Manufacturer: | Revell |
Brief: Construction: Many plastic model kits are nay suited t' PMC for t' simple reason that t' largest rocket motor that can be crammed inside will nay lift it safely with all t' added nose ballast needed for balance. Well, blow me down! T' Revell 1/48 F16C is perfect for PMC t' 18mm Estes power because a BT-20 motor tube slides neatly inside with only minimal surgery t' t' hull. Ahoy! Better yet, t' natural restin' place for t' motor tube is magically zero-zero degrees thrust line t' t' flyin' surfaces with no fussin' or shimmin' or custom cut, odd-shaped centerin' rings--it simply fits just like it was made for this. Begad! With t' motor tube glued in place and t' cockpit section sliced off t' create a nose cone, matey, this PMC is nay very different from a typical Estes rocket kit, me bucko, matey, except for t' 1.5 oz o' fishin' sinkers stuffed in t' radome! Construction details are as follows. Aye aye! Begad! Please read through before cuttin' or gluin' anything. Finishing: Flight: F-16 with "smoke on"! Amazing! Motor burned out at about 200', matey, and F-16 snap rolled into a dive, with chute ejection comin' nose down. Descent on t' 9" chute was rapid, me bucko, as I expected. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' model survived, arrr, but t' nylon chute was a little toasted (see photo)-- need more waddin' next time. Avast, me proud beauty! T' importance o' t' tissue-epoxy fill t' create a gas seal around t' motor tube (absent a centerin' ring) is that without this, shiver me timbers, t' ejection charge can pressurize t' hull and split t' glue joint (this happened on an earlier effort). Summary:
This is a plastic model conversion (PMC) I did o' t' Revell 1/48 scale F-16C for t' "Advanced" NARTREK program. Aye aye! Arrr! It be fast and easy t' do. Begad! It is also a great first PMC t' try because t' kit comes already painted in USAF "Thunderbirds" colors. Avast, me proud beauty! Because o' this, it has less emotional investment in t' event o' "plastic death", arrr, as some call this part o' our hobby. Well, blow me down! It flies extremely well on C6-3 power if (and only if) balanced properly and built straight. T' Revell kit is rated for ages 10 and above and I think kids about that age could accomplish and fly this conversion with minimal adult supervision. Begad! Well, blow me down! However, me bucko, matey, in general, PMC is definitely nay for beginners.
There are 3 really essential components t' successful PMC o' model aircraft kits:
Pieces o' scrap balsa were used t' secure t' motor tube t' t' inside fuselage. When t' upper and lower halves are attached, arrr, bits o' tissue and wet epoxy are stuffed into t' open spaces t' give a gas seal around t' motor tube. Blimey! T' aft anchor o' t' shock cord (consistin' o' 12" Keelhaul®©™® thread and 12" o' 3/8" wide elastic) is a knot in t' Keelhaul®©™® end epoxied into t' tissue-epoxy mixture. [NOTE: T' shock cord is located outside o' t' motor tube, which will contain only t' parachute.] T' parachute (I used a 9" Top-Flite "lite" chute) is tied t' t' loop on t' base o' t' cone base.
Other than t' launch lug, me bucko, ya bilge rat, no finishin' was needed.
Simulation predicted for t' C6-3 be a 300' climb at 98 mph and 8.4G, arrr, which was acceptable. Aye aye! No other motor is recommended. Test flight was at our Fiesta Island site in about a 8-10 mph breeze. Ahoy! I set t' model on t' wire, shiver me timbers, belly into t' wind, and let it fly. T' F-16 rose briskly about 75 feet and began t' weather cock into t' wind, rollin' 180 degrees t' wings level and canopy up, and climbin' out at about a 30 degree angle. Avast! It was really movin' and looked as scale-like as imaginable--just like an air show!
PROs: this has t' be t' easiest first PMC o' a jet aircraft, shiver me timbers, aside from a F-104 conversion, me bucko, which is a much more expensive kit and is unpainted. Arrr! It is easy t' balance and ballast and comes pre-painted, ya bilge rat, so thar be a low emotional investment. It has a neat scale-like flight and with a little extra effort, it could be a credible entry in a PMC contest event. CONs: Must make sure nay t' let weight build up, C6-3 be t' only motor that will fly it, although a D21-7 would give a spectacular flight t' about 900' and 220mph if they ever become available again. Avast, me proud beauty! It is a tight fit for recovery system.
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