Official Freewing T-33 Shooting Star 80mm EDF Thread

[Bogietrim]

Definitely have had blue box issues with this one. Like many guys I bypass it for flight controls and leave the gear and lights on the box. On one flight the front gear would not extend for landing. Landed fine with minimal damage. The gear would work if I sort of jiggled the box. So, I put the gear on a 3 way and straight to the RX. Also had intermittent signal loss (on 3 different planes) but that actually turned out to be a bad RF board in my TX. I suspected something wrong so I sent it in to HH and they found the issue, repaired it and sent it back to me free of charge. I was seriously thinking of going to a different radio system, but will stick with this for now.

[Wild Man]

Definitely have had blue box issues with this one. Like many guys I bypass it for flight controls and leave the gear and lights on the box. On one flight the front gear would not extend for landing. Landed fine with minimal damage. The gear would work if I sort of jiggled the box. So, I put the gear on a 3 way and straight to the RX. Also had intermittent signal loss (on 3 different planes) but that actually turned out to be a bad RF board in my TX. I suspected something wrong so I sent it in to HH and they found the issue, repaired it and sent it back to me free of charge. I was seriously thinking of going to a different radio system, but will stick with this for now.

What lights? did you install lights in your T-33. Which transmitter are you using? After reading some of the post here, where guys are having problems with the gear is the reason I used a Tri. harness for the gear and now have completely got rid of the MCB (BB) I also separated the steering from the rudder they both have individual trims and I can adjust the steering with the Rnob on my DX8 with out having to adjust it from underneath manually. I just ran it down the runway adjusted to run straight and true. I can also make the steering less sensitive by lowering the travel for that channel. works great

[Icarus the 2nd]

Here's another vid of my T-33 in belgian livery, with a few hgh speed passes at the end. enjoy !

[Evan D]

Did you put the transmitter in low power mode when you did the range test? What transmitter? Can you show us where the rcvr was/is mounted and where you place the antennae. I'm really curious that you got a good range check and can't get to the end of your runway without loosing signal, something isn't right. While I don't use Admiral or Lemon receivers I think there's other issues at play in your set up that another receiver might not fix.

I lost a brand new Bae Hawk high performance a few weeks ago with an admiral RX700T on the maiden flight. The receiver stopped talking to the transmitter on the takeoff roll. The aircraft subsequently went airborne, rolled inverted and crashed. I then bought a new T-33 and another RX700T with a satellite antenna. Today I went out to maiden it and had someone look at it to make sure it was fine just for another pair of eyes. Then I did a range check at maybe 150ft which worked fine. I then taxied it down to the end of the runway and almost at the end, I lost communication with the receiver. There is a 2 ft high hedge that runs parallel to the runway. One of the guys said raise your transmitter, which I did and when my arms were parallel to the ground, comm was re-established. I taxied to the other end of the runway with the same results. This was completely unacceptable to me and I wasn't about to fly the airplane. I came home and then drove 2 hours round trip to buy 2 Spektrum receivers. One for this airplane and one for the Bae Hawk I purchased to replace the lost Hawk. I'm completely off Admiral until they get it together. Really wanted them to work, but just cannot trust them at all at this point.

[Chilly Bear]

Did you put the transmitter in low power mode when you did the range test? What transmitter? Can you show us where the rcvr was/is mounted and where you place the antennae. I'm really curious that you got a good range check and can't get to the end of your runway without loosing signal, something isn't right. While I don't use Admiral or Lemon receivers I think there's other issues at play in your set up that another receiver might not fix.

I had someone check it and it was fine. The antenna's were at 90 degrees to each other and the satellite covered the other directions. Flew the airplane today with a Spektrum and had no issue with reception. Believe me, I wanted it to work.

Edit: I believe it had to do with the hedge. Several people there said they'd had that experience with Admiral which is why one said raise your transmitter.

Edit a second time: I put the Spektrum on the same piece of velcro I had the Admiral on so it's in the exact same location. Antenna's are not in the exact same location because the Spektrum has a much longer piece of coax before the antenna.

[Chilly Bear]

Maiden flight today with a Spektrum and no issues with reception, but I did have a blue box issue. I raised and lowered the gear about 15 times at home and no issue. 4th flight today the nose gear didn't come out. Put it in the grass without issue and now will bypass the blue box. It extended when I got to the house.

I landed at what I thought was a good speed and was wondering where all the floating was everyone was talking about, then got too slow and banged it on slightly bending my right main. So a little float might not be so bad. Great flying airplane.

[timmybeetle]

Maiden flight today with a Spektrum and no issues with reception, but I did have a blue box issue. I raised and lowered the gear about 15 times at home and no issue. 4th flight today the nose gear didn't come out. Put it in the grass without issue and now will bypass the blue box. It extended when I got to the house.

I landed at what I thought was a good speed and was wondering where all the floating was everyone was talking about, then got too slow and banged it on slightly bending my right main. So a little float might not be so bad. Great flying airplane.

Hi

If you have read in this threat , I had same issue with front LG.

see https://www.hobbysquawk.com/forum/rc...807#post261807

I inspected it and a fellow t33 pilot who I'm talking to had the same problem a binding front LG.
The pin in retract bend easy so when retract goes in the wheel hit early resulting in a binding retract unit, limit switch not activated.
So next time you would extend retract it would not work because electronics does not no where end point are.

I removed my bluebox this weekend because it's tiresome the delay time toggling the switch before retract start working.

regards Hans

ps glad to read you had no issues with yours xmtr/rcvr

[Chilly Bear]

Hi

If you have read in this threat , I had same issue with front LG.

see https://www.hobbysquawk.com/forum/rc...807#post261807

I inspected it and a fellow t33 pilot who I'm talking to had the same problem a binding front LG.
The pin in retract bend easy so when retract goes in the wheel hit early resulting in a binding retract unit, limit switch not activated.
So next time you would extend retract it would not work because electronics does not no where end point are.

