BIG A-5 Vigilante build
11-10-2019, 02:48 PM
#601
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The nose gear is done
the nose is glued back on. There were three good landmarks to align things.
once the wheel well, stringers and sheeting is replaced it should be nice and stiff again.
11-21-2019, 08:00 PM
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I salvaged half of the old tray
With the new forward location of the fuel tanks the new upper battery tray is holding the tanks down. It extends under the spar and the blocks wedge the tanks down under the spar.
And some sheeting. It is a bit of a challenge since the surviving sheeting sprung up because it was glued down under tension.
11-29-2019, 11:39 AM
#604
Glad to see you are giving it another go, it's not like it's an off the shelf, just buy another one model.
Good luck with the next attempt. I see you also use bricks as a building tool, very useful!
Good luck with the next attempt. I see you also use bricks as a building tool, very useful!
11-30-2019, 03:09 PM
#606
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Its back on its (fixed) gear.
Because the fit is not perfect I used urethane glue since it expands a little to fill the gaps between the sheeting and stringers
being able to reuse these two pieces of sheeting saves a ton of work planking and shaping.
This is why you pick up all the pieces when you wreck something. Even if it seems insignificant it can give you some clues in the rebuild.
Thanks for the interest and support guys.
12-16-2019, 04:28 AM
#608
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The recon canoe got crunched by the nose gear.
it will need nose weight to have the same new CG as the plane.
I glassed one side go the rebuild on the forward fuse.
12-21-2019, 03:34 PM
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The recon canoe will need nose weight so it can go on and come off w/o changing the CG.
The Vigilante is all set for flight #2. I just need to come up with a new balance point.
12-22-2019, 07:08 PM
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Since the plane is ready for a second attempt here is the video of the first "flight". It's easier to watch since the pain has faded away. I'm sure it will get picked up by someone and get incorporated into some crash video compilation for its entertainment value. The video will remind me to be more thorough in my CG locations for future airplanes. Please excuse Sebastian's salty language in the heat of the moment.
Last edited by jofunk; 12-22-2019 at 07:24 PM.
12-22-2019, 07:38 PM
#616
Oh! I didn't want to watch but, since you mention Sebastian's colorful language, now I'm in 
I recently maiden an airplane and even though is not even close to your project, I still had my concerns about the CG location.
The second attempt is always a more relax one.
I recently maiden an airplane and even though is not even close to your project, I still had my concerns about the CG location.
The second attempt is always a more relax one.
Last edited by CARS II; 12-22-2019 at 07:41 PM.
12-22-2019, 07:49 PM
#617
Last edited by causeitflies; 12-22-2019 at 07:57 PM.
01-16-2020, 08:44 PM
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Here is the foam test glider to check the CG. I built it and couldn't wait for a nice day outside, so I started throwing it down the hall. For kicks the first test glide was the 29% the same CG in the video above. The thing flew exactly like the jet, an immediate tail stand. I moved the CG to just in front of 15% and the thing glided the length of the hall........ I just started laughing to myself........Ya live and learn.
01-17-2020, 02:12 AM
#621
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Joe, glad you are advancing with the repairs as well as the CG relocation with the test glider.
Seeing you will probably to largely advance the CG position on the Vigilante, be prepared as now the main gear will be too far back and the plane will probably tend to keep "stuck" to the ground, with a trend to jump briskly to the air during take off. Anyway sure the all moving tailplane will be of great help here!
By the way I have an old relation to the A-5 Vigilante just due to an error: when a boy and being a plastic model builder I made my first mail order for a Junker Ju-87 Stuka but the firm wrongly sent a Revell 1:72 A-5 Vigilante, I plane I had never heard about here in Spain; anyway I liked so much the plane with its 2 cockpits and the largely closed rear one plus its large tailsurfaces and long nose I decided keeping and building it!
Now is a pleasure to follow your thread and wish you the best for the next maiden and a long flying career to your model.
Best Regards.
Seeing you will probably to largely advance the CG position on the Vigilante, be prepared as now the main gear will be too far back and the plane will probably tend to keep "stuck" to the ground, with a trend to jump briskly to the air during take off. Anyway sure the all moving tailplane will be of great help here!
By the way I have an old relation to the A-5 Vigilante just due to an error: when a boy and being a plastic model builder I made my first mail order for a Junker Ju-87 Stuka but the firm wrongly sent a Revell 1:72 A-5 Vigilante, I plane I had never heard about here in Spain; anyway I liked so much the plane with its 2 cockpits and the largely closed rear one plus its large tailsurfaces and long nose I decided keeping and building it!
Now is a pleasure to follow your thread and wish you the best for the next maiden and a long flying career to your model.
Best Regards.
01-17-2020, 05:47 PM
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Jesus,
Your plastic model story as a kid hits home. After I finished building the 1/4 scale Panther Vladimir pressed me to pick an airplane for my next project. I told him Vigilante because you don't see them anywhere as a flying model. But I only knew of of the Vigilante because I too had a plastic model of one as a kid. So this all started from a plastic model a long time ago.
Joe
Your plastic model story as a kid hits home. After I finished building the 1/4 scale Panther Vladimir pressed me to pick an airplane for my next project. I told him Vigilante because you don't see them anywhere as a flying model. But I only knew of of the Vigilante because I too had a plastic model of one as a kid. So this all started from a plastic model a long time ago.
Joe
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01-18-2020, 08:38 PM
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The long lines are the two CG locations for those two glides. The rear location was the CG for the test flight. The forward location is at the front spar on the jet.