Max1965

One thing George about the FW F-14. The EPO foam does not like to be sanded.............ask me how I know. The EPO has those lil beads compressed together and if you break the bead it is really hard to fix..........it just soaks up moisture and "frizzes" all over the place. Just wanted you to know (if you don't already know this). I use very fine steel wool to lightly smooth the plane then
automotive heavy primer before I paint EPO. I use lacqure thinner to remove decals and stock paint.

George Miller

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Yes I have a copy. PM me with a e-mail address and I will send it to you.

Steve_S-RCU

I would love to see your FW F-14 Build!

Steve

mr_matt

My Feedback: (10)

Hey George did Paul post your T-38 build video? The one I remember was at least 1.5 hours long? I would love to see that one again.

George, 90% of the turbine guys can't build anything. They post a video of installing servos and the battery and call it a "build video"!

George Miller

My Feedback: (1)

HI Matt,

Yes, I did do a complete video showing the construction of my T-38 from start to flying. And it went along with everything else to "Iron Bay". Although I did keep a copy of my video catalog, dumbly I did not keep a copy of the T-38 video. So I guess it is lost in time like everything else that "Iron Bay" got their hands on.

George Miller

My Feedback: (1)

I am figuring that if at least this many have responded that they would like to see what I am doing to my "Freewing" F-14 that I will start a new thread showing what I am doing to it. It will be titled:

"George Miller does his thing to a "Freewing" F-14".

I hope most of you will like it and post your comments on it.

Ya know, I am almost always working on two different aircraft at the same time. This giant scale F-14 was a exception and took all my time. But let's face it, I am retired and this is my passion more than a hobby.

Just take a look at this !!!!



The first time I saw this on the net, I went wild. "Gotta get me one of these". I know it is just a projection of a possible aircraft, so that makes my next model just a sport aircraft.

FliteMetal

Hi George:

One quick question...How did you end up in Sugar Tree? Many of us East of the Rockies still get together from time to time since the first SWDF in Lockhart, TX in '71.

Do you still have the F-8 mold? Last but not least, what is fuse thickness either side and slightly rearward of the linear servo for the swing wing? Could a pair of 120mm
edf fit side by side?

George Miller

My Feedback: (1)

We like the country but have always lived around big cities because of our work. And we lived in California which is very "expensive" and through the time with all the tremendous increase in population has become very unpleasant because of how people act when packed that closely together.

We had always planned on leaving California when the wife retired. When she did, we took a road trip and traveled to many states checking them out.

Out of all the states, we found that Tennessee as our favorite. When driving the back roads of Tennessee, we finally found the area we wanted to live in. It was in the area of Decator, Parsons area. Close enough to the "Magic Valley Air Force" RC flying field which I really liked.

Contacted a Realtor by phone and he said he was not working this day, but after hearing our story he said he had a friend who was having to dump a house he was restoring because of what he was going to use it for and his wife found out and that was the end of that. (a place for him and his fishing buddies to hand out. Bet you will never guess what that doll house was for?).

So he said he would show it to us even though it was not on the market.

We followed him out into the hills between Parsons and HWY 40 and it took my wife only about 10 minutes to say she wanted it. 3 bedroom, two bath, huge front and rear covered decks, doll house, garage with shop attached

Closest town about 6 miles away, Sugar Tree, population 130. No neighbors, even a private county road to get to it, and nothing but forest in all directions. We bought the house for 1/2 of what it appraised for. Everything is brand new, the force air system had never even been turned on, and I just had to do some work to finish the interior.

It is a whole different world here in Tennessee compared to California. People are so friendly they even wave to each other while driving. Prices of everything, except for food, are ridiculously lower.

Smartest thing I ever did.



NO I have nothing for the F-8.

Haven't really measured the thickness of the glass in the wing support area. Considering the amount of layers of "S" cloth, I would say it is about 3/32".

Yes it is a real bat cave inside. It would be no problem to install 120mm fans in it, but would require re-working the exhaust nozzles for that size fan.

I do not know why a person would want to put that size fans in it anyway. Considering the batteries and ESC's that fan would require and the amps that fan draws.

I know two "lander" 90mm fans at 10 cell would give this aircraft 23 pounds of thrust and I think most other fans at this rating would be about the same. This alone would give this F-14 well over a 1 to 1 power to weight ratio.

FliteMetal

Its a matter of no longer having to ramp up 14 s with the variants of the JetFan coming onboard. Duration
is the important thing to gain on what originally was 14s in our B-47's. I can now get the power and 10+
minutes I require for scale contests with much less voltage.

I image as the F-14 transitions to swept wing it mandates 100% throttle. Yellow's 14's went through this
with level to wide sweeping turns. This pocket rocket should be interesting. The 120mm JetFan will do
21.83# of thrust as a single unit in bifurcation. That will probably do the trick.

We are originally from East Tennessee and I can truly appreciate your wife's five minute decision to
retire in a virtual private retreat. My project partner is retiring in December then its off to Bowling Green
Ky and half a mountain top of seclusion with a private road like your's.

I live in Houston and though I am about to go back to work, work does not mandate where we live so
we are considering moving either back to Dallas or East Tennessee.

The problem with trying to use Lander's fans is the motors and the more or less than consistent quality.
Neu's and other's motors are more expensive, but they provide consistency in muti-engine situations. I
tend to see this as insurance, or assurance back-up.

