dbsonic

My Feedback: (3)

5 flights.. That's just pitiful. Not only will I never buy one of these, ..if ever see an FEJ again I'll get as far away from it as I can.
Nice save.

tinal

who did modification? 5 flights?

RCJetBazz

Even if David had lost a few jets in the past, does it exclude him from making an effort to ensure our safety? Contrary, he would be better suited to lead, as he just may have the tenacity that most of us lack.

RCJetBazz

Sorry, he is, and should take the lead!

sideshow

My Feedback: (11)

David has experience with most of the kit manufacturers offered so far....I'm not exaggerating. Press him if it makes you feel better...

EDFJim

My Feedback: (2)

Moving the pivot point fwd on the MAC will that be the best fix?... The servo linkage on mine is very solid and I don't think that is a problem.. Pivot point fwd and no honeycomb bulkhead for bolting the pivot box..will that prevent the flutter problems? My F-14 I have put about 50 flights on top speed 130-150 had one flutter problem because the bolts to the pivot box came loose and the flutter stopped below about 80 mph and i was able to lamd. I fly these models hard and want to be flutter free. The F-18 1/7 I have flown to every corner of the envelope that a p-200 would take it too with no problems in flight from flutter. One stab shaft would rotate 2-3 deg in the stab after some transport damage and I think that was from bolts through the honeycomb braces in the stab (very bad design). I had to fix that by putting in my own anti torque fix on the shaft.

I can rebuild all my stabs with the shaft moved fwd on the MAC and solid anti-torque design... Tam you believe that will fix the problem?

VF84sluggo

My Feedback: (55)

In the second pic in Tam's post #31, Tam marks in red where the proper pivot point location should be. I agree with him.

While I can't vouch for the full-scale Hornet, I can say that the full-scale F-14 does have the stab pivot point in that relative location. There was much more stab root chord aft of the pivot than ahead of it...very obvious when the stabs were drooped T.E. down.

Sluggo

BTW, yes indeed, the Save of the Century...but, if I had to pick someone to put on the sticks that could pull it off, Boli would be at the top of the "short list" for sure. Very, very fortunate he was at the helm.

RCFlyerDan

My Feedback: (54)

For those of you that still own and trying to operate ANY of the FEJ's, and haven't made them into a lawn dart, take it upon yourselves to modifiy your own jet (poor investment of yours), by laminating everything from the engine or trailing edge of the wing back to the tail cone. This includes all bulkheads, mounts, etc. Truly won't add that much weight, and may prolong the life of your investment.

I WILL SELL YOU AT LEAST 2.3 OZ, AND IT MAY BE HEAVIER THEN 3 OZ, BUT NEED TO FIND OUT THE EXACT WEIGHT, CARBON FIBER CLOTH FOR $100 PER SQUARE YARD.....36"X36". You will have to buy the appropriate 4 to 1 laminating epoxy, but can supply that too, but need to figure out a price, if we ship it UPS. I have done this to a lot of my jets, but do NOT own nor will I ever own a FEJ.

YOU KNOW THERE IS AN ISSUE, FIX it yourself, since you currently own it, and FEJ won't help you out!! Don't fly it until then, and if you do fly it, knowing these issues, shame on you.

gunradd

My Feedback: (9)

Dan some Carbon Fiber cant fix a bad design with a bad pivot point. That kind of flutter will break anything. Its much more then strength involved here.

Funny part is the newer ones they are making with that direct drive crap is even worse.

Flyeagle cant keep a small 1/8 scale plane from exploding in flight let alone a 70 pound aircraft.

RCFlyerDan

My Feedback: (54)

Guess that is why my 1/8 F-18 can do close to 200 mph, and you have seen it fly! Also why I own CARF or BVM jets. Carbon Fiber sure couldn't hurt, and better then doing nothing at all and flying a bad design. All they are doing is reducing the resale value of their own planes.

gunradd

My Feedback: (9)

Yep your F18 is a rocket ship! That is the difference between a correctly made stab and a poorly made fly eagle stab.

RCFlyerDan

My Feedback: (54)

Well, and as we chatted on DUB F-14, Kris, you know as a Professional A&P, that honeycomb isn't used for hard structual bulkheads, and mostly cosmetic bulkheads. I thought we kind of all determined that the holes eventually elongated from the aluminum servo mounts to the honeycomb bulkhead. Honeycomb is basically hollow inside, so of course it won't hold bolts, if the outer laminate isn't hard enough, and the bolts are over tightened, crushing the honeycomb. This then makes the laminate weak. Make both sides of the bulk head ridged with carbon fiber on both sides, so the bolts won't elongate the holes over time, thus lowering the risk of flutter.

RickBoyer

My Feedback: (37)

Sorry to hear about another FEJ airframe failure Boli and great save!

Interesting to hear some negative comments against grounding FEJ at events, but it sounds very logical to me. It would be a very unpleasant experience to be a CD who might have to represent the AMA as a co-defendent in a law suit filed by a plaintiff who sustained personal injury due to an in flight catasrophic model failure.

