Skymaster F-18F
#55
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (25)
Boy, that is a clean looking hornet!
Looks like it can vary quite a bit, I'm going to paint mine like the Canadian one, looks nice and dirty! I also noticed that the panels on the ring in front of the turkey feathers are too big, I will be adding another panel line in between the ones that are already there.
Looks like it can vary quite a bit, I'm going to paint mine like the Canadian one, looks nice and dirty! I also noticed that the panels on the ring in front of the turkey feathers are too big, I will be adding another panel line in between the ones that are already there.
#56
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (25)
Both ends of the plywood servo mount are keyed into the formers, I guess you could make it out of 1/4" steel plate and it would be stronger.
#59
My Feedback: (6)
The funny thing is several of these have flown no problem with the stock mounts..... Its all about what your comfortable with, I reinforced mine with a 1/8 plywood plate and lots of hysol, it needs to taper in the back to make form for the stab bearing block bolt.
So I now have a rough weight of 34lbs dry... Not sure if that's good or bad but I will have plenty of power either way
So I now have a rough weight of 34lbs dry... Not sure if that's good or bad but I will have plenty of power either way
#60
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Castle Rock,
CO
Posts: 267
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
#61
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: CaloundraQueensland , AUSTRALIA
Posts: 493
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Yes she's got a hook!
Started with a simple drawing and some double sided copper clad PC board, .040.
The larger brass tube is soldered to the servo lever, this keeps it centered. The tiny brass tube will be soldered to the PC board hook supports when the time comes.
I used Hysol to glue in the hook supports.
To remove the hatch the pushrod will be disconnected from the servo located in the front of the aircraft and the inner yellow pushrod pulled out of the plane.
Should look the part all painted up!
Started with a simple drawing and some double sided copper clad PC board, .040.
The larger brass tube is soldered to the servo lever, this keeps it centered. The tiny brass tube will be soldered to the PC board hook supports when the time comes.
I used Hysol to glue in the hook supports.
To remove the hatch the pushrod will be disconnected from the servo located in the front of the aircraft and the inner yellow pushrod pulled out of the plane.
Should look the part all painted up!
Nice work it look awesome I've been looking one for my F-18F if you don't mine can you measure the tail hook please I'll send you a pm and ask a few mor questions.
Damo
#64
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (25)
Damo, yes a standard servo or even a good mini servo will be fine.
Using these drawings and my pictures I am sure you can build your own functional tail hook!
Just scale the drawing to size using the 40mm scale so that it prints at the right size. I forgot to mention that I glued the support bearing in with Hysol.
Using these drawings and my pictures I am sure you can build your own functional tail hook!
Just scale the drawing to size using the 40mm scale so that it prints at the right size. I forgot to mention that I glued the support bearing in with Hysol.
#66
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (25)
Great Damo! On the actuator all I can do is offer my advice, you can use what you want obviously, but an air ram is overkill and not needed. An air ram is up and down and thats it, with a servo you can adjust it for display on the ground if you want with a 3 position switch for instance or just use a dial or lever on the radio. It would look cool if after landing you have the 3 position switch set so that on the middle setting the hook is just off the ground so that you can taxi back. Kind of like what I see with all those guys that are afraid to use air brakes, they just deploy them when they taxi back to the pits! lol! Just some ideas, mine will be on the 3 position switch.
#67
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (25)
Added a few pieces to the hook pivot bearing. Two round pieces of PC board to help with stability, it makes the hook rock solid now. Remember that even the slightest side to side movement at the pivot point translates to 1/4" or more at the end of the hook. With these added there is no slop at all, very happy now.
Back to painting...
#70
My Feedback: (6)
Ok so I am back working on mine, I had an event this weekend some had to give a few other models some time...
My Xicoy valves are here but unfortunately I have decided to change out my retracts..... Mine is an older model that was sold under the ARF Plus line. Skymaster sourced their gear from airpower and while the struts and wheels are fine the retracts keep leaking at the half way point... I have tried new o-rings, silicone oil, grease etc... and even thou they function fine when with a full tank, they will stall and get stuck once the air pressure is down forcing me to reset the piston positions by hand.. This is way to nice of a jet to have to do that. So I ordered a set of Pro Link Hercules retracts from Dreamworks and they will be here tomorrow!
