F-86 Super Sabre – Foam jet to scale masterpiece!
We featured William “Bill” Jackson’s re-finished F-86 Sabre Jet in Pilot Projects a number of months again, and the jet appeared so wonderful we needed to know extra particulars on how he achieved this “next level” look. Bill is positioned in Wooster, Ohio and is a retired community engineer who began flying RC in 1984, so he’s been at it for some time.
Slightly context is as a way to set the stage for the completely wonderful job he’s achieved on the F-86. The Sabre Jet is a 120mm foam EDF ARF mannequin from HSD Jets USA. The high-density foam is properly completed from the manufacturing unit, nevertheless it seems like a foam jet. Bill’s makeover seems like a masterpiece, and it’s exhausting to inform that it’s comprised of foam.
Bill mentioned, “I had no plans to do a full makeover but every time I worked on it, I would make some small change.” He wished one thing for himself to fly at native occasions that he was happy with. Small modifications certainly! We bumped into Bill at Top Gun 2023 and noticed him accumulating the Special Award for Best EDF Jet.
The Makeover
To create his breathtaking mannequin, Bill’s first step was a full strip and repaint. He additionally added useful touchdown lights lengthen and illuminate identical to the actual factor. He additionally added a cockpit improve, sliding cover, and even modern wing slats.
This was extra than simply cleansing up a paint job. Bill eliminated the present paint and decals utilizing an acetone wash. Once all the way down to the naked foam, he stuffed within the inaccurate manufacturing unit panel traces and any defects with Beacon Foam-Tac light-weight filler. He then brushed on 5 coats of Minwax water-based Polycrylic in skinny layers. The Minwax protects the froth and offers a tough base for the primer and base coat paint to stick to. It additionally removes the “painted foam” look and offers his jet a practical look.
The subsequent step was a number of mild coats of primer and lots of sanding. Once clean, Bill created the panel traces and rivets. The rivets are individually made with a Dremel bit that was minimize to a 45-degree angle. The panel traces had been fashioned by laying down 1/64-inch chart tape within the appropriate scale places and spraying two coats of primer then pulling the chart tape whereas the ultimate coat of primer was nonetheless cheesy.
When all of the imperfections had been sanded out, Bill end painted the F-86 utilizing PPG automotive paint. The subsequent step was to use the decals and markings. Finally, he sprayed all the mannequin with an automotive clearcoat to seal the end and shield the markings.
Bill selected a not often if ever modeled scheme of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) Blue Sabre present staff. The staff transitioned to the F-86 after flying P-51 Mustangs and operated them between 1962 and 1967.
The sliding cover and modern slats and touchdown mild all took a number of months of labor to get perfected. He didn’t use any 3D-printed components had been used; he made all of the customizations from balsa and lightweight plywood. The sliding cover is servo-operated with a customized arm activated by a small servo. Bill says it took lots of work to get the cover working correctly, however the outcome was properly well worth the effort.
We have not often seen slats, or modern flaps on an RC mannequin. Many full-scale plane are geared up with slats, however they aren’t generally duplicated options on our fashions. The function of the slat is to increase the vanguard of the wing downward and outward giving it extra wing space and the next carry airfoil at decrease speeds whereas retracting into the wing for high-speed flight. This has the impact of decreasing the stall and touchdown velocity for prime efficiency plane.
The slats Bill designed for the Sabre Jet are a reasonably easy design and just like the full-scale in that they aren’t servo (or hydraulically) actuated. They are weighted in order that they lengthen at low speeds however because the plane accelerates, the air stress pushes the floor again into its seat till the plane slows all the way down to land and the burden permits it to increase.
Not stopping there, Bill added useful servo-operated velocity brakes and modified the drop tanks in order that they will launch in flight. The cockpit is a murals, and the Heads-Up-Display, or HUD, is illuminated by a inexperienced LED. Speaking of lights, the Sabre is supplied with a full LED lighting system that mimics its full-scale counterpart.
Bottom Line
If you need to study extra about how he modified the F-86 search for “William Jackson’s Custom RC Planes” on YouTube, the place he shares a ton of data on this and his many different tasks. Make no mistake, while you begin watching these movies it’s very doable one can find your self down a rabbit gap and can by no means be happy with a inventory RC foam jet once more!
Thanks for sharing, and congratulations on Best EDF Jet, Bill!
Bill is engaged on the rivet element and weathering on the horizontal stabilizer.
Bill made a particular 45-degree bit and used a Dremel rotary device to create the a whole bunch of rivets.
An uncommon function for a mannequin jet, the custom-made vanguard slats use weights to deploy at low airspeeds.
Rivets, panel traces, and weathering particulars convey a mannequin plane to life.
The mannequin consists of removable drop tanks, however Bill used releases from Legend Hobby so the tanks can drop on command throughout flight.
The completed touchdown lights retract into the fuselage like these of the full-scale Sabre and illuminate through vivid LEDs.
No 3D-printing right here! Bill made the retraction mechanism and designed the hinge to make use of a servo to increase it into place when the gear is lowered.
Bill laid down Callie Graphics on high of the paint job then completed all the aircraft with automotive clearcoat.
By Andrew Griffith
Photos by William Jackson