Wiring 1600mm Spitfire

[Zman]

Hello, my Name is Mike, most call me Zman.... I have a question about the 1600mm Spitfire IX....I just purchased it and am trying to wire it up but, either the top white strobe light stays on always instead of blinking or only one side of the the wing lights light up and also the Flaps will not work. I have tried every combination of putting the wires into the blue box trying to follow the directions but, the lights and flaps never seem to work.... the blue box clearly says what should be plugged into each port but, still... the lights and flaps do not work properly... all else works fine..the ailerons, landing gear, elevator, tail and steering....I am pulling my hair out with this...(and I don't have much hair left so....) any help would be greatly appreciated.
Zman

[kallend]

Check that the servo plugs are inserted the right way round in the blue box. It's easy to get one side wrong.

Actually the top light was not a flashing beacon, it was a signal lamp for when radio silence was required. There was a morse key in the cockpit.

I have Arduino code for flashing messages in morse if anyone is interested. Here is one installed in my Lancaster:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vIycoHjHJU4

[Zman]

Thank you Kallend. I appreciate the response.....I double, triple and quadruple checked the positive/negative leads. I put the labeled wires into the blue box as the instructions say.....not working correctly. I have moved them around in every configuration that I know and still can't get both wing lights to work properly.... I am at wits end...

[xviper]

Do you have the control board diagram? Have you tried to bypass the blue box with the flaps and plug one into the flap port on the receiver? If it works, try the other one. If they both work, use a Y instead of going through the board. Do all the lights work but just not "properly"? Could you have one or more burnt out light?
Page 6 ------ https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/10...1600spitV2.pdf

[Zman]

Thank you xviper....I have not tried bypassing the blue box with the flaps but, I will do that. and No, with the lights... either one works and the other doesn't.... try moving them and then the other wing light comes on and the other does not. very strange.

[xviper]

It is possible that one of the light circuits on the board is bad. Try using a Y and plug both into the same pins and see if both work. You can use a proper 3 pin Y, just make sure you plug the 2 pin light lead into the proper 2 pins in the Y end and the same goes for when you plug the Y into the board. Ensure the +/- go into the proper pins, meaning the signal pin doesn't go into a pin on the corresponding side. If this works, then of course, both lights will do the same thing but at least both work.
As for the flaps, you should also set your wing type to something like 1 flap, normal tail to open up the flap menu and assign the proper switch to control it. You will have to play with things like "sub-trim" on the flap channel to help zero the flaps and also the percentages in the flap menu.

[Zman]

You are a friggin' genius! I will attempt everything you have explained here... Thank you so much... I am new to this hobby so, I am learning as I go...This is the first FMS model I have purchased so... hopefully I will get this figured out with your help and I'll get this beauty in the air!!! Thank you very much xviper....

[kallend]

.This is the first FMS model I have purchased so...

Hmmm.

[Evan D]

I saw that too…

[Zman]

Kallend.... Evan D.... Please excuse my ignorance... I know it's a FlightLine...sorry my mind was a few steps ahead of itself while typing.... I know it is inexcusable.....I will hang my head in shame for a week as punishment.
Thank you xviper for answering and helping .... it is very much appreciated.

[Evan D]

All cool. While I saw it I didn't want to say anything. I also didn't know if you really had a FMS or not...

[Zman]

Evan D ... Absolutely.... I'm trying my best to have a great time.... love this hobby... I never heard of this stuff until two years ago...no idea people were flying these things... so awesome!!! I am addicted and having a blast. I now have 15 jets and planes...this is my first FlightLine and am having difficulties with the wiring but, with the help of this site, I am going to try the suggestions here and get this beauty in the Air!!!!!!

Happy Flying to you!!!!!!!
Zman

[Grossman56]

Hey Zman, Grossman here. I recall the same thing when I was wiring mine. When I rewrote the on line manual for Motion R/C I included the correct wiring diagram that one of the fellows provided, here's what worked for me:


For some reason, it's never been corrected in the printed manual. Do yourself a favor and rewrite your manual so you don't have to go looking for a piece of paper if you need the diagram again.

Grossman56

[Grossman56]

Also, I'd take a good long read through the Official 1600mm Spitfire Page. I, along with others, have got a Spitfire that for some reason was made tail heavy. Don't ask me why, but I had to add a fair amount of weight to the nose to get her to behave, especially when landing.
All that with a 4500 6s battery all the way forward and she was much better. Before, I had incidents where she'd just nose over and hit the ground and it seemed every landing popped a strut out.
Here's one of those moments at Nefi 2018:


Since then, she's behaved herself much more and I very seldom have an 'incident'

Grossman56

[Zman]

Grossman56... thanks a lot dude... you all on this forum are a Great Help and it is Extremely appreciated!!!!
I have completed putting this bird together.... it went together exactly as you all have helped with so, I am grateful..
Ready for the Maiden Flight this Saturday morning!!! fingers crossed!!

Mike

[Grossman56]

Hey, no problem! That's why we're here, to help out where we can. BTW, that Spitfire is 6 y.o. and is still flying. My throttle has the ratchet setup and I keep one or two 'clicks' on her with full flaps while landing as she'll like to pull to the left. I'm watching for that sign and immediately apply right rudder to correct, otherwise she'll stand on her wingtip. Doesn't happen all the time since I leave some throttle on, but beware! DaveGee recommends putting 80% (?) flap deflection as he has on his. Personally, I got every degree of flap that I could nurse out of her and it's pretty close. She's still a 'floaty' bird so beware if landing into any breeze!
Check out 'The Official 1600mm Spitfire' thread.

Grossman56

[xviper]

Gee, Grossman, you look nothing like your avatar. At least with me, it's a spitting image, kinda, sorta, maybe .................................................. ........ NOT!

[Grossman56]

Nah, it's just that all the head hair migrated to my chin!

[davegee]

Hey, no problem! That's why we're here, to help out where we can. BTW, that Spitfire is 6 y.o. and is still flying. My throttle has the ratchet setup and I keep one or two 'clicks' on her with full flaps while landing as she'll like to pull to the left. I'm watching for that sign and immediately apply right rudder to correct, otherwise she'll stand on her wingtip. Doesn't happen all the time since I leave some throttle on, but beware! DaveGee recommends putting 80% (?) flap deflection as he has on his. Personally, I got every degree of flap that I could nurse out of her and it's pretty close. She's still a 'floaty' bird so beware if landing into any breeze!
Check out 'The Official 1600mm Spitfire' thread.

Grossman56

I've had the scale 85 degree flap position on my bird since I got it almost 6 years ago, now. I do have an intermediate flap position, but rarely use that. Like the real one, it's either up, or it's full down. I do make the "PSSSSSSSSSSS" sound whenever it moves to simulate the pneumatic flap actuator moving the flaps, though! (LOL)

Great plane!

Davegee

[kallend]

Once again I refer you to the first post of the "Official" Spitfire thread https://www.hobbysquawk.com/forum/rc...e-mk-ix-thread

where Alpha writes about the kit:

* Pre-installed dorsal signal light. Can be plugged into the circuit board to flash intermittently, but because the real Spitfire only used this light to flash Morse Code to communicate, I hope someone out there programs an Arduino to flash an actual Morse Code message, like "Cleared in Hot" or "I love pizza"

Here is a picture of my morse code signalling board. Costs about $6 to make and I provide the programming for free. It holds dozens of messages and will flash one out at random every few seconds.