noray1

I have done about all of the mods to this model with the ecception of the wings.
I would like to see a show of hands as to how many have been flying this plane using a 12 - 14 lbs. thrust turbine that have done nothing to beef up the wings.

new2jets

Flying 18lb+ supersport standard wings only beefed up the wing tube, and had one flight a few week`s back and forgot to bolt the main wings on[:@]

BaldEagel

Ray

Just a quick observation you need to try and get your flap servo with the arm straight when the flaps are at full deflection to try and take the loading off the servo motor, especially if the servo is digital, it will pull less amps if you do that.

Mike

noahb

My Feedback: (67)

I have a super bee on mine. I did mod around the retract area some. However, what is real easy to do and if you are not going to go into the wing I would rec. you do this as it's what I did. Take some gorrilla glue and take the root of the wing and drip glue onto the leading edge, trailing edge, spar area, shear webbing and any where you can get the glue to. This IMHO adds a great deal of strength as you now have decent glue joints. I also put a bit on the ribs that i could get to, esp. the root rib.

I have clocked my falcon at 170mph coming out of a med. dive. I have done some high speed/high G turns and have not seen any failures or stress cracks. I did modify my booms as I really feel that the booms are the weak spot on this jet.

also, if you have access to a carbon wing tube or can get one I would put that in there. I have alum. in mine as I did not have a carbon wing tube at the time. However when I get time, I will remove the alum. tube and put the carbon one in.

Hope this helps.

joeflyer

My Feedback: (48)

On my original Falcon 120 the wings seemed very strong so I did nothing to strengthen them or the tube and they held up fine with a Wren SS (18#) turbine. As mentioned before there have been a number of changes to the kit and the wings on the newer kit didn't seem as sturdy. Since I'm recovering them any way it gave me the opportunity to strengthen the servo mounts, retract mounts, run CA along all the ribs I could get at, and while I was at it I fully sheeted the wings. This adds a lot of strength with minimal weight gain. I'm still trying to decide what to do to stiffen up the ailerons.

Joe

Vettdriver

I'm running a 17.5 lb Simjet in mine and the only thing I did was epoxy around the retract area.
Beyond that mine is absolutely stock.

sKrUb_69

Hey Joe I would try fiber glass on the main wings and all control surfaces, that will make them stronger and not affect the weight much. I have 2 projects im working on at the same time, im building a Y/A f-18 with a Amt 180 and it tells you to add .75 fiber glass to main wings, elevator, rudders and all control surfaces. Good luck on your mods...



Gandalv, I got those servo covers from a local hobby shop here is the web link that you can order them from.... Enjoy

also here is the part numbers so it will make it easier to find the... "RA200" and "RA210"...... RA210 are for mini servos and RA200 are for standard servos.

http://www.newcreations-rc.com/

tim777jet

the old wing is built differently to the new version. I would say bthe old wing is stronger. I have flown both versions with my heavy 13 lb thrust engine, no issues at all. I just added some additional glue to the accessable ribs around the wing root and retract areas. First plane, AUW with smoke fluid, 20 lbs, second model aroud 18 lbs.

Make sure your web sheeting has the grain running in the correct direction. Also make sure the wing tubes, go all the way to the end of the last wing rib they were intended to reach. My new plane had both wing tubes too short by about 1 inch. This is a serious reduction in strength of the wing.

Cheers Tim

BaldEagel

semc

I don't know which carbon push rods you are using, but most use CA to attach the threded end to the carbon rod, there is a possible problem with that as heat can be used to debond CA from hard materials you may find the rudder push rods now on the inside are at risk, just a thought.

Mike

BaldEagel

This has to be the easiest way to get over the tubine support cracking, I used 10mm carbon rod and have Hysoled them in place.

Mike

BirdofpraY

My Feedback: (31)

well I have around 20 flights on my Falcon and have not seen any issues with the rear cracking, and I have done no mods to that area... I also have put the Falcon through some serious stress flying and my wings have not folded, I did mod the aluminum pipe with a wooden dial, only time will tell...

