The model is a
1:13.5 scale F-16C by JePe of Holland. Its span is 780mm length 1090mm and weight approximately 1½ kg.
So to the model itself. The fuselage is a superb epoxy glass moulding with all panel detail incorporated. Carbon fibre reinforcement is included in highly stressed areas. Very little work remains to be done with some formers already fitted as are the catches for the large hatch. The wings are foam cores veneered in balsa. The carbon fibre spar has to be fitted and the wings epoxied to the fuselage. I decided to install tailerons rather than have two additional servos (extra weight) to control ailerons. In fact on retrospect, lateral control would have been quicker with ailerons. The roll is very slow!
I tissue covered the wings and elevator and built up the surface in the old fashioned way with banana oil and a few coats of sanding sealer before priming the whole model with cellulose undercoat and finished everything off by spraying three shades of grey Humbrol enamel.
The motor is a brushless Hacker B50 19S with a Kontronic 3SL 40-6-18 speed controller. The fan is by JePe. It all fitted in as instructed, leaving room for a 500ma receiver pack, the receiver and 12 Sanyo 2400 cells.
The first flight took place at Calder Park on Tuesday 13th February - a beautiful spring like afternoon with very little wind and therefore no excuses not to fly. A bungee launch took it into the air with a smooth transition to powered flight. Fast with large manoeuvres is how to describe its performance. It is quite a small model so it should be kept within comfort-able vision. The landing was quite effortless after about 3½ minutes flight - duration will increase to almost 5 minutes as familiarity increases and the throttle can be reduced.
A first class model. If JePe's other kits are as good, he's onto a winner.