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F-100 "Build" thread

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F-100 "Build" thread

Old 09-24-2007, 01:39 PM
  #1  
rhklenke
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Default F-100 "Build" thread

OK, so I've been working on this BVM F-100 for quite some time now. I'm making progress, but its taken longer than I've wanted to get there. The plan now is to have it ready for Fl Jets '08...

I decided to post the pictures of the progress here mainly to give myself some incentive to continue to make progress at a decent rate. I also did it to give folks an idea of the order of magnitude that building this airplane is. Awhile ago, someone on here refered to this plane as an "ARF." As I pass 600 or so hours in the build process (its not done yet either and I didn't do the metal finish, the riveting, or paint the markings - more on that later), its obvious how silly that assertion is.

Below is a picture of the kit as I got it. That was three years ago, I believe. The previous owner had built and installed the rudder and installed the stabilator (which was removed again for shipping). Before the kit was purchased, the owner (or builder, I forget) claimed that 10-15% of the building was already done. Clearly even those familiar with the kit don't realize how much work is left.

Bob
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Old 09-24-2007, 01:43 PM
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

The wings are pre-moulded, of course, with the ailerons as part of the wing. You have to cut those off, install the hinges and leading edges, and install the hinges in the wing for both the ailerons and flaps. The ailerons and flaps are hinged with carbon fiber hinges held together with a wire hinge pivot - pull the pin and the surface comes off. That makes for a really nice scale hinge and allows you to to take the surfaces off for finishing. Here, the aileron and flap hinges are being gluded into the wing with braces holding the flaps and ailerons in the proper location.

Bob
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Old 09-24-2007, 01:45 PM
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

The flaps come built, but they have to be glassed, primed, and have the panel lines scribed into them...
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Old 09-24-2007, 01:52 PM
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

The fuselage comes pre-moulded too, of course, with a lot of surface details moulded in. However, the openings in the fuse (there are many) for exhausts and cooling air, etc., don't look as realistic if they are not "opened up." This was done on ths model for all openings into the fuse. The part of the moulding that covered the opening was removed with a Dremel and a file. Then a polyply piece was glued into the fuse on the inside to extend the "duct" back up into the fuse. On large openings, "sides" for the duct were also added on the inside of the fuse. This was all reinforced with a fiberglass tape strap over it on the inside and the gaps on the inside of the duct were filled with Bondo. The resulting duct was cleaned up with a file...

As you can see in the picture, the complete set of lights from Dan Gill was added to the airplane as well...

Bob
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Old 09-24-2007, 01:55 PM
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

The grills in the bottom of the fuse were opened up and detailed, and Dan's retractable landing lights were added...
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Old 09-24-2007, 01:58 PM
  #6  
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

The leading edge slats were finished as "stock," which is quite a bit of work in and of itself. Geting the guides on the slats aligned correctly and seated in the pockets in the wing such that they can move easily takes some time. In addition, at least on this kit, the slat-to-wing fit was not very good and it took quite a bit of sanding/filling to get the to an acceptable point...
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Old 09-24-2007, 02:01 PM
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

The wing tank halves are joined, but the joint needs to be sanded and filled in, the fins need to be built and installed, and the pylon and tanks mounted on the wing and aligned...
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Old 09-24-2007, 02:03 PM
  #8  
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

This model has the anti-sway bars for the wing tanks installed on it. They come as solid, moulded parts from Justin Sands. You then have to figure out how to mount them so that they are sturdy, but can also be removed when you decide to fly without the tanks. Here I used some circuit board material to fabricate mounting brackets for them and #1 hex-head bolts and nuts to hold them on...
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Old 09-24-2007, 02:11 PM
  #9  
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

In addition to the wing tanks, this aircraft also had two other pylons that could be used to hold and drop ordinance. Here, you can see the middle pylon installed with a working snake-eye bomb. The pylon has a BVM EZ-Drop installed inside of it to release the bomb. This of course, means that there is an airline from the fuse, through the wing, and into the pylon to operate the EZ-Drop. The pylon is removable, but doing so would leave an unconnected hose in the air system and a hole in the botom of the wing. Therefore, Robart closing disconnects are used to hook the pylon onto the air hose in the wing, and the holes in the wing were cut out as hatches that can be screwed in place when the pylon is not installed...
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Old 09-24-2007, 02:17 PM
  #10  
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

What's an F-100 without a drag chute?!? Dan Gill has a pre-moulded chute box with carbon fiber doors and all accessories. Normally, this chute box is permanently glued in after the stab is installed. However, this model is going to be shipped several times, most likely, so the chute box had to be engineeried to be removable. Here you can see front and back views of the chute box, with its actuating servo installed. There are 4 screws that screw into blocks from inside the chute box to hold it in place.

You can also see the retractable tail skid (also from Dan Gill) installed in the tail. This skid is activated by an air cylinder from the retracts - gear down, skid down, gear up, skid up...
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Old 09-24-2007, 02:22 PM
  #11  
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

Normally, with Dan's chute box, the hinges are made from tube and wire and tye are held in by the box when its glued in the last time. Because this box is removable, the doors needed to be hinged directly to the skin, independently from the box mounting. I used mini piano hinges from Nelson hobby as you can see here. Actually, if you look at pictures of the full-scale aircraft, these doors are held in place with piano hinges which are roughly the same scale as the Nelson ones...

