Official FlightLine RC 1600mm P-38 Lightning Thread

[MikeT]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

The wring issue could be cleaned up using 2 receivers. That's what I did but that was just one of the issues. This one looks light years ahead of the FMS version.

Mike

Here's what nuts about this. I chatted with Alpha some time ago about the FMS P-38 and the wiring issue. I still had one in the box, and eventually made it to the bench. Who! What a mess! I asked Alpha about another possibility it could come back in a pn easier format.
He responded with, yes, the FMS version was nice, but what a nightmare in wiring.

Alpha, good job keeping it under wraps all this time.

By the way, my FMS P-38 "Marge" was finally done after a very long time on the bench, but I haven't flown because after all,of the work I don't want to risk losing it. Nuts! ?

Making room for the new one at some point.

[Sky Wolf]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

The wring issue could be cleaned up using 2 receivers. That's what I did but that was just one of the issues.  This one looks light years ahead of the FMS version.

Mike

Here's what nuts about this. I chatted with Alpha some time ago about the FMS P-38 and the wiring issue. I still had one in the box, and eventually made it to the bench. Who! What a mess! I asked Alpha about another possibility it could come back in a pn easier format.
He responded with, yes, the FMS version was nice, but what a nightmare in wiring.

Alpha, good job keeping it under wraps all this time.

By the way, my FMS P-38 "Marge" was finally done after a very long time on the bench, but I haven't flown because after all,of the work I don't want to risk losing it. Nuts! ?

Making room for the new one at some point.

What other issues did you experience?

[mr.frankenjet]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

The wring issue could be cleaned up using 2 receivers. That's what I did but that was just one of the issues.  This one looks light years ahead of the FMS version.

Mike

Here's what nuts about this. I chatted with Alpha some time ago about the FMS P-38 and the wiring issue. I still had one in the box, and eventually made it to the bench. Who! What a mess! I asked Alpha about another possibility it could come back in a pn easier format.
He responded with, yes, the FMS version was nice, but what a nightmare in wiring.

Alpha, good job keeping it under wraps all this time.

By the way, my FMS P-38 "Marge" was finally done after a very long time on the bench, but I haven't flown because after all,of the work I don't want to risk losing it. Nuts! ?

Making room for the new one at some point.

What other issues did you experience?

I'm hopeful the finish on the plane is as it is in some photos, some are better than others. The silver highlights the foam texture, can we expect the smooth finish we have seen from freewing in the past ?
Also I was wondering if larger wheels could be mounted in the rear ?
Thanks, great job on this long awaited P-38 :D

[Alpha]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

Hi Mr.Frankenjet, we expect the same quality silver on the production model. As stated in the product description and elsewhere, the photos shown are of a pre-production model which I painted as a color sample for the factory.

Regarding your question about the main gear, it's a good question. I would emphasize that the stock wheel height and geometry has worked great on pavement and 1" grass over the 200 test flights we've conducted, so changing wheels is by no means necessary to enjoying the aircraft for a long time. Nevertheless, here is some data on the topic of wheels, and a Tutorial detailing the simple process to safely increase the P-38's main wheel height:

Stock Wheel Measurements
Main Wheel: 20mm wide, 65mm tall,
Main Wheel Axle: 4mm axle diameter, ~33mm of total width (20mm of which is the wheel, 10mm of which is the collar, and 2mm of which is extra)
Nose Wheel: 12mm wide, 60mm tall
Nose Strut’s Axle: 4mm wide, 24mm of total width (12mm of which is the wheel, 10mm of which is the collar, and 2mm of which is extra)


Main Wheel Height Modification Tutorial

The more parts a model uses which are also used by other models (called “common parts”) the lower the unit cost of those parts and thus the lower cost of the models themselves. These cost saving considerations are important to meeting target price points, and also simplify inventory and parts replacement. Servos, ESCs, linkages, retract units, and wheels are frequently standardized across several models, within reason.

