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Freewing A-10 CG issue

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  • Freewing A-10 CG issue

    Is anyone having CG issues with A-10 from Freewing. My A-10 is very nose heavy during flight, and on the ground CG machine says it is balanced. Other reviewers says 2 clicks and she flies straight. I have my elevator up by 3mm, otherwise the airplane wants to dive. Is my A-10 defective ?

  • #2
    Re: Freewing A-10 CG issue

    I don't have the Freewing A-10, but I have found that listed CGs are not always accurate. If it is that nose heavy, I would just slowly work the CG back in 5-10mm increments until you get her to the place she feels right for you.

    I nearly lost my Dynam PBY Catalina on its maiden because the CG was WAY off. The CG was listed twice in the manual at two completely different points! The plane was totally tail heavy, and it was the most nerve-wracking & embarrassing flight I've ever had! T'was a beautiful sunny morning on a small lake in Columbia, MD. The lake is a popular hangout. It is surrounded by a jogger's path, and on one side there is a boardwalk with shops, restaurants, and a hotel. At least a couple hundred people noticed the guy carrying the big blue & yellow airplane, and a lot of them stopped to watch as I sat her down in the water on the lake's edge. She lifted off just fine, but the next five minutes was a harrowing, white-knuckled, "OMFG!" event as I struggled desperately to get control of that airplane! It was almost like the plane had thrust-vectoring the way she reacted to the slightest stick input. At one point I remember heading straight towards the hotel and in my mind I could just see the thing crashing through a window into someone's room. At the last minute I remember pulling back and she went vertical straight up the side of the hotel at about 3' distance! Somehow I got her back over the water, killed the throttle, and did a pelican dive into the lake. Didn't damage the plane but I was shaking and sweating like a pig. It was funny after the fact, but whew! <smiley image="smiley_scared.gif"/>

    What made me recall that embarrassing moment? <smiley image="smiley_blush.gif"/>

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    • #3
      Re: Freewing A-10 CG issue

      no problem with my A10 using a 3600 battery.

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      • #4
        Re: Freewing A-10 CG issue

        I find the CGs ''way off alot'',on china foam planes..Both my Arttech Sbachs were tail heavy,even with the recommended packs ,''all the way forward''.... Generally,I try to find a thread on the model,and see what the popular setup is,and then compare it to the most forward recommendation in the manual..Then set the CG to the forward most point,''that makes the most sense'',for the maiden...I have found that,''and have had recent debates'',,with my fellow local flyers,,,that ''for example'',a zippy 2200 30c 4s,will not weigh the same as a 2200 30c 4s eflight,, ect.....That is one factor, that I think is often overlooked.. .Elevator incidence..''angle of the whole surface in relationship to the fuse'',is another factor, that I have noticed.. I have compared spare fuses of my models ,and have found differances,in the past,,with the ''slot'' angles in the fuses,,, of certain airframes.....You can learn alot about setting up powered planes,,from research of setting up scale gliders..<smiley image="smiley_good.gif"/>''Hope that I have been helpful''..I74

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        • #5
          Re: Freewing A-10 CG issue

          I have an unbuilt A-10 in the shop still in the box so can't call it but....just as a suggestion, does the manual (or the online 'advisors') specify whether to balance upright or inverted? If not, try it the opposite of how you did. I also second the suggestion of shifting your LiPo in small increments until you find your particular 'sweet spot', keeping in mind planes don't have "1 point" but rather a range of several mm thru which it will fly well in finding your preference. If you know it's nose-heavy at this stage, you've got a good start. I usually prefer it a bit 'nosey' for maiden flights myself - re the adage about flying vs flying once, & set 'em up that way regardless of wind conditions, then work from there to dial it in. That strategy has only failed me once, where I got too banked too slow landing an AT-6 and got into an accelerated stall (what many incorrectly call a 'tip stall') & she crumped in from about 20' before I could blink an eye. In that one, she was balanced right on the money according to the manual. But then again, books don't fly. ;)

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          • #6
            Re: Freewing A-10 CG issue

            I am not sure how to reply to all who responded to my post, so I am replying to the latest one.

            Thank you everyone for your inputs. I am convinced that there is something wrong with my A-10. Most probably there is something wrong with the angle of my tail section, or angle of EDF unit. Here is why.

            A) Nobody else who flies A-10 reported any issues, which means specifications CG is correct.

            B) During the build I encountered an issue. EDF unit has two plastic plates: one in front of EDF unit and one in the rear of EDF unit. In my case the height of the rear plastic plate would not align with fuselage or EDF unit foam level, it was sitting higher making it impossible to make rear of the EDF tight. I shortened the legs of the plastic plate, so it can be leveled and hold the rear of EDF unit tight.

            C) I fly the airplane with battery towards back and my battery is 361 grams which is less than the weight of recommended battery. That means I should be tail heavy, but I am nose heavy and I have to trim my elevator up to keep the airplane flying straight. When I fly inverted the airplane has no tendency to go down. I am using very little correction to keep it leveled during inverted flight. With elevator trimmed/pointing up (during normal flight) I was expecting the plain to pull down during inverted flight, but it did not. If the airplane was really nose heavy (from CG point of view) inverted flight would pull me down considering my elevator is trimmed and points down during inverted flight.

            So in conclusion it seems to me that the angle of some surface or EDF unit is not correct. Thank you again for all the responses.

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