And unfortunately at this point, I think the AMA/JPO needs to step in and issue airframe certifications to foreign jet kit manufacturers on their designs, engineering, manufacturing and test, similar to the way we do with turbine waivers for pilots.

Nice to pit with you, Tom and the warbird boys at TG this year. Great job with the Turbo Prop Tucano!

Rick Boyer

Top Gun 2004-2013
Pitts Special S-1S (#1)
Ryan STA
Pitts Special S-1S (#2)
MiG-15 bis

BirdofpraY

My Feedback: (31)

Boli, I have to say what a save, this is an unbelievable save. The owner of that F-18 needs to buy you a nice dinner. That's over 6K in just turbines you saved him.

Good job Boli

basimpsn

My Feedback: (5)

Wow Boli very nice save man..you're the man. Luke owe you big time

FalconWings

My Feedback: (57)

The fact that the F-18 made it back to the ground is a true testament of the quality of the model.

Kudos FEJ!

(sorry had to say that! )

AndyAndrews

I have to go with Tam here. Remember he once had one of the best F-18s in the market place. He has tons of experience on this airframe.

raptureboy

And people are still buying FEJ WHY? old Chinese proverb; Fools and their money are soon departed. These guys are laughing all the way to the bank.

AndyAndrews

By the way, to the COWARD who keeps texting me anonymously on my cell phone, keep it up. I will find out who you are and then I will file charges against you (remember ALL digital communications are recorded and can be traced back to the user). I know you are reading this so let this be a fair warning.

David Searles

My Feedback: (49)

Info for anyone who questions my objectivity or sense of fairness in this matter.

1. I was one of the earliest supporters of FEJ when they initially began to offer their kits. I own six of them. 2-1/7 F-18F, 1/5.5 F-16, 1/7 F-15, 1/7 F-4E, F-100F Only three of which have seen any meaningful flight time! I chose not to fly the F-16 or F-15, even though they were completely outfitted with new servos complete install etc, because I did not believe either was flight worthy. MY DECISION! I will not risk my life or others by putting an aircraft in the air, that I am not COMPLETELY comfortable with it's ability to perform the tasks designed for safely! But, that's just me.

I ABSOLUTELY loved their initial FG layup 1/7 F-18F, after I finally got the LG to work reliably. AWESOME flying jet, three years of "rigorous" (private joke) flying with NO structural problems or concerns.

2. Initially the only consistent problem with FEJ was that their LG didn't work, most of the time, and their air cylinders leaked. Not a safety issue!

3. When I first saw the initial photos of FEJ's switch to HC construction, I saw enough obvious mistakes and incorrect usage of HC material in STRUCTURAL areas, in photos on their website, to have serious concerns as to their structural integrity for the long term. SAFETY issue!

4. Those concerns have now been proven to be valid, in fact, by two different aircraft, built by two different builders, (whom I have belief in their abilities to build soundly), on two sides of the country, with essentially the same catastrophic results. Correction: Make that THREE different aircraft. I almost forgot about the HC FEJ J-10 which broke apart in flight due to obvious, video taped, wing tip flutter, last year at Jets Over KY.

5. When it comes to SAFETY, I choose to be proactive. Why wait until one of these breaks and flies into the pits, or a crowd of spectators before we adjust our thinking?! If I'm going to make a mistake,(which I most undoubtedly will) I will always choose to err on the side of safety and prevention of damage, as opposed to doing that "shoulda, coulda, woulda" dance after someone has been injured!

6. I take my responsibilities as a Turbine CD, to my fellow modelers, the AMA and the community in general, very seriously! The primary responsibility, in my mind, is safety! I will not fudge on that factor, opposing opinions be damned! But, thats just me.

Tinal, in direct response to your question. I have been flying jets for eight years. In that time I've owned over twenty five different jets. If memory serves, I have lost five in that time, for various reasons.

David S

mr_matt

My Feedback: (10)

Was this plane LTMA (AMA inspected)? If so did the inspector check the stabilator pivot location?

AndyAndrews

I don't know you will have to ask the owner.

jwottowa

Quoted once again for awesomeness.

RCFlyerDan

My Feedback: (54)

Wow!! I think this was supposed to be a joke statement, but Wow! Surprised no one else has chimed in on this post? As a retired ATP B-727 Capt, and Capt of other Corp. jets, since Boli said he was going to SFO, I am taking it that he is a Professional Jet Capt/Pilot and understands how to work with what is left in an emergency situation. Acting on training, muscle memory, and instincts, and understands Jet aerodynamics.....took immediate action, and since he wasn't in a sim, would have lived to fly another day. I would ride in back with him anytime.

PhilYabelli

There are an awful lot of 54.9 pound planes out there.
It is not credible to believe that most of these big FEJplanes are coming out at under 55 pounds.
People ignore the rules, nobody wants to be inspected.