The P-38 uses a 2.5” tall main wheel which the manufacturer has on hand for other aircraft and was the closest fit for the P-38’s size. To be more perfectly scale in height, a main wheel 3.59” tall and 1.2” wide would be 100% accurate. Unfortunately, a 3.5” wheel won’t fit in the existing bay because of the carbon rod which runs along the spine of the boom right at that spot. Removing that rod was not a possibility, since the rod is essential to the airframe’s rigidity.  Because the cost to mold new unique sized wheels was ruled out, instead we did the next best thing, which was to design the main struts to easily accept a larger aftermarket 2.75” wheel for those select pilots wanting to further accurize their P-38. Here are the simple steps to perform this modification in about five minutes. The attached photo summarizes this mod even more clearly.

Analyze:
1) Increasing from a 2.5” wheel to a 2.75” wheel requires a 0.25” reduction in the height of the steel wire strut, so that the wheel fits in the bay and the aircraft’s ground posture remains the same.
2) The existing main strut wire exits the trunnion for 1.0” before the first 90 degree bend.
3) The existing main strut wire’s diameter is 4mm.
4) The existing main wheel is 20mm wide, with 33mm of available axle width (allow for the 10mm wheel collar width in your calculations for maximum width of an aftermarket wheel).

Materials:
1) Dubro Low Bounce Treaded Wheel 2.75” with 4mm hub diameter, pair.
2) 1.5mm Allen wrench
3) 2.0mm Allen wrench
4) Rotary hand tool (Dremel, etc.) or a fine hack saw

Action:
1) Remove the retract from the retract bay.
2) Use the 2.0m Allen wrench to loosen the grub screw on either side of the retract wall (standard strut pin removal procedure)
3) Pull the strut wire out of the retract’s trunnion
4) Use the 1.5mm Allen wrench to remove the wheel collar.
5) Slide the stock wheel off the 4mm axle.
6) Cut down the base of the strut wire by 0.25” with your rotary tool or saw.
7) Slide the new wheel onto the 4mm axle.
8) Reinstall the wheel collar.
9) Reinstall the strut into the retract trunnion.
10) Reinstall the retract into the retract bay.

Result:
1) 2.75” Main wheel installation complete.

Bonus Option:
1) Replace the stock nose wheel with one of the stock main wheels (No modification necessary)
2) The result would be 2.56” Nose wheel and 2.75” Main wheel, with slightly more nose up AoA

For pilots wanting an even larger main wheel, a Dubro Treaded Lightweight Wheel 3” (2 Pack) can be installed using the same process above, except modelers will need to shorten the main strut wire by 0.5” instead of 0.25”, and they will also need to slightly deepen the wheel bay’s contour to accept the taller wheel. A Dremel with a low grit sanding attachment can accomplish this in seconds. Raking the main strut slightly forward by shimming under the retract is an option also. There is 12mm of clearance between the stock main wheel and the main gear door. This 3” wheel would be the closest to scale visually, but [DISCLAIMER] officially we do not recommend this due to the mods required to get the geometry correct without compromising the boom’s spinal spar. In any modification, the geometry of the struts, their clearances in the wheel well, and the resulting ground stance are key considerations. Do not significantly alter the AoA of the nose, neither up for down, from the current stock angle.

Nose Wheel Height Modification

The stock nose wheel is 60mm tall and the 90 degree actuating retract unit is mounted at a slight angle so the nose strut sits ~100 degrees forward relative to the ground. This is the best compromise to fit the nose wheel inside the nacelle under the battery bay, and without having to design an all new 105 degree actuating retract to match the full size P-38’s nose strut angle. Pilots wanting to increase the forward rake angle can add washers under the aft side of the nose retract, but ensure that the nose wheel still clears the nose door (and paying attention to strut length so as not to lower the AoA). For a simpler mod, replacing the stock nose wheel with a stock main wheel (65mm) is possible without any modification.

[Aros]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

Outstanding information Alpha! Very useful for those who wish to implement this mod.

