Airworld lightning
 

Just about to embark on a build of this model and as with all of us, i have great plans in my minds eye for it to be as perfect as i can get it, ( i have built and flown 2 turbines before, one of which was a Skymaster 1/6 f16)

I have a couple of questions however related to what may be a none standard installation (the F 16 was straight forward and used what was in the kit)

Firstly, i wish to add a 100%scale cockpit, this will i assume involve reducing the intake duct internal diameter from a plain tube ( as i assume the kit supplies, it has not arrived just yet)
i am planning on using 2 smaller engines( 2x100 or 120)and wondering if there is a specific formula for required cross section per engine for inlet area, ( am aware the intake will need to be strong to avoid collapse etc)

Next question, i wish to use afterburner LED rings but DO NOT want just 2 sets of rings stuck to the end of the efflux pipe, as that just looks like 2 sets of leds stuck on the ouside of a pipe and not like an afterburner... My idea ( that i am wondering if possible) is to have the thrust pipes suitable for the engine that are cut off short inside the model but overlapped into a slightly larger diameter stainless pipe tha leads to the back of the aircraft, the LED's can be set into the gape in the overlap and look like they are buried deep in the efflux pipe, even thought about a small pump injecting a small amount of water into the pipes that would turn to steam and glow in the light......

These may well be mad and insane ideas , hence asking here, was wondering if anyone with more experience of scale mods or doing similar could let me know if im way off base.....many thanks and apologies for poor spelling, cant mod post after proofreading as lack th knowledge on an ipad

I have Barrys lightning in my garage I rebuilt for him. I strongly recommend going single or if you really want twins then go with at least 2 160s. That way if you loose an engine you can make it home.

With out a doubt single is by far the better way to go for this plane though even Ali agrees that its just allot better way to go.

Also start figuring out a way to work on the plane. Its the absolute hardest plane to handle I have ever seen.

We also question the factory CG. We have removed 3 lbs from the nose and now it fly's OK.

Make sure you get a good gyro. This is the only plane I have dealt with that a gyro is a nesessity

Well the kit arrived today, what can i say, well 2 things, firstly ( even though i have built the Geebee r3 and a skymaster f16 and even an airworld hawk...)

Im shockingly underwhelmed at the lack of thought thats gone into certain parts of the airframe, the front undercarriage well and intake tube are mostly useless due to having the gel,coat on the 'wrong surface, one minutes thought would have seen them perfect in pre production, the front nose leg mount is usless with any shock load on the gear perfectly pushing the mount plate off their mounting point as they arent locked inin any way, a strengthening former in a stupid place within where one would want to put the cockpit and a missing missile mount......
added to which im seriously p@@@@@@ off that though we have been waiting 4 weeks after the agreed delivery date and paid upront for everything 3 and a half months ago as you must with airworld, they 'forgot' to put the retracts in that were paid for and ordered with the kit!!! They really dont do themselves any favours bearing in mind their terribly bad reputation for customer service.
anyway, the basics are here and will class it As a blank canvas which i can turn into a decent scale model, they have certainly caused more work and greif than a 3500 pound kit warrants though.......

Also its 97 inches long, not the advertised 111.8 so substantially smaller than expected, i can only assume the got the length off the internet With Pitot probe which imho is cheating as afaik aircraft lengths are stated with or without and there isnt even one in the kit to get it to that length

This is really an unfortunate report, but I'm glad you took the time to tell us your experience. This kit looks great in the photos on their site and have always thought about getting one of these someday. There's a video of one flying somewhere in Europe on a cloudy day a number of years ago as I recall and its one of the best videos of any turbine jet I've ever seen. Click Here. It's a rare bird and I hope you can share some photos as you go. Good luck, I'll be watching.

waiting 4 weeks after the agreed delivery date and paid upront for everything 3 and a half months ago

I have to say you did very well getting it that quick !

I had one for a customer some years ago - it took 18 months to get it after paying in FULL and it is the worst kit I have ever seen - quality dosen't even come into it - total rubbish !

modtron
Oxford UK

As a blank canvas its just about ok ( not worththe kit asking price imho, by a wide mile) but needs a LOT of work to get it presentable and thats even before one starts building it and installing any systems at all, due to its shape ( and this time no fault of the manufacturer but that of English Electric) its going to be a pig to install systems and cockpit etc, need to figure out how to beef up nosewheel mount first as its a frightningly bad design

Stunning aircraft!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odJG...e_gdata_player

I believe the crews found the same issues on the full size with regard to access.:(

This one is seen regularly at J.M.A Meetings.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2177267http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2177268

The Airworld "experience".....
 

