Official FlightLine RC 1600mm P-38 Lightning Thread

[Elbee]

Just HAD to share. THANKS CALLIE!!!!!! Custom nose art. 43 years ago My Girl said yes when I asked her to marry me. I thought her portrait as nose art was a perfect pairing on this P-38. Yeah, I'm proud!

LD, as well you should be. Incredible repaint and lovingly done tribute. Bravo Zulu, Sir. Best, LB

[Aros]

Okay I have shamefully been away from this thread for far too long. After all, the P-38 is one of my all-time favorite warbirds. I had this model five years back (has it really been five years?!?!?!? Sigh, my waistline would agree) when it first came out but sold it to fund other projects. But my hangar without a P-38 is no hangar at all.

So forgive the request for an updated "Tips/Tricks/Must Do's" synopsis to save me the hundreds of pages in the thread...Any takers? Would really appreciate it to get caught up on the latest tidbits about this lovely girl. Summer is fast approaching and I need my Fork-Tailed Devil fix!

[Lon]

The 38 is still on my top 3 planes list to load up and take to the field. Infact, if I'm at the field flying and had not flown the 38 yet. I will get inquires about if I brought it, or is something wrong...anyway...my list of "Must do's" is 3 things long. 1. Upgraded struts. 2. Upgrade power system 3. Fly with two batteries in parallel (Lost a plane during take off when 1 battery quit on me)

[Aros]

Copy that, thanks...What upgrade power system and why?

[Lon]

I have switched to the FlightLine P-38L Sport Power Set. Why you ask?...Well, the overall power performance. It's like going from a nice running Prius on some back country roads drive on a Sunday. To a mid-engine powered Chevy Corvette on a Saturday afternoon....It's hard to go back to the Prius power package. But I see those Prius's out everyday. Just a personal taste.....

[Aros]

Ah I see...Totally get it...But I just can't do the P-38 without 3-blades...

[AllThumbs]

Slight twist to an old topic: I would like to run two batteries in parallel to both motors so that I won’t have to worry about one battery going bad and causing an asymmetric thrust problem. The attached image shows how I plan to make an adapter to accomplish this. Basically, I’m planning to use a “single battery adapter” as described in other posts in this forum (i.e., an adapter that allows the use of a single six-cell battery) in combination with a parallel battery adapter. Does anyone see a problem or have any experience with this type of setup?

[Evan D]

To me you have too many connectors and each one is a failure point or a source of resistance and heat. Plus the EC5 would have to flow all the power for both motors. I would do what I’ve drawn. The bridge wires could be thin, 13 or 14 gauge since they are not directly supplying current, more for emergencies...

[AllThumbs]

Hmmm... Nice, simple approach. I need to think through how I would physically splice the crossing wires in. I'm a little more confident soldering wires to connectors than I am in soldering splices into heavy-ish guage wire.

[Evan D]

Testing my drawing ability today. Strip a 1/2” or so of insulation from the main wire and wrap the interconnection wire around it. Solder and then put heat shrink over it... You don't cut the main wire at all.

[AllThumbs]

Thanks for that, Evan! I'll do some soldering practice with some segments of scrap wire before do the real deal. Would you suggest using flux paste on the joint before soldering? I always have a problem getting the molten solder to soak through the wire strands. I'm using a 45W soldering station with adjustable temperature, and a broad, flat tip. I probably should go to a soldering forum somewhere and ask, but since I've got your attention, I thought I would ask...

[Evan D]

While I do have paste I seldom use it. When people say they can't get good solder flow it's usually not good solder, like many things we are getting things from the east that are not the quality we're used to. Sometimes its we aren't using a good enough iron or we aren't getting good heat conduction but usually from what I see it's the solder... I use thin solder from Radio Shack, a specific P/N, been using it for years. Odd, the same stuff is a thicker size doesn't work as well for me.

[AirHead]

Thanks for that, Evan! I'll do some soldering practice with some segments of scrap wire before do the real deal. Would you suggest using flux paste on the joint before soldering? I always have a problem getting the molten solder to soak through the wire strands. I'm using a 45W soldering station with adjustable temperature, and a broad, flat tip. I probably should go to a soldering forum somewhere and ask, but since I've got your attention, I thought I would ask...

I've soldered every kind of Broadcast connector for 30 years. Use a 60 watt iron with a pencil tip for small wire soldering. Use thin solder for small wire, bigger for bigger. You can use small solder for big wire but you feed a ton of it to get the same result. Pre-soak the iron tip and get a cardboard "flick box" and when you get a blob on the tip flick the excess into the box. It won't burn. Now the iron tip is ready to accept more solder. The wet tip is critical for properly conducting and joining the solder to the wire or cup now. Trick is: A lot of heat for a short time! You can also "draw" solder along a joint in linear fashion like miniature welding. If you are in a small room, put a fan on in the background to circulate the smoky air which comes from burning rosin which is pine sap and an acid. Litton and Weller solder are the best...Luck is on your side....