[mr.frankenjet]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

Hi Mr.Frankenjet, we expect the same quality silver on the production model. As stated in the product description and elsewhere, the photos shown are of a pre-production model which I painted as a color sample for the factory.

Regarding your question about the main gear, it's a good question. I would emphasize that the stock wheel height and geometry has worked great on pavement and 1" grass over the 200 test flights we've conducted, so changing wheels is by no means necessary to enjoying the aircraft for a long time. Nevertheless, here is some data on the topic of wheels, and a Tutorial detailing the simple process to safely increase the P-38's main wheel height:

Stock Wheel Measurements
Main Wheel: 20mm wide, 65mm tall,
Main Wheel Axle: 4mm axle diameter, ~33mm of total width (20mm of which is the wheel, 10mm of which is the collar, and 2mm of which is extra)
Nose Wheel: 12mm wide, 60mm tall
Nose Strut’s Axle: 4mm wide, 24mm of total width (12mm of which is the wheel, 10mm of which is the collar, and 2mm of which is extra)


Main Wheel Height Modification Tutorial

The more parts a model uses which are also used by other models (called “common parts”) the lower the unit cost of those parts and thus the lower cost of the models themselves. These cost saving considerations are important to meeting target price points, and also simplify inventory and parts replacement. Servos, ESCs, linkages, retract units, and wheels are frequently standardized across several models, within reason.

The P-38 uses a 2.5” tall main wheel which the manufacturer has on hand for other aircraft and was the closest fit for the P-38’s size. To be more perfectly scale in height, a main wheel 3.59” tall and 1.2” wide would be 100% accurate. Unfortunately, a 3.5” wheel won’t fit in the existing bay because of the carbon rod which runs along the spine of the boom right at that spot. Removing that rod was not a possibility, since the rod is essential to the airframe’s rigidity.  Because the cost to mold new unique sized wheels was ruled out, instead we did the next best thing, which was to design the main struts to easily accept a larger aftermarket 2.75” wheel for those select pilots wanting to further accurize their P-38. Here are the simple steps to perform this modification in about five minutes. The attached photo summarizes this mod even more clearly.

Analyze:
1) Increasing from a 2.5” wheel to a 2.75” wheel requires a 0.25” reduction in the height of the steel wire strut, so that the wheel fits in the bay and the aircraft’s ground posture remains the same.
2) The existing main strut wire exits the trunnion for 1.0” before the first 90 degree bend.
3) The existing main strut wire’s diameter is 4mm.
4) The existing main wheel is 20mm wide, with 33mm of available axle width (allow for the 10mm wheel collar width in your calculations for maximum width of an aftermarket wheel).

Materials:
1) Dubro Low Bounce Treaded Wheel 2.75” with 4mm hub diameter, pair.
2) 1.5mm Allen wrench
3) 2.0mm Allen wrench
4) Rotary hand tool (Dremel, etc.) or a fine hack saw

Action:
1) Remove the retract from the retract bay.
2) Use the 2.0m Allen wrench to loosen the grub screw on either side of the retract wall (standard strut pin removal procedure)
3) Pull the strut wire out of the retract’s trunnion
4) Use the 1.5mm Allen wrench to remove the wheel collar.
5) Slide the stock wheel off the 4mm axle.
6) Cut down the base of the strut wire by 0.25” with your rotary tool or saw.
7) Slide the new wheel onto the 4mm axle.
8) Reinstall the wheel collar.
9) Reinstall the strut into the retract trunnion.
10) Reinstall the retract into the retract bay.

Result:
1) 2.75” Main wheel installation complete.

