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AK Models - F-16 kit - 4/12/2006 10:46:15 PM   
mach92goose


 

Posts: 25
Joined: 8/27/2005
From: coralville, IA, USA
Status: offline 		A friend of mine had some laser cutting done by AK Models in Iowa City, so...since we lived close by, we
went over to pick up his laser cut parts. While we were there, Alex...the owner of AK Models was
showing us around, I noticed a F-16, 1/2 built aircraft in his work room.. ..come to find out that Alex was
working on creating a kit. I had been wanting to do a full build F-16 since I got into the hobby about 2
1/2 years ago that was like the Great Planes Patriot (I built the GP Patriot last year and enjoyed it) no
ducted fan, just a K.I.S. (Keep It Simple) built aircraft....the best part about our timing was that Alex was
so busy with his buisness that he offered to let me finish his or to cut a kit out for me to build....kinda a
trial run of his first prototype on a beginner...I like to build from scratch so......the only thing Alex did not
have to offer were a set of directions on "how to" build the kit (since he was still in the R&D phase). About a week ago Alex had a box of laser
cut parts, a set of plans and some pictures....well...this picture shows what I had completed in a couple
evenings of building.. ...Fuse framework built (doublers installed/radio tray), wings (spar/ribs/spar webing/
TE & LE shaped) covered.....This kit is a DREAM.. ..While building the fuse, I never needed a square or a
second hand to hold parts for me....the cuts are so "dead-on" that I belive that you could build what you
see here of the fuse without glue, and the fuse would still stay together. Even without a set of directions, the
parts fit together "one way" so as to make it almost imposible to get it wrong....the design at first
apperared to be very complex, but after a few of the parts go together it looked to simple....there is no
"high learning curve" here...the general specs are;
engine OS .91 FX - 13" prop
retracts Spring Air 700 series
wing span approx 44"
length approx 48"
finish weight approx 8-10 lbs.
Sorry about all the "approx"....I'm away from home and have a bad memory but will try to give better info
in the next few posts and I will be posting more pictures as the project goes on...some of the pictures will
be AKM's since I forgot to take pictures of my own (the plane was going together to fast to take any )
SMILE !!!
The first two pics are what I have done and the last is Alex's plane!




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RE: AK Models - F-16 kit - 4/12/2006 11:35:20 PM   
hattend



Posts: 2052
Joined: 11/29/2001
From: Redding, CA, USA
Status: offline 		Yep, there are a few of us who have been waiting for this kit for a long time.

Get it done, do his review and let's get this thing shipping! heheheeh

It's all on your shoulders.

Don

< Message edited by hattend -- 4/13/2006 3:21:41 AM >

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RE: AK Models - F-16 kit - 4/13/2006 2:45:43 AM   
vicman



Posts: 6206
Joined: 12/8/2002
From: Valdese, NC, USA
Status: online 		Some guys are just lucky like that. Nice score!


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RE: AK Models - F-16 kit - 4/15/2006 6:22:36 PM   
gutmark


 

Posts: 27
Joined: 12/8/2004
From: Alamogordo, NM, USA
Status: offline 		That is a beautiful looking airplane.

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RE: AK Models - F-16 kit - 5/9/2006 3:56:59 PM   
mach92goose


 

Posts: 25
Joined: 8/27/2005
From: coralville, IA, USA
Status: offline 		OK...sorry for taking do long to post, but I have been very busy....YEH YEH YEH....anywho....the plane is coming along perfect....AK did a great job on making a kit that can be built very fast and straight forward but left enough space in the fuse to "hide" things to give it an even more "scale" look!....Thing I have changed....First off, the tail, instead off a a conventional elevator hinged to a horizontal Stab, I made it a full-flying tail (stabilator).....the other big change was the ailerons had the servos attached to the underside of the wings that plug into the fuse, so to hide the servos, I placed them in the tail and not onle have wings that plug into the fuse but also servo arms that plug also by using the "universal joint" from a RC car...its kinda cool but occupied a HUGE amount of time...finaly got the SPRING AIR retracs from Sping Air...The thing I like about the retracs is that if you lose air, the gear is BIASED DOWN and LOCKED...the ONLY problem with Spring Air is if you order today, plan on getting the gear a few months down the road, but they are worth it...light weight, small but sturdy, and no wobbling in the joints...other then that, I have started to fiberglass some parts and plan to close up the belly so the main fuse can start to get covered...here are some pics....enjoy!
PS...AK suggested using Windex to moisen the balsa prior to forming it to the fuse, laying it up with pins, and letting it dry over night, I included a pic to show what i ended up with the next morning prior to glue...IT WORKS GREAT!!!

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RE: AK Models - F-16 kit - 5/9/2006 4:08:01 PM   
mach92goose


 

Posts: 25
Joined: 8/27/2005
From: coralville, IA, USA
Status: offline 		sorry...here are the pics!

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RE: AK Models - F-16 kit - 5/9/2006 4:15:38 PM   
mach92goose


 

Posts: 25
Joined: 8/27/2005
From: coralville, IA, USA
Status: offline 		more...


