Here you go. I offered the production rights on these nozzles to several established manufacturers a year ago...no activity, and since I'm getting requests for details from youtube viewers of the flight performance, I'm ready to show all of you how they're made and let you build 'em if you want to. If the Mfg's want to produce them, so be it. Sorry, I just don't have time to make them for others right now.
The design criteria were: light weight, dependable, simple, minimal airframe modifications, and just enough VF to push the tail around. I made several prototypes from drawings using craft paper to get the dimensions set, then cut up an old pipe to make a functioning prototype. I tested that one on a stand with a PST J600R thru a straight pipe. I got enough "lift" off the prototype to pick up the back of my test rack...about 3-4 pounds I was guessing. Good enough.
I used .01 fully annealed stainless for the final set as it's what we had on hand. It's easy to work and stiff enough to hold shape with a doubler. Each nozzle is comprised of two clam shell buckets, each with a drive tab, hinged with 4/40 hardware on aluminum U channel mounting brackets with springs to hold each half open. The clam shell doublers were spot welded to the buckets with Duke and Larry's Harbor Freight 110V spot welder....man is that thing fun to use!
Adapted stock JL wood pipe mount rings were moved to the inside of the former and had to be trimmed a little on the top and bottom to allow full opening of the clam shells.
The drive mechanism is a 1/8" rod z-bent and hammered flat about an inch on one end. The flat end fits into the slot in the stab shafts in the inner bearing housing. The rod bearing is just a large nylon servo wheel screwed into the inside glass work in line with the stab shaft, and a wheel collar rides against the inside of the bearing to hold the rod in the stab shaft slot. The lever end of the rod free rides between the bucket tabs.
The entire assembly added less than 6 oz. to the tail. Just moved flt. batteries forward an inch to compensate.
Here's a video of them functioning.
http://idisk.mac.com/jal747//Public/F-22_Nozzles.mpg Right click and save if you're having problems viewing it.
As you can see in the video, only one half of each nozzle is driven with the other clam shell spring loaded open. Not sure if the springs are even needed, but it's reassuring that they fail safe open.
Have over 40 flights with the nozzles and a JetCat Titan SE. It'll do every scale maneuver except the pedal/pedal falling leaf....but I'm workin' on it. Haven't spun the Raptor yet, but I think the nozzles could help recover from a flat spin.
Some were worried about having full time VF, but at normal flight rates, the nozzles don't even enter the hot exhaust flow...only at high rates and slow speed are they effective.
So here's some detail pictures of the install. If anyone's interested in more details for a DIY build, I'd be glad to put together some drawings, etc. Aloha,
Woody.