Flash Lighting
 

Anyone outfitted their Flash with Lighting? Next item on the list for mine and just trying to see if anyone else has come up with any cool ideas.

RE: Flash Lighting
 

www.electrodynam.com

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Yea, I put landing lights in the front end of the tip tanks like an L-39. I molded the lenses by using the tips that I cut off as molds for the plexiglass. I lost the Flash last year, so sorry, no pictures...

Bob

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Nice, Yea I thinking along the lines of a scale/sport look... Just trying to figure out where I want to put them for the best coverage.

RE: Flash Lighting
 

I've got 3 watt strobes (Luxeon Emitters) on mine, the two wing tips are white and I've got a red on the belly just in front of the wing saddle. when i get a chance i plan to add another to the top of the fin. the current flash pattern is 3 flashes on the wings, then 1 flash on the belly then a 1 sec pause.

RE: Flash Lighting
 

you didn't happen to make an extra set of lenses you can spare did you???

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Good Idea.. I'm thinking of Red/Green Std. Nav lights on the tanks then maybe all red or white on the aft plain of the tip tanks then figure out where to stuff a landing light for forward visibility. Might try to make a little pod on the fuse or rig one on the nose gear nose somehow...

RE: Flash Lighting
 

i had intended to stick a landing light in my nose door but the emitters get damn hot in a full on state and if you add the cooler on the back then they get too bulky to make a neat install on the door. if you're just looking for improved visibility the leading edge alum tape worked great on my Jolly Roger scheme

RE: Flash Lighting
 

KC,
I have a mold for L-39 tip tank lenses (jet Legend), I can make you a set if desired?
Todd

RE: Flash Lighting
 

do they fit the Flash?

RE: Flash Lighting
 

No problems on vis, I did put some tape on mine but just for looks on the stabs and wing. I'm looking that afternoon dusk flying effect that just makes them stand out ;)

RE: Flash Lighting
 

No clue... I'll send you a set for you to try...

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Thanks Todd!!

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Keep us posted, if they work then put me down for a set. It looks as if it might be close.....

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Just molded you up a set, let me know how they work out.

RE: Flash Lighting
 

i'll let everyone know when i get them.

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Hi Todd,

What do you use to mold the lenses? I have thought of doing my own, but haven't come up with a good idea of what to use.

Tim

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Tim,
I use a home made vacuum forming machine.
I can form just about any lens if provided with a solid plug to mold off of (within the limitations of my machine). If anyone needs a specific lens molded, send me the plug and I will mold up the lens at no charge, just pay return shipping of the lenses.
Contact me via email or phone if you have something specific you want done.
Todd

RE: Flash Lighting
 

On my Flash, all I did was cut off the end of the tip tanks at the point where the diameter was big enough for the landing light I used to fit in. I used one of the fixtures that Todd has (it was about 40mm in diameter, I think). I used the end of the tank that I cut off as a mold for the lens... If the ones Todd has for the L-39 don't fit, than I can send him one of the tips from my Flash to make some lenses.

Bob

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Hi Todd,

That's a very generous offer. Thank you.

I was wondering whether you have any photos of your set-up (vacuum forming), and also some photos of the process, as well as some finished products. I am very interested in how you go about doing this.

Tim

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Good thread, I was just thinking about light on my new Flash and was wondering if Todd had something already made up, KC36330please post the progress on the tip lights.

RE: Flash Lighting
 

SAme here I am about 1/2 way done with mine also. Would love to have lights on it...

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Tim,
The form process is quite simple. I will show you how I make some of my smaller lenses with a commercially made vacuum machine since it is easier to see the process with this unit.

Here are the steps:

http://aefuav.com/images/form1.jpg
Here is the machine. You open the sheet holder and install the pre-cut plastic sheet. for lenses I use .020

http://aefuav.com/images/form2.jpg
Here I have installed the sheet and slid the sheet holder up in preparation for heating.

http://aefuav.com/images/form3.jpg
I have now turned on the heating element to heat the plastic sheet. As you can see, I have also placed my form on the vacuum grid.

http://aefuav.com/images/form4.jpg
With the heating element turned on, the sheet will begin to sag just a tad, then tighten up again as it goes through the heating process. You know you are at the right temp when the sheet starts to sag a second time. Leave it in the heat too long and the plastic will begin to bubble. You only have about 3-4 seconds of "green time" where the plastic is at the right temp, above or below will give a poor form. Just takes a little practice to get the temp just right by looking at the amount of sag. This sheet is READY!

http://aefuav.com/images/form5.jpg
I have now turned off the heat and turned on the vacuum. Then, immediately slide the sheet tray over the mold. The vacuum immediately sucks the plastic around the part tightly.

http://aefuav.com/images/form6.jpg
After allowing a few seconds to cool, the vacuum is turned off, the sheet lock is released and the part and mold are removed from the machine.

http://aefuav.com/images/form7.jpg
A little bit of flexing of the plastic will allow the mold to fall out and you have a finished part.

Just like laying up fiberglass; the smoother the mold, the better the finished part. Any imperfections in the mold will transfer to the part so you must make sure you prep the molds well.
Questions?
Todd

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Hi Todd,

Wow, that looks fantastic. Thanks very much for the demo. Does it work well for smaller parts too? I have a yellow F-16 that I want to fit out. I am thinking of making a silicon mold of the lenses which have been made on the fuse, then use some sort of plastic or resin to make the plug from. How do you make your plugs?

I have also heard/read that people use soda bottles as the plastic to vacuum form. You have red and green soda bottles, which would work for our uses. Can you get red & green plastic as well?

Where did you get your vacuum forming machine? (Sorry for all the questions, it looks very interesting).

Tim

RE: Flash Lighting
 

What a cool demo Todd. Nice little machine! I think the sales of these little guys is going to spike soon! Get'em while they're hot!

