Originally Posted by
smittymgs
Bob
That 1/9.5 scale F15 is what I am looking at . The SM version comes set up with pneumatic gear and brakes with the option of adding a SB but I think it is heavier. I was just contemplating the electric gear conversion for weight savings but it is starting to sound like that would develop into a fur-ball. I like the taileron setup for simplicity and ease of transport and setup. I love the Avonds (is it worth the extra $$) it is over twice the price and I don't know much about the Yellow version but would love input. Trying to figure out which I could build the simplest and lightest and throw a nice modern turbine in there ( I don't mind taking a few months to complete the project). I can use the 8000K strip at Wright Pattern Air Force Base Museum (how cool is that) its just an hour away as apposed to 20 minutes. I don't think I want to be shoehorning it in to a smaller strip until I get comfortable. I appreciate all the advice and look forward to exploring this portion of the hobby.
Wow, I just looked at the Xtreme Jets F-15. Chief Aircraft has it for $1995 and BVM has it for $1795! That is a DEAL! I shouldn't have done that, now I want one!
My F-15 was a Fly Eagle (early FEJ when they did a 1/9.5 F-15). See the thread on it here:
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-j...-thread-2.html
The landing gear, air cylinders, and fuel tanks were crap, but I eventually fixed the tanks and and gear mounts, swapped out to Robart gear, put a gyro on the nose gear and made it work. It was a great flying plane, as dionysusbacchus says, its an everyday flyer. My favorite was to nail the throttle on the P-120, let it pick up a bit of speed, and then bank 90 degrees and rack it around as tight as I could (which was pretty tight). It would make this great wooshing sound (don't know how else to describe it), and come out of the turn quite a bit slower. I'd let it pick up some speed across the field, and do it at the other end. Great fun, and the verticals were good too. Don't go with an 80- or 100-class turbine, do a 120...
The Avonds is really nice and if you ultimately want a really scaled out 1/9 F-15, I'd get that - but later. I'd go for the Xtreme Jets one first and beat the heck out of it until you're extremely comfortable with it. Then go for the Avonds if you still want it.
On a side note, I've never had an F-16 myself, but see a lot and know a lot of guys who do. They do not fly and land as easily as an F-15 - especially the smaller, 1/8th sized ones. The F-16 has a smaller wing and doesn't have the big lifting body that the F-15 does, so the small turbine ones have a higher wing loading and are touchier. I'm sure you've seen this story on the F-15 that illustrates why they land so well:
https://theaviationist.com/2014/09/1...with-one-wing/
For the F-16, I would't go below 1/7 scale, or 1/6, but then you're into too much money for a first jet.
Bob