Twin Turbine FOAMIE?!? - AMAZING Freewing A-10 Gas Turbine Conversion - Maiden Flight (60 FPS) 

Thanks! And I completely agree - dad does a great job on the camera 📸😁

T.O Johansen, thank you! Much appreciated 😁😎👍🏻

Thank you for sharing your story. Keep on flying!

@@RCTommy ❤️ 😊 🛫

Thank you, and well done on the A-10 gas turbine conversion and maiden flight 😎

janmb AWESOME !!!

RC Tommy SWEET!!

Nicholas R Glorioso Thanks 😎

Congrats Jan!!! :D

Thanks

Thanks ☺️

The sound is amazing. So is the smell (if you fly on kerosene or jet A1). And the power at high RPMs are unbeatable. So is the flying time. If you want to head into the field of gas turbines, I would recommend you getting in touch with your local/closest pilots or builders. Maybe buy a second hand/pre built jet. Learn from the mistakes other pilots have already done. Another thing you can do before you get into the real deal is to simulate flying a gas turbine jet by programming an idle switch (15-20% idle) and set a 2.5-3 seconds slow down/delay function on the throttle channel for an EDF jet (that's what I did). It makes you have to think about power management in another way than usual (which is not so different from flying a real jet). You don't get the same high-end-power, nor the same sound, smell or flight times, but it is a nice way to see if flying a gas turbine is something you would enjoy. Sure, there is a learning curve to it. But once you get it, you'll understand it forever.

According to JanMB on Facebook, the AUW is 7000 grams, with an empty weight of 6040 grams. He (or anyone else i Norway at the moment) has not been able to fly gas turbine jets this summer due to a major risk of wildfire... But we’ll be back on our wings soon! Here’s the post from Facebook that I’m referering to, cheers😎: facebook.com/953519544805754/posts/982742871883421/

RC Tommy very cool thank you for the link

Essential RC, thank you for your comment, I will give the creator of the plane a nudge for you so he can answer your questions :-)

Hi Dom, and thanks for the interest. Have watched your youtube videos tons of times :D Congrats on buying possibly the best foam EDF ever made :D For the best source of info on this project, please see my facebook page (viewable without facebook account as well): facebook.com/FreewingA10TurbineConversion As for the exhaust and turbine mounts, I had some help from my Swedish friends at HAB.se. I sent them an extra set of engine nacelles (the 90 mm version) which they used to prototype a mounting kit. This should be available at request from HAB.se I'm sure (probably not listed though, so toss them an email) As for the exhaust pipes, I bought those through HAB.se as well (they are made by Christer at www.csturbine.se/se/?page_id=29). I had mine delivered straight, so I cut them at a five degree angle and turned the aft part 180 degrees, then welded the parts back together for a total of 10 degrees up angle. This was mainly due to not knowing exactly where I would mount the turbines and how long the straight section needed to be. A better solution would probably be to have the manufacturer angle them for you. I can provide measurements from my model if needed. Best of luck if you do decide to go for a conversion yourself. I'll answer any questions as best I can. jan AT berg.as or Jan M Berg on facebook.

Thanks for the reply Jan. I had read through the excellent Facebook page on the conversion a few times. I've done quite a lot of foam bashing in my time so suspect it's within my skills. I'll give it some serious thought. Such a cool project and a great way to own a twin turbine version of my favourite jet (other than Eurofighter). Thanks again and superb vid. Excellent filming skills. I've watched it several times. Cheers Dom (Essential RC)

Tommy sure did a great job on the filming and editing (like always). The build itself isn't really that hard at all. Some work obviously, but mostly just some foam grinding and populating the fuselage cavity with new components. As you've probably seen on the FB page, I made some laser cut and 3D printed parts for mounting my components. I'll happily share those if wanted.

Tommy did good great job. I think result would be even better if he switched off the 'optical image stabilisation' (OIS) on the cam and instead used a monopod with video head. Looked to me like the OIS was causing the image to jump around especially when zoomed in. Otherwise the image was super sharp for HD. 60fps makes all the difference. I know folks filming RC in 4K 24P which is utterly pointless.

Thanks!

I agree, it sounds (and smells) a lot like the real thing (which is good). Only missing the whistling sound effect of the turbofan gas turbines when it buzzes by. Cheers! 😎

@@RCTommy I'm going out on a limb here to say, it sounds like the real thing cuz it is! LOL I dig EDF but nothing sounds like the real deal..

Todd Ullmann, I stand corrected. It IS the real thing😁😂

BayArea51, Thank you! 😁😎👍

I agree, the work done by JanMB on this bird is outstanding!

Thanks!

Turbine powered foam planes are actually available from several manufacturers.

Kerosene does not hurt epo foam. Poly styrene foam would be a different story.

Thanks :-)

Thanks! 😁👍

Thanks!

Yep!

Go for it 👍

mrvoyagerm, thank you for your comment😊 You are correct in your observations. Mr. JanMB has added a pair of Schulman Aviation Electromagnetic Brakes ( shulmanaviation.com/index.php?cPath=322_315 ). I’m not sure what size he is using, but you should be able to measure the stock wheels quite easily and order the brakes thereafter. Cheers!

joeshmoe12301230, not so many videos I’m afraid, but most of the build process was depicted on his Facebook page (and yes, he is more than happy to answer any questions one might have regarding his build): facebook.com/profile.php?id=953519544805754

RC Tommy I'll check it out. Thanks!

