Official FlightLine RC 1600mm P-38 Lightning Thread

[Veltro]

I just painted right over mine. You can't even tell they were there.

Thanks, Pat. Much appreciated.

Jay

[Hiflyer]

I'm really enjoying the new P-38. Here are a few photos of it in flight from yesterday. Flying with 2 3000mAh packs and getting a safe 7 minutes of flying.

[OV10]

Hello Aros,
What's the name of that snow covered peak on the opposite horizon of the setting sun?

[jagdpanther9]

yesterday i had to maiden my p-38. there was a real anoying 7-10 mph cross wind but this model handled it well. i flew with the 4s 3000mah 35c admiral batteries and had 3.86 per cell left after this flight of pretty hard flying. also keep in mind that the temp was around 53-55 deg. so im sure the cells will have even more when summer temps are around.i have a pair of gforce 4000 30c batteries that fit nicely and with them shoved all of the way back the model is just slightly nose down @ 65mm c/g so i will have to give them a try next time out. as i had read in early reports i did need to add allot of up elevator trim but aside from that just a few clicks of aileron and she flew great.i really enjoyed seeing this model in the air. really any scale p-38 looks and flys with its own style. my 40" guillows p-38 r/c conversion was alot more work than this model and it too needed allot of up elevator to trim out so that was neat to see that they both fly alot the same in that regard. Great job you guys! i really give motion rc allot of credit in my videos with their product. you really have been the best to deal with.

[Aros]

Nice shots there Hiflyer!

OV10, that's all 14,416 feet of the majestic Mt. Rainier.

Nice flying there jagdpanther9...I envy your flying field. I quite honestly do not know what it would be like to fly without obstacles. Allied Green with envy. ;)

[F106DeltaDart]

Just got my P-38 together for flight. Flies great! Certainly has an unmistakable presence in the air. I also modded the main gear to use FMS P-51 wheels. They works great and look much more scale.

[Shirty]

Awesome stuff fellas!!! Great to see how many of you are loving this bird. Hopefully I'll be able to get one soon. In the meantime, keep posting those vids, pics n build info!!! :)

[TSHobbies]

Just got my P-38 together for flight. Flies great! Certainly has an unmistakable presence in the air. I also modded the main gear to use FMS P-51 wheels. They works great and look much more scale.

what did you have to do to get them to fit? any pics?

[xviper]

Just got my P-38 together for flight. Flies great! Certainly has an unmistakable presence in the air. I also modded the main gear to use FMS P-51 wheels. They works great and look much more scale.

This is what I also plan to do. I have spare P-51 tires. Was it a straight swap as Alpha said? No modding or carving? Set screws didn't strip on you? How about the front gear? Did you use one of the stock main tires?

[Aros]

I know this isn't the P-51 wheels but here's what I did to install my Robart diamond treads (which look great, btw):

1) Painted the hubs silver.
2) Drilled out hole in the hubs for the stock strut to poke through.
3) Place them on the struts, tighten collars.

The 2.25" Robart nose wheel was a lot wider than the stock wheel which gave me less room to fit a collar but I made it work.

1 collar unscrewed nicely on one of the mains. The other main I had to really get it to bite. Finally did. Nose collar was the biggest offender...Had to use pliers and rock it back and forth to get it off. Had to replace.

[F106DeltaDart]

This is what I also plan to do. I have spare P-51 tires. Was it a straight swap as Alpha said? No modding or carving? Set screws didn't strip on you? How about the front gear? Did you use one of the stock main tires?

I did not do a straight swap, but I think it would work. I shortened the mains by 1/4" to maintain the stock AOA. This required some foam carving to accommodate. Both set screws stripped, luckily I had collars that were of the correct size laying around to replace them. For the nose I used one of the stock mains, but I did not mod this! My P-38 came with the main tires on the nose and right main, and the smaller nose tire on the left main. Actually ended up being very convenient for me. I will try to get a picture later.

