This is the first recorded flight of my Force RC F/A-18 Blue Angels V2 64mm EDF Jet.

Force RC F/A-18 Blue Angels V2 64mm EDF Jet Solo Flight (4 min 31 sec)

I challenged my flying buddy Robert to capture the footage on his iPhone on 1080p at 60fps. I told him.. "surprise me." For someone that typically doesn't video any flights, I was very surprised that he actually did a great job capturing the flight. He even zoomed in a few times for some close-up action.

My Force RC F/A-18 Blue Angels V2 64mm EDF Jet was what I would call, initially a Problem Child. Issues with incorrect manual information, incorrect CG information, and defective electronics were all points of frustration for this model. But because I am a fan of the F/A-18 Hornet / Super Hornet, the success of this aircraft was a must. So I decided to sort through all the issues.

Thanks to the RC Groups Dedicated Thread, I researched and corrected all the issues.. specifically the biggest issue being with the manual's recommended CG range of 80-85mm back from the leading edge of the main wing. Reading the CG horror stories within the RC Groups Dedicated Thread, I opted to never fly it at that the manual's recommended CG range and chose to fly the aircraft with a CG of 63mm back from the leading edge of the main wing. This was achieved with my Pulse 4S 2250mAh 45C Lipo (243 grams) placed aftmost within the compartment and with the front of the battery wedged with a foam block. The foam...Continue Reading

This is a photo compilation of all work performed on this model for durable 4S flight operations, saved for posterity:

The very first thing I did was cut the first front section of wooden platform in the nose, to allow my Roaring Top 4S 1800mAh 70C lipos to slide in at an angle all the way to the front of the nose. My Roaring Top 4S 1800mAh 70C lipos weigh in at 204 grams and should allow for plenty of nose ballast without the need to add any additional weight.

A new ZTW Mantis 45-Amp ESC was installed, replacing the stock 30-Amp ESC, appropriate for 4S power.

Minwax Satin Finish Polycrylic Triple-Coat was applied. It only took 14 hours total for the fuselage and wing surfaces. All of the surfaces have been aligned and glued on with JB Weld 5-Min Clear Epoxy. The Elevator Screw has been secured with Loctite and the Elevator Rods have been glued down on the openings of the servo arm with a dab of Foam Tac.

I also took an extra step and added 10mm carbon fiber flat spars. With my F9F Panther running on 4S, I was concerned with the flex in the wings and the longevity of the model just being glued on by JB Weld 5-Min Clear Epoxy, so I used one of the straight panel lines on the underside and used a sharp Xacto knife to cut a 10mm-long channel running from the fuselage/intake area to the main wing pieces. Then I pre-fitted 10mm flat carbon fiber spars by pushing them into the channel and then pulled them out, creating a fitted space for the spars. Then I glued them...Continue Reading

This one was too good not to share - It's not often you see a P-38 Lightning on the David Lorenz Flying Field. This BlitzRCWorks 58" wingspan P-38 Lightning V2 is my buddy Robert's latest acquisition from a private seller.

Robert’s BlitzRCWorks P-38 Lightning V2 Restoration Maiden Flight (3 min 40 sec)

An extensive amount of restoration work had to be done on this P-38 to get it back to flying status. However, this video is the re-maiden flight with all of the upgrades listed below.

Motors: DYS D2830 1000KV Brushless x 2.

Cells: 4 Cell Lipo.

ESC: RC Electric Parts 30amp ESC w 3a UBEC x 2 (counter-rotating setup).

Receiver: Lemon RX DSMX 7-Channel Diversity Stabilizer / Receiver

Main Wing: 4mm flat stock spar added vertically to leading edge of round stock from Nacelle to wingtip and glued with 5-min epoxy.

Wheels: 2-1/2" mains and 2" nose.

Battery Compartment: Enlarged to accept 4S lipo battery.

Complete repaint.

A job well done Robert!

Thanks for watching!