Official Freewing 70mm F-16C Falcon V2 Thread

[C17loadmaster]

I need a rt main retract. Anyone have one laying around?

I have one. Just PM me to get it mailed. Jim

[JohnVH]

I have one. Just PM me to get it mailed. Jim

Messaged, thanks Jim!

[Sam CS]

More fun with the F16

Nice flying John! That last landing approach was perfect.

[JohnVH]

Nice flying John! That last landing approach was perfect.

Thanks! Yeah, it was nice, I am thankful for the plastic coated rails on the wingtips, haha, I look forward to getting the LG fixed and redeem myself!

[Sam CS]

F-16v2, number 2 model.
It's coming along nicely, I have been busy with work and haven't had a chance to finish setting it up but, I did manage to install and test-run the new motor with XRP 12b fan I ordered from Turbine RC (France).
I decided to give another try on 4s with the following equipment installed so far:

XRP 12b 70mm fan
Model: Model CHS-70-12PV2
Link: https://www.turbines-rc.com/en/chang...17-et-4mm.html

Leopard 3400kv
Model: Model LEO-2860/3400
Link: https://www.turbines-rc.com/en/28mm-...0kv-motor.html

ZTW Gecko 85A ESC
Sku: ZTW4085201
Link: https://www.motionrc.com/products/zt...c-with-8a-sbec
(ESC programmed to 15* timing and 15% power start all else is default)

The results are on 4s Admiral Pro 60C 5000 at 3.8 per cell (it wasn't fully charged) are:
At 100% Throttle it would draw around 92amps. (the ESC rated at 140A max for 10sec)
Also read out was showing about 1200+Watts at full throttle. (Will post exact numbers later)
And I have no way of testing the thrust... sadly.
At about 70% to 80% throttle, the reading for Amps was showing at about 65 to 75 amps and about 700 to 800watts but, it did jump to 90+ amps at full.

I still want to try this in FPV and will work on the canopy and cockpit probably next week, will do same set up as I did with the first one. I will post all pics for the build, maybe a video. I also moved ESC under the vertical stabilizer and will cut air intakes just like I did with the first model. So, basically the new location for the ESC is not in front of the fan but, right under the tail, and rests on that wooden plate instead of being screwed under it as intended by design. I still need to work out a way to pull that fan out and service it if i have to, with vert. stab being glued it's not going to be easy and short motor leads don't help at all. However, I am not too worried about ESC being "incased" permanently under vert. stab. It should last a long time, i am very happy with ZTW ESCs.
By the way, the XRP fan barely fit in the fan housing. I'll explain later in the video. Also, I had to "shave off" the fan foam cover (at the bottom of the fuselage) in order for it to fit snug over the fan.

I think that's about it for now.

[gooniac33]

I wonder, how would it handle 6s 5000 battery... Will it be too heavy? Maybe use a combo of 2300kv EDF with 6s 5000... anyone tried this before?
I was running 4s 5000 Admiral Pro 60C on 2850KV motor and it felt significantly under powered, plus adding fpv equipment to the total weight of the plane.
Dont get me wrong though, I think 4s with 2850kv motor will do just fine for a new EDF pilot... just can't add any more weight to it lol. I had few close calls on my first flights, watching my brand new plane barely clear the tree line and slowly gaining altitude.

So, i am definitely getting another one for sure and was thinking about following setup i can experiment with, please let me know what you think
1. go with 6s 5000 and 2300kv motor. Will it gain performance with 6s 5000 Admiral, or will it be heavy and i will end up having same issues as i did with 4s?
or
2. go with 4s but, use something like 3000 to 3500kv motor... Will have to get 100+Amp ESC but, i think it might just give a bit more thrust than the "stock" 4s 2850kv motor.

What do you guys think?

I fly mine with a heavy pack. That is all I fly it on. 4000 were ok but the plane really came to life when I added a bigger pack. I ran Roaring Top 6s 35c 5800 for almost 2 years and just recently switched to the 6s 50c 6200mah Hobby Star packs. The plane flies really well with these packs too! I flew it stock for a while with the bigger packs but once I upgraded the power it was even more of a no brainer. It is all I fly with now!! Just a couple clicks of trim and then adding more elevator throw is all that is needed. I still get lots of high alpha and near unlimited vertical with the plane and my current config. Here is a video from last weekend...

[Sam CS]

Here is the followup vid to my earlier post about Leopard 3400kv motor in combo with 12 blade XRP ducted fan unit.
Had to make minor tweaks to the bottom intake. Now it is held by 4 screws instead of being glued on. That's due to XRP and motor in combination being too long and i had trouble installing them.
I still need to fly it and see how it handles.
I have no way of measuring thrust at this time and i don't have exact RPMs of the fan.
FYI This is just an experiment with 4s.

Gooniac33, what motor and fan are you running on 6s?

Thanks!

