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**rifleman_btx** · May 7, 2021, 11:30 PM

Thanks brother, will go with it as is.

**gooniac33** · May 12, 2021, 08:16 AM

Originally posted by rifleman_btx View Post

Thanks brother, will go with it as is.

the brace won't be needed but also don't see a problem with it being there either.

**toothbuzz@hotmail.com** · May 13, 2021, 06:18 AM

Gonna get the 104 out of mothballs and take to the EDF Jet Jam next month. I saw a post on here warning people about fuselage weakness due to poor gluing at the factory. My fuse came two pieces I glued them together myself. Were the first ones assembled at the factory?

**Evan D** · May 13, 2021, 06:28 AM

There is also a factory seam other than the one you had to glue.

**toothbuzz@hotmail.com** · May 13, 2021, 06:58 AM

The picture I saw posted shows the fuse broken where it joins just in front of the wing's leading edge. Also, there are no carbon tube joiners there in the pic. (page 7, post #126 of this thread.

RC Groups - View Single Post - Freewing F-104 Starfighter 90mm EDF

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=38649254&postcount=2946

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**toothbuzz@hotmail.com** · May 13, 2021, 07:18 AM

Ah..... I see it now. I'm gonna reinforce that with additional carbon fiber before I fly it again.

**Beeg** · May 13, 2021, 08:56 AM

Originally posted by toothbuzz@hotmail.com View Post

Gonna get the 104 out of mothballs and take to the EDF Jet Jam next month. I saw a post on here warning people about fuselage weakness due to poor gluing at the factory. My fuse came two pieces I glued them together myself. Were the first ones assembled at the factory?

No, those of us that received the first ones had to glue our own fuselages together. I used epoxy and it's still solid as a rock. There are already supposed to be two carbon rods reinforcing the fuselage.

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...&postcount=735

**Evan D** · May 13, 2021, 09:47 AM

He was asking about another seam that is factory glued

**Beeg** · May 13, 2021, 10:57 AM

I see it now just aft of the intakes. Never noticed it before.

**rifleman_btx** · May 13, 2021, 09:59 PM

Is it still an issue with the updated model? I guess the only actual update is the power system.

**Evan D** · May 14, 2021, 05:59 AM

I don't know if it really was an issue. I've only heard of one with the seam issue.

**rifleman_btx** · May 14, 2021, 01:20 PM

Yeah this was the first I really heard of it.

**toothbuzz@hotmail.com** · May 14, 2021, 06:29 PM

Should be easy enough to stick a couple of carbon fiber rods through the joint and glue them in place. I think I'll do it just to be on the safe side.

**Evan D** · May 14, 2021, 06:43 PM

We’re talking about a joint glued by the factory, not the one we glue. So you’ll break apart a perfectly good plane to put rods in it????

**toothbuzz@hotmail.com** · May 15, 2021, 07:59 AM

Nope, I’ll push small diameter rods through the joint wherever I can find a place from the canopy area and use a little epoxy to the close the hole. I’d never intentionally break something just so I can fix it. Carbon fiber strips laid across seams and glued in place using epoxy thinned with denatured alcohol also works well. The alcohol evaporates during the curing cycle and leaves a very light weight adhesion.

**Beeg** · May 15, 2021, 09:43 AM

If you're not opposed to some surface work, instead of jamming rods in there why not use strips of G10 or 1/64th plywood and cut perpendicular slots across the seam and push them down into the fuselage if you're concerned about the joint?

**toothbuzz@hotmail.com** · May 16, 2021, 06:38 AM

Those are good ideas, too. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

**rms** · May 17, 2021, 02:58 PM

Have some of you done anything with the blinking Nav lights?
I want to put the navigation light on the 5volt if possible? Have any done this? It looks to be 2 volts.
Will keep the beacon blinking..