F/A-18 Hornet Article - Steve's RC Homepage

HOMEBUILT
This is the finished model after painting. Since the model was inspired by
the Blue Angels, that was the only paint scheme that would do!
Here is a close-up of the motor installation with the GWS EPS-350C geared
motor. Installing a “soft-mount” prop saver is highly recommended; it will
protect the prop from damage during landings.
the way forward, and no other ballast was
required. After the best battery location
has been determined, apply a strip of
Velcro® to the centerline of the fuselage
and to the battery. This will allow easy
adjustments of the center of gravity.
PAINTING
Due to the all-foam construction, painting is
not required, but the model certainly looks
better with a good paint job! Inexpensive
acrylic paints (available at most craft stores)
work well; they are inexpensive and can be
sprayed or brushed on. Several brands of
spray-can enamels can be used as well, but
test first to ensure the paint is compatible
with the foam. To keep weight to a minimum,
use the foam’s natural color in your
paint scheme if at all possible. Note that a
full coat of lightly-sprayed acrylic paint on
this model adds 0.75 ounce.
FLIGHT CONTROLS
This model was designed to use full-span
flaperons and full-flying stabilator flight
controls, driven by three microservos.
Flaps help this model perform at its best,
providing not only improved takeoff and
landing performance but also better
maneuverability. A 6-channel transmitter
with flaperon mixing is required to use
the flaps. Ideally, they should be set at 10
degrees for launch and at 30 degrees for
landing. When flying in small fields, the
flaps should be set at 10 degrees throughout
the flight, which will allow the model
to fly slower and turn tighter. If you’re flying
in a larger field and want faster
speeds or better aerobatics, retract the
flaps to zero after launch. For even better
performance, transmitter mixing can be
used to mix elevator and flaps to provide
maneuverable flaps that are similar to
those found on the real F/A-18. To do this,
set up a mix so that full up-elevator input
will drop the wing flaps’ trailing edges
down about 15 degrees.
If you don’t have a transmitter with flaperon
mixing, this model still flies fine with
ailerons only. Note that when flying in
small fields, you can set up the aileron
linkages to droop the ailerons 10 degrees
for better slow speed performance.
FLYING
Before flying, make sure that the control
deflections and CG location are set as specified
on the plans. Use the forward-CG
location for your first flights since it provides
the most stability. As you gain flight
experience with the model, you can move
the CG aft for more maneuverability. The
CG location can be easily changed by moving
the battery forward or aft in the nose.
Launching the model is easy. Grip the
airplane near the CG, set 10 degrees flaps
(optional) and 50-percent throttle, and
throw it moderately hard straight ahead
and parallel to the ground. Be careful to
keep your hand away from the prop as
you throw it! Slowly add throttle soon
after launch, and after the model has
gained some speed and altitude retract
the flaps if desired.
You’ll find this model handles very well
and is capable of big graceful aerobatics
just like the Blue Angels.
While landings can be made without
flaps, adding up to 30-degrees flaps before
landing really helps slow the airplane
down and allows it to float in much easier.
Note that it’s very important to return the
elevator to neutral just before touchdown
to prevent the stabilator tips from digging
into the grass! Also, be sure to pull the
throttle back completely before touchdown
to prevent damage to the prop. It’s a very
good idea to use a “soft-mount” prop protector
adapter such as the Wobbly Adapter
from All E R/C to help prevent prop damage
during landings.
The functional wing strakes add an
interesting dimension to the flying characteristics
of this model. Just like on the fullsize
F/A-18, they allow the airplane to fly
at very high angles of attack (AoA),
enabling beautiful, nose-high, flared landings
and extremely tight turns and loops.
Because they allow a strong lift to develop
forward of the CG, the strakes create a
moderate pitch-up tendency at very high
AoA (30 degrees or higher) that pilots
need to be aware of. This usually occurs
only when flying straight and level at very
low speeds and is easy to control if the
pilot knows about it ahead of time. But if
you’d prefer not to experience this, just
don’t fly the airplane to very high AoA.
This model is easy to build from
scratch, but for those that have difficulty
finding Depron or BlueCore foam or want
to save time cutting out templates and
parts, laser-cut kits are available from 3D
Foamy (3dfoamy.com).
Good luck; I hope you have as much
fun with this model as I have. A
See the Source Guide on page XX for
manufacturers’ contact information.
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