Skymaster F14 Tomcat
10-11-2014, 03:30 PM
#1176
10-22-2014, 03:52 PM
#1177
Junior Member
My Feedback: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Can you confirm all Skymaster F14s should have the new aluminium wing actuators? Is Skymaster still supporting sending the old plastic casing ones back for upgrade?
10-22-2014, 05:05 PM
#1178
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Perth, AUSTRALIA
Posts: 331
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Murray
This update is optional.Anton says it is not must to update.Please check attached photos.As long as you do as per photo,it will be safe and not need to update.
Best regards
John
Skymaster/X-Treme/Skyemaster
10-22-2014, 05:54 PM
#1179
the website says updated which should be for new kits and people who send them back to be swapped. They updated them for a reason, I thought they were replacing them not charging extra.
10-22-2014, 11:27 PM
#1180
Junior Member
My Feedback: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
These actuators are confusing. Skymaster has upgraded them for a reason. Anton had said they would replace/upgrade ALL actuators with aluminium casing ones. Alex had some feedback on the end of the actuator. Can anyone else shed some light if they have the updated ones? For something so important on this particular jet maybe Skymaster just wouldn't take any risks and just upgrade everything to be safe.
10-23-2014, 06:59 AM
#1181
getting information to a from these guys is tough, they are having to repaint my f-14 because they cant understand things. Me and my go to guy are beating our heads on the table, both cases it was just s simple color change that has turned into mass confusion. I know that English iis not their native language and it takes time but they should not paint until they are 100% sure. Repainting is adding weight to my jet 
10-23-2014, 08:42 AM
#1182
I was told that Its $250 to upgrade, but they need the old ones back, so you have to ship to Likai. My problem is, the plane is boxed up in storage, no way I'm going to the storage unit, taking it home, unboxing, then reboxing just to get them out. I emailed back asking if I could just buy whole new units. Or, I will do the swap when I finally get to building the kit. These look like firgelli actuators, but they don't have any on their website with metal housings like this.
10-23-2014, 01:19 PM
#1183
I think the metal casings are made by Skymaster and they are just taking them apart, the did upgrade an internal plastic part to metal. I'm surprised they made this change and are now charging people for it. It appears that i had assumed wrongly that this was free
10-23-2014, 04:30 PM
#1184
http://store.firgelli.com/category_s/1823.htm
They are using L-16s which are 70-80 depending on which you get so like I said not sure how I feel about the price hike.
Last edited by FenderBean; 10-23-2014 at 04:33 PM.
10-23-2014, 04:45 PM
#1185
Hmm not sure what to think about it all. If there wasn't a problem with the original then why the need for an upgrade? 250 dollars is way to much anyway, they are using firgelli actuators and charging insane prices. Firgelli charges 80.00 dollars for the actuators.
http://store.firgelli.com/category_s/1823.htm
They are using L-16s which are 70-80 depending on which you get so like I said not sure how I feel about the price hike.
http://store.firgelli.com/category_s/1823.htm
They are using L-16s which are 70-80 depending on which you get so like I said not sure how I feel about the price hike.
Im planning the same upgrades for my setup and dont expect the metal nut and aluminum case to be anymore than $100-125 per pair. Skymaster seems to be gouging you guys on the actuators a bit.
The firgelli guys have actually been very open and forthcoming with info when i have asked them. My original concerns were with the plastic clevis end, they say it is designed to withstand 150lbs of force before failure, same goes for the case and internal plastic nut.
They also have said that they have only had a failure of the internal nut because of rotational twisting of the aluminum tube pushrod, so they do not recommend any twisting force on the tube. They really seem to think that an aluminum upgrade is not truly necessary.
10-23-2014, 05:39 PM
#1186
Thanks for the info, If mine ever burn out ill just order them from firgelli direct I guess. I talked to them a few years ago and I was thinking about using them in my F-14 for the speed brakes and canopy. I will cover this in my build thread.
10-23-2014, 06:05 PM
#1187
My original concerns were with the plastic clevis end, they say it is designed to withstand 150lbs of force before failure, same goes for the case and internal plastic nut.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ELlFYCT1ZM
Voy
Last edited by wojtek; 10-23-2014 at 06:27 PM.
10-23-2014, 07:39 PM
#1189
Sorry for the confusion., Because some customers possibly tigthen actuators with too much force which possibly result in plastic failure, so Likai designed new new aluminum wing actuators for options, if customers like it. We will write email to all F14 owners and ask whether they want to take this update option. we will charge the 50% cost ($ 250.- USD) for the new aluminum actuators.,
10-24-2014, 01:12 AM
#1191
I would not trust the plastic end clevises especially. I use these actuators on sliding canopies, and even in this low stress application have seen these break / strip out if the actuator rod/tube. These are NOT heavy duty units at all. While Firgeli is easy to source out and apply here, I would imagine a more robust drive/actuator being desirable here ultimately. ( such as a stepper based electric drive such as employed by Behotec in their electric gear ) but this doubles or triples the cost of this function then ... Firgeli makes a great product, but i just would not use it here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ELlFYCT1ZM
Voy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ELlFYCT1ZM
Voy
10-25-2014, 07:33 PM
#1192
Junior Member
My Feedback: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Fantastic Thomas, and great to get some 'technical' clarification on what is happening. Any chance someone can post a photo of the inside of an actuator showing what to pay attention to?
11-15-2014, 10:56 AM
#1193
Junior Member
My Feedback: (1)
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Anyone able to let us know AUW dry and the internals for their particular config? Skymaster state 20-25kg. Have seen some as high as 28kgs dry.
11-22-2014, 05:36 AM
#1195
Michel Durand from www.jetsrc.com flying his F-14. This planes is amazing. Great flyer and super stable.
http://youtu.be/Vz9XpUGmzIA
http://youtu.be/Vz9XpUGmzIA
