JL F18 Kit & Build Pics
12-13-2005, 06:54 PM
#52
RE: JL F18 Kit Pics
Dave, spend a lot of time test fitting your gear into the gear supports you've built in. As I recall there is a lip that's gets nasty on the air nipple or prevents a perfect fit somehow with some gear. Dave (strawboss) and I did a repair on one a year and a half (same exact airplane mold) you are working on now. I've slept since then, but maybe you can pm him and together we can remember? But in my mind I always said I'd spend a lot of time making sure that I could pull the gear back out and do maint if I had to, that's the essense of what I remember.
Looks good,
Sean
Looks good,
Sean
12-14-2005, 01:49 AM
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RE: JL F18 Kit & Build Pics
Well I was able to get in about an hour in tonight, I finished getting 2 of the last 3 formers glued in and after F10 is dry I will glue in the elevator servo mounts. That and the forward former that the wing mounts to are it as far as all the major wood parts go. I still need to do hatches and mounts for the ordinance but those are just little things.
12-14-2005, 05:26 AM
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RE: JL F18 Kit & Build Pics
Hi Dave,
I see you have the position of the tailplane shaft sorted - sorry I couldn't get back to you in time.
I like the way you build - very neat and tidy with attention to detail.
Keep up the excellent work.
Jeff
I see you have the position of the tailplane shaft sorted - sorry I couldn't get back to you in time.
I like the way you build - very neat and tidy with attention to detail.
Keep up the excellent work.
Jeff
12-14-2005, 09:35 AM
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RE: JL F18 Kit & Build Pics
Jeff, Thanks and NP on the pic, another member sent me the perfect shot of it.
Sean,
Thanks for the info, if I have questions when I am fitting it up I will give you a shout. I still need to cut out the opening in the bottom for the gear doors, so maybe that will give a little more room to work on the gear.
Dave
Sean,
Thanks for the info, if I have questions when I am fitting it up I will give you a shout. I still need to cut out the opening in the bottom for the gear doors, so maybe that will give a little more room to work on the gear.
Dave
12-22-2005, 10:18 PM
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RE: JL F18 Kit & Build Pics
Well about 20 hours of work, 3 bottles of hysol and lots of head scratching later I have arrived at the ARF stage. Overall the process required some thinking but was not hard and it was very enjoyable (well most of it) I will offer a tip so others can avoid what I found to be the biggest pain I encountered during the process. All I can say is thank god for a little hand chuck and a right angle attachment for my dremel
I used the wings to make sure that the formers that the rail guides attach to were aligned properly and glued them in place. Well the problem turned out to be that after all the formers were in place I went back to mount the rail guides to the formers and found I had very little room to work. The rear former was ok to get to but I had less then 3 inches to work in. and while the forward former had more room to get a drill bit in, it was in a very tight space and you could not get your hand in to drill it by hand. It took a while and some work and a goofball right angle attachment driven with a ½ socket driver using it’s twist handle but I got all the holes drilled and it all worked out.
A much better idea would have been to tack glue in the former, then get the wings lined up and tack the rail guide to the former, mark it, pop out the former, drill all your holes, mount it up and then glue the former back in.
After seeing pictures of the ARF version I am glad I got the kit, I do not think it would be an easy process to reinforce all the formers with CF as I did with them in the plane. Now that it is in ARF mode I am looking forward to the rest of the build. My next step will be to hinge all the surfaces, gear doors and make the mounts for all the ordinance.
Here are a bunch more pictures.
Dave
I used the wings to make sure that the formers that the rail guides attach to were aligned properly and glued them in place. Well the problem turned out to be that after all the formers were in place I went back to mount the rail guides to the formers and found I had very little room to work. The rear former was ok to get to but I had less then 3 inches to work in. and while the forward former had more room to get a drill bit in, it was in a very tight space and you could not get your hand in to drill it by hand. It took a while and some work and a goofball right angle attachment driven with a ½ socket driver using it’s twist handle but I got all the holes drilled and it all worked out.
A much better idea would have been to tack glue in the former, then get the wings lined up and tack the rail guide to the former, mark it, pop out the former, drill all your holes, mount it up and then glue the former back in.
After seeing pictures of the ARF version I am glad I got the kit, I do not think it would be an easy process to reinforce all the formers with CF as I did with them in the plane. Now that it is in ARF mode I am looking forward to the rest of the build. My next step will be to hinge all the surfaces, gear doors and make the mounts for all the ordinance.
Here are a bunch more pictures.
Dave
12-23-2005, 05:07 AM
#61
RE: JL F18 Kit Pics
Hi Dave,
Looking good mate, My F15 is is finally ARF stage too 20hrs or so later..lol, I just finished glueing in the last former tonight.. My landing gear and missile set is due next week and then the fit-out begins [>:]
So what colors are you going to paint her in?