Since mine is an older model it features internal rudder controls which I really like BUT with their original linkage design they were prone to flutter. So one of my buddies machined me some burly control arms to give me a solid mechanical advantage for the rudders! Should have zero problems with this setup!!
I I have filled in the retract mounts with hysol and will have to redrill for the Pro Links since they are slightly different. Once that's dry and retracts are back in I can focus on the horizontal stab incidence which is way off from the factory!
My Xicoy valves are here but unfortunately I have decided to change out my retracts..... Mine is an older model that was sold under the ARF Plus line. Skymaster sourced their gear from airpower and while the struts and wheels are fine the retracts keep leaking at the half way point... I have tried new o-rings, silicone oil, grease etc... and even thou they function fine when with a full tank, they will stall and get stuck once the air pressure is down forcing me to reset the piston positions by hand.. This is way to nice of a jet to have to do that. So I ordered a set of Pro Link Hercules retracts from Dreamworks and they will be here tomorrow!
Since mine is an older model it features internal rudder controls which I really like BUT with their original linkage design they were prone to flutter. So one of my buddies machined me some burly control arms to give me a solid mechanical advantage for the rudders! Should have zero problems with this setup!!
I I have filled in the retract mounts with hysol and will have to redrill for the Pro Links since they are slightly different. Once that's dry and retracts are back in I can focus on the horizontal stab incidence which is way off from the factory!
#71
My Feedback: (6)
Getting pretty close!! Balanced her today and it took some serious nose weight! I try to avoid lead at all cost so I put the ecu battery all the way up in the nose and then 2) 2s 5000 mah A123 just behind it. I'm going for 125mm for the maiden and will work things back from there but don't want any bucking Bronco landings!!
I am not a fan of the pilots from Skymaster so I decided to make my own. First thing I found was thier "1/8 scale" pilots just looked to small so did some measurements and found it is actually about 1-7.5 scale. So my buddy Chris Wolfe from Jet Hangar Hobbies and RcGeek.com makes some really nice 1/7-1/7.5 busts. I trimmed down the torsos and used some cut down 1/6 flight suits filled with 5/16 foam tubing and they came out awesome! The only weigh 1.7 oz each and Chris even molded me some hands for them!
So I am sitting at 35lbs dry and guessing about 43lbs wet so I should be better than1:1 at take off!!
I am not a fan of the pilots from Skymaster so I decided to make my own. First thing I found was thier "1/8 scale" pilots just looked to small so did some measurements and found it is actually about 1-7.5 scale. So my buddy Chris Wolfe from Jet Hangar Hobbies and RcGeek.com makes some really nice 1/7-1/7.5 busts. I trimmed down the torsos and used some cut down 1/6 flight suits filled with 5/16 foam tubing and they came out awesome! The only weigh 1.7 oz each and Chris even molded me some hands for them!
So I am sitting at 35lbs dry and guessing about 43lbs wet so I should be better than1:1 at take off!!
#72
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Castle Rock,
CO
Posts: 267
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Looking Good! Mine has still yet to arrive. Bought one from Chief that was in progress and expected late Feb... Can't wait to get my hands on it, but at this point it will probably not get started until winter.
Last edited by spike5150; 05-04-2015 at 01:57 PM.
#73
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (25)
Great idea with the pilots, I will probably do something similar but I want to sculpt my own pilot head. It took so long to get the valves that I decided to finish my Ziroli Panther first, so I have been working on that and am almost ready to paint.
Spike, is that Diamondback scheme yours? Make sure you update us on yours when you get it, some pics would be nice also!
Look for updates on mine shortly!
Luke
Spike, is that Diamondback scheme yours? Make sure you update us on yours when you get it, some pics would be nice also!
Look for updates on mine shortly!
Luke
#74
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Castle Rock,
CO
Posts: 267
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great idea with the pilots, I will probably do something similar but I want to sculpt my own pilot head. It took so long to get the valves that I decided to finish my Ziroli Panther first, so I have been working on that and am almost ready to paint.
Spike, is that Diamondback scheme yours? Make sure you update us on yours when you get it, some pics would be nice also!
Look for updates on mine shortly!
Luke
Spike, is that Diamondback scheme yours? Make sure you update us on yours when you get it, some pics would be nice also!
Look for updates on mine shortly!
Luke
Jeremy