[paulj]

I know I said that I would have some photos this week
but I ended up being sidetracked by a faulty swing wing servo
and had to buy one from lhs so painting was on hold.
Anyway I did mount the motor and 6x4 prop on it and watt tested it.
She is drawing 546watts at 55amps and it feels like it wants to fly right out of my hand.

[paulj]

Ok Folks at long last she is finished.
Here are some photos of my latest pride and joy.
   
   
   
Mavrick and Goose in the cockpit
   

[kizza42]

Looks awesome mate, Can't wait to see it fly

[samste]

Very Nice Paul, I like the great Detail you have done to the Plane.
Lots of Low Tower Flybys with This one

Steve

[~KevJ~]

awesome dad great finish mate , right up to your usual high standard

[paulj]

Thanks guys, I'm hoping that she flies as good as she looks.
Just weighed her and with a 2200mah 3S battery and all electronics
she weighs in at 1150grms. Going on the readings I obtained with the watt meter the
other day this equates to 218watts/lb.
Only thing I need to do now is find a place in my room to store her.
As we're off to Temora this weekend the maiden won't be until the weekend after.

[smuzz]

Nice work Paul - somehow I managed to miss this thread until now and I'm impressed. When looking at the photographs I thought it was an ARF kit until I went backwards through the thread! Excellent stuff - and over 200 W/lb sounds good too. Looking forward to the weekend after next.

[brotherblonde]

Looks beautiful Paul!

If you want to leave it here over this weekend, I'm sure someone will maiden it for you while you're in temora.

[paulj]

Thanks for the offer Andrew,but I think I'II wait until after
Temora.
Just a bit of background info, the plane is painted in the colours
of VF143 Squadron "Pukin Dogs". It was based on the US Carrier
"USS America" starting in 1976. Aircraft Number 100 is the aircraft of the
commanding officer of the squadron. It is designated as CAG/CO (Carrier Air Group/Commanding Officer)
and it flew Combat Air Patrols assisting the evacuation of American Citizens from Beruit in 1976.
As far as I can tell, all decals on the model are exact replicas of the real aircraft markings.

[smuzz]

Yes, the swing-wing configuration is interesting - Paul, do the plans say anything about how far the centre-of-gravity and the aerodynamic-centre move between the two extreme wing positions?

[paulj]

Not really all it says is to mix in some elevator up trim when wings
sweep back. Approx 5% is the recommendation.

[smuzz]

Makes sense - when the wings are moved back then the aerodynamic-centre must move back and the centre-of-gravity obviously also, but since the wings will weigh almost nothing compared to the rest of the plane, then centre-of-gravity probably moves back a lesser distance. So if the aerodynamic-centre moves further back and behind the centre-of-gravity, then the plane will have a pitch-down moment - some up elevator trim would probably be the correction needed.

I dunno, since I've not flown a swing-wing plane (nor many others, successfully), but at least their recommendation seems to add up. It will be great to see it fly!
All the best.

[paulj]

Well she flies..................
Had a hard time keeping it in the picture.
Also couple of adjustments needed ie. different prop and 1 of the servos needs
securing but overall the concensus was that she flies fine.
Here is just the first minute of the maiden flight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BM1Riwvyag

[smuzz]

So how did the variable-geometry stuff go Paul? - how much of a difference was there in the handling and performance of the two wing positions?
Congratulations on a very slick build and successful maiden!
Stevem

[kizza42]

No wing sweep as of yet, but all things considered this F-14 maiden is already more successful than the original Grumman F-14 maiden (Which crashed!)

[paulj]

LOL..........Good one Kieran.
Yes Steve, we only made the one flight on Sunday.
Kev(my test pilot), was under instructions to just fly it with
wings extended while we trimed her out.
We cut short the flight when it became obvious that a couple
of things needed adjusting/changing.
Working on that this week and hopefully give it another try next Sunday

[smuzz]

Yep, fair enough - with a complex setup it makes sense to go at things steadily. This is something I have trouble getting across to my teenage test pilot!
Look forward to seeing more of the 14.
Cheers,
Stevem

[robair]

No wing sweep as of yet, but all things considered this F-14 maiden is already more successful than the original Grumman F-14 maiden (Which crashed!)

I'll try to think of a way to visually replicate that catastrophic hydraulic leak. Without destroying the a/c of course.
Will also have to replicate stacks of hydraulic fluid gobbering out of the nosewheel which occured a bit before it was due to be fully signed off for acceptance.

Paul, from what I could hear your instructions were solely "GET IT UP THERE AND TRIM IT"


Cheers
Rob B

[paulj]

LOL...
You heard correctly,what you didn't hear was the
100 other times I told him what I wanted even before we got
to the field.
Got to keep these test jockeys in check otherwise they try to
almost destroy the plane and then blame it on the designer.

[~KevJ~]

Lmao! You builders just need to make sure you apply the correct amount of epoxy to critical surfaces and us test pilots will be right ... Lol

[robair]

Gday Paul

I decided to do some further analysis of the F14 maiden video using software called "It's all in the Eyes". This magical program biomechanically studies the face and eyes and provides a report on what the subject is actually thinking.
If you freeze the video at the 11sec mark the software stated that Kev was at that exact time thinking:
"Shut the hell up Dad, I am going to thrash the pants off this thing then when you are not looking stuff an 90mm fan inside and run it on 10s".
The fact that Kev was wearing sunglasses did not slow the software down one bit!



Cheers
Rob B

[paulj]

LOL Good one Rob.
Think I need that software too,
My wife has some funny looking eyes each time I mention
buying another plane.

Paul

[Arsafraz]

And so it begins............................
Started cutting out the depron parts.


Lots of parts all cut out.


Construction starts tomorrow.
Can't wait to fly this baby.
Originally a pusher jet but I've been reading up on
a guy who has converted it to a twin EDF and I'm seriously considering
wether or not to do the same.
Will need to decide soon as it will require some small alterations to the
build.
Stay Tuned.

Paul

A'ye Mate, Am currently building what appears to be this exact same Bird, with the exception of Free (Donation suggested) plans by Mr Steve Shumate. So, did he put this out in a kit form, or has someone pirated his plans, and made it into a Kit?? I recognise ALL parts shown to be the exact same "critter" I'm building, Zup?? Gb bg

---

OOPS, I see you have "cut-out" parts, so I guess you're doung what I'm doing as well? I too will be ditching the "PROP", and going for twin EDF's, (60mm's I suppuse, cause they seem to fit w/o Inlet Mods. Enjoy!! Gb bg

[paulj]

Sorry traveling overseas at the moment and just saw this post.
There is an American company called 6mmRC who used to produce a kit by approval of
The designer Steve Shumate.
Not sure if they still do or if they have discontinued it.
If you are doing an edf version then you would have to modify the kit yourself as it is/was only available as a pusher prop kit

Paul

[Arsafraz]

Sorry traveling overseas at the moment and just saw this post.
There is an American company called 6mmRC who used to produce a kit by approval of
The designer Steve Shumate.
Not sure if they still do or if they have discontinued it.
If you are doing an edf version then you would have to modify the kit yourself as it is/was only available as a pusher prop kit

Paul

Thanx Paul, Not looking for kit, am in process of building this Bird and going for twin EDF's. Had I known THEN what I know NOW, I would have "Fattened 'Er Up" for twin 64mm's, as it is I could continue with my original twin 50mm concept, (maybe 55's?), or start over again with my 64mm Detrums?? GRRRRR!!! I'm new to all this, so I'm making all the usual Bo-Bo's, (maybe more than usual, LOL).