Like the shirt? Get it here! ► bit.ly/GeekRIPTApparel ▼Links to Everything used on the model below▼ E-flite F-16 Falcon 80mm EDF ► bit.ly/EflF1680 6s 5000mah Battery ► bit.ly/Smt6s5000 6s 6250mah Battery ► bit.ly/RT6s6250 6s 7000 mah Battery ► bit.ly/Sm6s7000 Spektrum NX Radio ► bit.ly/SpktmTx 32mm Inrunner Centerburner ► thercgeek.com/centerburner
Really fantastic plane, and perfectly flown as usual. Who needs a turbine when an EDF can sound this good. E-flite has definitely set the bar high with this one.
Yup electric is really the way to go no more fuel stuff plus way too much money. These f16s are very nice love it freewing and fms been kicking ass but I love my freewing more then the eflite fms f16
@@Thercgeek awesome flying. Would you be willing to post a high alpha tutorial? Maybe just a clip where you talk us through your sticks on some existing footage. You really nail that on this model.
The sound and the way it looks, while taking off and went past the camera I was half expecting that deep rumbly bass to follow like you get from the real thing, a very impressive model
Great and thorough review--as always! I depend more on your reviews than others as you give all the setup details (settings/control deflections, mods, etc...) not only verbally, but clearly shown CAPTIONED AND MEASURED ON SCREEN. Fantastic--keep up the good work!
Its amazing to see the stage our hobby has come to. A plane like this would be virtually impossible to build years ago. Let alone put together in a couple of hours... The sound... I mean... What else do you need? What about that after burn light? Im 100% sold. Will never stop building balsa... But gosh this thing is pretty. God bless y'all
Thank you very much for letting us enjoy those high speed passes. I’ve seen other channels that talk during them and it’s beyond annoying. Lights out fantastic video!
@@Thercgeek Hi Chris--I bought an AR8360T 8-ch AS3X receiver to put into this BNF (saving the stock RX for another project) so I can put complete flaperons and tailerons on this model and have AS3X operate better in turbulence than your experience. What are your thoughts on this and for what I have in mind with the RX?
I think the airplane will do well with a more full house control system. It does great stock, but if you want to really take advantage of the flaperons, it does need the tailerons to help augment the roll rate loss you get. A friend of mine did this on his freewing f16 and it worked really well.
Nice bird-buddy of mine-(sound engineer also) has the idea to add a mic/amplifier/ adjustable pitch shifter plus speaker to this to give the engine sound a deeper, louder natural acoustic report
I’m new to your channel and the hobby! Right now I’m flying the volantex corse air, eachine f16 and f22 raptor! Really loving it! But this plane in particular will be my big boy upgrade after I get use to flying good! Just need to get the funds…😅 Crazy story!!!! I live 15 to 20 miles away from the 180th base in Toledo! I’m absolutely in love with the f16 and my home town fighter jets!! This very plane flew over my truck yesterday about 30feet over my head as it was landing! It’s incredible! I also got to watch them take off and fly over as I was fueling the construction equipment that were redoing the Toledo international airport runway! I get to see these guys fly the real thing almost every week! I love it! The stinger insignia is awesome and I want this exact plane sooooo damn bad!! Awesome video man, and great choice of stickers!! I didn’t know they came with this set up which makes me want it more now!! 😭😭😭
The ESC was upside down in yours too! When I put mine together, I thought it was odd that the aluminum heat sink was facing up instead of toward the air duct. On the maiden flight of mine in the 90 degree Texas heat, the motor shut off a minute or two into the flight and I had to make a quick landing. I didn't have the telemetry set up for the maiden, but I did set it up before the second flight so that I could see what was going on. And sure enough, the FET temperature hit 225°F. The ESC is designed to shut the motor off at 110°C which s 230°F. I pulled the fan unit out, lifted the back end of the clear ESC/wiring cover just enough to flip the ESC over, glued the cover back down with contact cement, and reinstalled the fan unit. Now it doesn't go over 200°F. Another thing I did after the maiden was update the firmware in the AR637TA, reset it to wipe out the factory settings, and reprogram the AS3X/SAFE settings to my liking. After a couple more flights, I moved the aileron linkages out to the last hole in the servo arms. It's flying great now except that it was nose heavy today. I'll start moving the battery back on future flights.
Mine came this way too which i thought was odd as the heat sink you would think would obviously be getting the air blown over it to cool it! I just got back from the field and it got to 220 and started pulling power back! I backed off throttle and landed it quickly. And i was just cruising around 50-70% throttle when it got that hot as well! Im going to pull the EDF out and turn it over and i hope this cures my issues. I also turned the motor timing to 5 degrees from 15 it was set at from the factory.
I know this is an old clip but I enjoy your channel especially when compared to other RC enthusiast channels. In particular I like how you provide info on control surface deflection and expo rates. No one else does that! I guess I'm an RC Geek fan...... LOL!!!!!
Thanks! I haven’t had any issues seeing it personally. If you are wanting some markers, red would be the way to go. Maybe consider painting it up in qf-16 colors as the tails and wing tips are danglo orange. 😊
What an awesome looking & sounding viper! Lighting up the burners and going vertical looks like the real thing. Your nose high landings are very impressive, Chris. Only wonder if one can hold the nose high post touch down for aerodynamic breaking like the real ones so often do. If a manufacturer ever figures out where to position the main gears appropriately to allow that would be amazing.
It will do it somewhat, but not for a super long time. The gear are pretty much in the scale location and the landing speeds are such that the elevators don’t generate sufficient down force at slow speeds to really hold the nose up for a long time as it slows down.
@@motionsic you can enable the ESC on the F16 to reverse, allowing for thrust reversing. I’m not sure how well it would work on this particular model(cheater holes)
@@ThercgeekOh yea... seen a fair number of people on Forums and some YT videos having issues. If you get enough torque on a stab the peg (servo side) and slot (stab side) will seperated and well, on good stab,.,one flapping in the wind. Dirt nap for sure. Seen a couple guys have it fall in full throttle dives. Although...dunno why they are full throttle in a dive LOL. I had a pretty aggressive high speed snap roll, not two mistakes high...or even one. Showing off for my girl...doh! The gods of aviation smiled on me and she just belly flopped in the dirt. It did help to get me started taking the missiles off the fuselage like you did lol. Blue Angles don't fly with stores.😋. Eflite just painted the gray Marines on in Blue Angles livery...right. Pretty smart. I'm going to basically extend the peg with a ball joint so it can't pop out again. Seems a few videos of guys doing just that. I suspect that's why the design team at Eflite didn't do the same on the new F16. Was a good idea but..a widow maker for sure. I wasn't very thrilled with that model anyway. She did fly well...clean. but, it's an F18. Banking with full flaps, like base to final, with those huge gear hanging like an eagle fishing...banked like a stuck pig. Lots of rudder. And landing... flying with a 6000mah cause 4000 flight time were so low. Really have to keep speed up on approach. Just seems counterintuitive. Carrier based plane with flaps and need more landing speed what the F16 tbird. Then again, the tbird is so light and couldn't get bigger than 4000mah in it. The tbird was my first EDF and I think it spoiled me. She's such a light girl. So agile and very throttle responsive. I love to come in crawling with a high alpha approach and then goose that throttle just before touchdown. Like a simulated flair..lol. I was thinking about painting the Tbird this summer. Use it as a practice piece. But, Eflite came out with the beautiful new 80mm with the amazingly detailed gear...makes all the different IMHO. Guess I'll redo the F18 now since it needs some fixing. Cheers man...jealous of your weather right now. 😋😁 Have fun man!
Man that is awesome your center burner is a must on this plane. Can’t wait to get my hands on this one Chris as always your review was polished and perfect
Chris. Man, Love the sound of that jet. Awesome it can take a 7000 pack. Would be nice to see the Shaw livery on this model. Not seen it on any of the reviews so far. lol. 😁. Thanks for sharing all aspects of this jet. Really most scale model i seen yet. 👍👍
@@Thercgeek I got custom tail graphics from Callie Graphics. She's awesome, she'll custom make whatever you want. She already had what I wanted. The LF for Luke Field and 56OG for the 56th operations group at Luke Air Force base here just outside of Phoenix where I live. It's the primary training base for F16 and F35 pilots and crews for 28 nations. Gotta pay respects to the boys...and girls... put there. It's pretty cool being able to see them coming in at night on approach...and hearing them during the day...and night. You can totally hear the difference! F35s are so much louder!
