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Official FlightLine OV-10 Bronco Discussion Thread

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  • As I often suggest for seemingly every airplane we produce, might we please consider Flying it before we spend time/money dreaming/executing Upgrading it. Most of us may find that, in fact, the stock airplane doesn't need anything else.

    The FlightLine Bronco's STOCK power system has enough power to take off in ten feet, can loop and roll and bank and crank, can fly inverted, and can land with steep approaches onto short, rough fields without prop damage. And do all this with 6-9 minutes of flight time on 4s 4000s.

    For those of us who enjoy tinkering, by all means, tinker away! That's a fun part of the hobby for some of us . But, "specs" aside, I hope the videos we've published so far and will continue to produce should give us all a clear indication of what to expect from the stock setup with its beginner-friendly format. Which is to say, exactly as we intended it.

    Live Q&A every Tuesday and Friday at 9pm EST on my Twitch Livestream

    Live chat with me and other RC Nuts on my Discord

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    • MikeT The ETA is sound; you're right, most often pre-orders arrive earlier than the ETA, which might happen again, but based on my current info as of today I think the ETA is accurate plus or minus a week. Certainly as you say I hope you (and so many of our world) are back to work by then!

      I hope that works with your planning.

      Also note, you can call in to adjust the shipping method before it ships, just watch Squawk for a "coming soon/later this week" post, then decide whether to change the shipping method or not depending on your actual situation at that time.
      Live Q&A every Tuesday and Friday at 9pm EST on my Twitch Livestream

      Live chat with me and other RC Nuts on my Discord

      Camp my Instagram @Alpha.Makes

      Comment


      • Thanks I appreciate it.
        Mike
        \"When Inverted Down Is Up And Up Is Expensive\"

        Comment


        • Originally posted by Narly View Post
          And while we are waiting for the boat to arrive and R shut-in do read: Da Nang Diary by Col. Tom Yarborough. Great read about FAC's flying the OV-10 in combat. Both Amazon & Barnes & Noble have it
          My FiL was an O-1 FAC out of Bien Hoa. He has told me several interesting stories.
          i also had the pleasure of meeting a guy that was a Command Evaluator in Vietnam Nam and was checked out in the O-1, O-2, and the OV-10! He said each had its own pluses. He liked the OV-10 for the mission at hand, the O-2 was like flying a general aviation bird (except for people shooting at you!) but he LOVED the 0-1 as it was truly a stick and rudder airplane.



          Comment


          • Originally posted by Alpha View Post
            As I often suggest for seemingly every airplane we produce, might we please consider Flying it before we spend time/money dreaming/executing Upgrading it. Most of us may find that, in fact, the stock airplane doesn't need anything else.

            The FlightLine Bronco's STOCK power system has enough power to take off in ten feet, can loop and roll and bank and crank, can fly inverted, and can land with steep approaches onto short, rough fields without prop damage. And do all this with 6-9 minutes of flight time on 4s 4000s.

            For those of us who enjoy tinkering, by all means, tinker away! That's a fun part of the hobby for some of us . But, "specs" aside, I hope the videos we've published so far and will continue to produce should give us all a clear indication of what to expect from the stock setup with its beginner-friendly format. Which is to say, exactly as we intended it.

            Well said. And James proved that it could stand up to a lot of abuse.😁

            Comment


            • Narly I got this as a gift from Amazon and it really opened my eyes to the tight spots FACs and OV-10s operated in. It is a harrowing, insightful read and I too recommend it. It can be downloaded too, for those who read on mobile devices instead of paper these days.
              Live Q&A every Tuesday and Friday at 9pm EST on my Twitch Livestream

              Live chat with me and other RC Nuts on my Discord

              Camp my Instagram @Alpha.Makes

              Comment


              • I posted this over in RC groups as some were concerned with fitting batteries and the power system etc...


                Hey Guys!

                I wanted to write a bit about my experience with the OV-10 thus far. In total I have 10 flights on her before field shut down yada yada, so I was only just starting to get in my groove and can't wait to get out with it more.

                I see that a big discussion here is the batteries and power. I am not sure why people think it is under-powered on the current setup, I didn't feel that at all in my flights, but also, I wasn't expecting nor looking for this OV-10 to be a speed demon.

                What excited me the most about this bird is the fun STOL characteristics and the giant rudders that allow you to manuever well in even small spaces. It's kind of why I said it reminds me of a prop version of A-10 in that regard. This aircraft is perfect for windy days as so much fun will be had taking off and landing in 5 feet by pilots much better than I.