Hello GB R3
Welcome to the Airworld experience. I think Airworld revel in "taking the mickey" on their customers. Those that have followed the Airworld threads over the years will not be surprised at your report.
Now, that said, with a fair amount of work and re-engineering the models can turn out to be really nice examples.
- Mike

My Airworld Me-262 in front along with 2 others:

Hi speed is life, yes i do agree, i loved their Geebee R3 it truly is my favourite RC prop aircraft, i have no doubt the lightning will look stunning when complete, but their lack of thought, design wise and customer service wise and pricing to a greater or lesser degree leave me peed off, not when im building the model, i love that bit but in the dealing with them and looiking forward to getting the kit only to be (very) dissapointed on a number of levels.you would thought i would have been used to it now but after dealing with them 3 times, things have got progressivly worse across the board, with themselves and the kits...

Anyway, enough moaning about them, it doesnt seem to do any good and they are who they are...... On with the build....
i will happily post images as i progress but am an aeronautical engineering lecturer in aircraft structures and aerodynamics so my day job and method of funding my hobby will make is a long haul.......just trimming out and cleaning up cockpit opening tonight.....

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2177395temporary workspot whilst I make some sort of stand for it

I realise that Airworld has done it for effect, but the Lightning does not have all those raised panels as they have done on their moulding. It was a Mach 2+ interceptor and was as smooth as possible.

You are quite right, I've removed a few last night that are actually wrong and am skimming the edges down a little to avoid them looking 'stuck on'
I want them raised a tiny nit to help with painting/weathering but not the depth they have them, the wings are fine with engraved lines, its the fuselage only that suffers this and needs tweaking.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2177432http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2177432http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2177433As you can see. Trimmed out and thinned cockpit framing, removed some incorrect details on the skin and trimmed back intake in order to fit full depth cockpit, the intake will take a lot of work .

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2177466Looks a bit more like a lightning after a bit of dremeling around the intake bullet mount points, not convinced the length of the undercarriage bay is correct at the front , partly as on the real plane the gear is up in the back of the bullet fairing and partly cos they FORGIT TO INCLUDE THE BXXXXXY RETRACTS!!!
anyway, going well so far, btw the 'instructions' they supply on disc are as much use as a chocolate fire guard , my suspicions were aroused when I opened the first photo and it was a stunningly good shot .... Of a Buccaneer, then about 30 of the next 40 were T5 Lightning close ups or F1's 20 of the build shots were of the prototype in flight with the aircraft tiny as you would get on a normal camera, and most of the build shots were beauty shots of the finished model......as I alluded to before, the kit is a great blank canvas with huge potential but that's Inspite of Airworld, not because of them

Just messing with the front gear bay, actually seems to work quite well in terms of positioning, just trying to determine the best order to bond and fill things to enable suitable access for gear mount bolts/ airlines etc.
my brief figuring ( no help here in instructions and only done a rough drawing calculation) says the cg will be roughly 3 inches behind the centre of the main spar and the only real place for the fuel tank is between the 2 spars making it nose heavy a bit when fueled, leaning out to perfect cg towards end of flight, anyone with experience of this machine, i would be grateful for agreement /disagreement ..

Well for the CG..... I emailed airworld to get the CG and after trying to contact people and pulling my hair out someone finally got the factory CG and they say it should be on that main spar. This is incorrect and we almost lost the plane on its maiden flight because it was so nose heavy and we ran out of elevator and could not get it to rotate, Then had to land very fast to keep the nose up. Was the scariest maiden flight I have ever been apart off. Barry did the takeoff and most of the flight then I did the landing.

We have since been removing lead from the nose and have now removed a total of 3 lbs from the nose and find the CG allot better. I am not sure where the CG is now because I sent the xicoy scales back to Barry since I dont need them anymore. But 3 inches behind that spar seems about right.


http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2177533

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2177585http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2177586Scratchbuilding begins, it's taken a few hrs and a lot of offering up and checking to ensure this base assembly fits well and accurately, the former airworld have added don't make life easy but it will be hidden due to features in the cockpit, it's a very strange shape the Lightning cockpit tub, took a lot of reference to get it right

Little more work done today on basic shapes, few tweaks as I go along to ensure everything is as accurate as possible

Hi

I have also got the full kit - and I think this page is perfect timing, maybe I should get stuck into mine as well, as we can share "learning experiences" as we proceed???/

Sorry, don't mean to hijack you thread.....

Regards

Gareth Roberts

Cape Town
South Africa

Nice project. My experience with Airworld is no different, frustrating build but the end results are worth it.

Gary, sounds good, great to be able to bounce ideas off each other..

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2177945http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2177946http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2177947Work progresses on getting cockpit shapes right and detailing as best as I can from references long long way to go on seat yet but basic block shapes are there more or less

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2178061http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2178062There's belts to go over the seat cushions I have done and more cushions to add, aswell as a pilot but what's there should look ok when finished with a pilot sat in it, it's hollow balsa about1/8 thick with a millimetre of milliput sculpted over it