Beautiful aircraft, beautiful slipstream that just cuts like a scalpel through the air. The obvious question is how's it compared to the fantastic F-16 Thunderbirds 80mm? Also, at 11:49 on the landing you faded out on us. This runway looks almost exactly like the one I fly at here in Chollas Lake.
The designs are the same. The defining difference with the tbird is that it comes with an 8ch receiver which opens up more custom programming opportunities. The is the vid I put together for the tbird th-cam.com/video/Ucju6nH7NEM/w-d-xo.html
Fellow Geeksters...take his advise and back up the CG. You will love it! Felt heavy and sluggish on landings getting this nose up. Light and agile now and greasing the landings! Goes max throws too! Recommend are terrible. Why does it always seem recommended CGs are always bad? Also... this plane has the same ESC as the Draco. Know what that means? Reverse thrust! It's hilarious and not extremely efficient but..it does help! Now... you may need an ESC programmer or you can download the programming guide to use the xmitter to change ESC settings. Motor reverse isn't active on the F16 like the Draco as in recall. But, once you activate it... just follow the steps in the Draco manual and set it to a switch! Hit that switch after landings and go full throttle and she'll come to a decent stop. She'll even reverse. Thrust comes right outta the cheaters, top and bottom, much like a commercial jets. Kinda like the 737 Supermax. This bird does roll for ever and it could be the difference from rolling off a runway or..,into a concrete curb in a parking lot! Also.., you'll get some laughs and heads turning at the field. I dig it! F16s wingtip so easily! It'll save you taxi back time but cost you some battery/flight time. Cheers!
It was the best edf I ever tried but it lost signal and crashed. Had it bound to my dx6i. No problems for years with normal spektrum rxs like the ar6200 and recently ar410 which I put in my me262. The ar637t that comes with this 80mm falcon cost me the plane. Will continue sharing my experience and hoping horizon replaces the plane.
Hi, I have flapperons added..thanks!. Do you know if it's possible to add the afterburner ring also? I used up channel 6 for the flaps and don't have a slot for the afterburner. Thanks for your help in advance! Take care and keep these vids coming.
Thanks for you kind encouragement! There is a workaround that would allow you to setup the burner with the throttle but it ends up nuking the telemetry. In your channel assignments, swap the channel assignments between channels 1 and 2 such that your throttle channel is now assigned to channel 2 with your esc plugged into ch 2. That will default the esc into pwm mode which will allow you to use the burner with a yharness. I am actually working on a new design that will be compatible with smart in the future such that you won’t lose telemetry and can connect it via a yharness without any mods, but don’t have an eta on that just yet. Been a long road, but I think We’re finally getting close on it.
Honestly, unless you’re going to add in tailerons with the flaperons (th-cam.com/video/pyJSu0dFl0A/w-d-xo.html ), It doesn’t buy you much IMO. You lose roll control when the flaperons are down which isn’t favorable. That being said, when I was experimenting with it, I had actually created a filter cable that blocked the srxl2 signal that allowed me to use a yharness with the throttle channel. Not a long term solution, haha
Good afternoon Chris, I noticed in this assembly video, you recommended to set the elevator at 23mm, the book calls out for 20mm. Do you recommend the 23mm as shown in the video to keep the nose up? And more or less make it easier to alpha? Please let me know, I set mine up according to the way you set yours up. I'm getting ready to maiden mine, I'm just trying to be sure to get it right, thanks Robert
That is where it fell out for the 100% end points. Feels good there, so if you’re having to reduce the rate to match the 90mm, I’d recommend keeping it at the full 100% rate instead.
When the ailerons are cambered downward, they aren’t as effective at generating a roll and adding more camber isn’t as effective at as reducing the camber is when trying to roll. So, to try and make up the difference, I set it up to get more upward aileron movement than downward movement. It works ok, but ultimately the best way to accomplish this is to add in tailerons as well like I did here: th-cam.com/video/MMZr3tqOgfI/w-d-xo.html this provides no loss in roll control when using flaperons.
Great review of the new F16, I enjoyed the video. What was the reaction from the people watching you fly it? I haven't seen a reaction video of this jet on TH-cam. But with its amazing sound and looks, it seems like a real head turner. I bet people who have never seen a rc jet fly before would be blown away by this one. Would it be possible to fly this at a safe location and get people's reactions? Thanks again for making this review.
Interestingly enough, there weren’t many folks at the field when we filmed this. Those who were there really liked it. Unfortunately fields have become pretty limited here in SD. 😕
@@Thercgeek No worries, thanks for your reply. I'm just starting out with jets on the Habu. I'm working my way up to to this one when I get confident enough. I can remember if you flew safe in the video, but how well did it work on this jet?
I didn’t fly it with safe at all. Honestly, I don’t usually think about it as I always fly without it. That being said, if you’re going to fly with safe, I’d recommend starting with 100% rates on everything as otherwise I may limit you more than you’d want it to.
Great video. My E-Flite F16 80mm arrives tomorrow. I ordered the Spektrum 7000mah battery for it. I notice you were using the Spektrum NX10 transmitter. I ordered that as well. I was wondering if you know if there’s any difference between the NX10, and NX8 transmitters besides the two channels? Thanks bud!
Thanks! There’s not really a major difference between the 8 and the 10 aside from the extra channels which opens up more opportunities for custom programming.
@@Thercgeek ok, thanks. I wasn’t sure, but that’s what I thought. I wanted the extra channels just in case. I definitely didn’t want the 8, then decide later on I wish I bought the 10…lol. I have no regrets. Thanks for your reply. Have a great weekend!
Honestly, my go to recommendation for a first jet is the eflite viper. It’s a great first jet. The 70mm f16 isn’t a bad option either, but the 80mm does require some decent proficiency imo based on its speed and performance.
Great review. Thinking of ordering it myself. Curious of all the foam jets you have flown, what would you consider your favorite? The Rafale is my other choice.
Thanks! Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either one. Both the rafale and the f16 fly similarly though I find this f16 a bit more nimble to fly but the rafale lands quite a bit slower.
This is a great review! I have mine on order and already have worries about grass field operations. So far the EDF fighter to beat is the Hobbyzone Mig-29. Big wheels robust gear and flies amazing! Let's see how this F-16 compares.
Thanks! The tires are pretty small on this f16, so do keep that in mind. I’d recommend flaperons for takeoffs for grass ops. How thick is the grass you’re flying off of?
Might do fine then, especially with flaperons. I know they were flying from grass at one of the big events recently. The flaperons did help on the takeoffs.
Nice shakedown of that F16 RC Geek , would you recommend that F16 for someone who never fly an EDF jet before, but have flight experience with other planes,
Sorry for the late response, just saw this comment. It really depends on your experience and proficiency. A proficient pilot with some high performance aircraft experience could probably jump into the 80mm F-16 ok. However, the 70mm version is a bit lighter and a bit more forgiving than the 80mm and would be better suite if someone had a bit less proficiency.
Hey Chris, have you considered trying the thrust reverse in this one? With the same Avian ESC as Draco, could in theory setup motor reverse for after landing. Dunno how well it would work with the EDF fan blade and cheater holes but....this thing does roll for ever lol. Could help on short fields😋. She is beautiful and assembly is crazy easy. And yea..no terrible F18 stabs design. Got Callie sending me tail art for Luke AFB 56th FW. Hometown base training flight crews and pilots from 28 nations west of Phoenix. F35 training base too. Their approach path is about 6 miles away from my house and the F35s sound like they're going right over the house! Crazy louder than F16s.
@@Thercgeek ok...gonna try this! Hope it works cause it will be cool as Hell. Gotta wait to turn back with those tricycle gear lol. Can keep you outta the grass at ur field lol. th-cam.com/video/TrOZ8sUVlo0/w-d-xo.html
Thrust reverse is extremely effective with this model. As you gain experience, you will find it’s not needed. It will really slow down prior to the mains touching with the proper technique.
As always, great video! What are your thoughts on this F-16 being the next plane to fly after getting comfortable with the F-16 Thunderbird? I am still getting comfortable with the 70mm Thunderbird but I really am liking this one as well.
I do think if you are proficient with the 70, you can step up to this one. The key difference is that this one flies heavier than the 70, so the takeoff and landing speeds will be faster. Otherwise, it flies very much the same with the cg further back as recommended in my vid.
Now that it has been just over a year what battery are you liking best, 5000 vs 7000. With the 5000 how close to the back of the battery compartment are you liking it? I just received my Thunderbirds 80mm F-16 and am doing a little research on battery locations. Thanks and I enjoy the depth of your videos.
