How to select correct radio controller and receiver for Freewing avanti 90mm edf jet?
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How to install EDF Engine power system for Freewing avanti 90mm edf jet step by step?
how to select correct radio controller and receiver for Freewing avanti 90mm edf jet
The 90mm Avanti S is a PNP with a factory EG01 6-axis gyro, retracts, flaps, a nose-gear door servo and a thrust-reversing 120A ESC, on 9 digital servos (2 aileron, 2 elevator, 2 flap, rudder, steering, gear door). Freewing's own spec: 6–8 channel radio/receiver, with 7 needed for reverse thrust and 8 for gyro mode selection.diydronesChinaHobbyLine
| Ch | Function | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Throttle | ESC with reverse |
| 2 | Ailerons | Y-harness at 8ch, separate at 10ch+ |
| 3 | Elevator | Y-harness or dual |
| 4 | Rudder | plus steering mix |
| 5 | Retracts | |
| 6 | Flaps | 20 mm takeoff / 29 mm landing |
| 7 | Reverse thrust | spring-loaded/momentary switch only |
| 8 | Gyro mode | 3-position switch |
Buy 8 channels as the floor, 10 as the sensible target. At 8ch you're forced to Y-harness ailerons and flaps; at 10ch you get separate ailerons (differential), separate flaps (precise flap-elevator compensation) and independent elevators. Don't buy 6ch "because it says 6 minimum" — you'd lose reverse thrust and gyro modes, which are the two features that make this jet pleasant to operate.
Choosing the radio (transmitter)
Ranked by what actually matters on a 200 km/h, 4.7 kg EDF:
- 10+ channels and full mixing — you need flap→elevator mix, aileron differential, rudder→steering, dual rates + expo, and a throttle-based timer. This is the real reason to skip entry-level 6–7ch sets.
- Telemetry for pack voltage — on 8S 5000 mAh pulling ~120A, a voltage voice alert and mAh consumed counter is worth more than any other radio feature.
- Protocol ecosystem you can grow with — the radio and receiver must be the same family (Spektrum DSMX, FrSky ACCESS, ELRS, Futaba FASSTest, Jeti EX). Pick the ecosystem first, then the box.
- Ergonomics and switch quality — you need a spring-loaded momentary (reverse), a 3-pos (gyro), a 3-pos flap switch and a gear switch, all reachable without moving your thumbs.
- Model memory, voice alerts, hall-effect gimbals — quality-of-life, not safety-critical, but they matter at this price point.
Rough tiers:
- Value: RadioMaster Boxer / TX16S MKII (ELRS or 4-in-1), 16 channels, open-source mixes, telemetry — the best channel-per-dollar for this class.
- Mainstream/easiest: Spektrum NX8 or NX10 — bind-and-fly with AR-series receivers, forward-programming, integrated telemetry.
- Premium: FrSky X20/Taranis, Futaba 16SZ, Jeti DS-12 — better gimbals and telemetry, higher cost.
Avoid: a 6-channel entry radio, and any DSM2/clone-only set for a jet this fast and heavy.
Choosing the receiver
Match the radio's protocol, then check these:
- .8 PWM channels, full-range, dual diversity antennas.
- HV tolerant — the 8A UBEC runs ~5.5–8.4V; confirm the receiver's input range before plugging in.
- Telemetry — pack voltage/mAh. Strongly preferred.
- Failsafe — set throttle-cut failsafe explicitly, not "hold last".
- Stabilization: pick one, not two. The PNP already has the EG01 gyro. If you keep it, buy a plain 8ch receiver (e.g. Spektrum AR8020T, FrSky Archer R8 Pro, RadioMaster ER8, Futaba R3008SB, Jeti REX10). If you'd rather have stabilization in the receiver (Spektrum AR8360T with AS3X+SAFE, FrSky Archer SR8 Pro), bypass/remove the EG01 — running two gyros in series fights itself.
- Size/weight is a non-issue here — the fuselage has room; don't sacrifice range for grams.
Concrete combos
| Budget | Radio | Receiver | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best value | RadioMaster Boxer/TX16S (ELRS) | RadioMaster ER8 | 8ch PWM, telemetry, cheap, long range |
| Easiest | Spektrum NX8 | AR8020T (8ch) + stock EG01 | Native bind, telemetry, no gyro conflict |
| Premium | FrSky X20 / Futaba 16SZ | Archer SR8 Pro / R3008SB | Better gimbals, robust telemetry |
Setup gotchas specific to this airframe
- Antenna placement: keep the two antennas 90° apart in the canopy/hatch area, away from the carbon wing spar, the EDF motor leads and the metal retract units. Do a range check with the fan running — EDF + 120A ESC is a noisy RF environment.
- Reverse thrust on a momentary switch, never a slider or a switch you can bump in flight.
- Verify gyro correction direction before the maiden — wrong-direction gyro correction on a 4.7 kg jet ends the flight at rotation.
- Flap→elevator mix: start near zero, test at altitude, then trim it in. Published rates are only a starting point: elevator 16–21 mm (25% expo), aileron 27–32 mm (30% expo), rudder 100%/30% expoChinaHobbyLine
- Budget a throttle-timer + voltage alarm from day one; 8S packs don't forgive deep discharges.