[ryramZ]

Hey pilots! Capt Mike and I went out and captured some pics of our production silver version last saturday. Check out the product page to take a look.

http://www.motionrc.com/flightlinerc-p-38l-lightning-pacific-silver-1600mm-63-wingspan-pnp/

[TSHobbies]

well..I was going to replace my nose wheel today only to discover the set screw was already stripped from the factory...nice!

[FLTRI]

After making it through Easter, I finally got a full day to myself to do the build on my Pacific Silver. She's together, sitting on my work bench ready for a maiden. It's "windy season" in Las Vegas, so that may be a bit. Here's a list, in no particular order, with a few questions as well. I also added suggestions for Motion RC and Fliteline. Theses are not meant to be complaints nor criticism, but rather things that could be improved. I have always liked Motion, and want to see them succeed with this new line. Gator Skin. Yes, it's there, and varies widely from panel to panel. Some are nice and smooth, others are very noticeable. The center wing section is the worst. I also have hair and chunks of other foreign debris in the paint, as well as pin holes in the foam. Whether or not silver shows foam cells more, this really needs to be improved. This line of planes is advertised and marketed as a high end model, and in many aspects it is. But, there is no reason for there to be this much crud in the paint. And why are some foam panels nice and smooth, while others very gator-skin bumpy? Paint adhesion also appears to be an issue in some areas. I already have some flaking off. There's also silver overspray on the inside of my nice green flaps, and black overspray around the boom glare panels. The good news is a silver Sharpie is pretty close to an exact match for small touch-up. Wiring. Considering there is two of everything, it's pretty clean. Nice deep channels in the wings to run it all, and that magic blue box is fantastic! Why though, do we Y the ailerons together, just to plug one lead into the blue box, and then plug the blue box into the Rx? Seems like it would have make more sense to use extension cables on the ailerons, rather than a Y harness. This would allow folks that want separate aileron channels to skip the blue box completely, and go right to their Rx. Lights. As others have noted, the diagram in the manual is wrong. Not a big deal, but should be addressed. I think I may do some of my own rewiring, and put the wingtip lights on the strobe channel, and the formation lights on solid. They are super bright, and I do love the landing light that comes on with the gear! Bent wing. I too had the bend in the starboard wing, flap area by the wing root. I have to wonder if this has to do with the way the wing is packed and shipped, rather than a mold or manufacturing defect. The port wing is fine. I followed a previous posters advise, sat the bent area on the corner of my Robart stand overnight, added a little bit of hair drier hear the next morning, and it now lines up. Flaps. I didn't have the issue with inboard flap pushrod being too short. I think this is a set up issue with some folks. You don't wan't the flap centered when you instal the pushrod, you want it at or near full rearward deflection. Set it up there, then do the same with the outboard pushrod and flap. It's easy to use your radio programing to then set deflection. I'm also glad the flap servos are normal speed. Makes finding replacements easier, and I can use my DX8 to set and vary deployment speeds. Others that own a radio without this function, may want the slowed down flap servos. Screws. I had no problems with screws heads coming off. All were the correct length, and there were enough to do the build. I like that FMS always provides extras of each screw. I did scratch my head for awhile trying to figure out the difference between a PA and PT screw for the horizontal stabilizer. Maybe a picture in the manual would help. Props. They balanced easily, but I'm not so sure self tapping screws into the backplate are the best way to go. I like the FMS nut-n-bolt method much better. I also think that the prop nut and spinner screw for the reverse prop should have counter rotating threads. I have a J-Power mini P-38 and lost a prop during testing when it wasn't tightened throughly. I think I'll use some Locktight on the CCW prop. Losing it in flight would be, very bad. I saw one video here where a pilot already lost a spinner in flight. Wheels. The foam wheels are flat spotting already after sitting overnight. I plan on changing them to larger ones anyway, so not a big deal for me. Sure wish they would have painted or molded the wheels and struts in silver or gray though. Seems easy enough to do at the factory, the white just looks odd and cheap. I couldn't get my wheel collars off either, but did notice the metric allen wrench was a sloppy fit. I tried a SAE allen wrench, and it fit much better. They could probably forgo the Locktight at the factory, and solve a headache for all of us. Wing attachment. Some folks are stating the tabs don't align. I had the same issue, but personally I think this is a good idea. It appears it's partially a friction fit, and I think this is designed in. Keeps those outboard wings nice and tight. I know I don't want them loose after a few time of taking them on and off. I do wish the wiring was a bit easier. It's kind of a bear to hook everything up, and tuck it back in the tiny holes while siding the wing on. A multi connector, or maybe a small compartment to store the plugs would be a welcome addition. Extras. It would be a nice touch to include spare props, and maybe even a Partially build Y-harness for the ESC's with the plane. Just the Deans ends, and then the end user could solder on a connector for whatever battery he is using, assuming they are using one battery, like I am. Not many manufacturers do include spare props, but it would be a nice touch, and add to the premium brand feel Motion and Fliteline are shooting for. Questions. Where the heck is the CG measured from? Leading edge of the wing at the center pod? Leading edge at the inboard booms? Someone posted they used a square notch as a reference point for CG a few pages back. Is that the square hole where the wiring exits the wing? It would be super helpful for me if someone could post a picture of where they marked their CG, and are successfully flying the plane. I think I've read 70mm is about right. Is that wheels up, or down? Removing wheel collars. Someone said to heat the wheel collars to loosen the Locktight. How do you do this without melting the wheel or strut cover? How much heat do you need? Is a soldering iron enough heat? Elevator Neutral Position. The manual states it's 4mm up for level flight. Is this right? Is anyone flying this way, or is neutral, really neutral for level flight? Sorry for the long rambling post, but I wanted to add what I could. Again, this is not meant to be a list of complaints. Overall, I'm very pleased with this model. Just some suggestions for Motion and Flightline, where improvements could be made...