The pack that I use the most in it is the Roaring Top 6s 6250mah. It's kind of the best of both worlds IMO since it's lighter than the 7000 but more capacity than the 5000. It's placed most of the way back in the battery area at this point. E-flite did update the CG in the manual with the T-bird it appears as it corresponds to about where I've been flying the airplane.
Chris how much rollout do you need to get her up. I assume you are basically just punching it and allowing it to do most lifting. I’m really challenged with a 100 ft runway lol. I’m newer to edfs. It’s hard to get my head wrapped around flaperons. Seems to me the flaperons would give it lift but at slow speed setting up for a stall? What’s the error in my thinking? Thanks
I’m flying the airplane from a 300ft strip and it does well. It takes off in about 150ft and then usual uses the whole runway on the landing roll. I don’t think 100ft is enough. The full flaperon/taileron setup works really well (th-cam.com/video/MMZr3tqOgfI/w-d-xo.html) on this model. Being a low aspect ratio wing, it doesn’t stall like a traditional aircraft, so you can really push the nose up and slow it down and it won’t roll off like other aircraft will.
Hey Chris... just a quick question.. Can you hook up the nose gear steering to a digital switch or dial on the spektrum DX9, by using the spare channel..?
Can you get your recommended CG of 105mm with a 5000 pack and no tail weight? I hate adding dead weight to a plane but of course nose heavy is worse on a jet like the F-16.
Excellent video! I do have a question: I'm listening in as I set-up mine with a Futaba receiver and was wondering if those expo values are enough on this particular airframe? I tend towards 20-30% expo for scale aircraft. Just wondering your thoughts on this...keeping in mind I won't have any stability features (gyro) in mine. Thanks !
hey bud I got this bird and its a masterpiece of machinery and I love the gear and its not the easiest to land bc it will tip to the a side. but its a awesome jet. great job my friend and glad to sub to your channel!!
Excellent review as always. Any indication of laggy elevator response when pulling out of a dive? I'm always worried about these 13g E-Flite elevator servos not having enough torque for the task, eapecially on all flying stabs. The Su-30 is particularily noticeable. Hope these servos last, as a failure means a new airplane.
So, jets are what you work up to flying. Flying rc is incredibly fun but takes some practice to get proficient. The easiest airplanes to start with are trainer type aircraft like this ranger th-cam.com/video/abSALpPVZSI/w-d-xo.html I also recommend seeking out a local rc club as they typically have instructors who can help you get started out training the right habits to learn.
@@Thercgeek and everything else, as 80s kid stuff like this existed only in the imagination crazy cool, looks awesome with the full itinerary of weapons, the whole package is, and it makes jets flight more realistic to more people. Because gas turbines aren't exactly affordable least of all scale f16s really good review and I watched it enjoyed it.
@@Thercgeek… my apologies, I was looking into your center burners and other accessories but there weren’t any photos or descriptions on the items. Only the option to purchase.
Ah, ok. You probably didn’t go deep enough. If you click on the image (or the buy now button), that takes you to the specific product page for each type and there are pictures there of the different designs.
Great video as usual! Thanks for showing the placement for the 5k pack although I do have a 7k adding the tail weight doesn't really interest me although I'm sure it flys ok even if you don't add it, my only fear is that roll out, sheesh it goes forever on the ground lol
Thanks man! It does fine without the tail weight, but it does help with the 7k pack. It’s not needed for lighter weight packs. It does roll a long way, but I’m also flying from a 300ft runway. Should do just fine on a longer runway.
@@Thercgeek I saw that it’s avian ESC can be programmed to allow for reverse thrust. I wonder how effective that would be in this model(cheater holes might be a problem) Maybe you can investigate that, it would be sweet.
In talking with Jason at horizon, he mentioned they explored that but that with the aux air grates that it wasn’t super effective at stopping the airplane.
I haven’t flown this one with tailerons other than with flaperons for landings. That said, I’ve seen plenty of f16 fly with tailerons and they roll decently axial. Not quite as good as ailerons/elevator though.
@@Thercgeek Thank you, i Fly the Freewing F16 70mm and I still take off and land on Safe Mode. So the Full safe feature is active with the Flaperons set up you just have to move the safe to a diffrent channel? Thank you
E-Flite F16 vs FMW Rafale - Which one would you buy first? I am an experienced pilot, but am curious which one you would say is more fun to fly, and has better build quality
They actually provide a similar experience though F-16 is a bit more of a hot rod compared to the rafale. The f16 is a bit more nimble in maneuvering which I find a bit more fun. The rafale lands a little nicer though.
They are sounding so much better!!! Finally sounding more like actual turbines. Which one sounds the best? I do already have an F16, but IT IS on of my favorites
@@JackilusMaximus yes I love the f16 sound I only own the freewing and fms 70s and they sound real. I agree f16 is a much better edf to fly personally they have the delta wings and stabilizers and it's one if the best looking. Mirage 2000 is also a very nice airframe and a very fun one but f16 is much better
Hi Chris. You mention flaperons only work with as3x on one side, is this the same with as3x connected with both ailerons on separate channels when used normally. Or is it only one side when flaperons are selected?
It’s when the ailerons are connected in separate channels. Has to do with the configuration in the receiver. If you want to take full advantage of flaperons, I’d recommend replacing the receiver and separating both ailerons and flaps for flaperons and tailerons like I did here th-cam.com/video/MMZr3tqOgfI/w-d-xo.html
@@Thercgeek Thanks for the reply, I guess my main question is if separate channels are used for the ailerons will both ailerons have as3x or only one?.
In all honesty, I’d recommend maybe picking up something to dust the cobwebs off the thumbs and then going in on one of these. They fly great, but do I do recommend having decent proficiency to help protect the investment. You know?
@@Thercgeek absolutely makes sense. For planes do you prefer spektrum or futaba radios ? Also what starter plane would you suggest to work my way back up?
Interesting... I wanted to try and use a couple Socokin 4000 80c batteries I picked up because they are crazy good for some reason. Getting like 7-8 mins on the.Eflite 70mm third and A10. Crazy..I know but..I'm not throttle hog and I've noticed these batteries take about 300 mah more charging them than the HRB 4000s. But...I couldn't get the CG to work at the 95mm (I have more like 97mm) as recommended. You want a F16 to be a bit tall heavy for the alpha so...gonna try your 105'mm recommending. After all..when have you ever steered is wrong🤘. Have you tried a 4000? Guessing not. I have a bunch from the.A10 and tbird so... Wanted to see. This F16 reminds me a bit of their F18. Feels heavier to me but after the third and A10... Everything feels heavy!😋 Thanks Chris! You're a good egg😁🤘
I’ve not tried a 4000, just the 5000. I think you’ll prefer the further aft cg. I found the 90-95mm to feel quite nose heavy. I think I’m flying the model even further aft now even.
@@ThercgeekNice! Thanks, Chris. Yea, I had to crank up the throws as well. On first flight, she just didn't want to bank. Especially like a F16 wants to and can bank! I even moved and maxed out the control rods on alirons. Question...are you saying the flaparons are a no go WITH Safe? Guys like me with one weak eye... Safe is a nice insurance policy on the investment. Especially that gray plane on an overcast day! That weak eye man...had to give up my Proctology practice. No depth perception! 🤪🤣 Might just have to try a 5000. Got the Socokin batteries cause I had an HRB 4000 die and can't CG a 5000 in the Tbird. They were a good deal too...$50 on Amazon and 80c. Always looking for that great off brand battery and looks like I found one. Even though...most all batteries are made at like 3 Chinese factories with just different labels in them LOL. Cheers!
I do t know why flaperons with safe wouldn’t work but I haven’t tried it personally. I’d recommend setting it up how I did in this vid to get the full benefits though th-cam.com/video/pyJSu0dFl0A/w-d-xo.html it would require a receiver change though. Are you flying up and away with safe also? Or just on takeoff and landings?
@@Thercgeek CHRIS! You magnificent b@astard! Can CG the 4000 all the way forward at around 105-107mm! Phew! Didn't wanna have to add weight and kill flight time even more to work it out. Ok... gonna rewatch your video. You said something about 60% on one Aileron/flaparon with Safe but... was watching at the field and those damn nitro heli guys and now... nitro dragsters at the field! Loud as hell lol. The dragsters.... Traxxas has a Christmas tree dragster start rig with sensor in it to detect false starts and which lane wins. Pretty neat really. Ain't into cars but...guys have a lot of fun. Lots of laughing and crashes and laughing at crashes. Especially track racing. But damn are they noisy! Thanks man! I gotta start buying some merch! You have the best advise and always responsive! Cheers!
