jaaron01

Merry Christmas to all!!!

Couple of photo's of the fuselage. I dry fitted the F-5,F-6 side pieces, and slide the wing tube through to get and idea of how she'll look.

Jim

jaaron01

Now that I've started to emergy from a "County Ham Induced Coma", I decided to take a look at the Horizontal Stab, and fix the error in Laser cutting I showed earlier. Also I had some K&B 1/8 rod laying around and decided to use that instead of 4-40 for the control linkages. Also I cut out a 1/2 area in each elevator and placed a nice hard block of Pine for the rod to slide into. I perfer to add a hard block instead of drilling into soft balsa and using thin CA to harded it up. This way I won't have to worry about things becoming loose.

All I need to do now is bevel / shape the elevators, cut the CA hinges ( which I'm putting 3 on each half ), and fix up the epoxy hinges for the rods, and I'm in business. I'm hoping that the mail will deliver my retracts tomorrow so I can install the front retract and put some sheeting on the fuselage.

Jim

Steelie

My Feedback: (18)

For those looking for instruction on finishing with fiberglass, go here. Paul Johnson at Airfieldmodels.com is the Guru. Look around his site for many how-tos.

http://www.airfieldmodels.com/inform...nish/index.htm

theo63

jim,wow you are catching up to me fast,now that x-mas is over i should have more time to work on mine,here is where i am at with the retracts and all the plubming in and i just have to get the servo hooked up but they work

jaaron01

Today I'm working on finishing up the Horizontal Stab Control rods. I decided to use 1/4 spruce and hollow out a channel for the rod to fit into. Then filled that with epoxy and plugged up both ends, so the epoxy wouldn't flow out. Also helps to let the epoxy sit for a little while after mixing it, to allow it to thicken up.

Hopefully retracts will show up today, if not I'll work on the rudder control rods, that way those are all completed. Still haven't decided on what to do about the control rods, as they are not threaded on the ends. Might just break out the soldering gun and put some ends on there. Or Solder on a washer, then add a 1/8 fitting, and solder another washer over that, like I do with tires.

Jim

jaaron01

Here's the photos of my creation so far.

Jim

jaaron01

Still no retracts, beginning to wonder what might have happened. I went ahead and sheeted the top of the fuselage. I want to finish sheeting the bottom but need to go to the hobby store for more glue, and other misc items before closing up the fuselage.

She's starting to come together.

Jim

NoOneFlysAtMyClub

My Feedback: (32)

I ordered Spring-air's for my Flanker. 101HD. Arrived 22 days after I placed my order. US address. They will come!!!

jaaron01

Got a little more done.......I'm catching up.

Jim

Mustang Fever

My Feedback: (2)

Mine is still for sale, NIB, but jaaron's looks so good I'm tempted to start building it.

theo63

well i have been working on mine but hooking retracts up and epoxy the wheel well and all it seems its going slow

i did though moved the throttle servo up into the nose gear retract bay with a mini servo instead of going all the way thru the fusealage and i like it better this way and really shouldnt affect the cg

jaaron01

Must be nice to be able to position your retracts!!!!! I would love to do the same with mine, oh wait, I remember it's only been 20 days, not the 22 as required for delivery. Sure didn't take that long for them to process the 195.00 from my bank account.

Oh well, I'm working on the sheeting around the LEX, and let me tell you they are no fun. I will really be glad to flip this bird over and work on the belly for a while. Still this plane is fun to look at, and I bet she'll fly like a rocket, notice I didn't say "Rock".

What did everyone else do for the extra retract support? I just don't see the 1/2 Triangle stock being all that much support. I have some ideas but curious what others did. As for the throttle hook up, I've got a flexible cable that could span the length of the aircraft if need be. I'm just wondering how much weight I'll need in the tail. I'm not much on adding dead weight.

Jim

theo63

jim, i put in the tri stock where they said and i also put some in the sides and in front of them and on the sides as well since i fly off grass
and yes the sheeting the lex was fun,not i wetted mine down and pinned over night and then glued it worked pretty good for me,if you had your retracts by now you would be way ahead of me u seem to build pretty fast i am now waiting on my motor steve

jaaron01

I managed to get one side sheeted today, and that was about it. Hopefully tommorrow evening I will start on the other side, and maybe have retracts in the mail. I would like to at least get the nose retract in place, and beef up that area. We have a small paved runway, but from watching the video's that came with the kit, I'm sure I'll be over running the runway and into the grass extension we have.

Jim

ftjets

Looks like i'll be waiting a bit longer to join the building party. I thought fedex lost mine but Alex emailed and explained that he was a little behind. No problem, i just started building my new Sig King Kobra instead. Until then, i'll just watch you guys work out all the kinks.

jaaron01

That's what happened to mine, Alex put in for the Fedex label and I was notified through e-mail. I called Alex as well, and it took about a week later for the Fedex number to be active.

Jim

ftjets

Yes, he appears to be busy. I guess that could be a good sign. No big deal for me. In addition to the KK, I also have a rather large half completed scratch built F-14 fuselage laying around so i got plenty to keep me busy. Looks like you guys are moving right along. I appreciate sharing all the building tips. They will come in handy when i finally get going on mine.

Mustang Fever

My Feedback: (2)

I'm asking $60 + shipping for mine. New in box. Untouched.

ftjets

That's me, always a day late

jaaron01

Still waiting on my Spring Air Retracts. I looked back at my order and that was on the 12th of Dec, and I've not heard anything from them since. Now I,m starting to get worried, as I've been calling them, and get no answer, not even the answering machine. At least I used Paypal, so I might have some recourse if they don't send them.

I wouldn't be so worried, if they would at least respond to my e-mails, or phone calls, or something. My next option is to try a carrier pigeon.............

Jim

Mustang Fever

My Feedback: (2)

Jim:

In case the Spring Air thing doesn't work out, are you aware that the air up/spring down units carried by Tower Hobbies as Robarts are actually Spring Airs?

jaaron01

No sooner than I posted my blight......Spring Air sent me a message saying my retracts shipped today, however they were out of the hand pumps.

Jim

Steelie

My Feedback: (18)

Bob,
I did not know that. Could you tell me which Robarts are the direct replacement/match for those recommended Spring Air's for this kit?There are so many in the Tower web site.

Thanks, Dan

Mustang Fever

My Feedback: (2)

I just took a look at the Spring Airs and the Robarts, and I think I was wrong. They're not the same. For the record, I used a set of the Robarts, and I didn't like them at all. Nothing but trouble. Stick with the Spring Airs.

C_Roundy

Wow, you just figured out that you were wrong, and yet you are instantly ready to make conclusions about (something) else.....
As a guy who has actually SOLD alot of both, and therefore naturally had to deal with an avererage level of given issues with them both; I would just set you a little bit straghter by pointing out that it has traditionally been easier to support the Robarts than any other brand. That is a large part of the set of reasons why I support the Robart company.

Had you bought either from me across all the years that I have been responsible for both brands where I work, I would stand and deliver the same way.

I believe that your (bad) experience with the Robart is AT LEAST partially attributable to less than correct installation/setup. That is what it almost always what turns out tto be....