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RE: AK Models - F-16 kit - 5/10/2006 6:06:44 AM   
Mods-R-Me



Posts: 799
Joined: 6/13/2005
From: Antelope Valley, CA, USA
Status: offline 		AWESOME! I'm building the SU-27 from Alex now and love it. It's funny that I'm moding my SU-27 with the same full flying stab set up as you. Now I have more confidence that it will work. Couple questions though, are the torque rods coming out of the stab made out of Aluminum or Steel? Also, what kind of control horns are you using to move the stabilators?

Keep the pics coming!

Mods


< Message edited by Mods-R-Me -- 5/10/2006 4:39:46 PM >

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RE: AK Models - F-16 kit - 5/10/2006 9:01:11 AM   
mach92goose


 

Posts: 25
Joined: 8/27/2005
From: coralville, IA, USA
Status: offline 		Hey Mods-R-Me.....now I dont want to take away any confidence about the stabilators ....but...I have talked to Alex about it and he thought about the same...cool idea but might not be to practical...the bigggest concern I have is that when the elevator makes up about 1/4th of the whole surface, and now I have glued the other 3/4ers to it basicly results to small control deflection-BIG MOVMENT, hopefully it wont be to touch"IE"...now with that being said...I used 3/16th steel piano wire (gear wire) with a 90 degree bend to make the stab stiffer...now for the fuse to recieve the rod i used a brass tube to make a sleave around the rod as one solid piece at first to make sure everthing lined up...glued the brass tube into place and then cut out two slots for the 3/16th collars but instead of using a set screw to hold the collar in place, i tapped a 4-40 thread and placed a 4-40 X 1 1/4" screw with a horn bracket already threaded on it....simple....I did use two servos to maybe take care of the above mentioned touch"IE" control....
I would like to see some pics of what you have done so far...mabe you could spur something i might have missed or could add....


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RE: AK Models - F-16 kit - 5/10/2006 4:33:25 PM   
Mods-R-Me



Posts: 799
Joined: 6/13/2005
From: Antelope Valley, CA, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: mach92goose

I used 3/16th steel piano wire (gear wire) with a 90 degree bend to make the stab stiffer...now for the fuse to recieve the rod i used a brass tube to make a sleave around the rod as one solid piece at first to make sure everthing lined up...glued the brass tube into place and then cut out two slots for the 3/16th collars but instead of using a set screw to hold the collar in place, i tapped a 4-40 thread and placed a 4-40 X 1 1/4" screw with a horn bracket already threaded on it....simple....I did use two servos to maybe take care of the above mentioned touch"IE" control....


Tapping the wheel collar and using it as a control horn....brilliant! I actually bought mine from Cermark. They are the same ones used on their F-16. My control rod is 1/4" aluminum with a 9/32" OD brass sleeve. I've been thinking about the touch"IE" factor myself and decided to use the control throws from the Cermark F-16 as a baseline because it has a stabilator also. Since I have dual rates on my TX, I'm setting 100% at those rates and 80% just in case 100% is too touch"IE". We're on parallel paths. I'll place a link to your thread in mine.

Here's a link to my thread in the extreme speed section: CLICK HERE

Mods

< Message edited by Mods-R-Me -- 5/10/2006 5:27:06 PM >

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RE: AK Models - F-16 kit - 5/10/2006 5:26:10 PM   
Mods-R-Me



Posts: 799
Joined: 6/13/2005
From: Antelope Valley, CA, USA
Status: offline 		I just got off the phone with Cermark and the control throws are as follows:

Stabilators: 3/4" Up & 3/4" Down: Low Rates
1" Up & 1" Down: High Rates

Rudder 1" Left & 1" Right

Ailerons: 5/8" Up & 5/8" Down: Low Rates
7/8" Up & 7/8" Down: High Rates


Hope this helps,

Mods


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RE: AK Models - F-16 kit - 5/10/2006 7:03:10 PM   
bob27s



Posts: 4831
Joined: 4/9/2002
From: Cleveland, OH, USA
Status: offline 		just subscribing in to the thread.

Alex told me about the project a year or two ago, and that it got sidetracked a bit.

Worth watching the assembly now.

Bob


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RE: AK Models - F-16 kit - 5/10/2006 7:39:45 PM   
mach92goose


 

Posts: 25
Joined: 8/27/2005
From: coralville, IA, USA
Status: offline 		I just got back from your link...LOOKS GREAT...where are you at now in your project?...Thank you for the control throws for the cermark plane, I think you have it right, I was only thinking of at best 3/4" throw...so...sounds about that....I will try to take a better picture of the horn assembly...i showed it to some club guys and they are split 25no/75yes...I like the 75 guys anyways.....

good luck....I would like any other ideas and try to keep posting!

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RE: AK Models - F-16 kit - 5/11/2006 4:20:56 AM   
Razor-RCU



Posts: 5291
Joined: 3/21/2002
From: Ramona, CA, USA
Status: offline 		"Subscribing also"

Sweet build(s) guys!


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