Bonus Option:
1) Replace the stock nose wheel with one of the stock main wheels (No modification necessary)
2) The result would be 2.56” Nose wheel and 2.75” Main wheel, with slightly more nose up AoA

For pilots wanting an even larger main wheel, a Dubro Treaded Lightweight Wheel 3” (2 Pack) can be installed using the same process above, except modelers will need to shorten the main strut wire by 0.5” instead of 0.25”, and they will also need to slightly deepen the wheel bay’s contour to accept the taller wheel. A Dremel with a low grit sanding attachment can accomplish this in seconds. Raking the main strut slightly forward by shimming under the retract is an option also. There is 12mm of clearance between the stock main wheel and the main gear door. This 3” wheel would be the closest to scale visually, but [DISCLAIMER] officially we do not recommend this due to the mods required to get the geometry correct without compromising the boom’s spinal spar. In any modification, the geometry of the struts, their clearances in the wheel well, and the resulting ground stance are key considerations. Do not significantly alter the AoA of the nose, neither up for down, from the current stock angle.

Nose Wheel Height Modification

The stock nose wheel is 60mm tall and the 90 degree actuating retract unit is mounted at a slight angle so the nose strut sits ~100 degrees forward relative to the ground. This is the best compromise to fit the nose wheel inside the nacelle under the battery bay, and without having to design an all new 105 degree actuating retract to match the full size P-38’s nose strut angle. Pilots wanting to increase the forward rake angle can add washers under the aft side of the nose retract, but ensure that the nose wheel still clears the nose door (and paying attention to strut length so as not to lower the AoA). For a simpler mod, replacing the stock nose wheel with a stock main wheel (65mm) is possible without any modification.

Fantastic detailed info, glad there is some wiggle room to mess with it a little. It's on the to do list :D

Thanks

[FLTRI]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

Agreed, excellent tutorial! I'll be ordering some wheels, when I put in my battery order...

[FLTRI]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

Cross-posting from RCG...


As I don't have any batteries that will fit this plane, I'm pondering, and shopping, batteries. Obviously, I'd like to get the most bang for my buck, have nice long flights, and still leave plenty in reserve. Also, I'd like to share these batteries with another recent purchase, The Hobby King Avios Sea Fury. 

There are two places in the P-38 manual that batteries are called out, and not surprisingly, they differ. Under the specs, the manual calls for 2600 to 4000's, two each. Near the end of the manual, it calls for two 3300-4200's The HK Sea Fury calls for a single 3300-4000. That thread is very long, but I know folks are flying it with 5000's and say it's tail heavy to start with, so the bigger the better.

Using only Motion's site as a reference, here's what I've come up with...

Option 1) 3000 35C 
$74.00 for two batteries
135mm Long
44mm Wide
24mm High
620 grams for both batteries

Option 2) 3600 40C 
$96.00 for two batteries
135mm Long
45mm Wide
30mm High
760 grams for both batteries

Option 3) 4000 40C 
$106.00 for two batteries
136mm Long
45mm Wide
32mm High
776 grams for both batteries

Option 4) 5000 60C 
$76.00 for one battery
136mm Long
43mm Wide
39mm High
492 grams for one battery
Add $5 or so for a Y connector

I've pretty much ruled out option #1 as it's too small for the Sea Fury. Option #3 seems to be the best bet for both planes, and gives me 8000mAh for what will probably be a nice long flight. Weight wise, I'm adding 284 grams over option #4. Option #2 saves me $10 and 16 grams over #3. The down side is if I buy enough batteries to fly twice in a row, while the other is charging, I'm looking at $206/$196 vs. $152 between #2/3 and #4

Opinions, comments and suggestions appreciated. I'm curious to see what others are planning on using. I'm also curious to see how many folks are going with the two battery option vs. the one battery option. 

I'd also like to hear from Motion, as they are the only folks that have flown this plane yet. What kind of flight times are they getting on different batteries? How weight sensitive is the plane? Where does it balance, and if flown with smaller batteries, will I need to add dead weight to the front?

[Alpha]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

The largest packs dimensionally we tested were the two Admiral 4s 3000mAh 35Cs side by side, which is what the FlightLine 1600mm P-38 was designed around. Two Admiral 4s 2500mAh 50Cs fit and perform great as well. The 1400mm FMS P-38's battery space was severely lacking and we made a dedicated effort to maximize the FlightLine P-38's battery space without altering the nacelle's proportions. In fact the battery space was one of the driving factors behind sizing up the P-38 to 1600mm. We knew that we wanted a certain performance envelope which required a certain power system (the large props were a Must in my mind), which in turn informed the size of the battery, which in turn informed the nacelle size, which in turn set the aircraft's overall scale.