@@Thercgeek ok... "only one aliron responds to AS3X". Gotcha. Ok... is that all the time in Safe or only with flaparon switch engaged? Know you don't fly in Safe constantly but still good to know. 😀
Anyone else getting high frame loss and ever short holds between xmitter and receiver? I added a remote receiver but... going to try this as well! Amazon has Farrite beads..cheap! Get like 10-20 of different sizes for under $10. The ESC cable sites right next to the receiver! Power cables give off electromagnetic fields! Not good when $500+ is heading towards the ground! I noticed that Eflite added a ferrite bead to the 70mm tbird F16! I initially had all kinds of frames drops and holds because the ESC to Battery connection sat right next to the receiver. On that one, I got an extension cable and turned to batter 180 degrees and frame drops dropped considerably. Someone came to the field with a new tbird and E-flite had added a ferrite bead to ESC cable! I added one and now... never get holds and most flights have less than 100 frame drops. I'm going 5o keep the remote receiver...under the vertical stab but I'm adding a ferrite bead where the cable runs past the receiver. I have a feeling this is a leading cause for radio issues but people just don't realize it. FLOG was showing I was pulling in excess of 140 amps during takeoff and first bank and that is exactly when I was getting a short hold. All kinds of interference exactly when you don't want it! Curious to see if I'm on the right path. After all... people at Eflite added the ferrite bead for a reason! 😄
Ok, so on the afterburner you wyed in from ch 6 which eflite has the aux BEC tied into that channel. on the receiver was their anything you have to do in the transmitter to get this to work ? And can’t you wye in from ch 1 with the throttle?
On the transmitter, you have to assign channel 6 as throttle so that the burner operates with the throttle. Unfortunately using a y harness on throttle won’t work because of the smart telemetry. The controller is designed to read a pwm input, however when the smart telemetry is active, the communication type changes from pwm to srxl2 which the burner controller doesn’t know how to interpret. Setting it up on a separate channel is the work around. I’m working on a new design that will hopefully resolve srxl2 issue, but is a while off yet before it’ll be ready.
Great airplane, but I am not sure about the DSM2 to DSMX compatibility? Why? I bound this plane to my dx6i and it fell out of the sky, sudden loss of any control response. My RV 7 did the same thing but control input returned before impact and I saved it. My dsm2 receiver equipped me262 and wildcat, however are doing just fine with my dx6i. Any ideas? I only have issues with dsmx receiver aircraft not dsm2 receiver aircraft when using the dsm2 dx6i transmitter.
That’s an interesting one, I’m not really sure. I’d recommend updating the airware in the transmitter if you haven’t already. Otherwise, my understanding is that it should be fully dsmx compatible. What was the antenna configuration and was it different between the airplanes with the issue than without?
Honestly, I’m not sure I would recommend that given the investment involved. Maybe start with the habu or viper jet and then consider moving up once proficient with one of those.
When there’s a smart receiver tied with a smart esc, the burner needs to be run from a separate channel. The smart tech changes the communication type from pwm to srxl2 and the burner controller has difficulty interpreting the srxl2 communication.
Having issues with the motor pulsating even after reprogramming the esc. Not sure what the problem is with fresh charge on a 6s Pulse 45c battery. Avion 100 esc. Any Ideas?
It’s all relative to the amount of full throttle useage. Cruising should be around halfish throttle or less if possible and full throttle reserved for high performance maneuvers. My timer is set at 3:30 minutes and I use that as an indicator to think about setting up for landing. I’m typically on the ground at around the 4:30 mark and the cells are showing around 3.76-3.78v/cell.
Like the shirt? Get it here! ► bit.ly/GeekRIPTApparel
▼Links to Everything used on the model below▼
E-flite F-16 Falcon 80mm EDF ► bit.ly/EflF1680
6s 5000mah Battery ► bit.ly/Smt6s5000
6s 6250mah Battery ► bit.ly/RT6s6250
6s 7000 mah Battery ► bit.ly/Sm6s7000
Spektrum NX Radio ► bit.ly/SpktmTx
32mm Inrunner Centerburner ► thercgeek.com/centerburner
Can’t wait to get my F-16 so happy they made this one
It’s a really fun ride! 😊
Same man.
Enjoyed the informative CG battery placement.
Really fantastic plane, and perfectly flown as usual. Who needs a turbine when an EDF can sound this good. E-flite has definitely set the bar high with this one.
Right?! It’s a really fun model and the sound is pretty crazy. 😊
Yup electric is really the way to go no more fuel stuff plus way too much money. These f16s are very nice love it freewing and fms been kicking ass but I love my freewing more then the eflite fms f16
@@Thercgeek awesome flying. Would you be willing to post a high alpha tutorial? Maybe just a clip where you talk us through your sticks on some existing footage. You really nail that on this model.
The sound and the way it looks, while taking off and went past the camera I was half expecting that deep rumbly bass to follow like you get from the real thing, a very impressive model
Great and thorough review--as always! I depend more on your reviews than others as you give all the setup details (settings/control deflections, mods, etc...) not only verbally, but clearly shown CAPTIONED AND MEASURED ON SCREEN. Fantastic--keep up the good work!
Thank you!
The sound off this Beauty just makes it that much better!
Yeah, sounds so cool!
Its amazing to see the stage our hobby has come to. A plane like this would be virtually impossible to build years ago. Let alone put together in a couple of hours... The sound... I mean... What else do you need? What about that after burn light? Im 100% sold. Will never stop building balsa... But gosh this thing is pretty. God bless y'all
Finally maiden mine after a year and love the way it flies
Awesome, congrats! 😁
Thank you very much for letting us enjoy those high speed passes. I’ve seen other channels that talk during them and it’s beyond annoying.
Lights out fantastic video!
Thanks for watching!! 😊
Unlock the receiver, then reset it. You can get AS3X on the flaperons that way.
Yes, this is true.
@@Thercgeek Hi Chris--I bought an AR8360T 8-ch AS3X receiver to put into this BNF (saving the stock RX for another project) so I can put complete flaperons and tailerons on this model and have AS3X operate better in turbulence than your experience. What are your thoughts on this and for what I have in mind with the RX?
I think the airplane will do well with a more full house control system. It does great stock, but if you want to really take advantage of the flaperons, it does need the tailerons to help augment the roll rate loss you get. A friend of mine did this on his freewing f16 and it worked really well.
13.55 😯 Perfect landing!!!
Thanks for the Windex tip; it helps a lot when I put the mine on.
Glad it helped! 😊
Bloody great tip on the windex mate, defernatly keep a spray bottle around now👍
So glad it was helpful! 😊
You make this look easy.....
SUPER SONIC BIONIC EPIC STYLE 😎
Thank you Rc/G.
Very interesting as usual.
🇬🇧
Glad you enjoyed it! 😊
Thanks for the Bonus Flight Dude!!! 😎
Nice bird-buddy of mine-(sound engineer also) has the idea to add a mic/amplifier/ adjustable pitch shifter plus speaker to this to give the engine sound a deeper, louder natural acoustic report
I’m new to your channel and the hobby! Right now I’m flying the volantex corse air, eachine f16 and f22 raptor! Really loving it! But this plane in particular will be my big boy upgrade after I get use to flying good! Just need to get the funds…😅
Crazy story!!!! I live 15 to 20 miles away from the 180th base in Toledo! I’m absolutely in love with the f16 and my home town fighter jets!! This very plane flew over my truck yesterday about 30feet over my head as it was landing! It’s incredible! I also got to watch them take off and fly over as I was fueling the construction equipment that were redoing the Toledo international airport runway! I get to see these guys fly the real thing almost every week! I love it! The stinger insignia is awesome and I want this exact plane sooooo damn bad!! Awesome video man, and great choice of stickers!! I didn’t know they came with this set up which makes me want it more now!! 😭😭😭
Welcome to the channel and the hobby, very cool stuff!!
