Official FlightLine RC 1600mm F7F-3 Tigercat Thread

[Larry D]

I wish it was a main hanging up, but they are both free and clear with no drag on either :(, but thank you for the suggestion/recommendation of something to check Tigercat.

If anyone is familiar with the fuselage controller module (FCM), it seems that this module may be limiting the throw on the steering servo. When I use a servo checker, I can get full deflection left and right but when I connect it back to the controller module it seems to limit the deflection to < than 50%. I think the only thing I have not replaced to try to correct this nose gear steering problem is this controller module, but I don't know anything about the electronics/programming (if there are any) in the FCM and can't find much information on it to try to determine if this module needs to be replaced too. Apparently the FCM connects the nose steering servo with the rudder servo on the same channel with no ability to independently trim. Hate to just keep replacing things that turn out not to be the cause of this problem, but what the heck....it's only 10 bucks.

[Tigercat]

Sound like you have a main gear locking up. Check to make sure both mains spin freely

[Larry D]

Nose gear steering problem. Any constructive ideas would be appreciated. About a month ago my Tigercat had a really hard landing and the nose gear pin sheared on the retract. I replaced the entire retract which was pretty easy. Made sure the steering arm was ok (it was), realigned the pushrod which was not bent. Thought everything would be fine. I took it to the field for a flight and on taxi out she was steering HARD left with the stick centered. Mmmm. Rechecked everything on the bench and everything appeared fine. Rechecked the servo with a servo tester to ensure it was centered and it was. Taxied again. AGAIN hard left with very little ability to turn right. I canted the nose gear slightly to the right and got a little ability to steer right. VERY little. So, I thought maybe the servo stripped and it just wasn't showing up, so I replaced the servo. No luck, so I did a complete stock replacement of the retract + nose gear + steering arm + push rod. Got back to the field, taxied out, same problem, on throttle up, hard left with the stick is centered, I countered with heavy right rudder just to stay reasonably straight and of course when it lifted off it immediately went right as I expected. Decent recovery but NASTY takeoff. A friend at the field had a tach, so we checked the RPMs on each prop and they were within 100 RPMs of each other. What am I missing? Communicated with MRC and a half dozen highly experienced pilots at my field and while the suggestions were helpful (I tried all of them) most were "don't have a clue". Even sat down with a highly experienced kit builder and we checked all of the setup boxes. Takeoffs are simply not safe and I have no desire to crash this big beautiful bird again. Thoughts? Suggestions? Do this? Anything? Thanks in advance.

[Bob Vincent]

I will use flaps on windy or cross wind days. It slows way down and use power to control pitch. lands on the mains every time that way. Of course it pretty much lands on the mains anyway LOL! Yeah one of my favorites too

[Pauly]

Some of you guys were in discussion about using takeoff flaps or landing flaps. I have rarely used mine in both takeoff and landing. The Tigercat flys so well you really don't need them. I'm not saying I haven't used them, but this is one sweet bird and a favorite.

[Bob Vincent]

Check the voltage at the bec. Motion says that anything over 5V can be bad for their systems. The retracts especially are prone to failure over 5V.

Copy, tested BEC and is the stock one and shows 5.1v. What ever happened was sudden and all at once. Just bums me out that I have to spend $90 for a ghost I can't identify unless it was a servo or retract failure that caused all of it.

[nuts-n-volts]

Check the voltage at the bec. Motion says that anything over 5V can be bad for their systems. The retracts especially are prone to failure over 5V.

[Bob Vincent]

Hi All,
Quick question, since I haven't read this entire forum, my Tigercat on a 3rd flight of the day when I plugged in the battery the controls went crazy! I had ailerons pinned all the way left, one flap all the way down, and no retracts. I thought maybe I have the wrong plane selected on my radio, but nope. I tried several things and thought wow, must have lost the main board that all the wing functions plug into with the ribbon connectors. So I bought the set with new board and both new wing boards. That didn't fix it but the lights were working again. Odd..... So I started testing every component individually. I found 3 failed flap servos, and all 3 retracts dead. I have no clue what could have happened unless a retract failed and caused over current in those systems and burned up the 3 digital servos and all retracts. So now I have to buy 3 servos and new retracts, but they are out of the mains. It's truly not the cost so much that bothers me at about $80 for all of it but the fact of what happened? I am SO glad it didn't happen in the air!. Anyone else have issues like this? I have since tested the ports on the wing boards with other servos and the circuits are indeed good and functional. Weird to lose 6 components all at the same time with no explanation? Obviously something shorted and caused this.

Any ideas?

[theoldALFER]

WINGS
U R Welcome :pop

[Larry D]

Question about the placement of graphics. The graphics sheets all seem to come with two different sizes of the "stars and stripes" for the F7F. Does the larger of the two go on the wing or the fuselage? Thanks in advance for your advice.

[Mad Baron]

I used Foamtac to attach the covers. They will come off fairly easily if the need arises.