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Old 09-24-2007, 02:27 PM
  #12  
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

Here's a picture of the bottom of the model with all three of the pylons installed and showing the surface details. Note that both the inner and the outer pylons are setup EZ-Drops to drop ordinance, independently...
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Old 09-24-2007, 02:35 PM
  #13  
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

This model has a working canopy. It has a lift cylinder and two locking cylinders for operation. The cylinders are controlled by a UP-3 valve. The cylinders unlock, the canopy opens, the canopy closes, and the cylinders lock...

You can see it in operation here:
http://www.people.vcu.edu/~rhklenke/canopy_long.MPG
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Old 09-24-2007, 10:05 PM
  #14  
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

So that's most of the surface details and that was finished after about a year of effort. Now it was time for the exterior finishing. For this is was shipped (actually I put it in my Toyota Prius and drove it) up to Metal-Morphous Inc. in Wallingford, Ct. (http://www.metal-morphous.com). Ron Randall has a unique plating process that really gives a nice look. You can see the complete set of pictures of the F-100 being done in this thread:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3753547

Just some of the highlights are here to show the progress...

First is the F-100 right after delivery in Ron's shop...
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Old 09-24-2007, 10:07 PM
  #15  
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

Ron did the surface prep and then the first layer of aluminum plating. Here's what it looked like after the first polishing...
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Old 09-24-2007, 10:11 PM
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

The full-scale F-100 has darker look to some of the panels...

Ron duplicated that by plating a second layer in a different metal combination that was slightly darker...
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Old 09-24-2007, 10:12 PM
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

Ron did the hot section details using metal dyes...
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Old 09-24-2007, 10:13 PM
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

Then he added the rivet and fastener details...
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Old 09-24-2007, 10:15 PM
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

Finally, he did the masking and painting of the major markings. Masks from Promark were used...

In the picture of the hot section, you can see the functional "turkey feathers" that are used to hold the cable for the drag chute in place. I made these with pieces of polyply. In the full-scale as well as the model, when the drag shute is packed and placed in the box, the attachment cable needs to be lead out of the box and around the fuse to the attach point at the base of the rudder. The cable is stuffed under these "turkey feathers" and stays there until the chute is released. It then pulls out from under them...

To this point in the build, I have probably 600 hours or so of labor into it. I'm sure Ron and his folks have quite a few as well. So much for it being an ARF [:@]
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Old 09-24-2007, 10:22 PM
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

After Ron was finished, I drove back up to his shop and picked it up. That was late last January. I spent the entire time from then until Fl Jets getting the cockpits partially done. I will post more pictures of those later, but suffice it to say that the Cutting Edge cockpits are very detailed, but it takes a LOT of work to get them to fit OK and look right in the F-100F...

I took the fuse. with the cockpits down to Fl Jets to show the owner and then brought it back home. This summer was going to be the time to finish it, but work and family obligations kept me from spending any real time on it until last month...

Now we get to where we are now - the final building and gearing up.

First, we tackle the air systems. This airplane normally has seperate air systems - gear, doors, speed brake, and wheel brakes. Two tanks are used for the gear to make sure there is enough air volume. With the opening canopy and the EZ-Drops in the wing, this plane has 5 air systems - all of the above and an "Aux." system. That's 5 air systems and 6 tanks. They all can be made to fit into the nose around the intake.
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Old 09-24-2007, 10:25 PM
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

The specs called for Jetronics air valves instead of the mechanical ones in the kit. This plane has 3 2-way Jetronics for the gear, doors, and speed brake, and a Jetronics brake valve. It uses a Jetronics sequencer for the doors and has a air pressure safety switch that lowers the gear when the gear air system pressure gets low. That safety switch is from Dan Gill at Detals4Scale...

For the EZ-Drops in the inner and outer pylons, simple single-action button valves driven by JR mini servos are used...
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Old 09-24-2007, 10:30 PM
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

Here's the remainder of the air system plumbing inside the fuse. There are 5 air connections for each wing - gear up, gear down, wheel brakes, inner pylon drop, and outer pylon drop. The retractable landing lights are air operated as are the main and nose gear doors. There is a connection for gear air into the aft fuselage for the skid retract cylinder.

In all, there are over 25 air "T" fittings in the fuselage for the air system plumbing. To prevent leaks, each and every air connection is safety wired with 0.011" stainless steel safety wire...

The unconnected lines are for fill and will eventually be connected to 5 air gauges and BVM fill valves...
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Old 09-24-2007, 10:34 PM
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

A Weatronics RX was spec'ed for this bird. It was a bit of a challenge to find a place to put it, and where to put the batteries and second antenna has still to be decided. However, it looks like 18 of the 20 available servo connections and the connections for an external gyro on rudder will be used in this application. Setup should be much easier with this RX...
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Old 09-30-2007, 09:46 PM
  #24  
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

This week was dedicated to getting the majority of the servo wiring in the fuse done. There are 3 connections into each wing (2 slat and 1 aileron servo), and 4 to the aft fuselage (2 stabalator servos, the ruder servo, and the drag chute servo. Still to be done is mounting the AutoChute unit from Dan Gill and the lighting control unit, also from Dan. These will be on a board in front of the RX...
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Old 09-30-2007, 09:48 PM
  #25  
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Default RE: F-100 "Build" thread

The connections on the Weatronics RX are filling up... Actually, all 20 of the servo connections on this RX will be used - eliminating the need for gang of Matchboxes normally used on this model...

You can also see the AutoChute unit in this photo. It needs to be connected to the wheel brake and flaps channels. It also has a rotation sensor that goes out to one of the wheels and of course, is connected to the drag chute deployment servo (and optionally, the drag chute release servo). When the flaps are down, the wheels are turning, and the brakes are applied, the chute is deployed. When the wheels stop, the chute is released (if it has a release servo)...
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