Hi guys,

I got asked a JetCat question that referenced install pics from a (recent?) Skymaster F-18 thread.

I just tried to do a search and actually got more hits in non jet forums, so I guess the engine looks for the "18" in F-18, who knows.

Anyway I went back 3 pages looking for it , does anyone have these pics? It has to do with valve and filter mounting.

Thanks,

Matt,

I think that thread got dissapeared as some individuals were being, um, inappropriate. At least that is my speculation on why it dissapeared.

Raf

Matt,

The originator of the thread asked for it to be tanked. Let me see if I can recover the pictures you need.

Jim

Matt,

I went back to thread and the only reference to installation pictures was a link to another thread from 2005. I have pasted the link below. I hope this is what your email was inquiring about.

Jim

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_33...tm.htm#3329131

.

Look here...

Beave

http://www.f18superhornet.com/f18.html

Hi Mr. Matt

If it helps you, take a look at mine here. it is a Feibao, but regarding installation lay out, it is the same.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_69...tm.htm#6901604

Regards

Nuno

Thanks Kevin I think that is the one. Regards,

Hmmmm, I wonder why that was??? Maybe because the plane went in?? maybe because it could have been pilot error?? Maybe because someone doesn't want this information getting out?? I don't know, we'll see I guess. Inappropriate I doubt, everyone gets ribbed around here for screw ups, I don't think this one would have been any different.

Yes Kevin had worked over Anton for a new Kit suggesting the plane was defective. When we started to catch on he quickly asked the moderator to remove the thread. Here is the original crash pictures. By the way I was informed just today that Anton did pull the trigger on the new kit for Kevin.

Ronald R Long

Ron, did you witness the flight? If so, in your opinion, was it pilot error or design defect?

I bought a SM F-86 earlier this year and was told by Anton that it would fly nice on a P-60 even at a finished weight of 24.5lbs. Anyway it did not fly, just a swan dive into desert after getting into the air. I asked for some help in getting another kit and considering i followed all of SM instructions and used all of their equipment, was it my fault??. I bought the jet thru Adil Nasim and he went to Anton on my behalf, tolally ignored and never heard another word again about it. My friend Wayne Lane made the rapairs and the jet is up and flying great with a P-80 this time. Why does SM replace some kits for free and it was pilot / builder error and i can`t even get a discount on my disaster??
V..

Good question Vincent, however, in my experience, which probably isn't much, I don't care who told me what but I would not try to fly a 24.5 pound aircraft on an engine that puts out ~14 pounds of thrust, sorry but thats just me. This is part of the old saying if your friends jumped off the Golden Gate bridge would you too?? You are experienced enough to know that plane had a very slim chance of flying at that weight, so in that case I would say its not a manufacturers problem, more of you took some bad advice, regardless of where it was coming from (Anton?). He may have had a totally different weight that he flew his F-86 on a P-60 thus making it successful. I don't know what happened in Kevin's flight and neither does anyone else apparently, but I highly doubt it was a manufacturer's defect, in which case I think the company would be responsible for the jet. People who take advantage of companies for their own wrong doings are the ones who ultimately ruin it for the people who really deserve that type of attention. If Anton felt that their was a chance that something his factory did wrong caused this issue then I have no doubt he would rectify the situation appropriately. I think Skymaster USA takes care of their customers just the same as well.

The real issue here is why was the thread pulled and why wont Kevin divulge the nature of his accident? Wouldn't this information be helpful to saving other Skymaster F-18 customers planes if such a "defect" existed? I don't know, something just does not sound right to me. Especially since he requested the thread to be pulled.

Ian,
I agree with you, no one with experience in this hobby would fly that jet at that weight with 14lbs thrust. My bad for sure but the posted weight on the SM website was 17-18lbs and EVERYONE was finishing theirs out at 22-24lbs so i believe at the time i bought my kit it was false advertising and SM has to shoulder some of the blame. I was not looking for a freebe but a discount on another airframe so i could move over all of my equipment.

I received a tele call from Kevin right after he crashed his F-18. He told me the jet took of and pitched up violently but he got it under control and by switching to low elev rates was able to get in some nice flying for about 4mins. He then set up for final and got slow on the down wind leg and the jet just fell out of the sky. He used the video of a SM F-4 falling out of the sky on final that was posted here on RCU some time back as an example. Those were the details relayed to me right after the flight. Does that sound like a SM defect to you ?? this is why i have a beef with the way SM has handled Kevins crash and completely ignored my concerns.Yes, it would be nice to get the real truth from Kevin Marks and stop this dog and pony show BS.
V..

Does that sound like a defect to me?? Not at all, sounds like to me someone got behind on the throttle or had a flame out. Now any number of things could have caused this problem wouldn't you say? Does he deserve a new plane for nothing? Well if you ask me, NO. There is no way to prove a manufactures defect for a jet falling from the sky due to what seems to be power loss. Sounds to me like bad fuel system setup or poor piloting skills. I recently have been flying the Skymaster F-18 and did some considerable slow flight flying and if you are not on your game when flying them they can bite you real bad, Raffy??? Regardless, is it unfair that he got a new plane and you did not?? Maybe, thats not my call though.