[Cape Jets]

Ah I see...Totally get it...But I just can't do the P-38 without 3-blades...

So you want to stay with 3 Blades. Here is your answer.... Upgrade to 6S power (you fly alot of jets so I know you have 6's batteries) Go to 11x7x3 Master Airscrew props (1 clockwise 1 reverse ). mod the backing plates, make a y connector for the esc's to EC5 connector and you wont need to change the motors or esc's and your all set... I get 6-8 mins flight time (depending on how I fly) uses less amps to power the motors and increase speed to alitlle over 100mph. The struts is a must as well with 2.75 tires in front and 3" tires for the mains. You will need to mod the wheel bays some to make them fit. This is my favorite bird to fly and it looks and sounds great in the air.... Just food for thought....?

[Aros]

Good food indeed! Thanks for the info!

[airotroy]

Slight twist to an old topic: I would like to run two batteries in parallel to both motors so that I won’t have to worry about one battery going bad and causing an asymmetric thrust problem. The attached image shows how I plan to make an adapter to accomplish this. Basically, I’m planning to use a “single battery adapter” as described in other posts in this forum (i.e., an adapter that allows the use of a single six-cell battery) in combination with a parallel battery adapter. Does anyone see a problem or have any experience with this type of setup?

Im using the same set up but with a XT90 for the transition plug. Used Daves Electronics for years to have the connectors done.

[GliderGuy]

Heads up....SOMETHING TO CHECK!

Not on the battery connection topic, but today I discovered that the trailing plastic wing attachment point of one of my P-38's outer wing panels had broken. It snapped at its base...opposite the end from where the threaded fitting is located.

The leading edge plastic attachment point was still intact...thank goodness. Grab the tip of the wing and wiggle it back and forth. The gap at the inner root of the outer wing panel should not show any play. If it does, either your outer wing panel screws are coming loose, or the plastic attachment point has broken. That's how to check for the problem.

She's an old bird with lots of flights on her, but a new bird operating off grass or rough pavement might develop this problem sooner. A word to the wise...periodically check your outer panel for any fore-and-aft play or looseness.

To make these fittings a bit more resistant to breaking, you might consider turning the bird upside down, remove the outer panel, and then fill the trough of the fitting near the base with a strong epoxy and smear some epoxy on the root rib area of the trough. Even better, you could put a tiny bit of fiberglass in this trough and run it 90 degrees from out of the trough to the plastic root rib. Anything to help forestall the breakage of the fittings at their base.

The picture below shows the one that snapped at its base.



-GG

[GliderGuy]

Okay I have shamefully been away from this thread for far too long. After all, the P-38 is one of my all-time favorite warbirds. I had this model five years back (has it really been five years?!?!?!? Sigh, my waistline would agree) when it first came out but sold it to fund other projects. But my hangar without a P-38 is no hangar at all.

So forgive the request for an updated "Tips/Tricks/Must Do's" synopsis to save me the hundreds of pages in the thread...Any takers? Would really appreciate it to get caught up on the latest tidbits about this lovely girl. Summer is fast approaching and I need my Fork-Tailed Devil fix!

Hi Aros...

#1 important tip...make sure your elevator actuator arm is securely glued to the elevator. I had one come loose on me, but was able to use the transmitter's flap vernier knob for pitch control and got it down ok. She responded to this pitch control method quite well. A switch-type flap system wouldn't work as well for this.

I also lost an elevator servo...discovered it prior to take-off. I replaced it with the same FW servo, but after having such good luck with the MKS HV69 servo (MRC is currently out of stock) on the MiG-29 and F-4, I am considering changing to this servo for the P-38 elevator, too. Higher torque, same physical size, lower operating voltage spec, metal gear and ball bearing. What's not to like, but more expensive than the stock FW servo...sigh.

https://www.motionrc.com/products/mk...-digital-servo

#2 Inspect the prop hub for cracks periodically. Especially, if you hear any change in the way she sounds flying by. I get 3 to 6 months on a hub before cracks begin appearing. I once slung a blade on take-off roll...instant roll over and inverted impact...minor damage. Look at the base of the prop...very carefully in bright light. The hairline cracks are hard to see.

A final tip...she sometimes continues in a spin for a few turns (my CG set-up no doubt) at idle power after the controls are neutralized. Tip...Leave in some power during spins, and she recovers from the spin immediately...as soon as you neutralize the controls. This means making spin entry somewhat of a snap roll into a spin maneuver, but it does work well when you wanna spin...and you know she'll stop spinning quickly.

-GG

P.S. I also wired my batteries in parallel with connectors after one prop stopped producing power...instant death for that bird (Photo below) Can you tell which prop stopped producing power? LOL

[Aros]

Great advice GliderGuy thank you!

[marwady]

Hey all,

The Allied green version is back in stock at Motion!

I immediately ordered one and, after painstakingly reading this entire thread, I am now ready to accept delivery on my favorite WWII US fighter.

Cheers!