Which Cold War Aircraft needs noseweight and wich doesn't?

[Sturmovik]

I used 30g on my Hobby Boss 1:48 262, in case the provided nose weight wouldn't have been enough.

[bentwaters81tfw]

any P-38 or B-24 needs lots.

[dnl42]

19 hours ago, rayprit said:

What many modellers fail to realise when adding weight to the model is to take into the consideration the stress added to the undercarriage, especially nosewheels, you either need to add reinforcement to the undercarriage or consider buying replacement undercarriage made from white metal or brass

No, the nose wheel does not take most of the weight. It's the main gear that does.

 

If you add enough weight to make the nose wheel just touch down, it has very little load. So little, that you might get the model to sit on the tail just by pushing it down, thus moving the center of gravity back ever so little.

 

Here's Freedom Models' 1/48 X-47B. Total weight 170g

Weight on main gear, 155g

 

Weight on nose gear, 15g

 

And, to prove that arithmetic works, 170 = 155 + 15.

[John R]

Amodel Alexiev I-211 lots

[stevehnz]

F-16 No, at least the Hasegawa 1/72 one I built didn't

[825]

Gannets need the world supply of lead. Scimitars also need nose weight as do Sea Hawks. 

 

No mention of French aircraft but IIRC Mirages don't need weight. 

[e8n2]

8 hours ago, stevehnz said:

F-16 No, at least the Hasegawa 1/72 one I built didn't

Every F-16 that I have built needs nose weight.  It really doesn't matter who's kit it is, they will all need it.  To correct an earlier post someone made, F-15s certainly need nose weight, F-18s and F-20s do not.  F-5s probably do not need it either, but I haven't built one in a while so can't say definitively.  A-3s along with it's B-66 stablemate also need nose weight.

Later,

Dave

[stevehnz]

1 hour ago, e8n2 said:

  It really doesn't matter who's kit it is, they will all need it.

No, I didn't add any in this build, as was confirmed in the GB chat here. This was an OOB build, no resin jet pipes or cockpits at all. Adding resin bit might well upset the balance a bit.

Steve.

[Andre B]

7 hours ago, stevehnz said:

No, I didn't add any in this build, as was confirmed in the GB chat here. This was an OOB build, no resin jet pipes or cockpits at all. Adding resin bit might well upset the balance a bit.

Steve.

 

I built the 1/72 Italeri F-16. Can't remember it needed any noseweight...

 

Cheers / André

[dnl42]

On 5/15/2019 at 10:42 PM, e8n2 said:

Every F-16 that I have built needs nose weight.  It really doesn't matter who's kit it is, they will all need it. 

...

I don't recall adding any weight to the Kinetic 1/48 F-16D that I built.

 

Edit: Confirmed, no weight added. That F-16 only has 5-10g load on the nose gear.

 

My Academy 1/48 MiG-21MF, on the other hand, has 25g on the nose gear! Since I also added weight--it rattles with at least one loose lead buckshot--I'm thinking I added too much. 

 

Other kits needing nose weight: Bronco 1/48 RQ-1B, Skunkworks 1/48 RQ-4B, Hawk 1/48 R3C-2, Academy 1/144 C-54, Amodel 1/144 CL-415, Revell 1/144 E-2C, Amodel 1/144 HU-16, Minicraft/Welsh Models 1/144 C-47C Floatplane

 

As rule, I've learned to always dry-fit major parts together and determine if nose weight is actually needed. Those painter's pyramids mentioned above work well for 1/48 kits, but I use wooden sandwich picks or toothpicks for 1/144 models.

Edited May 18, 2019 by dnl42

[Seawinder]

F/A-18 doesn't need weight.

[e8n2]

22 hours ago, stevehnz said:

No, I didn't add any in this build, as was confirmed in the GB chat here. This was an OOB build, no resin jet pipes or cockpits at all. Adding resin bit might well upset the balance a bit.

Steve.

I've never added any resin anything to an F-16.  Always OOB except for decals.  I've always had to put it in.

Later,

Dave

[John R]

A&A models Ye-2a needs a little but there is plenty of room behind the nose cone

John

[YK GOH]

I do the same process as Space Ranger to identify whether the model is a tail sitter and how much nose weight it needs. 

It is useful information though, to know  ahead whether nose weight is needed from those who had already did it.

Look forward to advice on whether the following need nose weights.

- Kitty Hawk & Italeri 1/48 UH-1H

- Academy 1/48 MD500

- Italeri 1/48 OH-58D Kiowa

- Monogram 1/48 AH-1S Cobra

Edited May 18, 2019 by YK GOH

[Paramedic]

On 5/15/2019 at 10:38 AM, Bjorn said:

SAAB aircraft: All with nosewheel need noseweight. That is Draken (not so much), Tunnan (plenty!!!), Lansen, J 21, Gripen, Saab 105 (all three normal).

 

But there is one exception: Saab Viggen (any brand) does not need any noseweight (unless you don't fill the rear part with tons of resin).

I would not advice to build Tarangus/SPecial Hobby´s Viggen without some nose weight however.. I know what the instructions say and I have built it.. But even without any AM - if you suddenly built it and want to add perhaps a RWR at the back... You might get into trouble..

It sits nicely on its legs but it is easy to add a few grams in that big nose to be sure.. I would actually stress that.

[Andre B]

2 hours ago, YK GOH said:

I do the same process as Space Ranger to identify whether the model is a tail sitter and how much nose weight it needs. 

It is useful information though, to know  ahead whether nose weight is needed from those who had already did it.

Look forward to advice on whether the following need nose weights.

- Kitty Hawk & Italeri 1/48 UH-1H

- Academy 1/48 MD500

- Italeri 1/48 OH-58D Kiowa

- Monogram 1/48 AH-1S Cobra

 

Hi!

Fore syre choppers often had been forgotten concerning noseweight...

 

Cheers / André