McCrash

My Feedback: (1)

I just became the proud owner of a Knights of the Air F-20 Tigershark. The postmark on the box is 1984! I have the instruction book and what appears to be all the parts, except for the plan sheet which has the recommended CG. The model is 88 inches long with a 58 inch wingspan. It has a 6 inch byron fan and tuned pipe that I will power with an OS .91 DF engine. I can calculate the MAC to get the approx. CG. But would love to get some suggestions and info, this is my first ducted fan jet. Also if anyone has any info about the company or this plane I would appreciate your comments. Thanks.

TCHIEF

My Feedback: (15)

i have one still built and flown unfortunatly i cant remember were i had it balanced it has a wing broken off but i plan to fix it and rebuild it for turbine i can tell you it flew great thats why i kept it it flew off of a 300 ft runway with the help of flaps it wieghed 16 lbs but i wouldnt for my first jet it has to have power to fly its no glider but it would land slow with the flaps

A10FLYR

My Feedback: (1)

IT JUST NOW GOT THERE?????

Pitts S1S

My Feedback: (9)

IT JUST NOW GOT THERE?????
[/quote]


ROFLMAO Gotta love a snappy retort.......

A10FLYR

My Feedback: (1)

Hey...it could happen!! I sent Glennis a money order by PRIORTY MAIL, BIG envelope......9 months later it got there with a note saying they had lost it behind a file cabinet???


Hey Crash...good luck with the KOA Shark. I have a Shark kit also but no destructions. []

funflyerf4

My Feedback: (6)

Hey Iam also in the same boat as you,I have a Nights of the Air F111-f with the instruction book but no plans any one have a set of plans or have a suggestion as to where the cg would be?

McCrash

My Feedback: (1)

A10 Flyer I'll send you a copy of instructions if you want

A10FLYR

My Feedback: (1)

THX Crash...I'll keep that in mind. Mine was cut in half behind the wing for some reason, shipping I guess. I'll have to get up the desire to join it back before I need instructions tho.

John Casey

My Feedback: (4)

Looks Great,
Save it for a turbine, it will last longer,
won't get fuel soaked from the inside out.

There aren't to many F-20s out there,
It's the rare aircraft that gets the looks and the shutterbugs,

Make it a keeper.

There are a bunch of topics on this plane, here on RCU,
the CG is farther forward than you may think,
go with what "already" works.

McCrash

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks John, Since I retired I'll have to win the lottery or something to afford a turbine. I'll look for a thread that has cg info.

GlennisAircraft

My Feedback: (1)

Cut that cabinet up with the torch after that.

Dennis

jettset99

My Feedback: (7)

Do NOT use the CG in the BOOK its not right my friend crashed his on test flight I fly a turbine f-20 and have the right Cg!I will post it.

Molar mender

I would also be interested in the actual CG of the F-20. I bought the KOA F-20 in 1985 while I was stationed overseas in Japan. It took me about a year to build. On the maiden flight, the end cap on the tuned pipe came off just as I was lifting off. The sound was horrendous so I killed the motor and aborted the take off. Good thing I did as the end cap was so hot that it melted a lot of my servo wires on the servo tray. Hate to think what would have happened to the jet had I continued.

Some history of the company that I can recall. The company was started by William (Bill) Hawke back in West Friendship, Maryland sometime around 1980-82. His claim to fame was scale pilots and then he got into selling plans and kit manufacturing. He marketed several kits (U-2, F11F-1 Grumman Tiger, Mig 25 Foxbat, F-106 Delta Dart) but I was only interested in the F-20. The company changed hands around 1988-89 time frame and was bought by Gary Romer of Pittstown, NJ. It was shortly after that I lost track of the company.

I still have the airframe as it was my first jet. Can't believe I've hauled it around for over 20 years.

RH

A10FLYR

My Feedback: (1)

NOPE!!! I don't use priorty mail anymore Standard envelope gets there quicker!!!

jettset99

My Feedback: (7)

Ill post the cg some time this week it is unreal how far foward it is.

jettset99

My Feedback: (7)

Ill post the cg some time this week it is unreal how far foward it is. On the Knights of the Air it might end up at the front hatch line...

McCrash

My Feedback: (1)

thanks for all the info! I found the image of the underside of the wing/fuse junction showing the CG. Wow, its almost at the leading edge of the wing. As I mentioned this is my first ducted fan jet, if anyone has info on fuel set up for twin saddle type fuel tanks, or other info I'd appreciate it. The kit indicated the foam core wings are epoxied to the sides of the fuse with no addtional support, I'm sure not comfortable with that set up! I want the wings removable, so maybe a wing tube or other method. Any Help?

meps

My Feedback: (10)

I would use blade spars to attach the wings. Sig use to carry them and they may still carry them. You can also find them in most hobby shops. By the way, where do you fly?
Steve

ChuckC

My Feedback: (24)

The Sig blade spars would be OK for ducted fan/this use, but I would not use them for turbines or very high performance aircraft. They're made out of "Plano" aluminum. I don't recall the alloy type exactly, but it's relatively soft - nothing like the 6 or 7 series at a T-6 temper. I agree, though - the Sig stuff would be ok here. Don't they also sell the receivers for the spars/

Is the F-20 CG so far forward because it's a lifting fuselage?

McCrash

My Feedback: (1)

Steve, I fly at RCA in Kinston, NC..May be a little tight with our trees and power lines. I'll go over to ECRC in LeGrange until I see how much runway I need and climb out ,etc.
Steve

dirk098

My Feedback: (5)

I still remember my fathers old mgraw hill Aviation and Space Technology 1985 Paris Airshow Tapes. The place I fell in love with this plane watching the infomerchials from northrop in between the airshow sequences. "The F-20 TIGERSHARK! The MOST talked about airplane at the 1985 Paris Airshow!" - cut to airplane "Air to ground!", cut to airplane, "Air to sea", cut to plane, "Air to Air", cut to plane"In good weather, or BAD"-"The F-20 TIGERSHARK"--
The plane was advanced then.. I do believe it bit the dust at that same airshow though and the crash is the reason northrop didnt sell any.. so so sad.

perttime

F-20:

There were three and two crashed (according to Air&Space magazine).

- Northrop chief test pilot Darrell Cornell crashed and died at Farnborough airshow on 10 October 1986. Apparently he was fatigued by a hard airshow schedule and was not using a G suit (by personal preference).

- David Barnes crashed during demo practice on 13 May 1985, apparently at Goose Bay, Canada, on the way to the Paris Air Show. The reason was G-LoC.

- The last one went on display at California Science Center in 1990.

Apparently it was a great light fighter but at that time everybody wanted an F-16.

There is a smaller F-20 kit (and/or plans) still available at http://www.thorjet.co.uk/index.php

P. Richards

My Feedback: (3)

I don't know if this will help but here you go C of G should be right on the leading edge as they measured from the tip of the wing to the center of the fuse...

P. Richards aka Swat Team

SJN

2 new F-20`s from germany comming soon.

A sport F-20 and a scale F-20 both full composite, and for 12lbs sized turbines

Sport :http://www.air-tech.info/html/modell...rt/modell.html
Scale (only an old picture from another F-20) http://www.air-tech.info/html/jet_modelle.html

rcavi8ter

My Feedback: (19)

I have one of these kits that is pretty much in the same stage as the one pictured above. I would be interested in wing retenion for turbine use. Also if anyone has some plans and a manual I would love to get my hands on them. Let me know.