[Larry D]

Question guys...Has anyone used screws to attach the wire covers under wing on the Tigercat? I would hate to use glue and then find out I have a wiring issue at some point and then have to wonder how I will get the covers over the wiring off. Thanks in advance for constructive recommendations and how to hints.

[boomer108]

Nice Gman!

[Grossman56]

Speaking of landings, I thought Diane had taken pics of this landing last time at Nefi, one of the prettiest landings with the Tigercat.

You can see how much runway I used by the shelter in the background. It was one of those landings that were more of a transition from flight to taxi. Stick 'em Monkey Pants!

Grossman56

[Grossman56]

I'd have to measure to be certain, but I don't think she rolls much more than 30 feet once I commit to take off. By that I mean, I get her rolling straight and then feed in throttle fairly quickly, so nice not to have to worry about the prop factor or getting the tail off the ground! When I first flew her, I used take off flaps, but it was one more thing to have to deal with post take off. Now, I just get her airborne and hit the gear switch. Landing, however is just so much shorter with flaps than without.
You can see here, my approach with half flaps is long and sucked up a lot of runway. No flaps was even longer, but no pics.

Now with full flaps she's on the ground with less forward momentum as I can fly slower while maintaining my speed of descent

If I remember right, I got a bounce on touch down, so committed to back pressure and she settled in just fine, hey it happens, not often with this plane but it does. The point is that you can see the advantage because there she is taxiing where she wasn't on the ground as yet in the other pic. The reason is that without the flaps, you have to maintain more forward momentum, so she got over the runway quicker and one down took longer to slow down.

Grossman56

[themudduck]

Let's mention why you'd want to use flaps on takeoff - in the "takeoff position" the flaps will add some lift, which can be useful to get a plane off the runway quickly. More quickly than without flaps, in other words. So it can be handy on a heavy plane with relatively small wings (if you find yourself running down the runway at high speed and not taking off) for example, or if you're having difficulty taking off from grass.

In my earlier post I said I didn't use takeoff flaps with the Tigercat and Corsair (even on grass) because they come off the ground very quickly without using flaps. And, if you do use flaps you might find that the plane takes off before you have sufficient flying speed, which can lead to some negative results! So like Grossman said, if you don't see a reason to use flaps then... don't!

[Grossman56]

The only one I use takeoff flaps on is the Freewing P-51's. All the others are optional. You can use take off flaps on the Tigercat, I just don't see a reason to, I like to get my forward momentum going before she tries to lift off. In reviewing the pictures from Nefi 2016, when Mikey flew MLG, he didn't use take off or landing flaps, mind you the runway is huge!! and mikey is one heck of a pilot as well

Grossman56

[davegee]

I agree, I don't use take off flaps with mine as well. Line her up and advance throttle and she gets up in the air fast enough for me, even without a head wind.

Grossman56

I agree totally with the Mudduck and Grossman56 on takeoff flaps on the Corsair and the F7F Tigercat. I had the Flightlline F4U-1A Corsair and the FMS 67 inch Corsair, P-47, and P-51D. I didn't or don't use takeoff flaps on any of those aircraft, but do use as close to scale landing flap positions for scale look. The most extreme case for me is the big Flightline Mk.IX Spitifire where I use the scale landing flap position of 85 degrees deflection (virtually straight down) which works very well on that airplane for cool scale looking landings.

[Grossman56]

I agree, I don't use take off flaps with mine as well. Line her up and advance throttle and she gets up in the air fast enough for me, even without a head wind.

Grossman56

[themudduck]

I finally figured out the problems on takeoff roll that was giving me some pretty "sporty" takeoffs. The above help regarding the nosewheel steering did dampen it down some, but I still had the rapid and sometimes sudden unexpected departures from the runway center. Turns out, I think, it was my ESCs weren't quite synched up, there was just a little difference in startup and shutdown prop movement. Also, I think there was some surging or at least significant difference between the two motor outputs at high power settings that caused problems.
Last night, as if a light bulb coming on as I looked through some rc foamie videos on you tube, I recalibrated the ESCs so that the two props started and came to a stop at the same time.
This morning, I did about 4 test flights, even with a 90 degree crosswind, and it performed like a champ. I mentioned in a previous post that I had a Tigercat a few years ago, before selling it to a friend. Besides a Flightline P-38, I don't have much twin engine experience, so I was sorta lacking in calibrating two ESCs for one plane. Obviously, the previous Tigercat had been calibrated correctly, as I never had an issue with it. I must have had a friend do that for me, but I forgot. Lesson learned for future twin or quad power warbirds!

Dave, sounds like you fixed a problem, good job!

On many of these planes, using "takeoff flaps" on takeoff will result in a "sooner than expected" departure, and I have noticed that this is exactly what the Tigercat does, so I don't use takeoff flaps with the Tigercat. This plane (and the Corsair) do not need any flaps for takeoff. Other planes can benefit from takeoff flaps, but in my opinion these two don't need it.