Looking good mate, My F15 is is finally ARF stage too 20hrs or so later..lol, I just finished glueing in the last former tonight.. My landing gear and missile set is due next week and then the fit-out begins [>:]
So what colors are you going to paint her in?
12-23-2005, 10:39 AM
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RE: JL F18 Kit Pics
Thanks Jeremy,
I am doing her in the Royal Maces scheme. I custom ordered the transfers from Aeroloft about two weeks ago so they should be here any time. When she is all done I hope she looks like the shot below.
Dave
I am doing her in the Royal Maces scheme. I custom ordered the transfers from Aeroloft about two weeks ago so they should be here any time. When she is all done I hope she looks like the shot below.
Dave
04-01-2006, 02:38 PM
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RE: JL F18 Kit & Build Pics
Nice building job, i have a jl grippen to build next for myself, but i am currently building a sm f-18e arf for a friend, and so far its been a nightmare, nothing seems to fit, the mains scale undercarrige when fitted will not retract as the wheels hit the outside of the fuz, i have had to recut the mounts for the retract units and move them in by 6mm to get the legs to retract, then i have had to cut part of the turbine suport mount away to let the legs go far enought into the fuz to let them lock, the undercarrige doors are just pieces of fibreglass, and i have had to glue balsa onto them to give them some depth, the captive nuts that are mounted in the former that holds the 2 halves of the fuz together had resin inthem and i had to tap them out to enable me to get a bolt into them, were the traling link on the nose wheel scale leg bolts onto the fuz it will not let the retract units lock, so i am having to take the former out and move it backwards and re-glue it , i have to say that if it were my model it would be back at the retailers now.
04-02-2006, 01:13 PM
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RE: JL F18 Kit & Build Pics
This tread was very interesting. Unfortunatly, it seems that it sudenly stopped. I would be keen to get some more info on this JL F18...
04-02-2006, 02:49 PM
#68
RE: JL F18 Kit Pics
My personal opinion on this is that CFII1974 got paid to shut up. Or maybe was threatened.
CFII1975 is now at the detailing stage : http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4058520
"Freedom of speech" you said... or bribery
CFII1975 is now at the detailing stage : http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=4058520
"Freedom of speech" you said... or bribery
04-02-2006, 10:48 PM
#69
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RE: JL F18 Kit Pics
Strykaas,
LOL -- That is funny dude !
The main reason for the lack of updates on this thread is time. I have been working 70 or 80 hours a week so work on the jet had to be put on the back burner. It has been slow going but I am into the paint and detailing stage now. I did post some pics on another tread of the smoke tank I made out of the stock centerline tank.
Most of the work after getting it to the ARF stage has been strait forward. I did change the Flaps from the stock setup with the servo in the fuse and put the servos in the wings. Permanently mounted the Rails on the wing, I also changed the rudders to use an RDS system for a cleaner install.
I will say that the gear doors were a pain in the ***** ---Plan on a good 8 hours to get them in an working right. Most of my doors fit pretty well but all needed some trimming and sanding and shimming to fit and open just right. The two big rear doors were out of shape a lot and I had to heat them up and play with tem to get them to lay down right.
I have really enjoyed building the kit and I am looking forward to finishing it. I just need things to slow down a little so I can really get moving again.
Dave
LOL -- That is funny dude !
The main reason for the lack of updates on this thread is time. I have been working 70 or 80 hours a week so work on the jet had to be put on the back burner. It has been slow going but I am into the paint and detailing stage now. I did post some pics on another tread of the smoke tank I made out of the stock centerline tank.
Most of the work after getting it to the ARF stage has been strait forward. I did change the Flaps from the stock setup with the servo in the fuse and put the servos in the wings. Permanently mounted the Rails on the wing, I also changed the rudders to use an RDS system for a cleaner install.
I will say that the gear doors were a pain in the ***** ---Plan on a good 8 hours to get them in an working right. Most of my doors fit pretty well but all needed some trimming and sanding and shimming to fit and open just right. The two big rear doors were out of shape a lot and I had to heat them up and play with tem to get them to lay down right.
I have really enjoyed building the kit and I am looking forward to finishing it. I just need things to slow down a little so I can really get moving again.
Dave
)
04-03-2006, 12:58 PM
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RE: JL F18 Kit Pics
Hi Dave,
really nice work [sm=thumbup.gif]. I'm putting together (with some mods) the ARF Blue Angels version. I was wondering, where do you get the RDS linkage system?
Fly safe,
- Thore
really nice work [sm=thumbup.gif]. I'm putting together (with some mods) the ARF Blue Angels version. I was wondering, where do you get the RDS linkage system?
Fly safe,
- Thore