Old Skymaster ARF F-18 questions
09-05-2011, 01:43 PM
#1
Old Skymaster ARF F-18 questions
Hello guys,
i just got this kit from a friend and have a few questions:
1. is this kit same as the Xtreme Jets F-18C ?
2. any problems with the elevator ? i reckon reading about some elevator problems in the past.
3. whats the wheel size for the mains and nose ?
4. which servos go on which controls ? does the aileron need a mini servo to fit ?
5. will it take a P-160 (even if i have to take the thrust down) ?
6. how does she fly ?
thanks for the advice.
i just got this kit from a friend and have a few questions:
1. is this kit same as the Xtreme Jets F-18C ?
2. any problems with the elevator ? i reckon reading about some elevator problems in the past.
3. whats the wheel size for the mains and nose ?
4. which servos go on which controls ? does the aileron need a mini servo to fit ?
5. will it take a P-160 (even if i have to take the thrust down) ?
6. how does she fly ?
thanks for the advice.
09-05-2011, 02:48 PM
#2
RE: Old Skymaster ARF F-18 questions
Here is my thread on the Skymaster F-18C.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_50...tm.htm#5055313
I had a Titan in this baby and it was not turned down! I flew her for about 125 flight then sold it. It is a great flying jet with no bad habits. It is really fast with amazing vertical (I had 35 pounds of thrust!!). No issues with the elevator as is. I used JR 3421 in the wings for ailerons. Rudders had a Hitec ultra thing aileron servos..125MG I think. It should be in the thread. As far as I know, it is the same jet that Skymaster is currently selling under the X-Treme name.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_50...tm.htm#5055313
I had a Titan in this baby and it was not turned down! I flew her for about 125 flight then sold it. It is a great flying jet with no bad habits. It is really fast with amazing vertical (I had 35 pounds of thrust!!). No issues with the elevator as is. I used JR 3421 in the wings for ailerons. Rudders had a Hitec ultra thing aileron servos..125MG I think. It should be in the thread. As far as I know, it is the same jet that Skymaster is currently selling under the X-Treme name.
09-06-2011, 01:33 PM
#3
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RE: Old Skymaster ARF F-18 questions
1- Yes
2- Yes, the stab pivot is just a brass tube holding a big elevator with lot´s of slop in all directions. We partially fixed the problem removing the elevators and glueing some thin CA in the pivots.
3- Don´t remember exactly.
4- Used 120 oz/in in the tailerons long ago without issues with metal gears and BB, paying careful attention to the linkage geometry.
5- The P160 is appropiate for this aircraft, don´t need to dial it down. I use a P-120 on it and flies well but l would like to have more power, due that I use full flaps at takeoff.
6- Flies very well on stock form and is one of my favorites jet shape presence in the air with its tie figther sound, however:
It doesn´t like crosswinds.
It tries to bite it´s own tail if deeply stalled.
Sometimes it pitches up when stalls.
It seems to get happier and comes to its own when flown with gyros on rudders and ailerons, like it´s full size brother. Didn´t felt the need of gyros on the pitch axis.
You can´t do wheelie landings.
In this rather long and boring video, I took off with it and passed the tx for a friend who flew it most of the flight as he claimed that it was as easy to fly as a F-15:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMv4X9g6Kwo
Hope you like this plane as much as I did!
2- Yes, the stab pivot is just a brass tube holding a big elevator with lot´s of slop in all directions. We partially fixed the problem removing the elevators and glueing some thin CA in the pivots.
3- Don´t remember exactly.
4- Used 120 oz/in in the tailerons long ago without issues with metal gears and BB, paying careful attention to the linkage geometry.
5- The P160 is appropiate for this aircraft, don´t need to dial it down. I use a P-120 on it and flies well but l would like to have more power, due that I use full flaps at takeoff.
6- Flies very well on stock form and is one of my favorites jet shape presence in the air with its tie figther sound, however:
It doesn´t like crosswinds.
It tries to bite it´s own tail if deeply stalled.
Sometimes it pitches up when stalls.
It seems to get happier and comes to its own when flown with gyros on rudders and ailerons, like it´s full size brother. Didn´t felt the need of gyros on the pitch axis.
You can´t do wheelie landings.
In this rather long and boring video, I took off with it and passed the tx for a friend who flew it most of the flight as he claimed that it was as easy to fly as a F-15:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMv4X9g6Kwo
Hope you like this plane as much as I did!
09-06-2011, 01:48 PM
#4
RE: Old Skymaster ARF F-18 questions
ORIGINAL: erbroens
1- Yes
2- Yes, the stab pivot is just a brass tube holding a big elevator with lot´s of slop in all directions. We partially fixed the problem removing the elevators and glueing some thin CA in the pivots.
3- Don´t remember exactly.
4- Used 120 oz/in in the tailerons long ago without issues with metal gears and BB, paying careful attention to the linkage geometry.
