Harry Twist Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Hi All, Well my foamy Alpha Jet is nearly done so I thought I would share a couple of pictures of my efforts at the conversion. Not quite finished as you can see it is still unpainted! As a total aside for those who like a major kitbash, have a look at my fourth (last) picture. Firstly.....close one eye and squint with the other...now imagine much more anhedral on the tailplane, a little dihedral on the outer mainwings, the wing seat filled in and the wings located low on the airframe rather than at the shoulder. Now keep the squint on and be even more imaginative.....a few more cuts here and there and its almost ....but not quite ......an F4 Phantom (granted the wing planform is wrong) . But for anyone handy with craft knife and glue - it could be a little project. Maybe....! Mine's staying as an AJ though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted March 19, 2017 Share Posted March 19, 2017 After talking with Harry at Haydock this morning here is my AJ progress so far. Internal layout including Turnigy servos, booster and FrSky rx. For the torque rod ends I just rolled them round into pigtails and fitted the rods with Z bends. The elevator 1mm carbon pushrod splits into 2 x 0,6mm wire pushrods connected to 0.8mm ply horns. The battery is too far forward here and noe lives behind the canopy retaining wedge. Overall weight before paint is 94g. Now it's time to see how little paint I can put on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Twist Posted April 6, 2017 Share Posted April 6, 2017 Hi All, with this weekend in mind Ive been trying to move my mini Alpha Jet along a little. I reckon I'm 90% done, I'm left with - a bit more painting to touch up, sort out the electronics and balance for CoG. I made a bit of a dogs dinner of some off the painting, so the end product is less than perfect. Colour scheme is my version of Discovery Air Defence (Canada) with some home made decals added in. So I thought I would share a couple of photos of where I am so far Regards H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Jones Posted April 6, 2017 Share Posted April 6, 2017 Looks good to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted April 6, 2017 Author Share Posted April 6, 2017 yeah!! I like it - nice one Harry! Any more completed airframes out there?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 Looks good Harry Quick paint job to see how she flies so I haven't cleaned the over spray or made any decals yet. Feels good though and can't wait to give it a go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Twist Posted April 7, 2017 Share Posted April 7, 2017 Hi Chris, cracking job ! Your Alpha looks great - real vibrancy in the colours. I hope we get chance to give them a go this weekend! See you soon H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted April 15, 2017 Author Share Posted April 15, 2017 Just thought I'd complete the build thread with a few photos from last weekend on the Great Orme where, eventually, we DID find the right weather window to successfully test the Alpha Jets! Saturday was dead calm with thermic wind directions not suiting the S, SW, W, NW or N slopes we could access - so no proper test flying from the slope was achieved. That said, Chris, Harry and Matt did all successfully perform some test glides from elevated hand launches which seemed to suggest the balance and control was all about right. Early on Sunday morning, against a glorious blue sky, Matt and I test flew the AJ proper off the SW face in what I'm guessing was a 8-10mph breeze, no more... this was a period of relative calm before the winds picked up to allow PSS proper to commence. The models set off nice from the hand launch and bobbled up and down the slope very nicely in these light conditions. They were crisp and responsive on all controls and penetrated nicely into the breeze. Up and down the slope they looked great - just the right sort of speed to keep it all fun. A few photos below (all taken by Andy Meade as Matt and I were doing our Chuck Yeager bit at the time ) The models had a great roll rate when full stick was applied, elevator felt good throughout the speed range although even from height there was no way I could get mine to loop - it just carries ZERO energy at 120g - nothing to carry it over the top! Reversals were nice though and looked good! Matts model in action (below) - Andy Meade photo We tried our best to keep them together but they are like little busy bees in the air - very difficult to keep them in the same area of sky for very long - this was the best we got - more piloting practice needed! Anyway in summary I think Matt and I were very happy with how they flew in these light wind conditions... if they enable us to fly true PSS models in conditions when more conventional PSS is not possible then they will serve their purpose very well. I have no doubt we will all have a lot of fun with them - particularly so when there is half a dozen of them in the air all vying for the same part of the slope at the same time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Garsden Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Just thought I would also post my Paul Janssen Lost Foam Fibreglass Alpha Jet which flew in 100mph winds the other year - flies quite fast too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Jones Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Thanks Pete, always good to see a non FMS foam Alpha Jet in the FMS foam Alpha Jet thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted April 19, 2017 Share Posted April 19, 2017 Looks like you copied mine Peter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Houghton 1 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Mine has just been delivered , and I know of a couple of other people who have ordered these also. So I've been putting together my shopping list and wondering what gauge wire I should order for the control linkages. I always get stuck with this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil May Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Awaiting delivery of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Garsden Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Oh well I might as well join in. They are only toys for kids really aren't they, as SWMBO would say. Ordered mine from Arrow Models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil May Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Mines arrived 😆 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monz Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Mine arrived a few weeks back, but the main wing was badly warped. If it doesn't come right I'll make a solid balsa one sanded to shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 I was very impressed with Phil's Alpha jet at the weekend slope event in south Wales. It was flying in a 20 + mph winds just like any other model. Our eyes were feasting on 'golden demonstrations' of aerobatic flying with a micro model and it was Phil's only second outing with it. Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 23/05/2017 12:35:48 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 Cripes, I hope he paid you well for that, Mark. All I remember was an inverted "arrival" on the left of the slope, followed by a low pass from the left 2 mistakes too low. Looks like it needed some stabilisation, it was all over the place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Jones Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 Posted by Andy Meade on 23/05/2017 12:49:20: Looks like it needed some stabilisation, it was all over the place. To be fair he's not as young as he was, reaction times tend to increase with age. Let's not give him a hard time just because of his advancing years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 The best I've seen the orange JP fly was when his brother was on the sticks this weekend.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Jones Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 Great landing Phil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted May 23, 2017 Share Posted May 23, 2017 LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted May 23, 2017 Author Share Posted May 23, 2017 Thanks guys. It did fly pretty well considering the conditions... it was a blustery day even for the JP and T33 - so this little 120g model was hanging in just fine... and great fun too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetenor Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 You should get that wing replaced Monz Send it ( the wing ) back to where you bought it from .Any probs with them quote trading standards to them. Fitness for purpose ( which it's not ) They should replace it or get it replaced from the makers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted May 30, 2017 Share Posted May 30, 2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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