                As for the batteries. I only flew on 2 Admiral 4000's, never had a chance to try other sizes, but the battery bay is gigantic for a foamie. Way bigger than the Tigercat and P-38 from FlightLine so there is no doubt in my mind you could fit a number of different sizes from 2200mAh up to 5000mAh.

                As you can see when I flew it, I set my timer for 7minutes of useful throttle time (timer starts at 25% throttle) and when I landed at 8 minutes, I had 46%+ on my cell check with over 3.8 on each cell. And again, that was me both learning the plane and being cautious with a new aircraft as we only had 1 to get all of our media done with.

                Extrapolating those numbers, I would fully expect people who run 2 2200mAh 4s packs to acheive an easy 5 minutes of flight and maybe more because the weight loss would also be significant. And you could probably also get that same time if you made a quick 2-1 adaptor and flew on 1 5000mAh 4s pack.

                All in all, I never felt like I need or want a 6s setup in this aircraft because again, speed isn't a feature of an OV-10 like maybe a Tigercat would want.

                Either way, she's an excellent bird that's different from the norm and exciting to me being that shes a 3 generation aircraft. A young pilot in Afghanistan flying a Bronco could have a father who flew a Bronco in Desert Storm and a Grandfather who flew a Bronco in Vietnam. I find that history of it really cool.

                I also am excited to start 3d printing some different ordnance and such because she already looks mean with the LAU's. And now that we started selling FPV equipment, I am 100% going to be fitting that large canopy with an FPV camera. Should make for some really good fun (been awhile since I flew FPV).

                Here is a link to the flight video (it's the same one that was in the long announcement video) and you can see a couple of things.

                1. I am not a perfect pilot by any stretch (hahah)

                2. I smack the gear pretty hard on some touch an goes on an awful surface and they are solid.

                3. I had my rudder at just 55% rate, so pilots who love more rudder will knock this baby around on a dime.



                Overall, I was a fan of the OV-10 prior to even knowing Alpha and Freewing were designing a foam version, so I was excited to finally get one. It's unique, with a cool history and a very versatile flying experience in between my EDF and Taildragger flights at the field.


                Push come to shove, you can change whatever you wish, but I can't imagine needing too based on what the OV-10 is and what it is good at. Next to my high wing cubs, this will be a must take to the field on those windy days to see how short a space we can land in. I wish the OV-10 had floats!!!

                Comment


                • Originally posted by Uncle Bob's RC View Post

                  Well said. And James proved that it could stand up to a lot of abuse.😁
                  hahaha totally! I flew 8 straight flights that day one after the other to get all the pics, slow mo, onboard footage etc and they were all rough like the one in the flight video. She's a beast!

                  Comment


                  • Originally posted by Alpha View Post
                    As I often suggest for seemingly every airplane we produce, might we please consider Flying it before we spend time/money dreaming/executing Upgrading it. Most of us may find that, in fact, the stock airplane doesn't need anything else.

                    The FlightLine Bronco's STOCK power system has enough power to take off in ten feet, can loop and roll and bank and crank, can fly inverted, and can land with steep approaches onto short, rough fields without prop damage. And do all this with 6-9 minutes of flight time on 4s 4000s.

                    For those of us who enjoy tinkering, by all means, tinker away! That's a fun part of the hobby for some of us . But, "specs" aside, I hope the videos we've published so far and will continue to produce should give us all a clear indication of what to expect from the stock setup with its beginner-friendly format. Which is to say, exactly as we intended it.

                    "You are absolutely right, you've been right all along, you're absolutely right and I'm wrong...." Five Man Electrical Band 1971.....Lol.

                    Comment


                    • Originally posted by xviper View Post
                      If I understand your post correctly, I think this plane, if kept stock, will perform fine under all situations as is witnessed by other models with similar drivetrains. It's only if an owner decides to change something, that it might be necessary to check things out carefully to determine if any other "upgrades" need to be done.
                      Yes. In other words; "Be a Thinker Before You Tinker"...I have found myself regretting being a "meatball surgeon" carving out foam, trying to do unnecessary power mods in the past that resulted in going back to the beginning after I couldn't get the CG right and there was too much added weight and the plane flew badly and there wasn't much correcting except moving the battery around only to find that the specs and characteristics were all out....Weight is always the culprit. Some planes were/are designed to carry many times their weight in freight, but that's a different story....The OV-10 was specifically designed craft that was not meant to be a speedster....