The ESC was upside down in yours too! When I put mine together, I thought it was odd that the aluminum heat sink was facing up instead of toward the air duct. On the maiden flight of mine in the 90 degree Texas heat, the motor shut off a minute or two into the flight and I had to make a quick landing. I didn't have the telemetry set up for the maiden, but I did set it up before the second flight so that I could see what was going on. And sure enough, the FET temperature hit 225°F. The ESC is designed to shut the motor off at 110°C which s 230°F. I pulled the fan unit out, lifted the back end of the clear ESC/wiring cover just enough to flip the ESC over, glued the cover back down with contact cement, and reinstalled the fan unit. Now it doesn't go over 200°F. Another thing I did after the maiden was update the firmware in the AR637TA, reset it to wipe out the factory settings, and reprogram the AS3X/SAFE settings to my liking. After a couple more flights, I moved the aileron linkages out to the last hole in the servo arms. It's flying great now except that it was nose heavy today. I'll start moving the battery back on future flights.
Mine came this way too which i thought was odd as the heat sink you would think would obviously be getting the air blown over it to cool it! I just got back from the field and it got to 220 and started pulling power back! I backed off throttle and landed it quickly. And i was just cruising around 50-70% throttle when it got that hot as well! Im going to pull the EDF out and turn it over and i hope this cures my issues. I also turned the motor timing to 5 degrees from 15 it was set at from the factory.
Is this a common problem? And rc geek did you or anyone else have to do this?
Good gravy, THE SOUND! It's amazing.
Yeah it does!
best sounding EDF aircraft in stock configuration so far :-)
Yeah, it sounds really authentic!
I know this is an old clip but I enjoy your channel especially when compared to other RC enthusiast channels. In particular I like how you provide info on control surface deflection and expo rates. No one else does that! I guess I'm an RC Geek fan...... LOL!!!!!
Thank you so much!!
Great video. Can you see it clearly in the sky? I thought of adding red stickers to the bottom not to lose orientation. What do you think?
Thanks! I haven’t had any issues seeing it personally. If you are wanting some markers, red would be the way to go. Maybe consider painting it up in qf-16 colors as the tails and wing tips are danglo orange. 😊
Thrust reverse really helps reduce the rollout btw, may be worth setting up
Indeed!
It seems to be really happy with the 5000
It does like the 5000. The lighter weight is nice, but the flight times are short.
What an awesome looking & sounding viper! Lighting up the burners and going vertical looks like the real thing. Your nose high landings are very impressive, Chris. Only wonder if one can hold the nose high post touch down for aerodynamic breaking like the real ones so often do. If a manufacturer ever figures out where to position the main gears appropriately to allow that would be amazing.
It will do it somewhat, but not for a super long time. The gear are pretty much in the scale location and the landing speeds are such that the elevators don’t generate sufficient down force at slow speeds to really hold the nose up for a long time as it slows down.
The RC Geek Yeah. That make sense. Also since we use more forward CG for RC models for static stability vs the real Vipers relaxed stability CG.
@@motionsic you can enable the ESC on the F16 to reverse, allowing for thrust reversing. I’m not sure how well it would work on this particular model(cheater holes)
I GET MY EFLITE 80MM F16 FRIDAY THANKS SOOOO MUCH TOWER HOBBY
Nice!! 😊
How good is it that they made this all screwed on and no glue. Dammit I was on a hard no to get another F16 but that is too irresistible.
That F18 and the Stabs design! Its created a lot of replacement parts revenue lol!
Haha, well I don’t know about that. 😉 Personally, I’ve never had any issues with the stabs or stab attachments on the f18.
@@ThercgeekOh yea... seen a fair number of people on Forums and some YT videos having issues. If you get enough torque on a stab the peg (servo side) and slot (stab side) will seperated and well, on good stab,.,one flapping in the wind. Dirt nap for sure. Seen a couple guys have it fall in full throttle dives. Although...dunno why they are full throttle in a dive LOL.
I had a pretty aggressive high speed snap roll, not two mistakes high...or even one. Showing off for my girl...doh! The gods of aviation smiled on me and she just belly flopped in the dirt. It did help to get me started taking the missiles off the fuselage like you did lol. Blue Angles don't fly with stores.😋. Eflite just painted the gray Marines on in Blue Angles livery...right. Pretty smart. I'm going to basically extend the peg with a ball joint so it can't pop out again. Seems a few videos of guys doing just that. I suspect that's why the design team at Eflite didn't do the same on the new F16. Was a good idea but..a widow maker for sure.
I wasn't very thrilled with that model anyway. She did fly well...clean. but, it's an F18. Banking with full flaps, like base to final, with those huge gear hanging like an eagle fishing...banked like a stuck pig. Lots of rudder. And landing... flying with a 6000mah cause 4000 flight time were so low. Really have to keep speed up on approach. Just seems counterintuitive. Carrier based plane with flaps and need more landing speed what the F16 tbird. Then again, the tbird is so light and couldn't get bigger than 4000mah in it. The tbird was my first EDF and I think it spoiled me. She's such a light girl. So agile and very throttle responsive. I love to come in crawling with a high alpha approach and then goose that throttle just before touchdown. Like a simulated flair..lol.
I was thinking about painting the Tbird this summer. Use it as a practice piece. But, Eflite came out with the beautiful new 80mm with the amazingly detailed gear...makes all the different IMHO. Guess I'll redo the F18 now since it needs some fixing.
Cheers man...jealous of your weather right now. 😋😁 Have fun man!
Man that is awesome your center burner is a must on this plane. Can’t wait to get my hands on this one Chris as always your review was polished and perfect
Thanks man! I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one quite a bit. 😊
How does it sound like that ? It literally sounds like you have a jet engine installed ? So Cool!!
Excellent review Mr Geek 👍
Thanks!
Excellent review Chris. I have my burner from you ready to install once they ship the plane. I heard next week. Getting excised.
Thanks! I hear next week also, so hopefully you won’t have to wait too much longer. 😊
Chris. Man, Love the sound of that jet. Awesome it can take a 7000 pack. Would be nice to see the Shaw livery on this model. Not seen it on any of the reviews so far. lol. 😁. Thanks for sharing all aspects of this jet. Really most scale model i seen yet. 👍👍
I do like the scheme choices they provided as a whole. I would consider doing one of the other schemes if I were to do it again. 😊
@@Thercgeek I got custom tail graphics from Callie Graphics. She's awesome, she'll custom make whatever you want.
She already had what I wanted. The LF for Luke Field and 56OG for the 56th operations group at Luke Air Force base here just outside of Phoenix where I live. It's the primary training base for F16 and F35 pilots and crews for 28 nations. Gotta pay respects to the boys...and girls... put there.
It's pretty cool being able to see them coming in at night on approach...and hearing them during the day...and night. You can totally hear the difference! F35s are so much louder!
Beautiful aircraft, beautiful slipstream that just cuts like a scalpel through the air. The obvious question is how's it compared to the fantastic F-16 Thunderbirds 80mm? Also, at 11:49 on the landing you faded out on us. This runway looks almost exactly like the one I fly at here in Chollas Lake.
The designs are the same. The defining difference with the tbird is that it comes with an 8ch receiver which opens up more custom programming opportunities. The is the vid I put together for the tbird th-cam.com/video/Ucju6nH7NEM/w-d-xo.html
@@Thercgeek Awesome! Thanks man, and I just had to throw this cool video in for good measure, the real deal. th-cam.com/video/spNvOfYBHJs/w-d-xo.html
Good tip on the stickers 👍 thanks 🙏
Looks awesome! Can't wait to get mine.
Nice!
NICE FLIGHT REVIEW!!
Thank you!
Fellow Geeksters...take his advise and back up the CG. You will love it! Felt heavy and sluggish on landings getting this nose up. Light and agile now and greasing the landings! Goes max throws too! Recommend are terrible. Why does it always seem recommended CGs are always bad?
Also... this plane has the same ESC as the Draco. Know what that means? Reverse thrust! It's hilarious and not extremely efficient but..it does help! Now... you may need an ESC programmer or you can download the programming guide to use the xmitter to change ESC settings. Motor reverse isn't active on the F16 like the Draco as in recall. But, once you activate it... just follow the steps in the Draco manual and set it to a switch!
Hit that switch after landings and go full throttle and she'll come to a decent stop. She'll even reverse. Thrust comes right outta the cheaters, top and bottom, much like a commercial jets. Kinda like the 737 Supermax.
This bird does roll for ever and it could be the difference from rolling off a runway or..,into a concrete curb in a parking lot! Also.., you'll get some laughs and heads turning at the field. I dig it! F16s wingtip so easily! It'll save you taxi back time but cost you some battery/flight time.
Cheers!
It was the best edf I ever tried but it lost signal and crashed. Had it bound to my dx6i. No problems for years with normal spektrum rxs like the ar6200 and recently ar410 which I put in my me262.
