invertmast

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So impending doom (rain) forcasted for tomorrow led to a trip to the LHS today. yesterday when i looked, they had a small assortment of balsa, but everything was mixed up and i didn't feel like sorting thru it. Anyways, after 4 hours today, i came up with enough sheeting to get started on the build. I finished up all the parts needed for the stabs, minus the root and tip block (LHS didn't have anything big enough) to start building. Here's a pictures of the parts for the other stab, and one 1/4 complete stab (still gotta do the root/tip block, and finish.





After looking around the internet for a bit today, i found matt haltons website and his electric speed 400 size pusher F-14 (32" wingspan). For those who have no idea, he's the original design of the EDF JHH F-14. His pusher version is 72% the size of the JHH EDF. Anyways, i might find myself scratch building one of these during this build. After-all you can never have to many tomcats right? Plus it'll give me something to play around with until the 1/7 gets done. I'd "like" to get 100-120mph out of the little pusher. But we will see...


Hope ya enjoy the thread. If anyone wants to get rid of some 3/32" x 4 x 48" balsa sheets for cheap, shoot me a PM.. i need about 60 to 80 of the things and at $2.20 a sheet, its expensive!

invertmast

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Lil bit more work done so far today.. Made up the root and tip blocks for 1 stab, and the tip block for the other. Ran out of balsa to do the root block for the other stab. I've still got to sand both of them, but other than that, they are done minus glass and detailing. I also took the stab shaft bearing mounts and installed them to there respective bulkheads, make sure the bulkhead centerlines were aligned. After doing that, i couldn't help but slide the stab shafts into bulkheads. This really gave me an idea of exactly how big this model is going to be. the ruler is 20" long in the picture.

F14

WOW!
Thomas, it's wonderful to see your work proceeding so fast, by the way the photos really give a good idea how big the model will be!

Mike Emilio

Angelo, , ,

An envelope was mailed to you yesterday.
- Seperate drawing for the fins, so you don't have to cut-up the side view.
- Additional seperate drawing for a jig to support the engine nacells better.
Instead of the one centerline jig, it will now be the centerline as well as two nacelle jigs.

F14

Thanks Mike,
that's what I mean for customer care!!!
Thanks again!

Angelo

ps2727

Nice work Thomas!!

NickC5FE

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Thomas, as i told you i would send you pix, here is how the hatch is on mine. The main sliding mechanism is the Radio Antennae on the top, from there a thin music wire is routes o the back and is attached to a 1/8 inch brass tube that goes out laterally to two bvm hatch latches and those engage the fuse. It works great and is totally hidden!Hope the pix help

ianober

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Looks great Thomas!! I cheated a little on my stabs and will be using a part already in production. I figure it will save me sometime.

invertmast

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Now thats so simple i would have never thought of it.. thanks for the pics nick.

invertmast

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I wish i had that option! then again, it would of only saved me 2 days of building, and about 2 weeks of "detail" work. lol

invertmast

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One horizontal stab is complete and ready for glassing... If i can find my fiberglass and have enough laminating resin left, i might get that done tonight.. I also got the mock-up wingbox assembled and installed to the C20 and C21 bulkheads. Using 3 squares, 2 laser levels, the jig i cut out earlier and about 45 minutes later, I got it all lined up. Wing box is made of 1/4" thick birch ply w/ 1/2" balsa triangle, and then AN-3 bolts w/ 1/4" OD carbon spacers. I wasn't going for strength on this box since its just used to align the 2 bulkheads together so the wing incidence can be set later on.. Here's pictures. I'm going to try and get the other horizontal stab done tonight as well, so the tail will be done minus the verticals.

Shaun Evans

THOMAS!