[Aros]

That's a mighty fine review FLTRI and it's appreciated. Here's some quick thoughts...

Gator Skin. Indeed, there is some pronounced gator skin that appears most problematic on the silver. While I can see the gator skin on my Allied Green, it doesn't appear as pronounced. Alpha can expand on this but it basically has to do with FlightLineRC perfecting their formula, shape of the mold and other factors.

Yeah the diagram is wrong. I now have a flashing green nav light while the formation lights and red nav light is solid, lol. Oh well, I kind of like it, lol.

Flaps. I was one of those that had my inboard servo arms centered. I tried reclocking the arm aft but I don't know how to unscrew the arm without gouging the surrounding foam section so I got creative and extended my clevis.

Props...Agreed...I would prefer the nut-and-bolt method myself. An added step of security that would be nice in V2.

Struts...I agree it's a bit puzzling that they didn't paint the struts and wheels silver at the factory. I can't imagine it's a cost-saving factor. Maybe they thought it would give the builders out there something extra to do?

Extras...Agreed on the extra props. Would be a very nice touch.

Elevator Neutral is 4mm up for me. This is where it wants to be.

CG info...

[FLTRI]

Aros, thanks very much for the CG info, off to remove a bunch of dead weight. ;)

Reference the flap servo, I didn't need to remove nor re-clock the arm on the servo. I had my radio installed, and put my flaps in full up on the Tx. Then, I adjusted the end point on my DX8 menu until the servo arms were near the end of their travel, pointing to the rear, trailing edge, of the plane. I installed both inboard and out board linkages, so the flaps were up (closed) with no servo hum. Flip the switch on the Tx to mid position, and adjust the Tx so they are at 17mm, per the manual. Flaps to landing position on the Tx, and adjust that endpoint to 30mm.

I think what you (and others) are doing is trying to instal the pushrod with the servo centered. Then your are trying to get the takeoff and land positions by having the servo pull the pushrod from center, to the forward positions. You normally center servos to adjust ailerons, rudder and elevator linkages, but not flaps. You have to start out with them near the end of travel, in the up position. Centered, would be near (but not necessarily at) the mid, or takeoff position...