5- The P160 is appropiate for this aircraft, don´t need to dial it down. I use a P-120 on it and flies well but l would like to have more power, due that I use full flaps at takeoff.
6- Flies very well on stock form and is one of my favorites jet shape presence in the air with its tie figther sound, however:
It doesn´t like crosswinds.
It tries to bite it´s own tail if deeply stalled.
Sometimes it pitches up when stalls.
It seems to get happier and comes to its own when flown with gyros on rudders and ailerons, like it´s full size brother. Didn´t felt the need of gyros on the pitch axis.
You can´t do wheelie landings.
In this rather long and boring video, I took off with it and passed the tx for a friend who flew it most of the flight as he claimed that it was as easy to fly as a F-15:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMv4X9g6Kwo
Hope you like this plane as much as I did!
1- Yes
2- Yes, the stab pivot is just a brass tube holding a big elevator with lot´s of slop in all directions. We partially fixed the problem removing the elevators and glueing some thin CA in the pivots.
3- Don´t remember exactly.
4- Used 120 oz/in in the tailerons long ago without issues with metal gears and BB, paying careful attention to the linkage geometry.
5- The P160 is appropiate for this aircraft, don´t need to dial it down. I use a P-120 on it and flies well but l would like to have more power, due that I use full flaps at takeoff.
6- Flies very well on stock form and is one of my favorites jet shape presence in the air with its tie figther sound, however:
It doesn´t like crosswinds.
It tries to bite it´s own tail if deeply stalled.
Sometimes it pitches up when stalls.
It seems to get happier and comes to its own when flown with gyros on rudders and ailerons, like it´s full size brother. Didn´t felt the need of gyros on the pitch axis.
You can´t do wheelie landings.
In this rather long and boring video, I took off with it and passed the tx for a friend who flew it most of the flight as he claimed that it was as easy to fly as a F-15:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMv4X9g6Kwo
Hope you like this plane as much as I did!
Thank you very much ! i actually flew a friend's JL F-18 and it was a joy to fly, similar to a f-15 indeed.
About the elevators:
1. do you use them as elevons ? are they mixed with ailerons ? dont the ailerons have enough authority ?
2. do you mean wicking thin CA on the pivot to avoid slop ?
3. any other mods to the elevators ?
4. any other tips about this bird ? i hear everyone love the way she flies !
09-06-2011, 03:31 PM
#5
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RE: Old Skymaster ARF F-18 questions
Anytime.
1) I tried a simple setup of elevator and aleirons and it worked, however using tailerons mixed with aleirons gave me a more constant aleiron response at all speeds of the envelope.(or at least, that was my impression)
2) Yes, I learned this tip from a friend here, in RCU
3) No, even in the flights without the CA glue tip and had a mad slop, they never fluttered or caused any control issue. I didn´t balanced them.
4) Biggest tips on this bird is taking off with full flaps and not forgeting to still "fly" the aleirons on this airplane right after landing, due to the flexibility of the main landing gear. It´s rather common to drag the wingtip missile rails causing a big mess and often breaking something. The aleiron gyro is very helpful in this situation, specially in crosswinds.
another tip is checking once a while if the steering cables get too old and weak, unless you want to end out of the runway like happened to me on the video..
1) I tried a simple setup of elevator and aleirons and it worked, however using tailerons mixed with aleirons gave me a more constant aleiron response at all speeds of the envelope.(or at least, that was my impression)
2) Yes, I learned this tip from a friend here, in RCU
3) No, even in the flights without the CA glue tip and had a mad slop, they never fluttered or caused any control issue. I didn´t balanced them.
4) Biggest tips on this bird is taking off with full flaps and not forgeting to still "fly" the aleirons on this airplane right after landing, due to the flexibility of the main landing gear. It´s rather common to drag the wingtip missile rails causing a big mess and often breaking something. The aleiron gyro is very helpful in this situation, specially in crosswinds.
another tip is checking once a while if the steering cables get too old and weak, unless you want to end out of the runway like happened to me on the video..
09-22-2011, 08:48 AM
#6
RE: Old Skymaster ARF F-18 questions
Did anyone manage to fit a standard size servo for the ailerons ?
Im thinking about using these for the ailerons (as i have access to them):
http://www.jrradios.com/Products/Def...ProdID=JRPS378
what do you think ?
Im thinking about using these for the ailerons (as i have access to them):
http://www.jrradios.com/Products/Def...ProdID=JRPS378
what do you think ?
09-22-2011, 09:44 AM
#7
RE: Old Skymaster ARF F-18 questions
ORIGINAL: i3dm
Im thinking about using these for the ailerons (as i have access to them):
http://www.jrradios.com/Products/Def...ProdID=JRPS378
what do you think ?
Im thinking about using these for the ailerons (as i have access to them):
http://www.jrradios.com/Products/Def...ProdID=JRPS378
what do you think ?
i used the 378s in the wings of my JL F-15, they work great.
