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Jet legend F18

Old 12-04-2016, 03:56 PM
  #1  
Mpizpilot
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Default Jet legend F18

I have the chance to acquire a JL F-18, not the super hornet. It's never been flown, just needs a turbine. This will be my first turbine. I'm lucky that in my club, I have some very experienced, Top Gun competeing jet pilots who won't let me get into any trouble with the jet. I know a lot of jet beginners get on here and talk about how much experience they have in other facets of the hobby. I'm in the same boat, been flying for many years. Mostly heavy gas warbirds, etc, etc. I won't try anything with the jet until my club instructors and myself feel 100% that I'm ready to go solo.

So so all that aside, what is the general consensus on the jet. It does have all high end JR servos, it has the metal elevator bearing block/elevator torque tube (not even sure if that's the correct phraseology). Is a 120 enough, or am I better off with a 140 size?

Please be gentle with me, lol. I am open to all opinions and I'm not taking anything about this lightly.
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Old 12-05-2016, 04:36 AM
  #2  
TonyBuilder
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Nice jet, get some stick time on one of your club buddy jets first to get a feel, good luck.

TB
Old 12-05-2016, 06:06 AM
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Nice looking. However, you being new to jets:

I saw one just like that go into the dirt this year. I think it had about 3 flights on it. For that design, it was hard to come up with a sufficient amount of power to make it reasonably flyable and still keeping the weight below the point of diminished return. It dropped like a rock when the pilot backed off the power and he was heavily into the throttle all the time just to keep it in the air. Also, it was very difficult to get a good landing, just like a lot of the scale jets. Lots of wing load. Also, the pilot needed more experience with jets to be able to better react to the above conditions.

If you want to have best success with Jets, I recommend getting a trainer jet (e.g. Boomerang, Excalibur, etc.) and put a lot of stick time on that before trying to fly this one. There is a lot to learn (technical and piloting) when making the jump from piston to turbine. Picking out a jet that flies like a piston plane lessens the learning curve, somewhat. Jumping into an F-18 as a first jet is like the brand new pilot starting out with a warbird.

Also, I would recommend that you get linked up with a group of Jet Guys. Not any one of them will know it all. But collectively you can learn a lot from each of them, really fast, and save a lot of $s as you are learning. You may want to consider spending some time just being their spotter and watching what they do. Maybe if you are lucky one of them will put you on the buddy box and let you feel what you are getting into.
Old 12-05-2016, 06:33 AM
  #4  
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Originally Posted by Len Todd
Nice looking. However, you being new to jets:

I saw one just like that go into the dirt this year. I think it had about 3 flights on it. For that design, it was hard to come up with a sufficient amount of power to make it reasonably flyable and still keeping the weight below the point of diminished return. It dropped like a rock when the pilot backed off the power and he was heavily into the throttle all the time just to keep it in the air. Also, it was very difficult to get a good landing, just like a lot of the scale jets. Lots of wing load. Also, the pilot needed more experience with jets to be able to better react to the above conditions.

If you want to have best success with Jets, I recommend getting a trainer jet (e.g. Boomerang, Excalibur, etc.) and put a lot of stick time on that before trying to fly this one. There is a lot to learn (technical and piloting) when making the jump from piston to turbine. Picking out a jet that flies like a piston plane lessens the learning curve, somewhat. Jumping into an F-18 as a first jet is like the brand new pilot starting out with a warbird.

Also, I would recommend that you get linked up with a group of Jet Guys. Not any one of them will know it all. But collectively you can learn a lot from each of them, really fast, and save a lot of $s as you are learning. You may want to consider spending some time just being their spotter and watching what they do. Maybe if you are lucky one of them will put you on the buddy box and let you feel what you are getting into.
+1

exactly what I did.

TB
Old 12-05-2016, 07:14 AM
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RCFlyerDan
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First, I agree with everything that Lenn said about getting into jets. I already know that you know that the F-18 isn't a beginners jet, and the 1/8th is an extremely high wing loaded jet.

