DrScoles

My Feedback: (18)

I will measure it in a few, wife is sleeping, I am watching two kids. I trial fit mine in, and just noticed that. I would have to cut he wood to allow the pipe to sit lower, I did not notice if the holes were off.

DrScoles

My Feedback: (18)

Just checked, mine are slightly off. I think that's because the block of wood you are bolting into sits on top of the plywood rails.

Zeeb

My Feedback: (41)

I appreciate the offer but it'll do me good to practice on some more programming with that radio, the last Futaba I did any kind of real programming with was a 9Z WCII.... lol

I have a friend who knows that 18MZ radio like nobody else I've seen and he'd do the setup in a heartbeat if I asked but that comes at a price of my ignorance. When I converted my little Osiris from Spektrum to Futaba, he set it up so quickly I couldn't keep track of what he was doing, then added in some "starting point" mixes and we took it out to the field. He flight trimmed the thing and it was all basically done in less time that it would have taken me to do the initial setup. The model fly's GREAT but I haven't got a clue what all is in there for especially the mixes.

I don't quite want to go there with the ViperJet.

DrScoles

My Feedback: (18)

18mz is a cupcake compared to some of the past radios I've owned. 9Z was probably the worst, but very powerful for its day.

I finished the nose gear door. Only thing I changed was adding a locknut instead of the supplied bolt. Also, I am not a fan of phillips heads so used the screws I can use my drivers on.

It was mentioned above about the holes being drilled wrong for the vectored thrust tube. My assumption was correct. They are slightly off for the mounting blocks. I got the tube exactly where it needed to be height wise, and the holes were in the middle of the supplied blocks. More complex issue is clearance for the linkage at the tail end. I am enclosing a pic of Seba's Avanti, look at the very bottom of the pic to see roughly how much you have to remove. I think it was a prototype because the yaw control horn is on the left side of the plane, on mine its on the right.( that is if I keep the holes in the bell mouth horizontal.) You have to put the tube fairly aft in order to get decent clearance, and do a cutout on the bottom of the fuse. Has anyone else here finished a vectored thrust model? This set up is 10X simpler than the twin OVT on my Mig-29, just need to figure out the ideal position for the tube, then trim the fuse. Obviously you want the tube as far forward as possible, so the turbine doesn't have to be pushed farther back. You have about one inch of adjustment to shorten/lengthen this pipe, it will come in handy.

SMBJets

Ok great, that confirms my suspicion that the bell mouth on mine has been installed the wrong way up relative to the VT linkages. That makes sense that the pipe would be dead centre between the two ply mounting rails, then the turbine will simply go straight onto the rails (I am also using a K180G).
Also mine has the yaw linkage on the left the same as your photo of Seba's model. I guess that must mean mine is from an earlier batch or something.
I had previously used the dremel to grind away clearance for the linkages, and the cutout in the bottom of mine goes almost as far in as the plywood former that holds the rear of the pipe. I had to make up a 90 degree bracket out of 2mm aluminium at the rear to bolt onto the top of the pipe and attach to the ply former, as I didn't have one in the kit. Almost all coming together now, all I need is a tank and then it will be ready for taxi testing.

number27

Progressing on my build. Kingtech 170G (what I had laying around) going in without Vector pipe.

Kit in Australia does not come with fuel tank.

Have modified 5 litre container to suit fuel requirements. 1 litre smoke being added.

Afterburner ring from Gaspar @ Xicoy.

Quality of kit is very good. Only gripe I have had is front door middle hinge had to be replaced as all the mounting holes for the push-rod were ground off. Lucky had a BVM aluminum hinge laying around. Going with air as that had come with it.

Kit was not available in Australia for purchase without retracts. Electron ER40's would drop in. mod's to brake hub would need to be made but possible. My good friend is also building one (BLanck/Yellow & Red) and is putting full electric undercarriage in. Maybe he will post modifications required.

Dr Scoles thanks for the tip on the Dremel saw made the job much simpler to fit turbine.

SMBJets

Can you provide details on what you used as a tank? I haven't got a tank for mine yet as the all in one tank isn't in stock at Modelflight and as I'm using a 180 I'll need more than 3.2l anyway.

