My buddy had the same problem with his. The base of the fin is too weak. When they cut the hole in the bottom of the fin to mount the servo they neglected to add any reinforcing. You'll have to add some extra wood and epoxy around the servo and reinforce the base. It would probably be best to build a box around the servo.

Mine is an earlier kit with a thin wing servo mounted under a cover further up the fin and it doesn't have the problem. After Ron fixed his it was flutter free.

By the way from the pictures I saw posted of the new Liberty design, it looks like it will have the same problem.

Joe

I dont really understand what you mean ?

You mean the structure around the servo is not strong enough to hold the servo tight which would create the flutter ?

Hi Guy's:
So has anyone received the 1/5.5 F-16 yet

Thanks,,,, Dave

No, what I mean is that the structure of the fin is inadequate. When they moved the servo to the new location they cut a big rectangular hole in the base of the fin significantly weakening it. Look at the base of the fin. There is only about 1/16" of wood on each side of the servo. Try grabbing the top of the fin and see how easy it is to move around.

Joe

oh ok I see, yea I had taken care of that already when I built the plane. My vert. fin is stiff the problem is really the rudder itself that flutters at high speeds, I could see it banging from one end to the other just as if I applied full rudder control left/ right but like 50 times a second.


thanks for the ideas, let me know if you think about anything else.

Hi guys,
I receive my FEJ F16 1/8. I bought the standard version with 3rd fuel tank in option. I would like to know where I should put the turbine batteries and the radio batteries to have the better C/G possible. I read this thread and I think I will put the C/G at 150mm. I think to I will put the receiver batteries in the nose (about 330gr both, it's some 2200 NICD batteries).
Where should I put the turbine battery ?

Thank you

Best regards

You'll need lots of nose weight to balance it. When you mount your turbine and equipment make sure that you move everything as far forward as possible to minimize the amount of nose weight you'll need. My engine is a Wren SS. Rather than adding dead weight I went with redundant Rx batteries (about 170 gm. each) as far forward in the nose cone as possible. Behind them, just behind the nose former, is my 340 gm. ECU battery. My CG is at 145 mm.

Joe

Hy Rapy:

Please be carefull with Cg. at 150 mm. Is too far aft. I boke my landing gear, F-18 (1/8) because of that. This plane doesn't like aft Cg. specially at landing.
It tends to snap at flair loosing air speed and plumets breaking gear.
I recommend you to start with Cg. at 140 mm then you go back until you feel satisfied, but be carefull.
Also using flaps or flaperons helps. It reduces stalling speed. You will have more scale landings.

Juan.

Hi,
Thank you guys,

Juan : I have a 16 flyeagle, not the F18 I think fly with C/G at 145mm to start.

Sorry rapy:

Mine is FEJ F-16 (1/8) too, not F-18. My fault.
Don't forget to program lots of stabilator travel with exponential at take off configuration. You'll need it, specially if you are fliying with little runway distance.

Good maiden,
Juan.

Thank you Juan

the only thing you need for a high AOA slow landings with a 16 is lots of back stick on final. an F-16 will fly high alpha at low speed all day without the necessity of flap/flaperon. Your broke gear sounds like you tried to float it in like a prop plane rather then pulling up the nose and using the turbine for rate of decent.

my advanced f16 cg is at 145mm and its perfect like that, pull the nose up and land as slow as you want, flaps are totaly useless

FLAPS ARE NOT TOTALLY USLESS.
They are very usefull.
Try flaps on F-16, you'll love them.

No I did't try to float from any prop.
You just move your Cg. aft on the F-16 or F-18 and you will have an idea or understanding of what I'm talking about.

i did test with flaps and IMO they are useless because you just raise the nose and come in high alpha at a very slow speed and the airplane remains very stable and shows no signs of stalling. Having full authority of my ailerons and full travels is much more important than flaps to me on this model, I dont like tailerons but if you think it flies better with flaps, well go for it. My point is you should always test flight with the most simple setup possible to avoid mess ups. It doesnt get any simpler than conventional ailerons, no flaps, elevators and the plane will fly really really well like that and landing will be no problem at all.