I had the same model and built it from a kit, not an ARF. Mike at GJC installed the bulk heads. I was building it for TG, but never finished it to compete. There are a lot of TG pilots that can't fly this jet. Keeping all 8 gear doors working every flight is a pain in the butt. The nose gear is very delicate and the shear pin bends a lot if you run it off the runway. If you don't fly full scale jets and don't under stand that pitch controls airspeed and power control altitude, your jet will not last. The other issue I found after mine came apart in the air, was; there was only balsa in the stab. I turned up the gain too much on my new Demon and it just disintegrated in the air. Mike and Anton know about this issue. Not sure it was corrected in later models. I originally had a 120 in it, and for a beginner, the jet was behind the power curve. So, if you get into trouble, hard to get yourself out of it. It would peter out on the verticals for a humpty bump. Mine didn't come alive until I put the 160 in it and I wouldn't go any less. Also, a complex jet such as the F-18 is hard to trim with 8 flight controls that move. Change one, it changes them all. If you want a "show pony" that doesn't fly much, then buy it. They are cheap on the market, because they are hard to fly.
Here are some pictures and a video of mine. Everything is painted on the jet, including the emblem!! Used reverse stencils. Also notice there are no rudder servo doors. I put everything inside.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrmTJRzN7KU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrmTJRzN7KU Link to watch it full screen.



.
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Old 12-05-2016, 07:45 AM
  #6  
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Post mortem:

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Old 12-05-2016, 09:16 AM
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Mpizpilot
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Yikes! I'm glad I asked about this jet. I will definitely take your advice. I had some hope it would be ok, as I had read it was a good flying jet. Sounds like a brick with wings. Thank you all.
Old 12-05-2016, 01:54 PM
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MaJ. Woody
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I had a Skymaster F-18C "Chippy Ho" powered by a Titan. I would not fly it on anything less than 34-36 pounds thrust. Its not that the jet needed it, I needed it! It flew great on both ends of the envelope and soft slow landings were the norm. No bad habits. The jet was crazy fast and loud. It got lots of attention wherever it flew. I flew her hard for about 200 flight or so before selling her. Man I miss that Ho!
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Old 12-05-2016, 02:03 PM
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By the way. I thought there was a problem with the JL F-18C Stabs where the aluminum Stab Tubes were turning inside the stab! I think Ravill had a thread or some post about that but it was so long ago I could be wrong about who posted it.
Old 12-05-2016, 03:07 PM
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RCFlyerDan
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Originally Posted by MaJ. Woody
By the way. I thought there was a problem with the JL F-18C Stabs where the aluminum Stab Tubes were turning inside the stab! I think Ravill had a thread or some post about that but it was so long ago I could be wrong about who posted it.
Well you can see that I missed that thread!! LOL>>>> Mine was back in 2011 or so.

BUT! I do want to say that when I told Mike, he was very good about it and offered me a little off of my next one. I would gladly buy another jet from GJC.

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Old 12-05-2016, 03:37 PM
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Had to go look! It arrived Dec 2009.
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Old 12-05-2016, 04:45 PM
  #12  
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My Skymaster F-18c flew like crap, got rid of it after about 30 flights. It landed fine, very easy, but if you just pulled a little to hard on the elevator in a turn the nose would wobble side to side and it actually felt like it wanted to tuck it's nose under, very strange and it made me very nervous to fly it. If you fly a big pattern with giant turns and only do low passes, then you will probably like it. Aerobatics were out of the question, on the back side of a loop the nose would wobble from side to side. My F-18F had no bad habits, you could pull as hard as you wanted. The F model has about 25 percent more wing area and is a better design, I'm still pissed that Skymaster would sell such a jet, I took a big hit financially to get rid of it.
Old 12-06-2016, 08:26 AM
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First you need the right cg location on the F-18C is very important for this jet to fly right( front wing spar). I first flew mines with a Ram 750, then a Rhino, K-170, K-180. Is it a beginner jet...I don't think so it's like flying a rc helicopter but as someone else stated...It's loud and draw lot's of attention which I didn't like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg5bh_f_JOU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIwyV0Inwno
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlezluCrBuM
Old 12-06-2016, 09:47 AM
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Mpizpilot
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Going to get myself either a turbinator from Boomerang or one of the Navy cat Jets from rcjetsworld as a trainer.
Old 12-06-2016, 05:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Mpizpilot
Going to get myself either a turbinator from Boomerang or one of the Navy cat Jets from rcjetsworld as a trainer.
I haven't flown either one of those, but far better choice then an F-18! It is easier to walk away from $4-5K in the ground, then $10-12K......I relate it to the stock market, once it is gone, it is gone.......
Old 12-06-2016, 06:24 PM
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Boomerang Sprint is easy to fly, will take a large range of engines and fly well with all of them, and will do all the aerobatics you can do with most piston planes. Best of all they are cheap and well built. Easy to set up. Although, ... Don't put a 140 in it and fly it full tilt. Bad (catastrophic) things happen. Don't ask.