The ar637t that comes with this 80mm falcon cost me the plane. Will continue sharing my experience and hoping horizon replaces the plane.
I’m sorry that happened, It’s been rock solid for me. Hopefully horizon support will help you out.
Looks👀Very Cool Chris!! Great flying as always Bro! 🤙🤙
Thanks dude!
Really nice flights!!!! Perfect la landings as always Chris ! Congrats 🤩🤙🏻🤙🏻
Thanks!
Man that does have an awesome sound to it. Great video 👊
Thanks!
Hi, I have flapperons added..thanks!. Do you know if it's possible to add the afterburner ring also? I used up channel 6 for the flaps and don't have a slot for the afterburner. Thanks for your help in advance! Take care and keep these vids coming.
Thanks for you kind encouragement! There is a workaround that would allow you to setup the burner with the throttle but it ends up nuking the telemetry. In your channel assignments, swap the channel assignments between channels 1 and 2 such that your throttle channel is now assigned to channel 2 with your esc plugged into ch 2. That will default the esc into pwm mode which will allow you to use the burner with a yharness. I am actually working on a new design that will be compatible with smart in the future such that you won’t lose telemetry and can connect it via a yharness without any mods, but don’t have an eta on that just yet. Been a long road, but I think We’re finally getting close on it.
Yea buddy !!!!!
Great vid ! So many airplanes u would love to own..I need to make some space. Give a couple to some lucky kid at the club
Thanks! I know the feeling, haha
I want this... I need this...
With putting the other aileron on channel 6 in a 6 channel reciever, what channel did you use for the after burner?
Honestly, unless you’re going to add in tailerons with the flaperons (th-cam.com/video/pyJSu0dFl0A/w-d-xo.html ), It doesn’t buy you much IMO. You lose roll control when the flaperons are down which isn’t favorable. That being said, when I was experimenting with it, I had actually created a filter cable that blocked the srxl2 signal that allowed me to use a yharness with the throttle channel. Not a long term solution, haha
@@Thercgeek ok so then just nix the flaperons and use the 6th channel to do a mix for the burner.
That would be my recommendation, yeah.
@@Thercgeek thanks! You are always very helpful. Wonderful channel and blog.
Thanks man, I’m glad I can help!
Good afternoon Chris, I noticed in this assembly video, you recommended to set the elevator at 23mm, the book calls out for 20mm. Do you recommend the 23mm as shown in the video to keep the nose up? And more or less make it easier to alpha? Please let me know, I set mine up according to the way you set yours up. I'm getting ready to maiden mine, I'm just trying to be sure to get it right, thanks Robert
That is where it fell out for the 100% end points. Feels good there, so if you’re having to reduce the rate to match the 90mm, I’d recommend keeping it at the full 100% rate instead.
Hey Chris! Thanks for the great video.
Can you please explain a little bit more about the differential and how do you use it with the flaperons?
When the ailerons are cambered downward, they aren’t as effective at generating a roll and adding more camber isn’t as effective at as reducing the camber is when trying to roll. So, to try and make up the difference, I set it up to get more upward aileron movement than downward movement. It works ok, but ultimately the best way to accomplish this is to add in tailerons as well like I did here: th-cam.com/video/MMZr3tqOgfI/w-d-xo.html this provides no loss in roll control when using flaperons.
@@Thercgeek thanks! did you use the same switch as the flaps for the differential?
I did, yes
@@Thercgeek awesome! Thank you so much
Great review of the new F16, I enjoyed the video. What was the reaction from the people watching you fly it? I haven't seen a reaction video of this jet on TH-cam. But with its amazing sound and looks, it seems like a real head turner. I bet people who have never seen a rc jet fly before would be blown away by this one. Would it be possible to fly this at a safe location and get people's reactions? Thanks again for making this review.
Interestingly enough, there weren’t many folks at the field when we filmed this. Those who were there really liked it. Unfortunately fields have become pretty limited here in SD. 😕
@@Thercgeek No worries, thanks for your reply. I'm just starting out with jets on the Habu. I'm working my way up to to this one when I get confident enough. I can remember if you flew safe in the video, but how well did it work on this jet?
I didn’t fly it with safe at all. Honestly, I don’t usually think about it as I always fly without it. That being said, if you’re going to fly with safe, I’d recommend starting with 100% rates on everything as otherwise I may limit you more than you’d want it to.
Yea f16s get people really hyped more then other jets I have but this is a awesome field u have. I fly at apollo in lake balboa basin the best
Great video. My E-Flite F16 80mm arrives tomorrow. I ordered the Spektrum 7000mah battery for it. I notice you were using the Spektrum NX10 transmitter. I ordered that as well. I was wondering if you know if there’s any difference between the NX10, and NX8 transmitters besides the two channels? Thanks bud!
Thanks! There’s not really a major difference between the 8 and the 10 aside from the extra channels which opens up more opportunities for custom programming.
@@Thercgeek ok, thanks. I wasn’t sure, but that’s what I thought. I wanted the extra channels just in case. I definitely didn’t want the 8, then decide later on I wish I bought the 10…lol. I have no regrets. Thanks for your reply. Have a great weekend!
Great video. I can’t wait to get my hands on one.
Thanks! 😊. They should start shipping next week I think.
That jet sound is so extremely cool. Would any f16 be a good first jet
Honestly, my go to recommendation for a first jet is the eflite viper. It’s a great first jet. The 70mm f16 isn’t a bad option either, but the 80mm does require some decent proficiency imo based on its speed and performance.
Great review. Thinking of ordering it myself. Curious of all the foam jets you have flown, what would you consider your favorite? The Rafale is my other choice.
Thanks! Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either one. Both the rafale and the f16 fly similarly though I find this f16 a bit more nimble to fly but the rafale lands quite a bit slower.
Sounds sooo good!
Yeah it does!
Herd anything on a possible Thunderbirds paint scheme? Looks like a great flying jet.
I have not. Maybe we’ll see that some time down the road. They went the gray route because it opens up all kinds of opportunities for customization.
This is a great review! I have mine on order and already have worries about grass field operations. So far the EDF fighter to beat is the Hobbyzone Mig-29. Big wheels robust gear and flies amazing! Let's see how this F-16 compares.
Thanks! The tires are pretty small on this f16, so do keep that in mind. I’d recommend flaperons for takeoffs for grass ops. How thick is the grass you’re flying off of?
@@Thercgeek We cut it short. One member has the FW F-16 and manages it.
Might do fine then, especially with flaperons. I know they were flying from grass at one of the big events recently. The flaperons did help on the takeoffs.
Nice shakedown of that F16 RC Geek , would you recommend that F16 for someone who never fly an EDF jet before, but have flight experience with other planes,
Sorry for the late response, just saw this comment. It really depends on your experience and proficiency. A proficient pilot with some high performance aircraft experience could probably jump into the 80mm F-16 ok. However, the 70mm version is a bit lighter and a bit more forgiving than the 80mm and would be better suite if someone had a bit less proficiency.
Amazing kits , thinking we spent hours and hours with balsa wood , how far we've come
Right?! I still love my balsa though. 😊
Hey Chris, have you considered trying the thrust reverse in this one? With the same Avian ESC as Draco, could in theory setup motor reverse for after landing. Dunno how well it would work with the EDF fan blade and cheater holes but....this thing does roll for ever lol. Could help on short fields😋.
She is beautiful and assembly is crazy easy. And yea..no terrible F18 stabs design. Got Callie sending me tail art for Luke AFB 56th FW. Hometown base training flight crews and pilots from 28 nations west of Phoenix. F35 training base too. Their approach path is about 6 miles away from my house and the F35s sound like they're going right over the house! Crazy louder than F16s.
I’ve not explored reverse thrust on the f16, but would be worth a try. Glad you’re liking the f16, should look great with 56th FW markings! 😊
@@Thercgeek ok...gonna try this! Hope it works cause it will be cool as Hell. Gotta wait to turn back with those tricycle gear lol. Can keep you outta the grass at ur field lol.
th-cam.com/video/TrOZ8sUVlo0/w-d-xo.html
Thrust reverse is extremely effective with this model. As you gain experience, you will find it’s not needed. It will really slow down prior to the mains touching with the proper technique.
As always, great video! What are your thoughts on this F-16 being the next plane to fly after getting comfortable with the F-16 Thunderbird? I am still getting comfortable with the 70mm Thunderbird but I really am liking this one as well.