                      Comment


                      • Hey Alpha, I have been pm you. Are you not receiving them ? The Bronco is spot on. Thanks for bringing it out to the masses in a reasonable size. This is what we need, a company that puts out aircraft thats NOT that same old thing but a different version. When will the T-38 be ready for product announcement
                        My Hangar inventory FW 90 mm hp F-15, FW 90 mm F-104, FW 90 mm T-45, FW 80 70mm F-5, FW 80 mm Scorpion, 70 mm V2 Z Rebel, F-8 Bearcat and a stable of T-28, white and Orange and yellow

                        Comment


                        • Originally posted by MikeT View Post

                          Better yet cover the whole thing with 2 or 3 thick coats than using a new sharp #11 blade cut the frame out. Works great. Click image for larger version

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                          Mike
                          Liquid paint mask is an awesome idea! Can you recommend a good brand of liquid paint mask?

                          Comment


                          • Apache Jets No, I went through my PMs over the past week and don't see any from you. It's working for many others, though... I can't seem to ever fully clean out my inbox. Try clearing the cache on your browser and resending the PM.

                            Talon, Talon... Right on that! Right after.... and.....

                            Live Q&A every Tuesday and Friday at 9pm EST on my Twitch Livestream

                            Live chat with me and other RC Nuts on my Discord

                            Camp my Instagram @Alpha.Makes

                            Comment


                            • James;

                              I'm excited too for very similarly reasons... including designing and 3D printing some accessories/ordinance. Please keep us in the loop when the time comes... and maybe some STL's! :-)

                              Cheers;
                              Eric

                              Comment


                              • Originally posted by Tronn View Post

                                Liquid paint mask is an awesome idea! Can you recommend a good brand of liquid paint mask?
                                Click image for larger version

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                                I've always used Bob Dively's stuff. I used to to able to get it from Horizon Hobby's but they discontinued it. I've seen it online from other vendors.

                                Mike
                                \"When Inverted Down Is Up And Up Is Expensive\"

                                Comment


                                • i have to ask and wonder.. i love my ec1500 cargo that does anything i put it through using only one 4s 5000,a pack to power both motors at 7 plus min flight time having a fun flight not putting around.

                                  why did motion choose to setup this bronco for dual packs and the added weight on such a thin wing.. would it not be a solid flyer with one pack and kv motors like the cargo uses. not knocking the setup just wonder why i need two packs to enjoy this cool plane

                                  Comment


                                  • Originally posted by horsefeetky View Post
                                    i have to ask and wonder.. i love my ec1500 cargo that does anything i put it through using only one 4s 5000,a pack to power both motors at 7 plus min flight time having a fun flight not putting around.

                                    why did motion choose to setup this bronco for dual packs and the added weight on such a thin wing.. would it not be a solid flyer with one pack and kv motors like the cargo uses. not knocking the setup just wonder why i need two packs to enjoy this cool plane
                                    I think the key is flexibility for using different sized battery packs. As far as I know James mentioned it can be run off of one larger pack, all you need is to create (or purchase) a battery adapter (2 ESC into 1 BATT).

                                    Cheers;
                                    Eric

                                    Comment


                                    • Originally posted by horsefeetky View Post
                                      i have to ask and wonder.. i love my ec1500 cargo that does anything i put it through using only one 4s 5000,a pack to power both motors at 7 plus min flight time having a fun flight not putting around.

                                      why did motion choose to setup this bronco for dual packs and the added weight on such a thin wing.. would it not be a solid flyer with one pack and kv motors like the cargo uses. not knocking the setup just wonder why i need two packs to enjoy this cool plane
                                      That's and interesting comparison. I have the EC1500 myself and the plane flies very nice. Having brought the subject up, I'm wondering if those scimitar props could be adapted to work on this OV-10, of course with due consideration to ESC and motor changes.

                                      Comment


                                      • And from another good read about the OV-10 in combat: A Lonely Kind of War by Marshall Harrison: " .....I had been slowly turning the aircraft to keep the lead ship on my nose as he made his pass. As his bomb exploded, I let the plane drop rapidly, building up all the airspeed I could. OK, so even at top airspeed it wasn't all that much. Even so, the jokes were unnecessarily cruel about an OV-10 needing radar in its tail to prevent it from being overtaken by thunderstorms."

                                        Comment


                                        • Originally posted by horsefeetky View Post
                                          i have to ask and wonder.. i love my ec1500 cargo that does anything i put it through using only one 4s 5000,a pack to power both motors at 7 plus min flight time having a fun flight not putting around.

                                          why did motion choose to setup this bronco for dual packs and the added weight on such a thin wing.. would it not be a solid flyer with one pack and kv motors like the cargo uses. not knocking the setup just wonder why i need two packs to enjoy this cool plane
                                          again, that is just partly the way FlightLine has done their twins and multi-engine birds. Keeping consistent with their customer base who enjoy the P-38, F7F, and B-24.

                                          But she will 100% fly fine on one pack, just make or buy a simple 2 to 1 adaptor and your all set.

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