DrScoles

My Feedback: (18)

SMBJETS (knowing first names sure would be easier). Not sure if you want to wait, but the combined tank with the UAT,main and smoke is pretty cool, probably my favorite design feature of the whole plane. For the big blocks, 100oz probably isn't enough. Gary at jet tech is making me a tank to fit under the main that will hold 56 oz. originally, we had planned a 50oz tank, but he increased the height a bit and now I'm up to 56. 156 oz will give almost 8 minutes at full throttle. So I figure a good safe 10-11 minutes with full fuel load. With this thrust vector, I see a lot of practicing new tricks, ie losing track of time while repeating things... I want long flights!

number 27, I am jealous of your shop!

Zeeb

My Feedback: (41)

Hey Mike, think he'd want to build a second tank while he's at it????

Gary aka Zeeb

number27

Freight would be the killer to get the tank from Jet Tech to Australia. That's what kills the jet hobby here in Australia limited to suppliers.

I have used a 5 litre container. 1 litre smoke tank underneath it (homemade fiberglass).

It's not pretty but functional.

Still fitting out where to put UAT.

Quick C of G last night and all going well at present no added weight. All batteries as far forward as possible.

Tks for the workshop like. Must have lots of room.

DrScoles

My Feedback: (18)

Gary, Its $160 shipped. He said making square/rectangle ones custom is a piece of cake, takes around two weeks. His website is http://www.jettechusa.com

I had him make mine 3.5" high. I may have to raise the main tank slightly, I will let you know when I get it. Its 6 3/8"x 4.5x3.5 I think you could get an even wider and longer tank in, but I think 56oz is plenty.

Kevin_W

My Feedback: (1)

Finished all the priming and sanding today.
The weather finally warmed up enough that I can shoot paint outside, so my Avanti wings and stabs will finally get color on them (again) tomorrow.

Not much to look at yet, but here are some pics:

Zeeb

My Feedback: (41)

Thanks for the heads up Mike, I just sent off an e-mail to him inquiring about how to proceed from here. I think I'll let him make it a bit shorter rather than monkey with possibly having to raise that nifty 3-in-1 tank. Also the all up weight is something we have to watch around here in the Summer so a few ounces less won't make much difference timewise but the entire 50 oz. or so will make a weight change significant to pay attention to when conditions warrant. Our field elevation is 4500' ASL and when the temps are in the 90's, the density altitude hits about 9,000' and boy can you tell it... lol

DrScoles

My Feedback: (18)

i feel like I won't be a true modeler until I glass a plane. Guess I'm stuck with being an assembler, because I just don't see ever having the time to learn how to do this! Kevin, did you happen to weigh the wings before you started? Curious to see what th weight difference was.

DUCMOZ

Grassing class is available at a nominal fee!!

Behzad

Kevin_W

My Feedback: (1)

I did weigh one wing and one stab.
With the iron on covering the wing was 22.1 ounces, and the stab was 5.25 ounces. I will weigh them again after I clear coat to see how much weight (if any) was added by the glass and paint.

DrScoles

My Feedback: (18)

I wasn't planning on putting any servo install stuff, but I learned a few things that might save others some time. Futaba users, the metal tubes that go in the grommets are too small for the countersunk bolts used to mount the aileron servo to the bracket. I had some brackets left over from helis that I used to lock the aileron servo down.

Speaking of the bracket, again, kudos to Sebart for supplying such a nice bracket. I love BVM, but those blocks of wood are a PIA. When mounting the metal bracket into the wing, you have a wood screw and you don't know how thick the wood is. Last thing you want is to punch holes into the top of your wing! I measured/guessed as best I could and came up with 7mm to drill the hole, and also blunted the end of the wood screws. In the manual, it looks like the screws got the same treatment. A few hardware things, there were not enough nuts for the countersunk bolts, and the ones supplied weren't lock nuts. For the servo covers and gear door covers, I used black cap screws instead of the supplied phillips screws, just person preference, I think the black looks cleaner. There was a bit of excess glue that was keeping the elevator servos from dropping in, and I enlarged the cutout slightly to make them go in easier.

