Navy F3H Demon
12-17-2014, 07:52 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (10)
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Brighton,
MI
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Navy F3H Demon
I've always loved the jets from the 50's and 60's. It seemed every week something new was being test flown. If not the cool 'X' planes, it was the Century series or the F-89, F-90 ( from the Blackhawks Comic book.) then you had all the Navy jets, Panther, Cougar, Cutlas, Skyhawk, F 11 Tiger, Banshee, Demon. All cool names to a 8 year old. Thank God for plastic model makers, Airfix, Frog, Revell, Monogram, Renwal, Lindberg.
I used to love going to the Superman Jet Event hosted by Jerry Caudle down in Metropolis, Il. Was always in October and last jet event until Florida Jets in early spring. All the folks who were in the magazines were there, Bob Violet, Tom Cook, Frank Tiano, Terry Nitch, Jim Hiller, Louis Patton, and on and on. There would be test flying after hours and you had a chance to see a lot of ' one offs' planes. There was a team from Wisconsin they had a F-85 Goblin jet that had a dolly take off that was one of the best crashes over and over that we had ever seen. I talked to the builder designer and he said he liked stuff that was not commercially available.( The US version of the late Peter Nye). Anyway he said that he had just designed a F3H Demon (fiberglass fuse with foam wings) but would never get around to building it. He was also concerned that it was designed around a Violet or Cook fan but the math showed that the inlets were marginal and he was going to wait until mini turbines (Kurt Schreckling has just designed the KJ 66) were commercially available to fly it.(Remember, this was back when Tiano had hair.)
Anyway, I convinced him to sell me his prototype he had brought along for show and tell. Well I have decided to build it and wanted to share the build with our forum.
I used to love going to the Superman Jet Event hosted by Jerry Caudle down in Metropolis, Il. Was always in October and last jet event until Florida Jets in early spring. All the folks who were in the magazines were there, Bob Violet, Tom Cook, Frank Tiano, Terry Nitch, Jim Hiller, Louis Patton, and on and on. There would be test flying after hours and you had a chance to see a lot of ' one offs' planes. There was a team from Wisconsin they had a F-85 Goblin jet that had a dolly take off that was one of the best crashes over and over that we had ever seen. I talked to the builder designer and he said he liked stuff that was not commercially available.( The US version of the late Peter Nye). Anyway he said that he had just designed a F3H Demon (fiberglass fuse with foam wings) but would never get around to building it. He was also concerned that it was designed around a Violet or Cook fan but the math showed that the inlets were marginal and he was going to wait until mini turbines (Kurt Schreckling has just designed the KJ 66) were commercially available to fly it.(Remember, this was back when Tiano had hair.)
Anyway, I convinced him to sell me his prototype he had brought along for show and tell. Well I have decided to build it and wanted to share the build with our forum.
12-18-2014, 02:14 PM
#9
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: West KirbyWirral, UNITED KINGDOM
Posts: 545
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Was the original owner Josh Harrel. I used to correspond with him and have pictures of his original Goblin. I went to several of the early US meetings and spent a memorable evening with Jim Hiller and others who had come to Jets over Deland in a really beat up Corvette Stingray. There was so much junk and damp in the foot wells that you could have planted a good potato crop. Happy days. Ron. p.s. great Demon from Italy.
12-18-2014, 03:24 PM
#10
The designer/builder of both the XF-85 and the F3H Demon was a modeler by the name of John Carlson who could always be counted on to show up with something unique, unusual, original and scratchbuilt! Given what we had to work with at the time, some of the early adventures were amazing! Balky glow engines with pipes working their hearts out to turn a rotor fast enough to generate enough thrust to fly a scale model! Blown glow plugs, high nitro fuels, sensitive needle valve settings all for the sake of flying a jet model! I can even remember when Jeff Seymour showed up and demonstrated the first model turbine ANY of us had ever seen! My, have we come a loooonnnng way!
12-18-2014, 05:43 PM
#13
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Beeton, Ontario, CANADA
Posts: 1,348
Likes: 0
Received 6 Likes
on
5 Posts
Fantastic! This is one plane that is missing from the line up. I just love the looks of it.
Good luck with the build. Be sure to have a funtioning canopy.. its somewhat unique.
Good luck with the build. Be sure to have a funtioning canopy.. its somewhat unique.
12-18-2014, 07:10 PM
#14
Member
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (10)
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Brighton,
MI
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OMG, Aeroscale and Mr Matt. You are right! Carlson had the Demon and Boren had the XF 85. At Superman, that evening was fantastic. Boren had Carlson hold onto the Dolly while he tried to get it in the air. As they were young and had strong legs it was hilarious watching those numbskulls running down the runway. Didn't they try to hand launch when all else failed after the beer was catching up with the Pizza?
As my Demon has no plans or formers I have been making my formers by the 'lost paper plate' method. Doing the nose section now.
As my Demon has no plans or formers I have been making my formers by the 'lost paper plate' method. Doing the nose section now.
12-19-2014, 06:15 AM
#17
Member
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (10)
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Brighton,
MI
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
'Lost paper plate' method for making formers for fiberglass fuse.
1) take plain white paper plate and draw centerline cross hair
2) push plate into spot where former should be (the edges will start collapsing like a giant coffee filter)
3) you should now see creases (witness marks) on the plate indicating former size
4) pull plate out and take scissors and cut out on the crease edge. This will give ballpark shape for former. Keep trimming until happy with shape and now use as pattern for making plywood former!
1) take plain white paper plate and draw centerline cross hair
2) push plate into spot where former should be (the edges will start collapsing like a giant coffee filter)
3) you should now see creases (witness marks) on the plate indicating former size
4) pull plate out and take scissors and cut out on the crease edge. This will give ballpark shape for former. Keep trimming until happy with shape and now use as pattern for making plywood former!
12-22-2014, 09:50 AM
#18
Perfect jet for my Wren 80 to swap into! (It lives in the A-4 most of the time) I love old rarely seen jets like this.
I love the "lost paper plate" method too. I was using dollar store foam board for my "lost white trash former" method The paper plate is way better (when it's big enough)!
I love the "lost paper plate" method too. I was using dollar store foam board for my "lost white trash former" method The paper plate is way better (when it's big enough)!
Last edited by Eddie P; 12-22-2014 at 09:53 AM.
12-28-2014, 08:15 AM
#21
Member
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (10)
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Brighton,
MI
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Put 3 servos in front of Beavertail. One each for each stab and one for rudder. Used simpler rudder mechanism BVM uses on his F-86 (can't stand the looks of rudder servo and linkage on outside). Will match and blend rudder to fin top next.
01-01-2015, 06:15 PM
#23
Member
Thread Starter
My Feedback: (10)
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Brighton,
MI
Posts: 89
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
After servos and linkage installed and wired, I re-attached Beavertail and bondo on seams. Cut-out in exhaust area is where I inserted carbon fiber rods to stiffin up tail.