CARF Ultra Lightning

CARF Ultra Lightning

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General Information

The CARF Models Ultra Lightning is a brand new cutting edge Sport Jet. It’s based on our classic Lighting. A tremendous amount of feedback from our valued classic Lightning customers has enabled us to move an already state-of-the-art design to a never before achieved, ultimate level. Still affordable, the CARF Ultra Lightning combines brilliant design and engineering with modeller’s experience. The Ultra Lightning is the result, the climax of years of Sport Jet Development. We at CARF Models are absolutely convinced that our Ultra Lighting can very well be compared with the best designs out there and we don’t even feel challenged. With one undisputable advantage. It’s affordable. Not “cheap”, though. Besides that it’s fast. It’s big. It’s beautiful. It stands for ultra performance.

So, besides the performance, what else do you get for your money? A highly pre-built, brilliantly painted Sport Jet of very impressive size. All control surfaces pre-hinged, control horns installed, servo mounts built in. Double walled thrust tube, carbon turbine bypass, readily installed and blended intake duct. Twin Kevlar fuel cells with 5.8 l capacity. Removable nose cone, preinstalled large bottom hatch and canopy frame. Slide-on wing panels with gear frames made from solid carbon fiber. Detachable stab and fin. Even more complete than you’d ever wish for.

Fuselage

The Ultra Lightning’s fuselage is a very strong hand laid up structure, air intakes glued and blended in. Two formers are readily installed to hold the engine and to align the intakes properly. The removable nose cone and the removable fin makes transport and storage easy. However, the Ultra Lightning, due to its swept back wings, thus uncritical CG position, does not necessarily hold any batteries in the nose cone, so the nose cone removal is really optional, but quick and easy. A giant hatch on the bottom with a safe 6-point fixture allows easy access to engine, ducting, thrust tube and fuel tanks. Therefore no further hatch is on the top side of the fuselage to prevail the clean, slick and tidy looks. The large canopy acts as the RC access from the top. A horizontal RC board keeps all components in place, both electronics for the engine and radio equipment. There is plenty of room for your installation, which also allows all kinds of variations, whatever you prefer. The canopy is held in place with one single bolt.

Flying Surface

The biggest difference compared to the classic Lightning are the swept back wing and stab. Besides a better CG situation they make the plane look faster and meaner, on the ground and in the air. Nice free shape wing tips do not only increase the wing area, they reduce the induced drag of the wing at both high and slow speeds. A large access hatch is combined with the gear door. The 40 mm aluminum wing tube from anodized highest grade 6061 aluminum is supported by 6 wing ribs, which will take all the G-loads possibly generated by hard flying and is designed to even give the gear mount additional rigidity.

As usual, all control surfaces like aileron, elevators, rudder and flaps, are skin hinged. This is a very rugged and reliable hinging method and it is aerodynamically the cleanest possible. Dual control horns hold heavy duty ball links, everything readily installed for you. The control surfaces are carefully sized so that at highest speeds a very smooth flying is possible, but still, in the slow flight mode, they have sufficient authority to throw the plane around the corners almost in 3D style. Snaps are as well possible as walls and flat spins, always keeping the speed induced flying loads in mind.

Fuel System and Turbine Mounting

With the CARF Models Ultra Lightning you get a complete package, which includes well proven fuel cells, plumbing materials, a hopper tank and a monocoque type carbon turbine bypass. All this is installed for you and you only have to mount the engine of your choice into the bypass, plump the tanks with clunk and fuel lines and connect them to the fuel pump. For this “no fuss” installation we guarantee trouble free operation from the first minute. Even though there is almost 6 liters (1.5 gallon) capacity with the saddle type fuel cells included in the kit, we offer an optional 3rd fuel tank to extend flying time even further or add a smoke system – if you wish even add two and take care of both.

The dual walled thrust tube is designed for engines up to 20 kg (44 lb) thrust and is working only in a fully enclosed installation. This is very safe, as it guarantees very cool running of the engine, thus keeping the inside of the fuselage cool, too. We have been asked about the possibility of using aftermarket thrust tubes, which basically is no problem as long as it is a design of a well experienced manufacturer such as TamJets, who understands the design of the full flow bypass. You might gain a weight advantage with an aftermarket thrust tube, but we state clearly that the included thrust tube is working safely and at maximum efficiency.

Retract

A high value model jet ultimately is only as good as its landing gear. with an inferior landing gear you might not even get from the ground, or then, damage your investment during landing. A very strong gear mount, reinforced with 2mm thick solid carbon plates, will carry even tough landing loads into the structure without damage. It is not easy to match the components of a retractable landing gear to the characteristics of a certain jet. It takes a lot of testing. Be assured that this testing has been done at CARF Models. The gear we offer is our advice, our recommendation and our warranty. It is completely made by Airtech Germany. Springs are carefully adjusted for the Lighting’s weight on the main gear, they work on tarmac or grass and the spring’s power doesn’t fade after several landings. Of course the landing gear set also includes the pneumatic equipment such as cylinders and linkages to control the gear doors. Please look into the accessory listing on the right side of the shop page, where we offer this retract set together with recommended accessories such as valves and gear fail safe. If you chose to use, instead of ours, the equipment of your favorite landing gear manufacturer please make sure that he put as much development and testing efforts into his product (installed in a Ultra Lightning as we did into ours! We are only interested in your success with this breathtaking airplane, we don’t want to see you grounded with sub standard or non matching aftermarket product.

Conclusion

The Ultra Lightning is Ultra in any aspect. We have successfully refused any possible compromise and have created a mile stone in jet modeling. You can’t overlook the Ultra Lightning if you are looking for an ultimate Sport Jet. On the work bench and in the air there’s nothing out there coming close.

Specifications:

Wingspan: 90″ (2300 mm)
Length: 107″ (2700 mm)
Weight: 34 lbs (16 kg) dry
Engine: 160 – 200 N
Servos:  8 high class digital servos