I do think if you are proficient with the 70, you can step up to this one. The key difference is that this one flies heavier than the 70, so the takeoff and landing speeds will be faster. Otherwise, it flies very much the same with the cg further back as recommended in my vid.
We look forward to SOLOTURK 😃🇹🇷🇹🇷🇹🇷
Now that it has been just over a year what battery are you liking best, 5000 vs 7000. With the 5000 how close to the back of the battery compartment are you liking it? I just received my Thunderbirds 80mm F-16 and am doing a little research on battery locations. Thanks and I enjoy the depth of your videos.
The pack that I use the most in it is the Roaring Top 6s 6250mah. It's kind of the best of both worlds IMO since it's lighter than the 7000 but more capacity than the 5000. It's placed most of the way back in the battery area at this point. E-flite did update the CG in the manual with the T-bird it appears as it corresponds to about where I've been flying the airplane.
@@Thercgeek Thanks for the response! I am looking forward to my maiden flight in next week sometime.
Chris how much rollout do you need to get her up. I assume you are basically just punching it and allowing it to do most lifting. I’m really challenged with a 100 ft runway lol. I’m newer to edfs. It’s hard to get my head wrapped around flaperons. Seems to me the flaperons would give it lift but at slow speed setting up for a stall? What’s the error in my thinking? Thanks
I’m flying the airplane from a 300ft strip and it does well. It takes off in about 150ft and then usual uses the whole runway on the landing roll. I don’t think 100ft is enough. The full flaperon/taileron setup works really well (th-cam.com/video/MMZr3tqOgfI/w-d-xo.html) on this model. Being a low aspect ratio wing, it doesn’t stall like a traditional aircraft, so you can really push the nose up and slow it down and it won’t roll off like other aircraft will.
Nice review. Did you do that bonus 5000 flight with the added weight in the rear?
Thanks! Yes, the weight was still in the tailcone.
Hey Chris... just a quick question..
Can you hook up the nose gear steering to a digital switch or dial on the spektrum DX9, by using the spare channel..?
You can set it up that way if you have a spare channel. That said, the access to the mechanical adjustment is pretty easy to get to as well.
Can you get your recommended CG of 105mm with a 5000 pack and no tail weight? I hate adding dead weight to a plane but of course nose heavy is worse on a jet like the F-16.
Yeah, shouldn’t be an issue.
Excellent video! I do have a question: I'm listening in as I set-up mine with a Futaba receiver and was wondering if those expo values are enough on this particular airframe? I tend towards 20-30% expo for scale aircraft. Just wondering your thoughts on this...keeping in mind I won't have any stability features (gyro) in mine. Thanks !
The expo is personal preference. Without the gyro, probably will want to bump that up a bit if that’s what you’re used to.
hey bud I got this bird and its a masterpiece of machinery and I love the gear and its not the easiest to land bc it will tip to the a side. but its a awesome jet. great job my friend and glad to sub to your channel!!
Thanks! Glad you’re enjoying the F-16. 😊
Excellent review as always. Any indication of laggy elevator response when pulling out of a dive? I'm always worried about these 13g E-Flite elevator servos not having enough torque for the task, eapecially on all flying stabs. The Su-30 is particularily noticeable. Hope these servos last, as a failure means a new airplane.
Thanks! I’ve not noticed anything like that on the f16. So far so good I would say.
I hope others sound as good as yours.
They do! It’s a pretty dirty fan installation, so you end up with a really authentic sound from it. It’s pretty cool
Do you just get into these straight away for are there others that are better for beginners?
So, jets are what you work up to flying. Flying rc is incredibly fun but takes some practice to get proficient. The easiest airplanes to start with are trainer type aircraft like this ranger th-cam.com/video/abSALpPVZSI/w-d-xo.html I also recommend seeking out a local rc club as they typically have instructors who can help you get started out training the right habits to learn.
@@Thercgeek awesome! Thanks 🙏
Thanks, nice flying! What is the peak amp draw with the 5000 pack please? If possible please measure the weight without battery or ordinance. Thanks!
The model weighs about 92oz clean, no battery. I don’t have a measurement of amp draw and won’t be able to get one for a bit unfortunately.
@@Thercgeek Thanks very much!
Wasn't expecting it to sound like that wow, how? Confusing because it's almost indistinguishable from a turbine.
Yeah, the sound of the airplane is pretty nuts!
@@Thercgeek and everything else, as 80s kid stuff like this existed only in the imagination crazy cool, looks awesome with the full itinerary of weapons,
the whole package is,
and it makes jets flight more realistic to more people. Because gas turbines aren't exactly affordable least of all scale f16s really good review and I watched it enjoyed it.
Will you have photos in your website soon?
Photos of what?
@@Thercgeek… my apologies, I was looking into your center burners and other accessories but there weren’t any photos or descriptions on the items. Only the option to purchase.
Ah, ok. You probably didn’t go deep enough. If you click on the image (or the buy now button), that takes you to the specific product page for each type and there are pictures there of the different designs.
I am thinking, Iron Eagle trim scheme ;)
Yes!!! 😁
A tough choice between the JAS-39 and this..I feel as if the Gripen would perform just as well..
The gripen is a nice performer as well from what I have seen.
Great video as usual! Thanks for showing the placement for the 5k pack although I do have a 7k adding the tail weight doesn't really interest me although I'm sure it flys ok even if you don't add it, my only fear is that roll out, sheesh it goes forever on the ground lol
Thanks man! It does fine without the tail weight, but it does help with the 7k pack. It’s not needed for lighter weight packs. It does roll a long way, but I’m also flying from a 300ft runway. Should do just fine on a longer runway.
@@Thercgeek I saw that it’s avian ESC can be programmed to allow for reverse thrust. I wonder how effective that would be in this model(cheater holes might be a problem) Maybe you can investigate that, it would be sweet.
In talking with Jason at horizon, he mentioned they explored that but that with the aux air grates that it wasn’t super effective at stopping the airplane.
@@Thercgeek that’s too bad, perhaps JP brakes.
I like the norwegian f-16 🇳🇴🇳🇴
Hay man, if you had a choice between the f18 or f16 80mm… which one?!
Honestly at this point, the F-16. The performance and maneuverability are better with it than the f-18.
@@Thercgeek i am leaning towards the F16 😃 thanks so much, your feedback is of value
Does tailerons make this one roll weird?? Not axial?
I haven’t flown this one with tailerons other than with flaperons for landings. That said, I’ve seen plenty of f16 fly with tailerons and they roll decently axial. Not quite as good as ailerons/elevator though.
Hi sir, so once the Flaperons are set up, you can not fly on safe mode anymore? Thank you
No, safe is still available. You’ll have to set it to a channel higher than ch 6.
@@Thercgeek Thank you, i Fly the Freewing F16 70mm and I still take off and land on Safe Mode. So the Full safe feature is active with the Flaperons set up you just have to move the safe to a diffrent channel? Thank you
That is correct, yes.
@@Thercgeek thank you again for always helping, will try to set it up beforw i do my maiden.
E-Flite F16 vs FMW Rafale - Which one would you buy first? I am an experienced pilot, but am curious which one you would say is more fun to fly, and has better build quality
They actually provide a similar experience though F-16 is a bit more of a hot rod compared to the rafale. The f16 is a bit more nimble in maneuvering which I find a bit more fun. The rafale lands a little nicer though.
F16 all the way. I wish fms.rafale was faster but it isnt a speed machine but the mirage 2000 is much faster and better
They are sounding so much better!!! Finally sounding more like actual turbines. Which one sounds the best? I do already have an F16, but IT IS on of my favorites
@@JackilusMaximus yes I love the f16 sound I only own the freewing and fms 70s and they sound real. I agree f16 is a much better edf to fly personally they have the delta wings and stabilizers and it's one if the best looking. Mirage 2000 is also a very nice airframe and a very fun one but f16 is much better
@@jeffarab4947 Thank you both!!!
Hi Chris. You mention flaperons only work with as3x on one side, is this the same with as3x connected with both ailerons on separate channels when used normally.
Or is it only one side when flaperons are selected?
It’s when the ailerons are connected in separate channels. Has to do with the configuration in the receiver. If you want to take full advantage of flaperons, I’d recommend replacing the receiver and separating both ailerons and flaps for flaperons and tailerons like I did here th-cam.com/video/MMZr3tqOgfI/w-d-xo.html
The full flaperon/taileron setup really works great on the landings. Here’s flight video th-cam.com/video/pyJSu0dFl0A/w-d-xo.html
@@Thercgeek Thanks for the reply, I guess my main question is if separate channels are used for the ailerons will both ailerons have as3x or only one?.