[McLogo]

I'm currently looking at 70mm edf's as Xmas present to myself and I've seen that there is also the high performance version with 2210kV inrunner and shock absorbing struts.
How does it compare to the 2150kV outrunner version performance wise and regarding the flight time?
Thanks

[Alpha]

The inrunner is faster in a straight line and with better vertical, at the cost of higher amp consumption. With throttle management, the inrunners have the potential to fly slightly longer than the outrunner IF the pilot manages their throttle wisely. Otherwise, the average consumption turns out being higher, which means lower flight time compared to the lighter/cheaper outrunner version. But overall, it's entirely dependent on how you fly. The Freewing 70mm F-16 v2 flies great on a 6s 4000. Some fly it on a 6s 5000, but that's up to you. We developed it around the 4000 so that's what we prefer.

As for the struts, they won't impact your flight time or flight performance. They'll soften landings a bit, but the model is a floater on landing so I don't use the suspension upgrade, personally.

I think either versions are great for their intended audience. Whichever one you buy, have fun with it!

[McLogo]

Thanks a lot for explaining! :Cool: Had anyway planned to get some Admiral 4000s together with one of the 70mm birds.

[C17loadmaster]

I'm currently looking at 70mm edf's as Xmas present to myself and I've seen that there is also the high performance version with 2210kV inrunner and shock absorbing struts.
How does it compare to the 2150kV outrunner version performance wise and regarding the flight time?
Thanks

I switched all my 70mm planes to the 2210 Inrunners with 80a ESCs. They sound much smoother and have a huge power increase. Alpha knows more than I do obviously... I just prefer the 2210. If you fly off grass or have a rough landing the “stick” gear will bend for sure.
4000’s are the best to use. 5000s work, but you will feel the elevator struggling to hold tight turns.

Make sure you either tape or install any type of hinge, or both, to the elevator. Many of us took our planes home in plastic bags because the elevator ripped off. Mine was on the second flight

[purduephigam]

+1 on the elevator reinforcement. I stuck in some hinges for better structural integrity. Simple fix, very cheap insurance for a great looking and sounding jet!

[gooniac33]

Here is the followup vid to my earlier post about Leopard 3400kv motor in combo with 12 blade XRP ducted fan unit.
Had to make minor tweaks to the bottom intake. Now it is held by 4 screws instead of being glued on. That's due to XRP and motor in combination being too long and i had trouble installing them.
I still need to fly it and see how it handles.
I have no way of measuring thrust at this time and i don't have exact RPMs of the fan.
FYI This is just an experiment with 4s.

Gooniac33, what motor and fan are you running on 6s?

Thanks!

I use the Dr. Madthrust 2960 2200kv motor for the 14 blade rotor. If you are using a 12 blade you could probably go a little higher KV but I am not sure you wanna do 3400kv. 2600kv may be good but not much higher...

[gooniac33]

I'm currently looking at 70mm edf's as Xmas present to myself and I've seen that there is also the high performance version with 2210kV inrunner and shock absorbing struts.
How does it compare to the 2150kV outrunner version performance wise and regarding the flight time?
Thanks

it all depends on how you fly. The inrunners do tend to draw more at full throttle but at cruising speeds they consume less while still providing lots of thrust. So if you are good on the throttle then you will gain speed and flight time. Also the struts don't change anything about the flight characteristics. I started out with the stock stiff gear and then switched. Ground handling got better but no other down sides! If you look at my videos you will see that I am able to get really long flight times. Part of that is a huge battery while the other part is just how efficient the inrunners are at part throttle.

[Rcfiddy1]

Hey all. I am having a bad day with my f16. I got this baby up in the air back in January and only put on a dozen flights. It was put in hanger and a few others saw the bulk of the summer flying. I took the f16 out today for a few flights and right away had an issue on take off. She really struggled to get off ground. It flew like we were dragging a 20lb blowing ball behind it. Even my buddy said oh boy that’s not good. I managed to get her down but the nose gear didn’t deploy. So after charging up and running through esc I set timing to high and tried again. No difference. She is a pig now. About to throw this f16 in trash. Any suggestions? Like I said it flew great at first but now she is a dog. Won’t pull any verticals, speed is drastically reduced.

[Dirty Dee]

This might be an obvious question, but have you checked intake, exhaust, and cheaters for any obstructions? Any chance you put a wattmeter to it or do a static thrust test onto a scale?

[Flanker271]

Besides checking for obstruction in the duct, was the battery in good shape? Has any settings been changed in the transmitter that could affect throttle calibration? Does the landing gear rotate freely?

[Rcfiddy1]

Nothing obstructing intake or cheater grate. Battery is fine. I reset throttle calibration and no different. My nose gear just seems to get stuck in up position randomly. I just cycled it a dozen times and worked every time.

[C17loadmaster]

Take out the fan and motor and make sure the fan spins freely and doesn’t have a “hollow” blown bearing sound. If the motor smells bad, it probably is. Another thing to check is the power leads coming off the ESC.

[C17loadmaster]

Also, I could be wrong... but the retracts have shorted out in mine a couple times. Maybe unhook the nose gear in the down position, it may be drawing a bunch of power if it’s shorting out