Again With the String and Home Brew Tools
I decided to install the flashing (strobe) beacon on the top of the fuse ahead
of the vertical stab. I saw somewhere where someone installed it atop the fin, but I wasn't interested in going there
on this plane, so I took the easy way out. Same goes for the nav lights. Actually, a fellow modeler and builder of one of
these Cermark F16's advised me that the full,scale planes have the nav lights mounted on the left and right sides of the
intake scoop. Great - that's where they would go, The landing light... well I ended up mounting that in the bottom of
the intake scoop, centered.
The beacon required my string and hook deal. I threaded
a string through the carefully drilled hole in the fuse and pulled a length through to the front. Then I taped the end of
the lamp wire to the string and away I went. That was the only one that needed a string. That made installation very quick
and easy.
String and hook was the best way to snake the lamp
wire through the fuse forward.
This is the beacon fully installed. It could not be installed from the inside,
so it looks like this.
This is what the beacon looks like before installation. There is plenty of wire.
Next was the landing light and it was a bit more of a challenge. After deciding to install it in the
bottom of the intake scoop, I drilled the hole to find a double firewall with about 1/2" of space between the two. So
I had to fish the wire through the first hole, then through the second.
The landing lamp is very bright
This is the final installation of the landing light and the left (red) position
(navigation) light
This is one of the nav lights. The flashing strobe beacon looks similar. The
lens is shaped such that the majority of the light radiates from the side and not straight out front like many conventional
LED's.
Detail of the landing light wiring. It's tight in there. The plane wasn't
built for lights.
This is the "brain" of the EDI lighting kit. All lights plug into
the wiring harnesses. Once circuit can be operated by the radio and the other illuminates the lights whenever the receiver
is on. When the RC switch senses the rx is on, the lights on the non-RC controlled circuit are energized. Programming it to
come on based on desired transmitter switch position is accomplished easily with the "set" switch and the supplied
instructions. Very easy.
All 4 lighting wires have been pulled through to the terminating point in the
front of the fuse. It is here that they will be plugged into the RC switch and the battery. The battery will likely go all
the way up front. I have read that people are putting lead up front on this ship. I hope I don't have to do that.
_______________________________________________________________________
Where Things Stand Today
I am getting closer
to having this airplane done. Granted, I've added a lot of time to the project. Let's not forget the landing gear
mounts that now have the strength of steel, but the EDI lighting kit as well and all that goes along with designing on the
fly.
As near as I can tell from sitting here at the computer, the following
still needs to be done:
- Engine and fuel system
- Finish lighting work
- Missle rails
- Ventral
fins
- Complete post assembly mechanical and operational checks
- Weight and balance
- Pilot install
Stay tuned...