The jet exhaust does not harm the horizontal stabilizer unless the gas turbine has a hot start (which is why JanMB covers it with a fiberglass cloth during startup). He also made a ~10 degree up-angle on the exhaust pipe to counter the vertical thrust offset, which also points the heated gasses up and away from the horizontal stabilizer. He had HAB Electronic AB (a Swedish RC company) to design and manufacture a turbine conversion kit for him. And yes: It’s truly a nice little model. Definitely the most expensive foam brick I’ve ever seen flying! 😁😎👍

Thanks!

Airguardian yes it was!!

The short answer is: Because he can. And true, on takeoff it is a bit heavier than the stock EDF setup, but on landing it is actually lighter than the stock setup (because a lot of the weight is containes within the fuel tank). There are a couple more benefits: Efficiency during vertical climb is substantially better when flying with gas turbines compared to EDF’s, and the smell of burnt jet fuel in the morning is the best...😎 True, it took him a few hours to pull off, but then again... It’s just too cool. 10 years ago we could only dream of this, twin turbine foamie?! Absolute madness. Cheers! 😁👍

Thanks. The point is indeed debatable, but I guess as Tommy said: Because I can. Performance is slightly better, landing weight slightly lower, flight times slightly better, sound is way better, and I get to fly all day without having to recharge batteries (huge advantage when flying on the lake during winter, where we don't have electricity)

The builder (JanMB) made a facebook page for his conversion, you should check it out. Sadly, this plane is not flying with gas turbines anymore. Luckily for me though, one of the turbines is running nicely in my Freewing Gripen now! Cheers! facebook.com/FreewingA10TurbineConversion/

Yep. Some people (me) have silly priorities some times. 😂

I know right? Frickin ballsy n badass!

Garfield Houstan, Mr. Berg added a pair of Schulman Aviation Electromagnetic Brakes ( shulmanaviation.com/index.php?cPath=322_315 ). I’m not sure what size he is using, but it should be easy to measure the wheels you have today and order thereafter. They are really good, but also a bit on the pricey side. Cheers! 😊

What Tommy said. I use brakes from Shulman Aviation. Fairly similar to JP, but slightly better quality and better adjustment options. Expensive, but kinda worth it on a project like this one. I think the size I ordered was 3 1/4, but in reality they are a tad smaller than that.

Hi John. You will find tons of photos, including what you seek, here: (viewable both with and without facebook account) facebook.com/FreewingA10TurbineConversion/

What JanMB said^ 😎

Thanks Nik! I highly recommend checking out my turbine conversion page on facebook: facebook.com/FreewingA10TurbineConversion/ There you will find specs from before and after, as well as detailed documentation of the entire process. To answer your current questions: - Yes, I used 90mm engine housings to get as much space and airflow as possible. 80mm housings should work just fine though. - Fuel: 1.2 liters, tank made by cmjets in Spain - Attachments for the turbines were designed for me by a friend in Sweden called Henrik Torphammar. Mounting brackets and exhaust should be available upon request through HAB.se - Pictures: TONS! Check the facebook page (it should be viewable even if you don't have a facebook account)

very nice and friendly you are fantastic!! Thanks a lot!!

My pleasure :)

Mark Hahn, I don’t know the exact figure (it’s owned and flown by a close friend of mine), but the exact gas turbine setup on this model would be about $5000-$6000 (the listing price of a single JetCat P20SX is currently at €2545). However, there are cheaper turbines in the same category out there. The KingTech KT30G is available for around €1700 (which is a pretty good deal if you ask me). Is it cheap though? Not really. But it sure is a great deal of fun! In contrast, I got my JetCat P60SE (used) for about $800 (it had been run for about 5 hours in total). It does not have to cost a fortune, but then again, there are not that many airframes available on the marked for a 65N gas turbine today (sadly). Cheers! 😊👍

Jan installed the upgraded straight struts from Freewing and added Shulman Aviation wheels with electromagnetic brakes. For further specs/dimensions, I would hit him up with a question on his facebook page (even though he is done with this model, he’ll still answer any question). Source: facebook.com/953519544805754/posts/963976620426713/?d=n

RC Tommy Thank you I appreciate it!

The flight Deck, I’m pretty sure he had to add a couple of lead bars to fix the CG, but the engines actually weigh in at 2 grams less than the stock EDF setup. Adding some lead bars into the nose, a couple of heavy batteries and all the other electronic equipment, and the plane is more or less on CG. He planned it well, and the results are thereafter! 😁

Yes, a little nose weight is indeed needed - as tends to be the case with all turbine A-10s to some degree. In my case I started off with placing as much of the fixed components with any weight to speak of as far forward as possible. Secondly, I added 25g of lead in the very nose for the first flight. As you can see in this video, this is still a tad tail heavy. I've since added another 40g for 65g total. Still a very pleasant AUW of about 7.1 kg and lands at about 6.2

Thank you. I do belive Mr. Berg got his turbine conversion kit from a Swedish dealer (hab.se). He is known to ship internationally. The kit can be found here: www.hab.se/bygghobby/hab-cnc/freewing-a10-turbin-konverteringskitt-komplett-kingtech-k30

Daniel Burgess I currently fly about 4 minutes airborne, not including startup or taxi. That is extremely conservative though, landing with typically between a third and a quarter fuel remaining. Still adjusting this, but in baby steps.

Thank you for the reply. Take care.

Thanks 👍