Official Freewing F/A-18C Hornet 90mm EDF Thread

[davegee]

I see Motion has now come out with a new paintjob for the F/A-18C 90 mm airplane that is already prepainted and has markings on it. It is being marketed as the "Gray Diamonds" F-18 by Freewing (China.) I'm thinking of getting the plane, and researched the squadron that is on the side of the model, VFA-146. These are and have been since 1956, the "Blue Diamonds." Not sure why they market a real squadron by something they never were called. Oh, well...

davegee

[Evan D]

Also interesting that the cockpit is totally gray and all the spares are marked "base gray". They list a decal sheet but it's also marked base gray. Same decal sheet is in the base gray version too. Would be interesting to see what the decals are of.


"90mm EDF F/A-18C Hornet Decal Sheet - Base Gray from Freewing - FJ3142107"


"Note: This decal sheet is not available with either PNP or ARF PLUS in the box. It is available for purchase as a spare part only."

[Gravythe clown]

"Strike Fighter Squadron 146 also known as the "Blue Diamonds" is a United States Navy operational fleet strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore California. They fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet and are attached to Carrier Air Wing 11, deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt."

I have pictures of the blue diamond somewhere from the LNAS air show two years ago.
Gravy

Just seen you said they marketed as "Grey Diamonds" Yeah whats up with that? I hate when companies do that stuff.

[Evan D]

Hate is a strong word... I hated my time at Lemoore, man was it hot there.

"Strike Fighter Squadron 146 also known as the "Blue Diamonds" is a United States Navy operational fleet strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore California. They fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet and are attached to Carrier Air Wing 11, deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt."

I have pictures of the blue diamond somewhere from the LNAS air show two years ago.
Gravy

Just seen you said they marketed as "Grey Diamonds" Yeah whats up with that? I hate when companies do that stuff.

[Gravythe clown]

Yeah a lot different then at Miramar. Funny though. I lived in Miramar when the filled Top Gun and now Fresno right next to Lemore where they filmed Top Gun 2. I think they are following me.

Gravy

[davegee]

"Strike Fighter Squadron 146 also known as the "Blue Diamonds" is a United States Navy operational fleet strike fighter squadron based at Naval Air Station Lemoore California. They fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet and are attached to Carrier Air Wing 11, deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt."

I have pictures of the blue diamond somewhere from the LNAS air show two years ago.
Gravy

Just seen you said they marketed as "Grey Diamonds" Yeah whats up with that? I hate when companies do that stuff.

I totally agree! I did ask the Motion help desk about it, and they replied that it "wasn't a part of any "real" squadron. It's just what Freewing (from China) decided to make up, and the fictitious "Gray Diamonds." I then asked them "Why did they put VFA-146 (which is the Blue Diamonds, since 1956!) on it?? I said that ANY former or present VFA-146 squadron member, upon seeing this would have a WTF moment! It's like Freewing's Blue Angels F-18s and saying that they don't represent any real unit in the Navy/USMC.

This would have been a nice way to honor a specific squadron that is still active and defending our Country. Should have called them Blue Diamonds and I would have been happy. Either that, or leave off the VFA-146 decal, or make it VFA-001 or some fictitious number.

Cheers

davegee

[davegee]

Yeah a lot different then at Miramar. Funny though. I lived in Miramar when the filled Top Gun and now Fresno right next to Lemore where they filmed Top Gun 2. I think they are following me.

Gravy

My best friend from childhood was in VF-2 with F-14s and then a Top Gun instructor at NAS Miramar in the early-mid '80s. He was one of the consultants for story ideas when Jack Epps came there looking to put together a script for the proposed Top Gun movie. One of the ideas he used was that famous flat spin and ejection where Goose gets killed. It was loosely based on a real incident, although it was embellished a lot for the movie.

[nuts-n-volts]

I just wrote Motion as well. 146 is one fine squadron, always has been, and deserve to be called by the right name. "It just ain't right!"

[davegee]

I just wrote Motion as well. 146 is one fine squadron, always has been, and deserve to be called by the right name. "It just ain't right!"

Well said!! This is beyond annoying to me, and I was never in the Navy! As you said, it just "ain't right" that they came up with a stupid Gray Diamonds name to market this plane, which the Chinese Must have known was based on a real squadron, VFA-146, since they put the decal on their friggin' models! That, along with the classic logo and "NH" on the tails!

[fredmdbud]

They can just rename it Blue Diamonds (subdued) and be done with it. Only the CAG's plane gets the full peacock color scheme.

[Evan D]

Does the plane actually have Gray Diamonds on it somewhere?

[nuts-n-volts]

Well, even if it does, the name of (VA) VFA-146 is Blue Diamonds. And if we buy, build, and fly these planes as a little dedication to history, then it shouldn't be that much trouble to get the name right. Sorry Motion... luv your stuff, but that little miscue is like this mosquito flying' 'round my head right now!

[davegee]

Well, even if it does, the name of (VA) VFA-146 is Blue Diamonds. And if we buy, build, and fly these planes as a little dedication to history, then it shouldn't be that much trouble to get the name right. Sorry Motion... luv your stuff, but that little miscue is like this mosquito flying' 'round my head right now!

