mjunior

I fly a Boomerang Elan for one and a half year and I'm thinking about my first scale jet. I have a passion for the F-5 but it's a jet not so much easy to see around or find information in the forums.

Can somebody tell me any info about them like flying caracteristics, scale dentails, overhall quality. I have a Jets-munt Merlin 140 and I intend to use it.

Regards

mjunior

Just taking up...

IFlyEm35

My Feedback: (5)

Get an Ultra Flash for a second jet. Looks like an F-20 but flies awesome!

stevekott

I have a Skymaster F-5 powered by a Jetcat P-120SX. It is a BEAUTIFUL sexy plane. I think you Merlin 140 would power it fine. I was a little concerned at first as most of my planes have bigger power but it flies pretty nice on a 120, would be better on the 140.

I've only got about 10 flights on mine and stupidly I flew it with a 10mph direct crosswind (impatient). I got blown off centerline on landing, gave it way too much bank to correct and ripped the gear out. It's all back together now I just haven't hat the chance to take it out again.

It's a pretty honest airplane, certainly not a trainer but no bad habits. It doesn't really fly like a CARF Flash, Flash is easier and faster but it does really look GREAT.

I would say it flies along the lines of my Skymaster F-18. Not a trainer but very honest.

Hope that helps,

Steve

IFlyEm35

My Feedback: (5)

I have no idea what your background is in R/C or what your skill/experience level is. But I can tell you, coming from a boomerang myself, that the Boomers can teach you a lot of bad habits that will become maginfied by a scale jet. I would recommend, if you aren't already using it, to set up your Boomerang with a fairly aggressive crow set up so you can start using the throttle more on landing. Boomers are one of the easiest planes I have ever landed. An F-5 is on the other end of the spectrum. Not extremely hard, but much more "jet like" than the Boomers.

If you can swing it I would seriously consider the Flash. It's a real nice stepping stone between the Boomerang and a good flying scale jet. You already have the turbine. You could always pull it out later and sell the Flash (you probably won't once you fly one ;-D) but it's an option.

Also what size is your field? You'd be surprised how much runway you will use as you are getting some of the scale jets figured out.

Dig it

IFlyEm35, the Flash is a scale model of what? I've never heard of one in any airforce I've looked up. I mean it looks close to a F-5, but it most certainly is not, nor would I ever want to buy one if I was looking for scale. I agree that from what I know they are a good flying jet but I just don't know how you can say its scale.

Dale

madmodelman

Just what I was thinking.

LGM Graphix

My Feedback: (22)

He never said the flash was a scale jet, he said it was a nice stepping stone between a boomer and a scale jet.

erbroens

Excellent advices.

mjunior

I have flow a Sprint for one year and have also one year in the Elan. Total of 150 flights. I know I'm in the opposite end so this is the reason I'm here in the RCU.
All the reports here making me to think deeply. I also like the Ultraflash.
Talking about runway my club has a 600 feet paved runway. It might enough for all jets we are discussing here.
Thanks to all of you buddies for the advices.

Dig it

I read post #5 to say exactly that Jeremy. Perhaps the play on the English language is the factor. To myself, and it would appear at least one other, he said exactly that it is a scale jet.

Anyway, I digress.

Dale

IFlyEm35

My Feedback: (5)

No where in any of my posts did I ever infer that the Flash was a scale jet. I said the Flash "is a good stepping stone BETWEEN a Boomerang and a good flying scale jet" and I also said the Flash looks like an F-5/F-20.

The point I'm trying to make is there is a huge leap going from the Boomerang to any scale jet. And the F-5 tends to run on the higher end of the wing loading spectrum. So I offered the advice of getting some time on an Ultra Flash to make the eventual jump into the F-5 easier. Nothing more. Nothing less.

jetflyr

Excellent advice re: the Flash. I fly at 7000 feet elevation - and my classic Flash gets in and out of our 600 foot runway without a problem, so at you low altitude, should not be an issue.
Good Luck!
Greg

Dig it

I would suggest the english language stipulates differently.

IFlyEm35

My Feedback: (5)

I'm quite sure I'm fairly proficient in English. Thanks.

IFlyEm35

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I really wanted the Skymaster F-5 before I got my Flash. I had concerns about operating it off of a 550' fabric runway. Have you thought about an L-39 if you're sold on a scale military jet? We have one that has no problems at all getting into or out of our field.

LGM Graphix

My Feedback: (22)

Well, I excelled at English and there is no part in what he said that infers in any way that the flash is a scale jet. Calling something a great stepping stone between a boomerang and a scale jet doesn't say at all that it is a scale jet anymore than it being another boomerang.


Be like saying a donut is a good stepping stone between a timbit and a cake. It doesn't mean it is a cake or timbit, just all delicious. (inside joke lol)

Aero65

My Feedback: (2)

Hi MJunior

I have flown 3 F-5's from Skymaster and I own the Skymaster F-20. Here is a video of my F-20 from 2008

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRQ7iYj5suY[/youtube]

I still have it and fly it. The other F-5's got sold and one crashed due to a stripped servo.

I have flown both the Boomerang and the Skymaster F-5.
Our field is about 350' x 85' and with a 15 mph head wind I can get the F-20 in and out of there without going into the overrun most of the time.
Field is at sea level + 3ft.

The F-5 and F-20 fly about the same, the F-20's single pipe make for a bit better acceleration.

Boomerang vs F-5

1. Takeoff F-5 sometimes tend to stick a little due to the gear being a bit back from the cg so you have to get them going pretty fast to unstick.
You can lengthen the nose gear to a point, but if too nose high you may get some bad hopping tendency's

2. Flight F-5 is a very low drag aircraft, and will carry much more energy than the boomerang and will take longer to slow down.

3. Slow flight F-5 will fly in slow flight high alpha quite well but will be at the edge of departing from controlled flight and ailerons will be very ineffective at the lower speed. However it will hang in there at very slow speeds if balanced properly.

4. Aerobatics the F-5 mostly likes big loops smooth maneuvers, its a very long aircraft and if jerked around too much it will tend to oscillate around a bit. The long fuselage tends to accentuate any sudden movements.

5. Split-S NOT at low altitude until you know the plane, when you point the nose of the F-5 downhill it will accelerate like you cannot believe, fun if you know how much altitude a split-S will take, not so fun if your watching someone else pull a split S from 250 Ft and pull out 6 inches
above the ground 3 feet from you. I pulled my hamstring that day trying to run for cover.... the plane made it and landed fine fun fun fun : )

6. Landing is where the F-5 requires the correct technique. If you get one I would suggest putting in the speed brakes, they help a lot. On a proper approach (my video landing sucks by the way not one of my better approaches I got lucky) you get pretty slow and it is easy to get into
base leg with no aileron control and you will need to add power and go around. It takes some discipline to land the F-5 on a short runway it does not tolerate bad technique too well.

a. Initial gear down speed brakes out flaps 1
b. downwind flaps 2 25% slow down to approach speed (I put flaps 2 here as there is too much to do to put flaps on final)
c. base set up positive angle of attack while throttling up to keep speed up as drag increases (this is the hard part for me)
d. Final keep the nose up and balance the power so you can maintain a slight decent.
e. If it looks bad at all throttle up and go around, its very easy to put the gear through the wings.

Hope this helps