Note in the Specifications that the P-38 PNP has two separate motor/ESC circuits each with their own T-connector, which simplifies calibrating each ESC, or component swaps, without the need for soldering. Proper care for a matched pair of batteries hasn't shown any significant disparity in the cells over many flights (~150 flights across three paired packs). We did use an adapter which paralleled the two T-connectors to a single EC5 connector, for the ~50 test flights flown on a single Admiral 4s 5000mAh 60c. We know many of our customers use the 4s 2500 and 3000 batteries in their 980mm and 1100mm warbirds, while a smaller portion use the 4s 5000mAh in some of our larger aircraft. In fact, I've used the Admiral 4s 4000mAh 40c in a pinch, although flight times are limited to four minutes or so and your packs' ampacity must be high otherwise your vertical and top end speed will suffer under the voltage sag. For people who have lots of those 4000s, that may be an alternative to investing in new 4s 2500 or 3000 pairs, although for the record we do recommend 5000mAh total capacity for optimal performance as designed. The manual from FlightLine lists a lower range of capacity options, but MotionRC recommends 5,000 based on our extensive experience with the aircraft.

On the stock PNP setup, with mixed throttle on a typical "demonstration" flight pattern with taxi out/loops/rolls/cuban/splitS/fastPass/invert/flap/touchGo/Landing/taxi in, using any of the three combos (2x4s 2500, 2x4s 3000, 1x4s 5000), my timer is set for four minutes and I always land at 3.87-3.88v per cell without ever worrying about a deadstick. The longest flights on the two 5000mAh setups averaged six minutes with reserve, and the 6000mAh averaged seven with very conservative throttle for a very slow flight for product photos. I wouldn't say the P-38 is much of a glider when level, but it's easy to conserve energy during power dives and loops. In the same way that we recommend to customers to maiden their new jets with a conservative 2 minute timer, I'd recommend a conservative 3:30 timer for the P-38 for the first flight. Then add time in 15 second increments based on the mA put back into the battery after each flight. Depending on one's flying style, battery quality, and other factors, each pilot's average flight time may vary. Overall I'd plan on 4.5-5 minutes to be on the safe side with reserve. I'm much more cautious with a twin engine plane, because losing battery power in either or both engines if the battery dies will likely kill the aircraft and it's just not worth an extra minute of flight time to me --that's what a second battery pack is for. Fly twice for 4-5 minutes each than once for 6.

The P-38's nacelle is narrow and short, so I'd caution against anyone expecting a cavernous battery bay. The 4s 6000 (two 3000s) is the largest pack we could fit, and CG, and be strapped in, and be able to close the hatch securely. All four conditions are required ;)

As for the "Options" you're considering, Option 1 is what I recommend (Being the guy who's flown it 200 times). Option 2 won't work (two Admiral 4s 3600s do NOT fit in the P-38 and will NOT CG). For Options 3 and 4, see my notes above.


For what it's worth, I flew an Admiral 4s 4000mAh in both the FlightLine Sea Fury and the Avios Sea Fury. The Admiral 4s 5000mAh is a good alternative there, too, because yes Sea Furys tend to tip toe on the tail heavy side.

[the snake]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

Subscribed

[Aros]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

Alpha, I like the idea of using one battery for this plane but is there any real advantage of going with a parallel setup or is it a wash (assuming mAh is equal)?