[Aros]

Oh yes of course, that makes perfect sense! I'll be revising my flaps with the end point adjustments...Good info, thanks!

[TiredIronGRB]

I'm thinking about adding suspension to the struts, I think I can modify the FMS 1400MM P51 struts to work, I'm going to get two sets so I can use one on the nose gear so if it works out I will have a spare.

Stay tuned...

[PlaneCrazy]

I'm thinking about adding suspension to the struts, I think I can modify the FMS 1400MM P51 struts to work, I'm going to get two sets so I can use one on the nose gear so if it works out I will have a spare.

Stay tuned...

TI, let me know how it works out and I might join you. I wonder if the slight offset will be a problem both for fit and retract.

Andy

[Alpha]

We're encouraged to see pilots take ownership of their P-38s over the past week. We've received photos of mods and customizations, new paint schemes, and other details to "scale out" or otherwise further personalize their P-38s. I'll remind anyone in the area to come fly with us at Apollo Field April 9 and 10. We have about ten P-38s scheduled to be there, almost all of them in a different paint scheme. It will be nice to compare what everyone has done and what they haven't done. After flying the big 3" Dubro mains I personally am going back to the more cushy 2.75" Robarts.

We have also received a small number of reports from customers citing inconsistent surface quality on their P-38s. Right off the bat, allow me to remind all our customers that any unassembled product purchased from Motion RC may be returned within 30 days for a complete refund if it doesn’t meet a customer’s satisfaction. Whether it’s a newly released product like the FlightLine P-38 or Eflite Prometheus, or a product which has been in production for years like an FMS P-51 or Dynam T-28, the clock starts once you receive it. If you open the box and don’t like what you see, simply contact our Customer Service Department for details on how to return the product for a store credit, replacement, or refund, your choice. In most cases we pay for the return shipping, so there’s nothing to lose in contacting us.

I just spoke with our Customer Service Manager, who confirmed that as of this writing, his team has not received a single request from any customer requesting to return their P-38 citing quality issues. If any of you reading this want to take advantage of the warranty coverage as detailed on our website, please contact the Customer Service Department. THEY EXIST TO SERVE YOU, that has always been the case and nothing has changed!

Regarding the finish quality, I have briefed the factory on the QC-related issues being discussed publicly and in our own analysis of the first shipment. FLTRI’s mention of a stray “hair” is the first I’ve heard of that one, but rest assured the factory will hear on that from me tonight. Overspray is a QC issue as well. For a mass produced foam model with all these masked off areas at this price point, I can’t guarantee that overspray will never ever occur, but I can promise it is high on the QC list.

Highest on that list of aesthetic QC checkpoints is the foam itself. My initial samples in August did not pass muster for cell density and smoothness. A second batch was made in November, which was better, but we still requested a third batch. The third batch was mass produced and comprised last week’s First Shipment, which in our random sampling before shipping out hundreds of models showed marked improvement over the prior two batches. That being said, it is obvious that some of you received product which is still less than you expected and less than the standards we’d expect from the supplier. Not a problem, contact Customer Service as stated above for a no hassle return.

For the record, the FlightLine supplier is the same supplier that makes Freewing’s other products, which for the most part has produced excellent foam for years in dozens of aircraft. In the P-38’s case some of this “gator skin” appears to be a function of mold layout, recipe, and other proprietary factors, not merely a result of rushing or lax QC. Rest assured those factors are being more closely scrutinized for future shipments, as Continual Improvement is a mantra which governs all our products, but at this point I cannot guarantee that from time to time models won’t be perfect. In these unfortunate but unavoidable instances, I would highlight again our Return Policy; it exists as a safety net. Motion RC stands behind our customers first, and our products second. If the first has issue with the second, we have a process TO MAKE IT RIGHT.

I'd like to see more flight videos as the coming weeks unfold across the country. Get those birds in the air where they belong!