I removed my bluebox this weekend because it's tiresome the delay time toggling the switch before retract start working.

regards Hans

ps glad to read you had no issues with yours xmtr/rcvr

Thank you. I'll look at that. I just went and retracted, extended 10 times without issue. Ugh.

[Wild Man]

I just got home from flying my T-33 Arf Plus Have flown it know over a dozen times with the Spectrum AR8010T rec and My DX8 I have no problems now that I have completely eliminated the MCB (BB) and there is no 6 second delay when dropping the gear I love How the T-33 flies.

[Evan D]

Don't take this a me being rude but you need to do your own range check and understand what it means. You also need to understand how your battery placement can effect reception as well as antennae. Many have complained about Admiral receivers and it may simply be that your receiver was flaky but that you got 150' of range check is a red flag to me, good is 30 paces and it's rare to get more than about 50. The standard length for 30 paces is about 75' but most of us are lax in our paces and are around 65-70'. That's why I question your 150'. Then saying it won't even go to the end of the runway on full power (range test mode off) tells me it's something much more. Simply put something was wrong with your testing and that you got a good flight in with another receiver doesn't change any of that.


Aren't you curious why?

I had someone check it and it was fine. The antenna's were at 90 degrees to each other and the satellite covered the other directions. Flew the airplane today with a Spektrum and had no issue with reception. Believe me, I wanted it to work.

Edit: I believe it had to do with the hedge. Several people there said they'd had that experience with Admiral which is why one said raise your transmitter.

Edit a second time: I put the Spektrum on the same piece of velcro I had the Admiral on so it's in the exact same location. Antenna's are not in the exact same location because the Spektrum has a much longer piece of coax before the antenna.

[Evan D]

THIS IS A JOKE :)

But by eliminating the MCBe you don't have lights!

I just got home from flying my T-33 Arf Plus Have flown it know over a dozen times with the Spectrum AR8010T rec and My DX8 I have no problems now that I have completely eliminated the MCB (BB) and there is no 6 second delay when dropping the gear I love How the T-33 flies.

[xviper]

Agreed! If you did NOT use the range test mode on the TX (reduced power), 150 feet doesn't mean anything. On most of my planes, on reduced power, the plane's reaction starts fading around 120 feet. By 150', it's dead.

[Chilly Bear]

Don't take this a me being rude but you need to do your own range check and understand what it means. You also need to understand how your battery placement can effect reception as well as antennae. Many have complained about Admiral receivers and it may simply be that your receiver was flaky but that you got 150' of range check is a red flag to me, good is 30 paces and it's rare to get more than about 50. The standard length for 30 paces is about 75' but most of us are lax in our paces and are around 65-70'. That's why I question your 150'. Then saying it won't even go to the end of the runway on full power (range test mode off) tells me it's something much more. Simply put something was wrong with your testing and that you got a good flight in with another receiver doesn't change any of that.


Aren't you curious why?

I'd love to know why. As I've said I'd love to use the receivers. The check at 150ft was using the check incorporated into the transmitter. The loss of signal at both ends of the runway was at full strength. When raising the transmitter to arms straight out or parallel to the ground reception was restored. This was identical on both runway ends. I'm "assuming", but not certain the hedge has something to to do with it. I could be wrong. The runway is 1000ft and I was at the midpoint so almost 500 ft was the limit without raising my arms. So without rolling the dice with another aircraft, how would you suggest I troubleshoot further? After losing the Hawk and then losing signal on the T-33 I wasn't about to takeoff with it behaving that way.

Happy to hear your suggestions if you care to share them, but it'll be about a week before I can implement anything at the earliest. I don't think you're being rude at all. I have no desire to indicate Admiral products aren't as nice as Spektrum. Again, ad nauseum, I'd love to be able to use them. I'm simply saying this is what happened and if someone can say "here's the problem" I'm more than happy to try again. This does not include putting an airplane in the air that loses signal on the ground.

[Chilly Bear]

Agreed! If you did NOT use the range test mode on the TX (reduced power), 150 feet doesn't mean anything. On most of my planes, on reduced power, the plane's reaction starts fading around 120 feet. By 150', it's dead.

It was reduced on the transmitter. The Hawk was the one that received the not far enough range check.

[xviper]

It was reduced on the transmitter. The Hawk was the one that received the not far enough range check.

Then this aspect of the topic is closed.

[Evan D]

I would put the receiver in something, a mock up and try it again at the same place, then try it at home in your street or some field without a hedge?

[coyote137]

can anyone help,
been trying to find the .stl files for upgrade seats and other cockpit fairings on this thread,
found the panels and they are great.

[Radar-Guy]

can anyone help,
been trying to find the .stl files for upgrade seats and other cockpit fairings on this thread,
found the panels and they are great.

Are you looking for those?

https://www.hobbysquawk.com/forum/rc...359#post237359

More parts can be found in post #963.

[timmybeetle]

Pilots

After some more flight with my T33, I removed blue box and LG reacts on switch now is much better.
Well my front gear was jammed again, it would not come out off the fuselage....., I fly from grass and pin in retract unit is weak for grass operation.
After some little pressure on LG when retracted I was able to get it out.
So I have to bend it back a little and after that I had 4 flight an no issues with front landing gear.
Also I noticed that this has in effect on steering of front gear, it didn't track right anymore before it was OK.
Luckily I have my steering on a separate channel so I trimmed it to go straight again.

grts Hans

[coyote137]

thank you radar-guy for putting the files
your work is fantastic

Paul