My first flight was with the CG at 150mm and I only moved it fwd to 145mm because that's where everybody was flying at here. I wonder how far aft you put your CG to be having such a hard time with yours...

flaps will cause a stall at a high AOA, on an F-16 they are as useless as t1ts on a bore hog.

FALSE.
Flaps do not promote any kind of stall.
Where did you learn about aerodinamics?
Have you seen planes in sky when on final?
You can see flaps, slats, high AOA to mention a few.
F-16 flies great with no flaps on final but do greater with 35ΒΊ flaps at 12ΒΊ AOA. Just add power with your throttle stik TO COMPENSATE FOR DRAG LOOSES. Just give it a try. You'll love it
Tailerons work better on this aircraft than ailerons. In fact the full scale one controls lateral movement with stabilators. Are a way more efective than ailerons on F-16 and F-15 not F-18.
You can go with flaperons too but be carefull, programming is a bit more complicated.
I've made lots of experiments my friends.
You just ask me.

I have a FE F 16 plus. I have traded my Jet central Falcon JF 100 falcon turbine for a Rabbit as it will also fly my grass jet (Falcon 120).

The JC Rabbit is abount the same size and weight as a Wren SS.

So my question is would I get away with mounting the Rabbit in the tail of the FE F 16 or just centre mount it??? I would love to here from anyone that has tail mounted a turbine on a FE F 16 1/8 scale!!!!!!!!

Cheers, Mav

I have a SM F16 which is very similar to the FE F16. I have a Wren SS mounted in the tail but need big batteries in the nose for balance. It's a great combination and the Rabbit should be similar in the FE jet. I was going to use the Rabbit but couldn't wait for its release.

Well Mavrik:
I have a P-80 center mount in the F-16. It delivers 20 Lbs. of thrust measured with a tub bath vascule. It surprises me but is real. What this indicates is that I'm having not significant looses using this configuration so the tail mounted engine will have even less looses if any.
Of corse you can go with tail mounted enginne virtually in any model that accepts it.
Hope this can help.

Mav: I have the advanced f16 with a JC rabbit center mounted, it works really well and I had to put both of my rx batteries in the nose and the turbine bat just behind the nose former to balance it, you'll have a hard time balancing with the rabbit in the tail IMO.

Juan: just because you've done experiments and like it better with flaps and tailerons doesnt mean it is in fact better... redundancy is a major point why conventional ailerons & elevators are better. You cant take your personnal opinions and try to force them on people as the only truth, everybody has a different flying style, i fly 3d, I like to have alot of control. I used someone's travels/ expo setup that was posted here to maiden my f16.... it didnt work at all for me, WAYYYYY to much expo I didnt like it at all but it felt just right for the guy who posted that setup...


and yes this kind of flaps can promote stalls at high AOA for many different reasons, one is just the amount of drag they create, if you have a flame out with 35 deg flaps and 12 deg AOA you'll fall out of the sky like a brick before you can find your flaps switch but anyways, arguing is retarded, as I said if you feel confortable flying like that go for it.

Hi guys,

Thank you for all your informations, I think I will fly in ailerons + elevator mode, I will put the C/G at 145mm and at the construction I will put my rx batteries in the nose and the turbine battery in the radio enplacement (juste under the cockpitp).
I will configurate to start my plane with 50mm up and down at the elevator with 35% expo and 20mm up and down at the ailerons with 35% expo.

(My turbine is a jetcat P80 which will be mounted in central position)

Thank you everybody

[quote]ORIGINAL: pratorian

Mav: I have the advanced f16 with a JC rabbit center mounted, it works really well and I had to put both of my rx batteries in the nose and the turbine bat just behind the nose former to balance it, you'll have a hard time balancing with the rabbit in the tail IMO.

Pratorian and other replies,

Thanks for info. Are you hapy with power of Rabbit powered FE F16?

I would still like to hear from someone that has tail mounted a FE F 16!

Cheers, Mav

Pratorian:

You just try 35ΒΊ of flaps on your F-16. You'll loooooove them.
These turbines never flame out.
Don't be afraid, they don't bite if you perform carefully.

Juan.