But I ask you one thing, if you sell someone a plane and then they go out and crash it and its not a defect, should you owe them a new one???

Thats the real question. Skymaster offers excellent support in my opinion, but in this case I think they are being overly generous. But thats just my opinion.

.

Maybe its because your NOT a scam artist!!

I think everyone here has a situation or two like yours where it most likely deserved some manufacturer attention. I can feel for the kit manufacturers, it cant be easy when someone crashes your kit and then wants some type of compensation for it...no matter if the claim is justified or not. There are plenty of well warranted stories I have heard that 100% should have been addressed by the manufacturer, but then the word gets out that you are giving free kits away and all of a sudden every rookie pilot who rips the gear out getting their feet wet calls you up wanting a new one. I'm sure this thread will turn into everyone sharing stories about how they should have gotten a new kit from this or that manufacturer, and so on and so on. When the focus should really be that we have a scam artist among us that has done the unthinkable and cheated a manufacturer. I don't care what manufacturer it is, I don't care who likes them or not, I don't care weather the manufacturer is fine with it. The long and the short of it is that Kevin Marks crashed his plane from his own errors and lied to the manufacturer and told them the plane crashed because of a defect, with the intent to screw them out of a new plane. He is a liar, a cheat, and should be banned from every airfield NO MATTER WHO HE SCREWED!

RCU deleted the thread, that would have ultimately revealed his story was total crap, and basically helped Kevin Marks get his free kit. I am not blaming RCU I am only stating that if the thread would have continued,(most likely) the interrogation on Kevin would have continued and revealed that he was lying.
Let me ask you all a question. If you crashed a manufacturers airplane (of any kind) because it was un-airworthy, would you really want another one? Would you risk your radio equipment and turbine in another disaster waiting to happen? I wouldn't. Why would Kevin want a identical replacement to risk his equipment in, when he (supposedly) had first hand experience with it killing itself because of a factory defect? You know there are all made by the same place right? By the same people? What makes him think that the next one will do any better? Maybe because the problem that crashed the plane was not a manufacturer problem at all? Maybe he likes the plane and wants to give it another shot? Well, at least he knows now what makes it go boom!

Kevin Marks,
Everyone knows about you now, You are a disgrace to the jet community................. and that Karma is gonna have a real bad aftertaste.

Nice post Kev...you still never said how the jet crashed?? why not tell us??
V..
PS: you are right Dave, Kevin is a disgrace. He cheated people and now lies to get another kit from SM....UGH

Dave says he scamed a new kit. (he didn't say it was free) Kevin says he is paying for a new kit. (He didn't say he was paying retail)

Which is it? For some odd reason I feel I deserve to know.

So what does the eye witness have to say about it? Lets hear from him/her. I'm sure you were complying with AMA regulations and had a spotter with you at the field, lets hear what they have to say about it. What? You were at the field by yourself with no spotter? Oh you were? Who was it?

Sorry for the typo bro, he scammed a FREE kit

Vin, Everyone cuts their own deal in life. You can be upset at Anton for not taking care of you. You can be upset that Anton is taking care of Kevin.

It is too bad that Kevin didn't take care of Ron like Anton is taking care of Kevin. That Bandit was an awesome flying jet and that Mig 29 is a total POS. That is $19,500 that Ron will never see again.

You are right Tony, i did not cry loud enough to SM.I should have told them the wing delamanated but instead I just sucked it up and got some expert body work help with the damage and i now have a nice flying Saber that is now flown with the correct size engine.
V..

Dave,

I could have not said it better myself. Thank you for your input. When Kevin toasted my BVM Bandit ,built by Bob Himself, from his own errors he did not replace it! but he expects SKY-MASTER to replace his plane. Do you see how this persons mind works? Everything is eveyones eleses fault. You are right Kevin, is a Disgrace to the jet community and is dangerous when he attempts to fly any jet. Maybee the AMA should reveiw his turbine waiver.Do we really want to risk our field for someone this reckless. Heck the guy started a fire at L.A. jets one year and another here in front of the news media a few years back.

still waiting for the truth on the jet crash.



Ronald R Long

Dave Presta,

As I do not know you, have never spoke to you and certainly have not discussed this matter with you, it strikes me funny that you have conviction of my wrong doing? Based on your statements against me, you must know something I do not. If you would have read my post I have ordered a new kit that I am paying for. As all the equipment is still intact, I only needed a frame, (to answer your question of why I would want another kit). DID YOU READ IT THIS TIME!!!! NO FREEBIES!!!!

I never stated product defect, mearly that on take off I had severe pitch up attitude and flew with extremely sensitive elevator. It flat stalled on approach, as you can see seems busted out after crash.

Why Vin Difabbio is so set on the truth of why this bird crashed is beyond me, It flat stalled due to elevator sensitivity and flat belly landed.

Your comments are harse, unfounded, and wrong. Please recind your statements, stating false information as fact will also be bad carma for you.

Thanks

Kevin