Also, for Futaba users. The hole patterns on the metal servo arms do not work with the suggested measurements for the elevators. You will need to use the outside hole.

After painting the inside of the plane, I had to paint the fuel tank. Primer wasn't gonna cut it, so I tried to incorporate the red/yellow/black into the tank. It is KILLING me that the yellow I used doesn't match the rest of the plane, I will probably paint it black.

Time to watch football!

Zeeb

My Feedback: (41)

MIke, a couple of questions about that extra tank you are having built owing to the fact that I finally got to see one of these things up close, a friend bought one at the AMA show.

I measured the distance between the bottom of the fuselage and the side rail where the triple tank will mount and I'm only seeing a tad over 3 inches, maybe 3 1/16 so if you got 3 1/2 inches on the new tank, won't you have a real issue? I know you said you might have to mount the triple tank a bit higher but that's a lot. Also, is the bottom of that tank tapered to accomodate the air intakes on the bottom of the fuselage or how are you going to handle that?

Just curious before I send Gary at Jet Tech some money.

DrScoles

My Feedback: (18)

Gary, If you wait another week, I'll have it and we can tell. I measured from the top of the intakes on the bottom, but the tank is forward a bit, so the very back doesn't come into play. With a 6x3x4.5 foam block, I could see plenty of daylight.

I had a hard time measuring it, so I made a mock up. Worst I will have to do is raise the main tank 1/4"

Zeeb

My Feedback: (41)

Yeah I can wait, I was trying to get stuff organized so my builder can start on mine the first of next month as planned, he'd like all the parts there before he starts but I could put the second tank in if I can't get it to him in time. Of course this is all contingent on John Redman getting me an engine by then as he thinks he'll have the 180's by the end of the month. I hope he's right and wasn't just sugar coating things to sell me an engine because he just told my friend it would be a month from now to get a 140......

DrScoles

My Feedback: (18)

Gary, thank you for questioning my measurements! It's actually right at 3.5 to the rail that the tank sits on, but the tank is convex on the bottom and drops another half inch. I had him redo it at 3" high, no need for spacer at that dimension. He asked me if he could raise it to eliminate a seam, and. I thought I could pull it off, but it would make. It much higher.

Zeeb

My Feedback: (41)

Hey Mike, I talked with Gary at Jet Tech this morning about the tank. He said that you'd called and wanted a shorter tank as well as possibly putting an angle on the outlet? Any way I told him I was going to wait until you get a chance to figure out the possible angled outlet as well as the fit and then I'll order a tank from him.

No sense in both of us "experimenting" especially since my model isn't here. Thanks for documenting the build so well, I think Jason ought to really like what you've done and posted here.

DrScoles

My Feedback: (18)

Yup, makes sense for only one of us to be the guinea pig. ;-) This week is busy for me work wise, probably not gonna get much done on the Avanti. I got the email that tower charged me for the back ordered s.bus cables, I need them before I can put the pipe and turbine in.

kev-o

My Feedback: (1)

Mine is in Bellingham WooHoo hope to pick up in the next day or two.

Zeeb

My Feedback: (41)

Yeah the backorder deal at Tower is just a joke. I finally cancelled my servo backorder when they kept moving the arrival date further back.

On another note; I'm not real clear on the issue with the thrust tube not lining up with the KingTech turbines but if I understand correctly it's a height difference between the engine's exhaust cone and the tube inlet? The friend who got one of these models mentioned something the other day when I was over there looking at his model. We talked about the issue a couple of guys have described and he opined that there may be an issue due to the fact that Seba used a JetCat and you guys are using KingTech. He said that if he remembered correctly, he'd seen technical drawings of the JetCat engines whch showed that the turbine center shaft was either higher or lower (he couldn't remember which) than the mounting hardware supplied with the engine. We've not been able to locate the drawings he was talking about to see if the JetCat mounts are not level with the turbine center shaft, the mount being either higher or lower than the turbine shaft.

Might be worth investigating if you've got a bit of time waiting on Tower?