BaldEagel

The posts that point this out are mostly those that are using grass fields and those of us, me included who occasionally bounce a landing or two or three , if you look inside the fus there is no support for the motor deck behind the end of the flat external area except for the fus skin and this has cracked on a number of Falcons it is also a potential problem on the Bobcat and various solutions have been posted on here, these have included angle aluminium attached underneath, bearers above the motor deck taken through to the inside of the fus and others I am sure.

Mike

BirdofpraY

My Feedback: (31)

I can see that in your picture that there is no additional support in that area, I guess that could be a issue on grass ops... I can tell you the nee action struts would resolve a lot of the less than perfict landings. ask me how I know I hear that dreamworks has a set coming out that are designed for this bird that are in the imperial size...

BaldEagel

I have the Digitech turbines trailing link struts already installed in mine they are a dedicated Falcon 120 set, cost more than the airframe but then most things cost more than this airframe.

Mike

EDIT: found a link for them: http://shop.digitech-turbines.com/in...u1iaotekkns8a2 and they are metric as the majority of the world is.

BirdofpraY

My Feedback: (31)

mine are the Elan version that I converted to Falcon yes they are a bit pricy but well worth it...

BaldEagel

I tried a pair of Elan retracts, but thought they where a bit too long for good ground handling on the bumpy sheep fields we fly on over here, you may not have noticed but sheep poo is better than Hysol, well put it this way it takes a power tool to get it off your airframe if you let it set. [:'(]

Mike

BirdofpraY

My Feedback: (31)

there in no handling issuse at all and its very stable... but I can understand the poo part... lol your too funny... hehehehe

BaldEagel

I was probably thinking of those long spindly legs supplied with the Falcon, with the Elan retracts I am not supprised that the ground handling is good rearly.

On the imperial metric thing, the UK is fully metricated and has been since 1963, it is very frustrating that all the ARTF's and kits we get from china are imperial it means we have to have two sets of tools to fit everything, its a big debate in the UK that any imported ARTF has its hardware binned in the first instance as the quality is also sheep poo, we have been complaining for years to the importors that they ought to change the hardware before it gets to the consumer and some have taken notice, not many, but some, not that I use any of the hardware in the box anyway, so in my view it would be better if no hardware was supplied and they reduced the price, fat chance of that.

Mike

Gandalv

Hello BaldEagel

I see that Pro lynx are adverticing that they make oleos the lenght we want them, so no more too long oleos

heres the link: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_8460253/tm.htm

BaldEagel

Look back six posts? I already posted a link direct to their web site and the page that has them on. [X(]

Mike

TURBINATOR

My first Falcon was flown with a P-60 without any mods except hardware to steel for 80 successful flights. Crashed due to dumb thumbs at about 100 mph with the wing and wing tube remaining intact except for the wing tips breaking. My new one is set-up the same however, it is one of the original arfs so it is exactly the same.

Jeff

Grodus

I'm curious if F-120 builders are using the supplied short CF pieces that are glued into the engine mount deck. These pegs mate up with holes in the wing root rib near the trailing edge. When the wing is installed, this offers additional support for the deck. I used them on both my falcons and have had no issues with the deck developing cracks.

Cody

Gandalv

Ups, just me being slow [8D]

BaldEagel

Cody

IMO and it is only MO, the fact that the F-120 was designed for a 120 glow motor and not a turbine would persuade me not to do it, the thought of a 3lb motor bouncing about on my wing root makes me shiver, these things arn't the strongest constructed aircraft in the first place, perhaps someone with a cracked motor deck who has used the pins can answer that more fully?

Mike

new2jets

Bolting the main wings on .
Iam just doing a su 26 the same way i did my falcon so can show you some pic of how i did it so when you put the wing on you only have to put a allen key thought a small hole in the bottom of the fus to tighten the wing up(if you remember[:@]) makes it very quick. I have a 60 degree cone on the 6 m/m allen bolt & 60 degree tappered hole in the shaft which is threaded into the wing.