDFjetpilot]

I have a question for the F-4 experienced pilots. I am a low time EDF flyer (Avanti and L-39) wanting to move up to an F-4 at some point. What are the unique flying characters of the F-4 that one needs to watch out for? All of the videos I watch it looks like the take off and land with ease.

Thanks

Bob DeGood

Bob,

I haven't flown the Avanti or L-39, but what I've noticed about the F-4 compared to my other jets (FW T-45/F-16/F-86, FMS Hawk, HSD F-16) is the F-4 will drop the nose very quickly when you reduce throttle/airspeed. Therefore, you have to have a bit more finesse on the throttle as not to back off too quickly and let the nose drop when you least need it to.

Obviously, build more time on your other jets before stepping into the F-4. The F-4 is a great flyer, but it won't be as forgiving as a sport jet/scale training jet.

Sean

[PikeStaff]

If someone already posted this, I missed it - but here are the Home Depot color matches:

Outstanding! Thank you, especially, for the shot of the lids. No more mixing and hoping!

[Ks.jetflyer]

I learned something new. While repairing my F-4 decided to have a friend with a milling machine accurately machine flats on the shaft for the stabs. Put it back together and the alignment to the fuse sides was off. took it back apart, turned the shaft around now the stabs line up correctly. Must be some angle on the shaft that I didn't notice. Learn something new every day.:)

[apmech1]

Use caution when doing this. My best friend attempted this on his Freewing F-16. Didn't seem to have enough aileron authority. He flew into the fence twice trying to take off. Now listen, there could have been other things wrong too obviously. But he claims when he had the ailerons down he couldn't steer away from the parameter fence. Same basic thing, the runway at this field isn't really long enough for most EDF's. Point being, just be careful.

Woody

With my fw 90 F-16 i use flaperons and I don't have enough roll authority to counter slight rudder inputs during crosswind landings. I use the independent stabilators as elevons mixed with aileron during full flaps landings. That is the only time I use them as elevons.

[Hugh Wiedman]

Finally finished the F4 Blue Angel. As I mentioned before, MRC came through in a big way when my original F4 had issues with the elevator servo. I replaced that plane and was able to replicate the original, which I did in my version of a "Key West" Sundowner in camo. With MRC's help, I got another ARF version and used the EDF and ESC from the first for a complete plane. My wife talked me into doing this in a Blue Angel, but I was skeptical. Of my 25 planes, this is the first that I have done a complete repaint of a foamy. Half way into it, I was like what have I taken on, so much masking and trying to get the right colors. Used the Rustoleum 2x flat white primer but couldn't find a decent blue. The "official" blue angel blue sprays I found looked too dark and "muddy" to me and the 2x blue's I liked were high gloss, a great shine but showing all the foam imperfections. Finally found a Satin, which gave a decent shine and hid some of the foam imperfections. Then used the same 2x brand silver as the primer on the tail and horizonal stabilizers, but that somehow reacted with the original stock paint under the primer and buckled. Fixed it with hand painting with Testors Chrome trim enamel paint. The Blue Angel Yellow bottled paint is now only available in acrylic, which I will never use because it doesn't cover well and peels like rubber. Found 3 small bottles in enamel which saved the day (I will only use enamel bottled paint). Callie's graphics completed the project. Still need to do the 3D exhaust nozzle's, but MRC has been out of them for a while, so I can wait for that. After all that work, I'm really pleased with the outcome.

Did the 3D cockpit and pilots and replaced the nose landing gear pin with a modified Spitfire axel I have in spare parts for that plane (never broke the stock pins, but still use the modified one's cause you know I'm bound for nose gear first landing sometime). After building 3 of these, I did notice that occasionally, snaking either the vertical or horizontal servo wires with the cable wire ended up slightly missing the channel above the ESC and the wire ended up below and touching the ESC, a sure sign for a melted servo wire. Fortunately I removed the EDF cover before finishing and making sure all wires were above the ESC on all planes, so just a warning for anyone out there.

Now all I have to do is figure out a way to convince my wife that I need another F4 in Marine grey. I think I'll have a better chance of winning the lottery!

[DCORSAIR]

ooohhh, that is one nice looking Blue Angel right there, great job, it is a beauty.:Cool:

[RCjetdude]

Very nice Hugh. It is interesting that you dislike acrylics....they are all I will use now. I am talking the Model Masters acrylics which are a good quality. They cover well, dry fast and are easy to clean up. I always only paint light colors over a white primer surface and I avoid using any kind of rattle can for color after primer because sometimes the solvents in the paint can react to what has already been laid down. I also will only now clear coat with Polycrylic. I tried Polyurethane but it yellowed too much over white. In the end, to each their own.