The Rebuild (thread) of a YA F-18 twin

[zoomer260]

Looking good. I'm pretty sure that carbon fiber plate with your valves wasn't OEM equiptment ? Still checking the ONE weekly Lotto ticket !!

The T-38 lookes like a man guided missle to me, it's mean lookin' !

[Thomas_W]

haha.. yea i agree. i'd like to build a T-38 sometime, but not right now. i've still got a ziroli F9F panther kit i need to finish. haha


the carbon plate definately wasn't OEM, its some stuff i have laying around and needed to put to use, so i'm using it to make all of the equipment trays. I've got 2 of the trays built (the air system tray, and the reciever/switch/valve tray). Just gotta make the other 2 trays for the fuel pumps and filter, and the UAT's. i'm waiting to hear about tanks right now, as i'm needing to have a set custom made. Also waiting to hear from a guy to see if he's going to sell me the 2nd turbine i need. then its off to get pipes and radio gear, then i'll have just about everything needed to finish it. If everything go's as planned, it "might" be ready for the Joe Nall in may, will probly only be in primer though

[BR289]

Wow, alot of work but it sure looks like fun!

[Thomas_W]

its definately alot of work, but i'm enjoying every moment of it and having a blast. its my first big project undertaking in about 5 years and i remember why now. haha

[Thomas_W]

I got the speed brake liner in, speed brake hinged and mounted up the air cylinder. if the wood parts look different it b/c i had to make everything from looking at the pictures in the direction (so the measurements are only "eye-ball right" and had to adjust things to fit my particular installation. everything works, i just have to get some #2 counter sunk screws so i can see if the speed-brake is going to close all the way, then i can hysol all the parts on (they are only tack glued right now). Now that their is some life to the thing, i guess i'll start building my wings.

[ibange]

Any chance you got this bird from someone in Houston? I think I may have seen it crash judging by the damage and the color scheme...

[Thomas_W]

	Quote: Originally Posted by ibange
	Any chance you got this bird from someone in Houston? I think I may have seen it crash judging by the damage and the color scheme...

i got it from a guy in conneticut, who got it from a guy somewhere in texas. so yea, its probly the same plane. how exactly did it come about getting the damage it has? b/c i'm having a hard time finding that out.

[Neogenesis]

I love it when the history of a aircraft comes out....espically when it would have never happened without the Internet.


Neo

[Thomas_W]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Neogenesis
	I love it when the history of a aircraft comes out....espically when it would have never happened without the Internet. Neo

lol.. isn't that the truth. from what i "know" about the plane (which isn't much). the person i purchased it from got it from a guy somewhere in texas. He bought it and was supposed to of been given the Fuel cells to go in the plane (but the seller kept them and sold them seperately). I was also told the airplane had received the damage during a "landing accident". So when i originally called for pictures and to get an idea on the damage i was expecting the landing gear to be ripped out, etc.. surprisingly it wasn't as bad as i thought. other than that. i have no idea what or how it got the way it was. but i'm not complaining b/c i got the entire airframe w/ a couple servo's, the landing gear and the door cylinders for Dirt cheap not to mention most of the stuff to fix it.

[ibange]

It was at a bomber field warbird meet. The guy was coming in for a landing and screwed it up. He was a little fast and also descending fast. IIRC he bounced it and when it went back up it was too slow and sort of wandered off track towards the pilots stations. He would have actually probably been ok, but rather than a clear space he ran straight into the end of a fence post. It was a real *doh!* moment. I remember distinctly shaking my head and thinking how stupid a move it was since it was a really dumb bit of flying from beginning to end.

[Thomas_W]

	Quote: Originally Posted by ibange
	It was at a bomber field warbird meet. The guy was coming in for a landing and screwed it up. He was a little fast and also descending fast. IIRC he bounced it and when it went back up it was too slow and sort of wandered off track towards the pilots stations. He would have actually probably been ok, but rather than a clear space he ran straight into the end of a fence post. It was a real *doh!* moment. I remember distinctly shaking my head and thinking how stupid a move it was since it was a really dumb bit of flying from beginning to end.

yea, that sounds about like what i was told including the pilot station "pole". oh well. it ended well on my part. dirt cheap turbine jet = good for me. haha

[Thomas_W]

spent the better part of the evening getting the wings installed to the aluminum wing spars. The wings are removable hence the reason for the aluminum spars, they plug into the spar receivers shown earlier. I'll probly have the wings done by the end of the week and ready for fiberglassing. then the major building will be done and all thats left is to make a few trays, brackets and install all the components (which i'm still gathering up).