George Miller

My Feedback: (1)

"Single fan in a twin engine jet"

If you know me, I was the first to do it and I also did it on three different jet kits that I produced. Long time before Larry Wolfe came up with the word: "Bifurcation".

My F-4, T-38, and YF-22, all used a single Byron fan with a split duct tube.

If you also read all the great information put out by Chris Wolfe and Motion RC on this Freewing F-14, you will see that this aircraft doesn't even need full throttle for this wing sweeping or flying in that configuration. I figure my F-14 at the weight it could come out to and the proper fans would not either considering it can be done at around 20 pounds instead of 32 or so like the DCU.

And that is why this F-14 I have placed on the market is such a special case. I know the price is higher than most want to pay. But I do not work for "fish heads" and I don't live in China. You get what you pay for. If it sells, fine, if it doesn't, that is OK too. The "Naval Aviation Museum" in Florida would love to have it.

If I had ever thought that there was a way to put a single fan in a F-14 I would have done that years ago. Considering the reliability of our glo powered duct fans back in those days, I was never interested in kitting a F-14. I knew it would never sell enough of it to make it worth the effort to do it. And it never did when Yellow kitted it either.

There is no center section of a F-14 that would house a large fan. The fuselage is just not shaped that way.



I see no choice but to use two fans in the pods that the F-14 was designed to have.

If you have some idea on how to go about putting a single fan in a F-14, I would be interested in hearing and seeing it.

FliteMetal

I would like to think in simple terms of 10 to 11 minute flight duration as a twin set up but hard pressed to find that with either the JetFan 80 or 90 used in a paired config. It is too early in the product life of either for there to be flight video with numbers matching what is expected.

George Miller

My Feedback: (1)

Yep that is one of the reasons I abandoned this project.

Originally I had hoped my 90mm fans on 6 cells would work in it. With them I can get a flight of 6 minutes or a little more using 6000mah batteries. Any fan producing more power by using more cells has less time and actually quite a bit.

This really isn't all that big a problem to a lot of jet fliers out there. But it just isn't what I wanted in my F-14.

The time may come when we have better batteries.

The time may even come when the transmitter transmits the power to electric motors and there will be no batteries in the aircraft. Wouldn't that be something !!!!

Jetset

My Feedback: (2)

Wow, amazing work! If you only knew how long I've been looking for your yf-22 and T-38 lol. This F-14 is already a work of art!, just awesome!

FliteMetal

"click to view larger"

Looking to create another poster child to accompany the two B-47's.
Hope to hear back from Sid soon.

ww2collector

Hi George. I recently acquired one of your YF22 kits. I also have one of your old F4 kits. Any advice on building the YF22? Eric

Jetset

My Feedback: (2)

WOW, ive been looking for one of Geaorge's YF-22 kits for years! Thats awesome

George Miller

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Eric,

I would follow the instructions as best you can considering the type of power you are going to use in it.

I believe that "Spring Air Retracts" will still be able to supply you with the special retracts that they made for it. I would definitely use them. These units that have the firewall mount mains along with the nose unit makes installing retracts in this aircraft just about as simple and light as possible.

If you have any specific questions, please fell free to ask them.

Also: If you could make me a photo copy of the instructions and take some good photos of the plans, I would sure like to give you my e-mail address if you would send them to me.

Same with the F-4.

warrenmiller11

can u sell me a fuse?

Jetset

My Feedback: (2)

If George was still making these I'd be all over it! Kick myself for not picking up a YF-22 a few years back

George Miller

My Feedback: (1)

I am retired now and have lost all interest in doing models to sell. Sorry, but after so many years of doing that, I just can't get the desire to make things for customers anymore.

warrenmiller11

i understand no problem buddy did u sell ur f14 that was halfway done?

George Miller

My Feedback: (1)

No I have not sold it. To be honest, I was more interested in having someone actually finish it than rather if it sold or not.

I am guessing I was asking more then most modelers want to pay. and most RC people are not modelers and need it in ARF form to be interested.

And I do not consider it "halfway done"

Considering all that is left to do on it is to install fans, some radio, and paint it, When it comes to a F-14 with scale retracts and operating doors, full swept wings completed, stab and flaps completed, all hatches set up, I think this is more than just half done.

warrenmiller11

ohh yea i agree with you i was going to do the same from avonds short kit get it glassed and work from there i build corsairs from top flite kits before working canopy cowl flaps landing gear doors scale exhaust radial engine im not an arf guy loll. i was just contemplating twin nitro ducted and glass fuse would work great on f14 with that setup. i dont know how much you want for it but in the end im sure it will be great looking in the sky.

70 ragtop

My Feedback: (24)

George
I looked back thru the pages, and I have to say it again, what a great job you did., and thanks for sharing!
I hope you will go ahead and finish it once flying season is done, or at least paint it. If it were me, I wouldn't really care if it sells or not. Worse case, it'll look great next to the F-4s in your modeling room Of coarse, I think it will be a great flier

George Miller

My Feedback: (1)

I asked $3,500.00 for it. Considering there is half of that in materials alone and all the work and engineering that went into it, even at that it is a down right steel.

I suggest you read the first set of posting by me about all the difficulty in making a Avonds fuselage from that short kit.

I wouldn't wish that job on anyone. It was a real nightmare to do it. There is just nothing on the whole set of formers that is right