My Byron F-16 mods.
01-11-2003, 09:21 PM
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My Byron F-16 mods.
I've had a lot of email requests for the modifications I made to my byron F-16 especially in regard to the front gear. I used a similiar set-up to what is in my BVM F-16 and most other F-16 kits. I built a light-plywood frame and epoxied and fiberglassed it to the bottom of the air intake. A wooden dowel is placed between the retract body and glued to the triangular plywood plate that is fiberglassed on both sides at the top of the intake opening. The dowel prevents the the intake from flexing during landings and eventually cracking and breaking the fuselage. This modification has worked for many flights. I don't feel that any of my modifications are superior to some one elses but I do believe they work better than the stock set-up.
01-11-2003, 09:29 PM
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My Byron F-16 mods.
This is a bottom view showing the box made from plywood and the servo set-up. Yes, I had an unfortunate belly landing which removed a little primer. I like to do first flights in primer with dayglo stickers until it's trimmed and I feel I can land it well. robart strut is used for dampening on the front gear.
01-11-2003, 09:37 PM
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My Byron F-16 mods.
I cut a hatch in the top of my byron jet. I reinforced the back of the cover and epoxied 3 pegs on both sides and then use a bvm hatch pin on the front. This allows me to set the needle valve without flipping the jet on its side or back. You should also be able to see the fiberglass thrust tube that was rolled and installed. The tank set up is two, 16 ounce flexible tanks with a 4 ounce as a header. I used 4 rather than a 2 ounce because it wedged in between the two larger tanks. They are mounted using double sided velcro. The robart fueler mounted above and behind the tanks allows me to turn the motor over with my starter, close the fueler arm and then draw fuel without the motor becoming flooded in the inverted position. Credit here goes to JackJet for the robart fueler. The hatch also allows for great access to all plumbing.
01-11-2003, 09:42 PM
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My Byron F-16 mods.
The wing set up I use is placing the servo in the wing which was recommended to me as well. One addition I did was to mount the bellcrank in the fuselage as if you were going to mount the servos in the fuselage per the plans. This method reinforces the aileron to the fuselage and would help prevent the aileron from tearing off should I encounter flutter. If you do this, make sure you cut the arm off the bellcrank inside the fuse so that the bearing can rotate 360 degrees. If you left the arm on, it could be up against the side of the fuselage when you mounted the wing and prevent your aileron from deflecting in both directions.
01-11-2003, 09:46 PM
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My Byron F-16 mods.
Last one is a picture of the balsa cockpit that I made and a bluebox pilot I tried to downsize a little. cockpit is only semi-scale and like the rest of the plane isn't painted yet. I believe these pictures are opening up in a paint program which should allow you to enlarge them. Feel free to make comments for or against my modifications. They work well for me but there may be better ones out there. Jim