RE: Flash Lighting
 

By the way, these are on eBay all day long for around $150 shipped. Search for "vacuum forming machine"...

or just click here: http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trk...All-Categories

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Ok... HOLD ON, before you jump on buying one of these machines!!

I have been vacuum molding with these types of machines for 10+ years. I originally got the idea one day when I picked my wife up from work. She was managing an orthodontic office and I arrived a little early, during my wandering around the office I happened to notice one of these machines and asked my wife what it was. She explained they use it for vacuum forming retainers. Instantly all sorts of molding ideas popped into my head. I borrowed the machine a few times to make some custom parts for myself but found several limitations with the machine.
The biggest issue I came across was the poor clamping of the sheet holder. The machine had a very similar clamping frame to the one pictured below. The frame only provided about 1/4" of clamping around the perimeter of the plastic sheet. If I tried to mold anything with more than about 3/8" depth to it, the plastic would pull out of the frame creating a vacuum leak and poor part molding. Another annoyance was the sheet frame would not stay put when slid up for heating, you had to stand there and hold the frame until the sheet was ready for forming.
Frustrated with these results, I built my own machine on a 2' x 4' platform using the basic concepts of these small dental forming machines. I have used it for years with fantastic results.
I still desired a small unit for fabricating small parts as the dental style machines are very quick and easy to operate. After spending several months researching these machines, I found one that provided a clamping frame adequate for producing parts with some depth to them.
The machine you see pictured is manufactured by a company called Raintree Essix. It is the only unit I could find, at least at the time, that was quality made and had an adequate framework for clamping the plastic sheets. Raintree also sells the plastic sheets in precut squares, in various thickness. This makes forming a breeze as you just pull a sheet out of the box, peel off the protective coating and slip it in the machine. HOWEVER.... The Essix machine is not cheap. I believe I paid 399.00 for the unit pictured, I have yet to see this machine pop up on ebay but they may from time to time?
I dont suggest you bother with the cheap ones on ebay.... they are most likely going to be more headaches than they are worth unless you can modify the sheet frame to provide more clamping surface. If you can find an Essix machine, this is the unit to have. I do have access to essix products so if you want a machine, contact me and I can help you aquire one.
If you just need simple parts molded, I can do them for free if you supply the mold.
I will explain how I do the molds tomorrow.

The limitations of these are endless with a little imagination!

Todd




http://imgstore.martbase.com/dentist...105927_big.jpg

http://aefuav.com/images/form1.jpg

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Nice machine

RE: Flash Lighting
 

You're right. It looks similar to your machine but it's definitely not that same one. Thanks for the advice Todd.

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Todd,

i appreciate you sending them out so quickly but unfortunately they won't work on the Flash. by the time you trim enough of the tip tank off that they match in diameter they would make the tank look odd with such a blunt short tip, it would look like a baby bottle nipple.

RE: Flash Lighting
 

What I did on mine was cut off the tip tank at the point where the diameter matched the landing lights I wanted to use (they were some of the pre-made Flugmodelbaugh units that Todd sells - 40mm in diameter, I think...) Then I used that tip piece as a mold to pull my own lenses. I don't have a vacuum forming machine of my own, so I used the "push the mold on the end of a stick through the hot plexiglass sitting on a board with a hole in it" method of molding them. They came out great as far as shape was concerned, but they got a bit thin and were flimsy, so I took two of them and laminated them together with thinnked West System epoxy between them (its very clear) and that worked well.

I imagine that Todd could pull a good set of lenses if someone sent him a tip-tank end to use as a mold...

Bob

RE: Flash Lighting
 

that's the thing, I'm not willing to cut my tank without having a matching lens in hand. i may make a mold off my tip and then make a plug and send that plug to Todd.

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Chicken! :D:D

I still have my two tips here and I can send them to Todd if he can make a lens from them...

Bob

RE: Flash Lighting
 

he said above he could, and i know I'd be thankful if you sent them to him.

Oh and chicken? yeah, i don't have the lights to fit the tips and as you may know, Todd's stock is low and nothing is on the site so who knows how long it would be before i could get them, i won't cripple my Flash in the meantime.

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Bob,
Send me the tips, I'll mold them up ;)

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Hey Todd,

How do you make your plugs, and does the plastic come in green and red? Also is this OK for smaller parts (like the lenses for my 1:9 YA F-16? What other things do you pull with this little machine? You mentioned that you have a home made one. Could you please post a picture or 2?

Tim

RE: Flash Lighting
 

When and if you do mold a set, I would also buy a set from you ....along with lights if they are back in stock.

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Good thread guys. Departing a little from the topic of lenses, what are you using for lights and what are you powering them with? Electrodynamics vs. Details4scale? Is there a preference out there? I'm looking at a project that has a couple landing lights, tip lights, a couple position lights, and some flashing beacons.

RE: Flash Lighting
 

3 watt luxeon emitters and the Beacon Evo2 controllers that Todd sells when they are in stock :)

RE: Flash Lighting
 

Todd, I will buy a set of lenses for flash too. whats the status? I will be putting superbright LED's on front and back of wing tips, and a red / green on the outside of the tank. Im not sure what else Im putting on, I would like to put one in the nose, but.... the canopy wire is there and not easily accessible.., so Im still thinking... the nose door wont work because (KC3660 said the reasons above) heat..

Im going to use a relay switch off the receiver to turn them on and off, but using a 3 cell lipo to power because they are 12v already.. I have seen a bandit with this setup and it was nice late in the afternoon..

For scale lighting, I use Andy Low's controllers/lights. It runs on 5volts or two A123's. two lipo's is too much volts for them, but 2 A123's (1100's) is good. 3ounce pack...