Also, the Excalibur is another nice flying and looking trainer. We have one here in the club. I was impressed at how fast it flies for only an 80 for a turbine. It too is fairly aerobatic. The pilot likes to fly it! Nice entry level plane.

Some of my guys did not like the Turbinator, especially the ones with a one-piece wing. But if you get the right power level, our club has one guy that still flies his regularly and seems to like it. Oh,... his first one did come apart mid-air though & it took about 5 minutes for all the debris to finally come to the ground. But, ... he must have known something we didn't, because he bought another one.
Old 12-06-2016, 08:18 PM
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Mpizpilot
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Thanks guys, I'll look into everything posted. I'm excited to be in a club finally that has turbine pilots and a field they can be flown at. I've been wanting to get into them for years.
Old 12-07-2016, 10:16 AM
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Excalibur is soooo easy to land
Old 12-07-2016, 01:51 PM
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Great advice here. I have a JL F-18 and it is one of my favorite flying Jets.

But it still flies like an F-18 ��

I think like all Jets the key to having fun is to master approach speeds, attitude and turbine lag.

All of that is easier in a more forgiving airframe.

But that F-18C is an AWESOME jet! Once you get locked into the right attitude and airspeed it lands like a dream.
Old 12-07-2016, 02:30 PM
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Double post

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Old 12-07-2016, 02:43 PM
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I still ended up getting the jet. It'll be awhile before it gets flown, but in the meantime there is some work to be done on it. I'd rate the build job a 5 out of 10, glue everywhere, glue finger prints everywhere and a horrible rats nest of wires and air lines inside. Someone definitely did not know what they were doing. I may end up giving it to my painter and have it repainted, I don't see how I'm going to get it cleaned up.
I was also shocked to see such crappy stickers on a plane like this. I'll be stripping those off and painting them on.

Does anyone have pictures of the interior of their F-18? I'd like to see your setup. I'm getting anxiety thinking about what a mess the inside of this is.

On on my way to a club members house to look at his turbinator he's selling.
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Old 12-07-2016, 04:08 PM
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I had to smile on this picture!! Remember beside 3 landing gear.........there are 8 gear doors!!!


Old 12-07-2016, 04:25 PM
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Good luck with your new jet, it may fly better than the Skymaster. I would replace all the air line anyway, see some Robart stuff in there and who knows what else.




Engine compartment hatch
I like to use a separate air valve and supply for the gear, doors and brakes. If you lose an air cylinder and all the air is gone from the doors the gear will just push the doors open.



Pull everything out and make some nice trays, it will clean up nice.

My new Skymaster F-18F is on the way here, ordered the one in stock at Chief, it's my opinion after owning both, that the F is a much better flyer. I hope it works out for you and you have a lot of fun with it though.
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Old 12-07-2016, 05:07 PM
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Sorry to hear Luke, mine flies similar as described by Dom. Flown it with both P120 and K180. I do notice a difference in flight characteristics whether I have centerline tank mounted. But overall like it.
Old 12-08-2016, 04:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Mpizpilot
I still ended up getting the jet. It'll be awhile before it gets flown, but in the meantime there is some work to be done on it. I'd rate the build job a 5 out of 10, glue everywhere, glue finger prints everywhere and a horrible rats nest of wires and air lines inside. Someone definitely did not know what they were doing. I may end up giving it to my painter and have it repainted, I don't see how I'm going to get it cleaned up.
I was also shocked to see such crappy stickers on a plane like this. I'll be stripping those off and painting them on.

Does anyone have pictures of the interior of their F-18? I'd like to see your setup. I'm getting anxiety thinking about what a mess the inside of this is.

On on my way to a club members house to look at his turbinator he's selling.
He contacted me about trading for me comp arf extra but I was hesitant as getting pictures and info was like pulled teeth...

Several people in our club have had the skymaster f18 and all the f18s are deceased now....

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