Durability Upgrade for the F-22 Raptor PTS
Hangar 9 is committed to making sure everyone’s experience with their products is the best it can be. To that end, they have devised a way to strengthen the F-22 Raptor against damage during the type of hard, nose-first landings experienced by some new pilots.
Hangar 9 is developing a package of precut plywood doublers to reinforce the nose structure. This package will be available soon, but if you don’t want to wait, the improvement can be made with materials found at your local hobby retailer. The fix is easy and does not require any previous building experience—just follow the upgrade instructions below. Or, if you are not confident you can perform the fix correctly, seek the help of your hobby shop, flight instructor or our Product Support Team.
Please note that this bulletin is not referencing a defect in the plane or its construction. The suggested upgrade simply improves durability during hard, nose-first landings. This is not a safety-of-flight issue, nor is there any danger of an in-flight failure. The F-22 Raptor and the entire line of Hangar 9 airplanes are engineered and crafted to exacting standards to ensure quality and performance.
F-22 Raptor Upgrade Instructions
To improve the strength of the Raptor during hard, nose-first landings, you will reinforce the compartment under the front hatch where the steerable nose gear is attached. You will focus on the two slanted sides with the notches to align the two fuselage formers that define the engine intake area.
Step #1— The reinforcement plates should be made from 2mm to 3.2mm or 3/32″ to 1/8” thick plywood, with the grain running front to back along the fuselage (two 1 5/16″ x 2 7/16″ pieces required).
Step #2—Apply a thin coating of carpenters’ wood glue, such as TiteBond or 5-Minute Epoxy, to the mating surfaces of the fuselage and the reinforcement doublers.
Step #3—Apply a few drops of thin Cyanoacrylate adhesive (CA) to hold the doublers in place while the aliphatic resin glue dries.
Step #4—Apply a small bead of aliphatic resin glue, as shown in the photo below, and let the assembly dry for 24 hours before flying.
While it is impossible to guarantee a totally incident-free flight with any model airplane, the completion of this upgrade should give you more confidence while learning to land. Enjoy your flight.