Hello all,
I flew my new p51 PTS this past weekend. I am a newbie on this forum, but not a newbie to R/C. I fly lots of electrics and had gotten out of gas planes. I decide to add this plane to my electric hanger so that I could make some noise with the rest of the club members and also train my 6 year old son with over the next year. Here are my thoughts.
1. I took off the air brakes on the landing gear immediately after looking at the 3 bladed prop. It is nearly flat out at the ends. I figured this would act like enough of a speed brake when you chopped the power. It did.
2. I put a servo in the wing for the flaps as flying around with flaps down seemed all wrong to me and I wanted to try both ways at the flick of a switch.
3. I sanded the leading edge dowel slightly to get it to insert completely. I did not shorten it just sanded around it to make it beveled at the end. Don't make it to small, thus too loose.
4. I left the leading edge slats in place for first flights to see what they did for the plane.
1st flight:
For take off I left the flaps in neutral position for the first try. Take off roll was very polite into a slight cross wind off the end of the runway. I held up elevator but gave no rudder input. Tracked straight and the tail came up as I eased off the elevator. I advanced the throttle to full and she lifted off very scale like. This is not a rocket take off, just a steady climb out. Power felt way soft but offered a stead climb. I got to altitude in a climbing turn and proceeded to push elevator trim to the stops to limit climb under power. On the ground the elevator was trimmed level so she does have the trainer climb under power !QUOT!feature!QUOT!.
I could not loop from level as there just was not enough power generated by the engine and prop combo. Did not try to roll as I still had the leading edge slats in place.
I shot a first trial approach to see how she slowed down. As I turned final, I heard some of the fellows in the club saying I was too high and too fast since they thought I was going to land. I pulled back the power to 1/4 and approached the end of the field. Before I go to the end of the field I was already down to landing height and getting slow, so I blipped in some throttle a few times to carry the end of the runway and decided to show the boys how she could land from a too high and to fast final
.
As I crossed the runway she was nice and flat with a touch of elevator, touchdown was greased in for a 3 point landing and some applause from the fellows. Upon taxi back I had a crowd who wanted to see her some more. Everyone was impressed seeing a Warbird slow down so much and land so soft.
Final thoughts:
This was the first flight on the engine and we did not touch anything as she started and ran nice. Power should come up more as it runs a few more times, but as a trainer will do what they say.
I decide to pull the leading edge slats off (NACA Droops) for the next flight to see what would change. The droops are only held on with clear tape, so its a 30 second transition. Ground handling was immediately different as on start of take off run, a slight crosswind gust spun her around to the right in a circle. Ok, that was a difference, more like a typical tail dragger now.
I bought her around and this time used some rudder and applied power more carefully. This time the take off was normal and while not tons of climb-out power, she did feel lighter climbing without the droops.
Turns without the droops felt better when adding coordinated rudder and I could get her to loop now but just barely from level flight. The top of the loop was not pretty, needless to say. Landing approaches still slowed down with the 3 blade prop requiring some throttle management to carry the field, but did not feel the need to come in hot and flat like most warbirds, no wing rock or stall sensation at fairly slow approach speeds even without the droops.
I ran out of time to fly, but everyone if the club said the same thing. Throw a 10 x 6 prop on that baby and she will start to shine in her transition from a trainer to a fun P51 for the more advanced flyer.
I hope this gives some a feel for this plane.
-Blee
Naperville IL Propmasters