Official Freewing 90mm F-104 Starfighter Thread

[Checkride Pete]

John,
you say you used a AS3X receiver in the 90mm F-104, can you tell me what you used for your initial AS3X rate gain and if used heading gain settings for roll, pitch, yaw for the F-104? Based on testing of the stock gyro it looks like about 28% roll, 25%pitch, and 25% yaw is close.
Thanks

[John Bergsmith]

John,
you say you used a AS3X receiver in the 90mm F-104, can you tell me what you used for your initial AS3X rate gain and if used heading gain settings for roll, pitch, yaw for the F-104? Based on testing of the stock gyro it looks like about 28% roll, 25%pitch, and 25% yaw is close.
Thanks

Hello,

I'm still fine-tuning the settings for the F-104. Mostly I use AS3X to compensate for the servos they use that don't always center precisely. Not a big gyro fan, but it helps to keep them in trim. I'm a pattern flyer starting back in the late 70's so servos not centering drives me crazy. :) I don't use heading hold. I set up three flight modes one has no gyro settings, 2 & 3 have different settings more to help me find the setting that feels the best.

Right now I'm using 30 on the Ailerons & Elevator, and 15 on the Rudder. The priority I'm going back and forth between 150 and 170. The reason I'm using less on the rudder is experimenting with the best way to get rid of the wing rock. The rudder is very sensitive on the 104, and I think having a high gyro setting on the rudder induces or makes the wing rock worse. Again, still playing with the settings.

[Checkride Pete]

John,
Interesting thought on the rudder I had not considered gyro yaw coupling factor that sensitive. What control surface deflection distances are you using with AS3X settings? As a starting point I have set
18mm aileron, 32mm Elevator, 22 mm rudder based on your comment the rudder may be better at 20mm to 18mm with 25mm low and 40mm high on flaps. Thanks for your help this jet has a track record of not being forgiving in flight so the more info on what others settings and experiences have been the better.
Thanks

[simobb]

Im just wondering why the same plane from sebart is 100 euros cheaper ? than from freewing

[John Bergsmith]

John,
Interesting thought on the rudder I had not considered gyro yaw coupling factor that sensitive. What control surface deflection distances are you using with AS3X settings? As a starting point I have set
18mm aileron, 32mm Elevator, 22 mm rudder based on your comment the rudder may be better at 20mm to 18mm with 25mm low and 40mm high on flaps. Thanks for your help this jet has a track record of not being forgiving in flight so the more info on what others settings and experiences have been the better.
Thanks

Your settings are where I started. I have the ail/ele/rud on three position dual rates so your deflections are the middle positions.

On my 104, the rudder is very sensitive. As I turned down the gain on the rudder the wing rock started to go away. Unfortunately, it's been windy here so I haven't flown the 104 that much. I need a good day where I can put about 10 flights on it to get it tuned.

I noticed they released a high performance version of the 104. It comes with the 3672-1900kV inrunner motor with new 9-blade fan.

[JLambCWU]

Sunset flight showing off the finish on the jet for MotionRCs live show.

[John Bergsmith]

Sunset flight showing off the finish on the jet for MotionRCs live show.

Nice video, love the way the F-104 lands.

[Checkride Pete]

John
Good information on control throws, I think I will use my initial settings as the mid rates position going up 1mm deflection and down 1 mm for high and low settings. Im not sure the F-104 needs a high performance version I believe it’s fast enough and sufficiently challenging in flight for a scale jet as it is. On flaps I will stay with 25mm and 40mm deflection. But test flights may wait till next spring this is not a grass field aircraft, for test flights I prefer to use an alternate club which has a 600 ft paved runway similar to JLambCWU excellent field plus with JP electric wheel brakes installed a long flat hard surface runway is really the best option for the F-104 and landings and the season is coming to an end at that facility.

[DCORSAIR]

I used 80mm of flaps on my 104, you don't need brakes that's for sure, what a great flyer, I moved all my linkages in on the servo horns, left the rudder and elevator gyro settings at the stock settings but I cranked up the aileron setting because I moved the linkages in all the way on the aileron horns, very little movement needed, flew very well and lands so slow too, I sold it though when I lost my runway, maybe one day get another one to fly at a club I joined, great jet.

[JLambCWU]

https://youtu.be/g0dvpgnKj7Q

[Checkride Pete]

Justin, thank you for sharing your F-104 video an excellent flight of what can be a very intimidating aircraft. Obviously there is a lot of pilot skill involved here but would you mind sharing some information on how you set up and adjusted your F-104 based on your flight experience with the aircraft.

[JLambCWU]

Justin, thank you for sharing your F-104 video an excellent flight of what can be a very intimidating aircraft. Obviously there is a lot of pilot skill involved here but would you mind sharing some information on how you set up and adjusted your F-104 based on your flight experience with the aircraft.

High rates are 3/4 of FREEWINGs recommendations.

I fly on medium with 30% expo. Pitch and roll.

Gyro settings are just under half gain 👍🏼

[Waconut]

Hi guys,
I am thinking about getting the F-104 and doing a polished flite-metal finish. Do you think it can handle a little extra weight of the flite-metal ?
I know it is not a yank and bank plane and needs to be flown in a scale manner.

[Waconut]

The F-104 is going to be my Christmas gift from my wife. I have placed an order for the Flite-Metal and a Castle 5 pilot from JHH. I also ordered some aluminum polishing compound to give the plane a mirror finish once the Flite-Metal is applied. I also sent an e-mail to Callie to get graphics to duplicate the F-104 from the movie “The Right Stuff “. This is going to be a fun project.

[John Bergsmith]

Hi guys,
I am thinking about getting the F-104 and doing a polished flite-metal finish. Do you think it can handle a little extra weight of the flite-metal ?
I know it is not a yank and bank plane and needs to be flown in a scale manner.

Take a hard look at the wing, or lack of, and ask yourself do you think it can handle the extra weight? :)

I understand the entire making it look cool being a scale guy myself, but this is the wrong jet to add any weight to it. Its really a handful on a good day.

[Waconut]

Well we shall see what happens. It may increase the landing speed a little. It may be a total flop.

[gooniac33]

The F-104 is going to be my Christmas gift from my wife. I have placed an order for the Flite-Metal and a Castle 5 pilot from JHH. I also ordered some aluminum polishing compound to give the plane a mirror finish once the Flite-Metal is applied. I also sent an e-mail to Callie to get graphics to duplicate the F-104 from the movie “The Right Stuff “. This is going to be a fun project.

there are paints that would work really well. But do not add weight. The plane will fly worse...

[Quickstop]

The real one could carry 7500 pounds on the hard points, with those little wings. Did it fly worse that way? No doubt.

[Waconut]

Well we shall see how it goes. I ordered a digital scale and I will weigh all the components before and after and will see how much weight is added.
It may be a good experiment in what not to do. I think the overall weight add will be insignificant when it is all said and done.
Callie graphics are ordered. Over the Holiday break I will get started.

[gooniac33]

Well we shall see how it goes. I ordered a digital scale and I will weigh all the components before and after and will see how much weight is added.
It may be a good experiment in what not to do. I think the overall weight add will be insignificant when it is all said and done.
Callie graphics are ordered. Over the Holiday break I will get started.

Best of luck and keep us posted!1