Gold Wings (Gottlieb, 1986): faults and System 80B replacement boards

Is your Gottlieb Gold Wings showing blank displays, sound that crashes, booting poorly or resetting? These symptoms are typical of Gottlieb System 80B pinball machines, whose original boards (MPU, Driver, power supply, sound) are now over 40 years old. The good news: modern replacement boards — Plug & Play and battery-free — give your machine a second life.

Gold Wings (Gottlieb, 1986): overview

Released in 1986, Gold Wings is a System 80B pinball machine themed around aviation and aerial action. It features the alphanumeric displays and dynamic soundtrack typical of the series.

• Manufacturer: D. Gottlieb & Co.
• Year: 1986
• Electronic system: Gottlieb System 80B
• Type: solid-state electronic pinball, alphanumeric displays
• Theme: aviation / aerial action

Common faults (System 80B)

System 80B machines use alphanumeric displays and an MPU with battery-backed 5101 RAM. Recurring faults: leaking battery on the MPU (corrosion and loss of the 5101 memory), unstable power supply (the original trim pot struggles to hold 5 V and 12 V), cracked solder joints (notably on the CPU daughter card), inter-board connectors that need re-pinning, poor grounding (ground mods essential), dead displays if a single bit fails to travel from the MPU to the display, and startup disrupted by the backbox fluorescent tube starter.

Issues specific to Gold Wings (forum feedback)

• Blank displays: if the MPU→display interface isn't perfect, a single missing bit is enough — reseat both ends of the ribbon cable (game off), then inspect the connectors.
• Sound board crashes if +5 V is low: clean the edge connectors (CPU, Driver, sound) with an eraser.
• Boot/power: fractured solder joints on the CPU daughter card, oxidised connectors after storage.
• Gottlieb connectors to replace: the originals are poor; replacing them eliminates many faults.
• Grounds to redo: ground mods recommended, as on all Gottlieb machines of the era.

Replacement boards compatible with Gold Wings

• GottFA80_Plus (Light) — all-in-one CPU + Driver + power supply board, without sound.
• GottFA80_Plus (Full) — same, with integrated sound board (80B audio limited to a few titles).
• Gosof — replacement sound board for System 80 and 80A (80B support currently limited to a few titles).
• Godri80 — replacement Driver board.
• Lisy80 — CPU board + web diagnostics.
• GoPOP80 — bumper driver board (MA-922).

System 80B specifics: go for the GottFA80_Plus Light — the 80B is covered on the CPU/MPU side. On the audio side, support is currently limited to a few titles (Bounty Hunter, Chicago Cubs Triple Play, Tag Team); for other System 80B games, keep and repair the original sound board and contact us (an audio solution is in the works).

Plug & Play installation, battery-free, free tutorials and support. Contact us.

FAQ — Gold Wings Gottlieb

My displays stay blank.
Reseat both ends of the MPU→display ribbon cable, game off, and clean or replace the connectors. A replacement MPU makes the interface more reliable.

The sound crashes.
Often a +5 V that is too low. Clean the edge connectors and stabilise the voltages (GottFA80_Plus power supply); repair the original sound board. For 80B audio, support is limited to a few titles — contact us.

The game boots poorly.
Fractured solder joints on the daughter card and oxidised connectors. A GottFA80_Plus Light or Lisy80 replaces the MPU.

What about 80B sound?
Audio support is currently limited to a few titles (Bounty Hunter, Chicago Cubs Triple Play, Tag Team). For Gold Wings, keep and repair the original sound board and contact us; a solution is in the works.

How long does it take to install a replacement board?
Installation is Plug & Play: a few minutes, no soldering, with free tutorials and support.

Does a battery-free board keep the settings and high scores?
Yes. Modern replacement boards use non-volatile memory: no more battery, no more corrosion, and settings are retained when powered off.

Step-by-step diagnosis

1. Powered off, visual inspection: look for any battery or corrosion traces on your Gold Wings MPU; remove the NiCad battery if it is still present.
2. Power supply: measure the 5 V and check it reaches the MPU (redo the solder on the regulator or Q1 if the voltage drops).
3. Grounds: apply the “ground mods” between the boards (CPU, Driver, power supply, sound).
4. Connectors: re-pin oxidised Molex connectors, especially the MPU↔Driver link.
5. Displays: never connect or disconnect a display while powered on; test with a known-good display.
6. Final test: check startup, credits, coils and displays; if needed, contact free support.

Useful guides

• How much does pinball repair cost? The price guide
• How much is my pinball worth? Rating and valuation
• Pinball leg sizes: the guide by machine
• Which board for a Gottlieb System 80, 80A or 80B?

See also

• Raven (Gottlieb, 1986)
• Hollywood Heat (Gottlieb, 1986)
• Genesis (Gottlieb, 1986)
• Monte Carlo (Gottlieb, 1987)

Sources & further reading

• Pinside forum — Gold Wings
• IPDB — Internet Pinball Database
• OPDB — Open Pinball Database