Official Freewing 80mm EDF F-86 Sabre Thread

[Oxotnik]

Very nice flying. I love to see planes formation flying. My gang often tries to do that with our prop warbirds, but it's not easy. My F-86 is in the mail. I'm really anxious to get it into the air. I just hope that my grass field isn't too much for it.

[DCORSAIR]

Your going to love the F-86, move the ESC back a little to the foam stop and keep the lipo to the back against the ESC and it will land and fly so much better, I have mine so when it sits on the gear and you tip the nose up it will gently fall back down, I 'm using a Pulse 5000 45c and Gensace/Tattu 5000 45C.

[Lon]

For my CG check on the 86. Tip her back on her tail. And then as you slowly raise the tail off the ground. At about a 1/2 inch off the ground, she will slowly move by herself over to the nose gear.

[StewW]

I ordered a gyro with my F-86 but never installed it and I don't think I ever will. It is so stable. I thinknthe gyro will probably go in my Spitfire, it is a little more sensitive in my opinion.

[StewW]

I am hoping someone can help. I had a rough landing on the nose gear and the nose door broke off. I recieved the replacement today but there is a small part that I cannot seem to find in any of the spare parts packs. It is a ball joint with a small pushrod piece that links the gear strut and door. I was wondering if someone can post a picture of it and give me the dimensions of the metal pushrod part.

[Lon]

thinking, what ever extra ball joint you have, put a 90 degree bend on the end of the rod. And you can see in pics, it's a very short piece. Hope the pics help.

[StewW]

That is just what I needed, thanks Lon. I have plenty of clevises and ball joint type to make the other end, and some extra pushrods also. Should be good to go now.

thanks again

[Lon]

That is just what I needed, thanks Lon. I have plenty of clevises and ball joint type to make the other end, and some extra pushrods also. Should be good to go now.

thanks again

:Cool:;)

[Oxotnik]

Happy early Mothers' Day to my wife! :)
We're moving into the jet age...


[edit] I read through the instructions last night and I didn't see anything that looks difficult or confusing. Is there anything not written in the instructions that I know about? What about needed mods? Anything?

[Beeg]

You may want to modify the placement of the ESC so you can move the battery as far aft as physically possible. Do a search in the RCG thread for CG location. The further back the better. There are various methods of moving the ESC around. I placed my along the side and cut an extra area for air flow. The ESC will get pretty warm in this plane but like most there have not been any problems with it.

the above is not necessary but does improve the overall handling both taking off and landing and in the air. Make your first flight fairly short. Maybe 2-2:30 minutes. Enough to get it trimmed and maybe a couple landings so you will know how much battery you will use... I've run 5000's up to 6200's in mine and generally don't fly more than 4minutes but I have a bit of a lead foot. You can go through a 5000 in 3 minutes if you keep the power on..

[StewW]

When joining the aft and forward section I had a little bit more seam from the moulding. I sanded it down a little and got a much better fit and glue contact area. Don't think this is common, but something that may help.

[Oxotnik]

Beeg, Stew, thanks. This is my first 6S plane (that I'll fly that is. I actually have a Freewing Me-262, but I'm not going to fly it until I feel comfortable flying a single engine EDF). Surely the ESC has an SBEC, right? With a voltage drop from 22.8v down to 5v, surely the BEC isn't shedding that voltage drop as heat. If it's an internal linear BEC, I may either run an independent UBEC or swap out the ESC for a comparable ESC with an SBEC. Or am I sweating something that I shouldn't?

Beeg,
I'd planned for my maiden to go exactly as you'd described. Do a couple trim passes, then an approach, then land for real. I have a 6S-5k batt that came with my Me-262, but that's probably too big, right? I have a 6S-4K that's inbound from CHL, hopefullly getting to my house today or tomorrow.

[OV10]

Beeg, Stew, thanks. This is my first 6S plane (that I'll fly that is. I actually have a Freewing Me-262, but I'm not going to fly it until I feel comfortable flying a single engine EDF). Surely the ESC has an SBEC, right? With a voltage drop from 22.8v down to 5v, surely the BEC isn't shedding that voltage drop as heat. If it's an internal linear BEC, All of FW ESC's have Switching SBEC's so no need for an independent separate I may either run an independent
You would only need an independent if your system electronics are going to draw more than the stock 5A BEC rating.
UBEC or swap out the ESC for a comparable ESC with an SBEC. Or am I sweating something that I shouldn't? The answer you now know for yourself ;)
Further info: The industry has basically gone to switched ESC's on 30A and up/4s and up devices


Beeg,
I'd planned for my maiden to go exactly as you'd described. Do a couple trim passes, then an approach, then land for real. I have a 6S-5k batt that came with my Me-262, but that's probably too big, right? I have a 6S-4K that's inbound from CHL, hopefullly getting to my house today or tomorrow.

Hope this helps shed some lite for ya Oxotnik :)

[Beeg]

5000's are fine. That's the smallest ones I use in my Sabre. I think most guys are using them and larger even though the plane was designed for the 4000+.

[Lon]

I've been so happy with the 4000 Pro admirals. That's all i fly in my 86. With all the flights i've seen and done. No doubt what ever size in the 4-5k range you decide to go with, will work just fine.

[Oxotnik]

Thanks guys! I was just about to ask if an Admiral 5K would work. My CHL 4K came in today, but I don't have an XT90-EC5 adapter and don't feel like rushing to the LHS to grab one and charge the battery in the morning. IMve got my Jolly Roger ready to rock and roll. Wish me luck tomorrow.

[Oxotnik]

I maidened my F-86 this past Saturday with no problems. I used a CHL 6S-4K batt, with battery pushed back to the ESC retainer. The F-86 was slow to lift off and climbout, but flew great. No horrible landings. On the maiden landing, I actually had two good landings, as we say at the field, or a touch-n-go and landing 15 ft later. LOL
Second flight was great, with a greaser of a landing.
Third flight was wobbly. I think that my LemonRX receiver may have been loose (I'd turned on stabilization due to the gusty winds). The left gear popped out during the third landing, but that was a 5-minute repair.

Love the F-86. You guys did not steer me wrong. Here's a dust-in-the-sky composite video of my first three flights: https://youtu.be/qqaqDMmYryY

Over in the 'what did you fly today' forum, I've gotten advice to move the battery back, to help with a quicker rotation and climb out, and probably a little less up elevator trim. I have moved the battery back on top of the ESC. Should I be concerned that the ESC will put too much heat into the battery? I also had to cut some foam out of the battery hatch to accomodate the aft position of the battery.



[edit] I just put an Admiral 6S-5K in the Plane. The Admiral 5K is a bit thinner than the CHL 4K battery and fits much better in the bay than the CHL. Guess I know which battery I'll be flying from now on... :-)

Are there any other recommended mods?

[Model jet juggernaut]

Getting a feel for mine. Im so used to flying the smaller 64mm to 70mm jets with their squirrely characteristics, that this big one threw me off but I think I got the hang of it. You have to fly it more scale like a real jet it seems..

https://youtu.be/bEFU6p8umRs

[gooniac33]

Getting a feel for mine. Im so used to flying the smaller 64mm to 70mm jets with their squirrely characteristics, that this big one threw me off but I think I got the hang of it. You have to fly it more scale like a real jet it seems..

There you go....

[Oxotnik]

Yep, that was one of the big takeaways from my first 3 flights of the F-86... I can't horse it around like I do my prop warbirds. I was scared to try anything more than an axial roll. I didn't even do an Immelmann, although I don't doubt that it can, provided it has plenty of speed going into it. I'll test its limits more after I get comfortable flying and landing it.