[Alpha]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

Good question, in my experience it's a wash. We record both cell voltages to the thousandth and milliohms after each flight, and there just isn't a huge disparity in the cells from either motor side after many, many, many flights. The extra [overly] cautious pilot might choose to alternate which battery in a pair goes to which motor in each flight, but truly, I think that's unnecessary if one is using good batteries. A prudent maintenance schedule for any battery for any plane calls for checking cell voltage and IR to identify the early signs of irregularity. That there are two batteries in the P-38 opposed to one doesn't change the principle behind that protocol which frankly should be considered standard procedure among electric RC pilots. If I ever saw a cell begin to drop, I'd flag it and remove it from the equation and replace it with a new battery. Whether that was the sole battery in an aircraft, or one of a pair, or one of a triplet (in the case of, say a saddle pack from a BVM Electra or similar).

[FLTRI]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

Thanks Alpha, that is exactly the data I was looking for. I was really hoping I would not have to buy specific batteries for both the P-38 and the Sea Fury, but it's looking like I can't get a ones-size-fits-all battery for both planes. Does the P-38 fly better heavy, (option 1) or light (option4)? How much stress do you feel you put on that single 5000, considering it's running two of everything? I assume that's why you used a 60C 5000...

[Aros]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

Thanks Alpha...Yeah with my Legend Models P-38, I am hyper-vigilant making sure both my Admiral 5S Li-Po's are balanced and equalizing cell-by-cell. That's a 21 pound P-38 that would make for a very bad day if she started torquing in due to a bad battery.

[Alpha]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

I used the Admiral 4s 5000mAh 60c because that's the only 4s 5000 we sell. Keep in mind, we're designing these aircraft to be used with the batteries we sell. In certain aircraft with cavernous battery bays, like the T-45, it's a reasonable assumption that other manufacturer's batteries of similar capacities can fit and CG without issue, but in certain aircraft with more strictly sized battery bays, like the F-15 or this P-38, there is overall less "wiggle room", so as a matter of priority (and availability) we design the plane around the batteries we sell. Much effort is put into standardizing the battery type across as many different aircraft as possible, for obvious reasons, but in certain planes there are unavoidable limits to that initiative.

I don't consider there being much "stress" on the single battery. As my numbers above show, a 4 minute fully diverse flight taxis into the pits with the battery still at 3.88v per cell --they're still above 50%. I have a voltage telemetry module in my Hitec receivers which I set to sound off when the voltage drops below 3.55v per cell (14.2v). On a typical flight as described above, I'll hear that alarm once or twice, for less than second or two, and this is only at the top of a loop after a full throttle vertical climb lasting a few seconds. Once I reduce power the beeping stops and the cells recover. Zooming around doesn't ever trigger the alarm. I can do three low altitude consecutive complete cuban 8s without triggering the alarm. And again, landing at 3.88 tells us a lot. As a flight evaluator I'm often flying the only prototype in the world, so I'm known to 'baby' my batteries more than the average pilot because killing a prototype too early would be a major setback in the development schedule. The only time I'll even come close to landing under 20% capacity is during the maximum duration test phase or maximum envelope/destructive testing phase.

[mr.frankenjet]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

I used the Admiral 4s 5000mAh 60c because that's the only 4s 5000 we sell. Keep in mind, we're designing these aircraft to be used with the batteries we sell. In certain aircraft with cavernous battery bays, like the T-45, it's a reasonable assumption that other manufacturer's batteries of similar capacities can fit and CG without issue, but in certain aircraft with more strictly sized battery bays, like the F-15 or this P-38, there is overall less "wiggle room", so as a matter of priority (and availability) we design the plane around the batteries we sell. Much effort is put into standardizing the battery type across as many different aircraft as possible, for obvious reasons, but in certain planes there are unavoidable limits to that initiative.

