Official FlightLine RC 1600mm F7F-3 Tigercat Thread

[Spad Driver]

I am officially a F7F-3 owner now!.
received my bird a couple of weeks ago and have grafics from Callie Graphics for this bird marked as #7
can't wait to maiden!.

[Rob Knox]

G’day Gents, not sure if I’ve posted here before, but, here are some pics of my Tiger Cat in a fictitious, Royal Australian Navy Scheme.
I've gone for the airshow shine look.

[davegee]

Hi All: I'm enjoying my second Flightline F7F Tigercat (the first one I sold to a buddy of mine a couple of years ago.) I erased my old settings from my transmitter, so I've had to tweak the settings on my own. I have it pretty much dialed in, Except for the nose wheel steering. Since it is tied to the Rudder as far as direction/throw, I have found the nose wheel steering is much too sensitive for takeoffs. I am oversteering and have some ugly, if safe, takeoffs. Landings are pretty much mastered, for now.

I was wondering if anyone has any great tips on how they have set up their rudder/nose wheel steering throws for smoother operation for takeoffs. Any ideas using expo, reduced control throws on the rudder, etc.? Has anyone moved the nosewheel steering servo off of being linked to the rudder and put it on a dedicated separate channel to adjust the nose wheel movement?

Appreciate any thoughts on this.

Davegee

[themudduck]

Hi All: I'm enjoying my second Flightline F7F Tigercat (the first one I sold to a buddy of mine a couple of years ago.) I erased my old settings from my transmitter, so I've had to tweak the settings on my own. I have it pretty much dialed in, Except for the nose wheel steering. Since it is tied to the Rudder as far as direction/throw, I have found the nose wheel steering is much too sensitive for takeoffs. I am oversteering and have some ugly, if safe, takeoffs. Landings are pretty much mastered, for now.

I was wondering if anyone has any great tips on how they have set up their rudder/nose wheel steering throws for smoother operation for takeoffs. Any ideas using expo, reduced control throws on the rudder, etc.? Has anyone moved the nosewheel steering servo off of being linked to the rudder and put it on a dedicated separate channel to adjust the nose wheel movement?

Appreciate any thoughts on this.

Davegee

I do this on practically all of my planes: I use 25-35% expo depending on the model, but just for the rudder I use around 50% expo to help with ground steering. On the Tigercat I also have mixed the rudder in with the ailerons and I don't find that the decreased rudder sensitivity creates any problems in terms of rudder control in the air. So basically, that's what works for me.

[Evan D]

I try to put steering on a separate channel. This allows me to have separate sub trim and throw. I can mix it to rudder to have dual rates or keep it separate and have one rate. I try to have the throw enough that full gives me slightly more than one half the width of our runway and I usually don't do any expo on rudder or steering.

[davegee]

I do this on practically all of my planes: I use 25-35% expo depending on the model, but just for the rudder I use around 50% expo to help with ground steering. On the Tigercat I also have mixed the rudder in with the ailerons and I don't find that the decreased rudder sensitivity creates any problems in terms of rudder control in the air. So basically, that's what works for me.

Thanks, themudduck. I think your input and that of Evan D. is very good. I have a couple of different things I can try. I'll try adjusting the expo and rudder throw, and then if that doesn't work for me, I'll try Evan's idea of going to a separate steering channel and mix that with the rudder. Both very good ideas, and I thank both of you for chiming in with your suggestions. Funny, I don't remember having this problem on my last Tigercat, but it seems to be an issue now that must be addressed. Thanks, guys!

[nuts-n-volts]

Tricycle gear, nose gear steering. What I do. I set up NGS on a separate channel then mix to it from the rudder. Rudder rate never changes from it's normal high rate. NGS will change with elevator down. In analog mixing (Spektrum) I use 10% down elevator to change rate. -10% ele is very low TO and Landing rate, +10% ele is high taxi rate. TO and landings are way easy as you are in a very low NGS rate while at neutral or up elevator for staying on the centerline. Push a little down (past 10%) to taxi. Once you try it, you'll never go back to having to flip a switch. I also mix it with the upper Knob at about 15% to give NGS it's own trim.

[davegee]

I do this on practically all of my planes: I use 25-35% expo depending on the model, but just for the rudder I use around 50% expo to help with ground steering. On the Tigercat I also have mixed the rudder in with the ailerons and I don't find that the decreased rudder sensitivity creates any problems in terms of rudder control in the air. So basically, that's what works for me.

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!

[Evan D]

You should calibrate the ESCs on all planes.

[davegee]

You should calibrate the ESCs on all planes.

Noted. Thanks!

[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.

[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

[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]

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

[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]

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

[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

[boomer108]

Nice Gman!

[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.

[Mad Baron]

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