09-22-2011, 10:11 AM
#9
RE: Old Skymaster ARF F-18 questions
I received one of the first SM F-18C ARFs and began flying it in early 2005. I lost it 2 years later when one of the elevators rotated on its shaft. The original SM ARFs had a round elevator shaft that just had a clamp / arm that would secure it (no flat on shaft with a mating flat in the clamp). Those were the days when Skymaster used us as their R & D function (pre-BVM). Make sure yours has some positive way to "lock" the elevator shaft to the arm.
Nick
Nick
09-22-2011, 11:43 AM
#11
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RE: Old Skymaster ARF F-18 questions
Sorry to hear that.. ours here has a flat spot for the shaft. Problem is that this flat spot adds slop to the elevator as the shaft doesn´t match the pivot shell bushing at the end.
04-16-2012, 04:02 PM
#13
RE: Old Skymaster ARF F-18 questions
I have now started work on her and have a few more quesions:
1. can you post a pic of the fuel tank mounting especially the 2 small ones ?
2. did anyone ballast weight the elevators ?
3. does the CA trick really work with the aluminum pivot ? i dont think CA adheres to aluminum all too well.
4. any other way to remove slop of the elevator pivot from its brass tube "bearing" in the fuse ?
5. can you post pics of gear doors hinges / cylinder locations ?
6. most important: does anyone have the PDF manual of this bird perhaps ?
Isnt she a beauty ?
thanks.
1. can you post a pic of the fuel tank mounting especially the 2 small ones ?
2. did anyone ballast weight the elevators ?
3. does the CA trick really work with the aluminum pivot ? i dont think CA adheres to aluminum all too well.
4. any other way to remove slop of the elevator pivot from its brass tube "bearing" in the fuse ?
5. can you post pics of gear doors hinges / cylinder locations ?
6. most important: does anyone have the PDF manual of this bird perhaps ?
Isnt she a beauty ?
thanks.
04-16-2012, 04:53 PM
#14
RE: Old Skymaster ARF F-18 questions
Hi Lior,
I did not balance my stabs and had no issues. I had no major amounts of slop, but, I did make some extensions to almost double the length of the elevator control horns and that really helped reduce the slop in the stabs. I will see if I can find some pics for you. Mine flies with a 120 and goes surprisingly well considering she weighs 15kg dry! (1st generation kit, when the lay ups were much heavier). 160 would really make it boogie in the verticals.
Go a gyro on the ailerons as suggested. Try putting some heavy grease on the stab pivot shafts...it will remove some of the slop.
I love the F18...looks so mean in the air! Good luck with yours.
Regards,
Craig.
I did not balance my stabs and had no issues. I had no major amounts of slop, but, I did make some extensions to almost double the length of the elevator control horns and that really helped reduce the slop in the stabs. I will see if I can find some pics for you. Mine flies with a 120 and goes surprisingly well considering she weighs 15kg dry! (1st generation kit, when the lay ups were much heavier). 160 would really make it boogie in the verticals.
Go a gyro on the ailerons as suggested. Try putting some heavy grease on the stab pivot shafts...it will remove some of the slop.
I love the F18...looks so mean in the air! Good luck with yours.
Regards,
Craig.
04-16-2012, 05:07 PM
#15
RE: Old Skymaster ARF F-18 questions
ORIGINAL: Craig B.
Hi Lior,
I did not balance my stabs and had no issues. I had no major amounts of slop, but, I did make some extensions to almost double the length of the elevator control horns and that really helped reduce the slop in the stabs. I will see if I can find some pics for you. Mine flies with a 120 and goes surprisingly well considering she weighs 15kg dry! (1st generation kit, when the lay ups were much heavier). 160 would really make it boogie in the verticals.
Go a gyro on the ailerons as suggested. Try putting some heavy grease on the stab pivot shafts...it will remove some of the slop.
I love the F18...looks so mean in the air! Good luck with yours.
Regards,
Craig.
Hi Lior,
I did not balance my stabs and had no issues. I had no major amounts of slop, but, I did make some extensions to almost double the length of the elevator control horns and that really helped reduce the slop in the stabs. I will see if I can find some pics for you. Mine flies with a 120 and goes surprisingly well considering she weighs 15kg dry! (1st generation kit, when the lay ups were much heavier). 160 would really make it boogie in the verticals.
Go a gyro on the ailerons as suggested. Try putting some heavy grease on the stab pivot shafts...it will remove some of the slop.
I love the F18...looks so mean in the air! Good luck with yours.
Regards,
Craig.
04-16-2012, 05:17 PM
#16
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RE: Old Skymaster ARF F-18 questions
the one I set up does not have a gyro and flys perfectly, power with the 120 was impressive. I did not see the need for the gyro as it is rock steady stable in the roll axis.
Kevin
Kevin