With the stock receiver only one aileron will operate with AS3X unless you go in, unlock it and reconfigure it.
I have many years of EC experience but no planes recent,y. Does it fly well enough for a rusty flyer ?
In all honesty, I’d recommend maybe picking up something to dust the cobwebs off the thumbs and then going in on one of these. They fly great, but do I do recommend having decent proficiency to help protect the investment. You know?
@@Thercgeek absolutely makes sense. For planes do you prefer spektrum or futaba radios ? Also what starter plane would you suggest to work my way back up?
Interesting... I wanted to try and use a couple Socokin 4000 80c batteries I picked up because they are crazy good for some reason. Getting like 7-8 mins on the.Eflite 70mm third and A10. Crazy..I know but..I'm not throttle hog and I've noticed these batteries take about 300 mah more charging them than the HRB 4000s.
But...I couldn't get the CG to work at the 95mm (I have more like 97mm) as recommended. You want a F16 to be a bit tall heavy for the alpha so...gonna try your 105'mm recommending. After all..when have you ever steered is wrong🤘.
Have you tried a 4000? Guessing not. I have a bunch from the.A10 and tbird so... Wanted to see.
This F16 reminds me a bit of their F18. Feels heavier to me but after the third and A10... Everything feels heavy!😋
Thanks Chris! You're a good egg😁🤘
I’ve not tried a 4000, just the 5000. I think you’ll prefer the further aft cg. I found the 90-95mm to feel quite nose heavy. I think I’m flying the model even further aft now even.
@@ThercgeekNice! Thanks, Chris.
Yea, I had to crank up the throws as well. On first flight, she just didn't want to bank. Especially like a F16 wants to and can bank! I even moved and maxed out the control rods on alirons.
Question...are you saying the flaparons are a no go WITH Safe? Guys like me with one weak eye... Safe is a nice insurance policy on the investment. Especially that gray plane on an overcast day! That weak eye man...had to give up my Proctology practice. No depth perception! 🤪🤣
Might just have to try a 5000. Got the Socokin batteries cause I had an HRB 4000 die and can't CG a 5000 in the Tbird. They were a good deal too...$50 on Amazon and 80c. Always looking for that great off brand battery and looks like I found one. Even though...most all batteries are made at like 3 Chinese factories with just different labels in them LOL.
Cheers!
I do t know why flaperons with safe wouldn’t work but I haven’t tried it personally. I’d recommend setting it up how I did in this vid to get the full benefits though th-cam.com/video/pyJSu0dFl0A/w-d-xo.html it would require a receiver change though. Are you flying up and away with safe also? Or just on takeoff and landings?
@@Thercgeek CHRIS! You magnificent b@astard! Can CG the 4000 all the way forward at around 105-107mm! Phew! Didn't wanna have to add weight and kill flight time even more to work it out.
Ok... gonna rewatch your video. You said something about 60% on one Aileron/flaparon with Safe but... was watching at the field and those damn nitro heli guys and now... nitro dragsters at the field! Loud as hell lol.
The dragsters.... Traxxas has a Christmas tree dragster start rig with sensor in it to detect false starts and which lane wins. Pretty neat really. Ain't into cars but...guys have a lot of fun. Lots of laughing and crashes and laughing at crashes. Especially track racing. But damn are they noisy!
Thanks man! I gotta start buying some merch! You have the best advise and always responsive! Cheers!
@@Thercgeek ok... "only one aliron responds to AS3X". Gotcha. Ok... is that all the time in Safe or only with flaparon switch engaged? Know you don't fly in Safe constantly but still good to know. 😀
Anyone else getting high frame loss and ever short holds between xmitter and receiver? I added a remote receiver but... going to try this as well!
Amazon has Farrite beads..cheap! Get like 10-20 of different sizes for under $10. The ESC cable sites right next to the receiver! Power cables give off electromagnetic fields! Not good when $500+ is heading towards the ground!
I noticed that Eflite added a ferrite bead to the 70mm tbird F16! I initially had all kinds of frames drops and holds because the ESC to Battery connection sat right next to the receiver. On that one, I got an extension cable and turned to batter 180 degrees and frame drops dropped considerably. Someone came to the field with a new tbird and E-flite had added a ferrite bead to ESC cable! I added one and now... never get holds and most flights have less than 100 frame drops.
I'm going 5o keep the remote receiver...under the vertical stab but I'm adding a ferrite bead where the cable runs past the receiver. I have a feeling this is a leading cause for radio issues but people just don't realize it. FLOG was showing I was pulling in excess of 140 amps during takeoff and first bank and that is exactly when I was getting a short hold. All kinds of interference exactly when you don't want it! Curious to see if I'm on the right path. After all... people at Eflite added the ferrite bead for a reason! 😄
Ok, so on the afterburner you wyed in from ch 6 which eflite has the aux BEC tied into that channel. on the receiver was their anything you have to do in the transmitter to get this to work ? And can’t you wye in from ch 1 with the throttle?
On the transmitter, you have to assign channel 6 as throttle so that the burner operates with the throttle. Unfortunately using a y harness on throttle won’t work because of the smart telemetry. The controller is designed to read a pwm input, however when the smart telemetry is active, the communication type changes from pwm to srxl2 which the burner controller doesn’t know how to interpret. Setting it up on a separate channel is the work around. I’m working on a new design that will hopefully resolve srxl2 issue, but is a while off yet before it’ll be ready.
Great airplane, but I am not sure about the DSM2 to DSMX compatibility?
Why? I bound this plane to my dx6i and it fell out of the sky, sudden loss of any control response.
My RV 7 did the same thing but control input returned before impact and I saved it.
My dsm2 receiver equipped me262 and wildcat, however are doing just fine with my dx6i.
Any ideas? I only have issues with dsmx receiver aircraft not dsm2 receiver aircraft when using the dsm2 dx6i transmitter.
That’s an interesting one, I’m not really sure. I’d recommend updating the airware in the transmitter if you haven’t already. Otherwise, my understanding is that it should be fully dsmx compatible. What was the antenna configuration and was it different between the airplanes with the issue than without?
Tried the dx6i with a dsmx a410 and no problem. Just the silly ar671t in this jet cost me the plane. Would lock out then it crashed.
My god that engine sound...
Would you risk this being your first plane with your only experience being extensive hours of real flight 9.5?
Honestly, I’m not sure I would recommend that given the investment involved. Maybe start with the habu or viper jet and then consider moving up once proficient with one of those.
@@Thercgeek I have been considering the Habu pretty heavily. I am trying to justify this by saying its a free plane via the stimulus lol.
Haha, the habu is a great flying jet and quite forgiving.
FMS makes nice jets
So does eflite... 🤣
@@Thercgeek Eflite made by FMS
I know man, haha
How did you run the burner? Y with throttle or that esc in channel 6
When there’s a smart receiver tied with a smart esc, the burner needs to be run from a separate channel. The smart tech changes the communication type from pwm to srxl2 and the burner controller has difficulty interpreting the srxl2 communication.
@@Thercgeek ok, I can understand that, probably why mine never shut off. So, y ing it to channel 6 what do I need to do in the radio to set it up?
Simply assign channel 6 to throttle in the extended menus.
Having issues with the motor pulsating even after reprogramming the esc. Not sure what the problem is with fresh charge on a 6s Pulse 45c battery. Avion 100 esc. Any Ideas?
Is the esc getting hot? What’s the orientation of it? Otherwise, do you have a different battery you could try?
@@Thercgeek doesn't matter the brand. I use Pulse and Hyperion in all my other jets without issue. The motor isn't getting hot.
How do you get 4-5 minutes in the 7000 if my f16 got 3.5 min and end with 3.7- 3.8 vol to per cell?. And I’m not to crazy to fly
It’s all relative to the amount of full throttle useage. Cruising should be around halfish throttle or less if possible and full throttle reserved for high performance maneuvers. My timer is set at 3:30 minutes and I use that as an indicator to think about setting up for landing. I’m typically on the ground at around the 4:30 mark and the cells are showing around 3.76-3.78v/cell.
🎉🎉
Where do you get your tail weights
They are just tire balance weights. I got them from Amazon: amzn.to/3iHgc7I
@@Thercgeek thank you, I appreciate it.
What fpv should I use for this?
That’s a good question. I don’t really have any experience with that. I’ve heard that the dji setup is pretty good.
Thanks