I don't consider there being much "stress" on the single battery. As my numbers above show, a 4 minute fully diverse flight taxis into the pits with the battery still at 3.88v per cell  --they're still above 50%. I have a voltage telemetry module in my Hitec receivers which I set to sound off when the voltage drops below 3.55v per cell (14.2v). On a typical flight as described above, I'll hear that alarm once or twice, for less than second or two, and this is only at the top of a loop after a full throttle vertical climb lasting a few seconds. Once I reduce power the beeping stops and the cells recover. Zooming around doesn't ever trigger the alarm. I can do three low altitude consecutive complete cuban 8s without triggering the alarm. And again, landing at 3.88 tells us a lot. As a flight evaluator I'm often flying the only prototype in the world, so I'm known to 'baby' my batteries more than the average pilot because killing a prototype too early would be a major setback in the development schedule. The only time I'll even come close to landing under 20% capacity is during the maximum duration test phase or maximum envelope/destructive testing phase.

Thanks Alpha,

Usually on large planes with this many servos and retracts etc I use a separate BEC for the heavy load issues and a bit of piece of mind. Can you tell me if a separate BEC is being used / if not would you recommend one ?

[Alpha]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

Hi Mr.Frankenjet, the prototype did not use a separate BEC, but pilots can choose to add one for their "peace of mind" as you put it. Over the course of 200+ flights I did not encounter any servo glitches or other low V/A issues. The doors and flaps (7 servos) are only in use for short periods. During normal maneuvering the six 9g servos (AIL/RUD) and one 17g servo (elevator) pull about 2.8A momentarily at maximum if used all at once to full deflection while in a dive (snap roll pull out), which was recorded only during excessively high G maneuvers which are inappropriate for a P-38 anyway. Aside from other onboard telemetry devices and sensors I also use XPS Tattletales.

[Aros]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

How about the finish? There's the spare part photos that seem to show excessive "Gator Skin" on the silver, but you mentioned how these spare part photos are usually taken in the early manufacturing phase long before the final product is mass produced where quality is improved. That's definitely good for folks to know. How about the overall production finish? I know we have yet to get a final mass production version but can you comment on any steps FlightLineRC is taking to ensure a smoother overall finish (as some recent brands have displayed, like the Freewing jets for instance) where the "gator skin" look is less pronounced?

[Alpha]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

The short answer is that the spare parts photos are not indicative of the quality of the full production models. Keep in mind also silver painted foam photographed under studio lighting can often exaggerate the appearance of "skin".

For a bit of deeper information, when a new mold is first produced, we'll run a small batch of parts to optimize settings for the final production run, conduct paint color/adhesion testing, refine production line processes, etc. Assuming there aren't any major external physical changes to the part, these initial "test runs" of parts, instead of being discarded straight away, become what the manufacturer paints and photographs as "Spare Parts". That's how we're able to list photos of these spare parts before the final model itself even begins production. From time to time, occasionally a part will be photographed to show what the Spare Part SKU contains and looks like, even though surface wise the it may be be a sub-par part which wouldn't pass QC on the actual production run. That's why sometimes a spare part may appear to have a sub-par surface.

Once an aircraft is in full production, as time allows the manufacturer will replace those spare parts photos with photos of actual QC-approved parts from the production line. If someone ever noticed that sometimes a spare part photo of a body part like a spare fuselage has a wire coming out of it even though we know the spare part SKU doesn't include any wiring, that's a sign of the spare part being taken off of the production line to be photographed.

[mr.frankenjet]

RE: Official Announcement: FlightLine 1600mm P-38 Lightning!!!

Hi Mr.Frankenjet, the prototype did not use a separate BEC, but pilots can choose to add one for their "peace of mind" as you put it.  Over the course of 200+ flights I did not encounter any servo glitches or other low V/A issues. The doors and flaps (7 servos) are only in use for short periods. During normal maneuvering the six 9g servos (AIL/RUD) and one 17g servo (elevator) pull about 2.8A momentarily at maximum if used all at once to full deflection while in a dive (snap roll pull out), which was recorded only during excessively high G maneuvers which are inappropriate for a P-38 anyway. Aside from other onboard telemetry devices and sensors I also use XPS Tattletales.

Excellent, thank you Sir,
On a twin is 1 bec then used or are both active/connected ? In addition what is the on board bec rated at, switching ??
(sorry just thinking here,no plane to mess with yet :o) thanks in advance for your help yet again) :D