a couple years ago (2007), I purchased and coverted a 1/18th Scale F-104 StarFighter 3 D12 Clustered PMC.
The original model came with two solid poured plastic Sidewinder AIM-9b's with a belly mounted rack. This got me to thinking weather it would be possible some how to Launch these two Sidewinders just as the Aircraft left the 6ft rod or rail?
Also I really wanted to drasticly reduce the mass of these missiles and if possible add two Wing tip mounted AIM-9L sideWinders just fun. These wing mounted T2+ minimum diameter Micro Scale sidewinders would not be launchable from the aircraft but could be flown from a standard micro launcher with mini-rail set up.
Other projects had the Sidewinders set aside for a long while until recently their turn came back up in the Que.
over the last couple weeks i've been playing around with different methods of getting the mass down. One is to have the forward canard fins free to move in the airstream thereby eliminating at least some of the needed nose weight.
I only have one of the 9L's particually completed, haven't added any nose weight or recovery streamer but the major external body, aft fin and forward canard fin work is done. Still have some fillet strip shaping to do. I substituded micro rail buttons for scale launch cleats but in the same postions. I've also created a pair of wing tip rail mounts which I will be adding to the F-104 once I've proven the rail lock pins will keep the model in place during flight and recovery.
The attached photos are raw from the camera so sorry for the condition, I'll try to clean them up and replace as time permits.
have to say making up 16 of these aft 10piece fins is just a bit daunting so progress on the next 3 Sidewinders has been slowed considerably LOL!
The original model came with two solid poured plastic Sidewinder AIM-9b's with a belly mounted rack. This got me to thinking weather it would be possible some how to Launch these two Sidewinders just as the Aircraft left the 6ft rod or rail?
Also I really wanted to drasticly reduce the mass of these missiles and if possible add two Wing tip mounted AIM-9L sideWinders just fun. These wing mounted T2+ minimum diameter Micro Scale sidewinders would not be launchable from the aircraft but could be flown from a standard micro launcher with mini-rail set up.
Other projects had the Sidewinders set aside for a long while until recently their turn came back up in the Que.
over the last couple weeks i've been playing around with different methods of getting the mass down. One is to have the forward canard fins free to move in the airstream thereby eliminating at least some of the needed nose weight.
I only have one of the 9L's particually completed, haven't added any nose weight or recovery streamer but the major external body, aft fin and forward canard fin work is done. Still have some fillet strip shaping to do. I substituded micro rail buttons for scale launch cleats but in the same postions. I've also created a pair of wing tip rail mounts which I will be adding to the F-104 once I've proven the rail lock pins will keep the model in place during flight and recovery.
The attached photos are raw from the camera so sorry for the condition, I'll try to clean them up and replace as time permits.
have to say making up 16 of these aft 10piece fins is just a bit daunting so progress on the next 3 Sidewinders has been slowed considerably LOL!
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