You are, now and forever, the man. Awesome so far, friend!

invertmast

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Haha.. thanks! If YA would of had theirs out by now, i would of just bought theirs (hell even when it does come out, i'll probly end up getting one )... but im stuck doing it this way for now Heyy.. speaking of... how in the crap was the spoiler setup hinged and actuated on the YA F-14? I vaguely remember seeing pictures of the spoilers.. They seemed to be brass sheet soldered to a brass tube.. Is this accurate? When i get to the point of needing some "detail" done to the gear and cockpit, I'm going to have to make a trip out that way to twist/pull Mr. Reese's arm to get him to do an F-14


**Update 2 for the day**

The Second stab is done minus a bit of filling and final sanding... should have that done tomorrow.... Now its just a matter of time to wait for 2 more drawings to get here, along w/ a balsa order. I've got the stuff to make up the wing spars, so i'll probly get started laying out the wing ribs and spars so the wing panels are ready to sheet by the time the balsa order gets here. I should have the stuff for the TCS pod under the nose as well, i've just got to come up w/ the drawings for that one... Which i'll probly do this week while i wait on those vertical stab drawings to get here.

invertmast

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Both horizontal stabs are done and ready for glassing. Hopefully the LHS will have some Finishing resin, so i can get that done this weekend.. I made my balsa order.. about 90 sheets of balsa (60 of which are 3/32") and a couple of blocks for the slats, wingtips, etc.. Got 2- 16oz bottles of glue as well.. Hopefully that stuff will arrive on tuesday or wed. of next week. I'm going to try and get the vertical stabs and rudders done this weekend as well, so when the balsa arrives, its a matter of getting the wings built and starting on the fuselage.

ianober

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Good stuff Thomas, moving along nicely!

Hustler58

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Thomas, I put all the F-14 info I had on a CD and mailed it today. Let me know if that is what you wanted. Butch

invertmast

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Butch,
thanks a ton! If i can ever repay the favor or owe ya for your time, just lemme know.

thomas

bela

Looking good![sm=thumbup.gif]

invertmast

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Both stabs are complete and ready to be fiberglassed, primed and then surface detailed. The plans for the Vertical stabs arrived and i'm going to build them and the rudders before i do the glass work to the horizontals, that way i can do all four at once (i've got to do a bit of fiberglassing on the rotors of an autogyro i'm buidling for a friend as well). Here are 2 pictures showing the horizontal stabs mounted into the stab bulkheads w/ a 4 foot bubble level for size reference (as if yall haven't gotten enough of these already)

invertmast

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I apologize for the slow progress, but i'm still waiting on my balsa order, and being a newly wed, the wife expects me to spend as much time with her as the tomcat... anyways, i got a bit more work done today before running out of both balsa and glue... Hopefully national balsa will have my balsa order shipped out tomorrow since i placed it with them friday. I've also got 2 16oz bottles of glue coming (1-medium, 1-thin) which i fully expect to use completely once the sheeting of the fuselage begins. Anyways, both vertical stabs have been framed and sheeted, all thats left to do is cut out the parts for the rudders, the leading edges and the tips, shape, final sand and glass, then they will be ready for detail work.. here's a few pictures showing the stabs in "progress" of being built. Sorry, but i forgot to get pictures of the mods i did to make the vertical stabs removable.

Now that these are all done, i can start laying out the wing ribs and spars, so that once the sheeting arrives they will be ready for the leading edge caps (and slats) to be made, and the wings to be sheeted...

invertmast

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2 more pictures... Does it look like an F-14 yet?

NickC5FE

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AWESOME THOMAS! LOOKS AWESOME!

Heres how my stabs looked when i got her, and the last pic shows as of today! Happy with the outcome!

invertmast

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damnn nick.. that was BAD! Looks great now though.. ya gonna put some lights on that thing

NickC5FE

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It had lights, but i am not going to put them back in, all the lenses were jacked up from the incident, and i am not putting that much work into molding new lenses. Plus, i dont have the channel available with athe other functions going on in this pig......

Hell, the whole left stab broke clear off of the bulkead/spar-no bueno

invertmast

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I can understand that.. i'll probly end up having to upgrade to a 12x and channel x-pander for the F-14 once i get the prototype flying and the bugs worked out... how did ya over-come the issue of the stab breaking off the bulkhead/spar?