It doesn't say "Gray Diamonds" anywhere on the airplane that I'm aware of, not having seen the airplane yet in person. What I'm annoyed at is that it is marketed on the website as the NEW Gray Diamonds F-18C! I think Motion RC "stepped in it" with this miscue. They probably won't change anything, though...

[fredmdbud]

They call their plane "AL-37", but we all know it's the 737-MAX, a real plane. Where's the outcry?

Looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, flies like a duck ... you know it's Blue Diamonds. I very much doubt the actual squadron really cares.

Stay calm and buy/build/fly on.

[Hugh Wiedman]

Wow extraordinary job on the livery! Good job all around! I flew mine for the first time in a while, first time with the completed 3DPUP cockpit and wow did I ever underestimate the weight and how it effected my CG! Another prime example of not completing a sound preflight check list. I put my battery in the same location as always. Nope. So Hugh Wiedman you are rocking a 105mm CG?
Another oddity I need to square away is I have a Hobby Eagle gyro in her, I think is dialed but man she wants to yaw to the left something fierce! I adjust the rudder trim to no avail. Always somethin' lol.

If I remember correctly, the 3DPUP cockpit I did in the "Red" Canadian F-18 ended up adding about 4.75 ounces to the nose, including the JHH Full Body pilot. In order to get to 103 mm, I now have 1 ounce of lead in the elevator stations and I removed the circuit board and ended up installing everything under the battery tray so I could move an 814 gr 6000 SMC all the way back, allowing for an aft maximum balance point of almost 110mm (which was a bit too much for me to handle, especially on the bumpy grass runway). On the F-18 "Tiger", I did the same with all the electronics under the tray, but did not do a 3DPUP cockpit, instead, my version of a 2D cockpit, which ended up weighing only 1.25 ounces more than the bare stock cockpit (and did not add any lead in the tail). This allows a lot more freedom to play with the CG.

Regarding your yaw to the left, not sure what's up with that. The last time I flew the "red" Canadian is when I had issues with the flaps and it rolled violently to the left. I think it was the flaps (even reduced the delay to 0-which made the handling issue happen immediately), as it seemed to start on a previous flight (with 4 second delay) and only when deploying full landing flaps, but who knows (she sure wanted to make a hard left turn all of a sudden, maybe like yours). I was using an AR636 and up till then, no issues. Additionally, I noticed that the right horizontal stabilizer servo had developed a severe case of the shakes. Since that outing, I replaced both flap servos, the elevator servo and wired the flaps and ailerons directly into a new AR637T (all set up the same on the Tiger). Haven't had a chance to fly either yet, but nervously waiting to find out how/if it worked out. On that last "mishap" flight, I was at 110 mm (first time there) and it seems that the flap issues were exacerbated by the further aft balance, so now going back to 100-103.

[Hugh Wiedman]

Hi Hugh,
your settings seems to be very similar to mine.
My CG is around 100mm perhaps 103mm. That‘s hard to measure with my fingertips only. The neutral position of my elevators ( after triming) is 35mm.
I think, I need a second flight (less nervous 😁) to see how the setting works.
Perhaps I‘ll change the steering, too. At the moment, I applied the ailevator modus, e.g. rolling includes both ailerons (100%) and elevators (80%).

Here is my neutral elevator.
The red and yellow marks are low rates or high rates respectivly.

You might find that next time out with the neutral elevator position at a better starting point, the flight may be a lot less "exciting". There's nothing I hate worse that having to use a ton of up elevator trim on a maiden to get it to fly level, seems you spend the entire flight just trying to keep it from "lawn darting".

And with a further aft CG, it tends to be a LOT more pitch sensitive, (as if that's anything new and a huge understatement).

[Evan D]

I agree 100%.

They call their plane "AL-37", but we all know it's the 737-MAX, a real plane. Where's the outcry?

Looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, flies like a duck ... you know it's Blue Diamonds. I very much doubt the actual squadron really cares.

Stay calm and buy/build/fly on.

[nuts-n-volts]

I agree 100%.

Not me. I'm sticking' to my guns on this one. You tell me the guys in the squadron don't care. I would bet different. Yeah, most of us know what they meant. A lot of youngin's wouldn't. Freewing made a great product and it wouldn't hurt them or Motion one bit to go the extra inch and get it right! So, I wrote them.

[Evan D]

Ever stop to think there’s a good reason to not use the proper name? Same as with the AL?

[SanExup]

They still sell the base grey, and it's in stock. I agree that it's like tying your shoelaces together and running with it, to call it the grey diamonds when it looks so similar to a blue diamonds Hornet and has VFA146 on it. But it has NG on it instead of NH, so I guess that's another whiff. And the box probably says grey diamonds. As has been pointed out, it doesn't say grey diamonds anywhere on the plane, at least the photos don't show it if it does. I hardly think it deserves a captain's mast over it. Seriously.

Maybe it's an issue of royalties but I'm just guessing. Maybe it's Tom Cruise's squadron in the new Top Gun. If that's the case, then I'm pissed too!😂 Just paint it and get a sweet squadron decal set from callie or get the base grey.

I'm not belittling wanting scale fidelity at all, it's everything, but it's not the first plane we've seen for a fair price that misses the mark.

I do not own it but I did see the freewing blue angel's one fly this past weekend by a talented pilot. I would buy one even if it were beige. It definitely deserves an afterburner!