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Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

Old 04-28-2010, 07:45 AM
  #2551  
CGAV8R
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

Thanks guys.
Aaron D.
Old 04-28-2010, 11:41 PM
  #2552  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

I concur...one of the nicest little TF Mustangs ever, I am guessing. What do you expect for weight Aaron? Seems like it will remain within range. We all look forward to future in-flight footage! -Eric
Old 04-29-2010, 08:57 AM
  #2553  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

Hi Eric, thanks for the nice comment. I haven't weighed it yet, we'll se when it's all together. I'm looking forward to flying this model too. I'll have the video camera with me
Aaron D.
Old 04-29-2010, 09:39 AM
  #2554  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

Aaron, let me add my well done! 4.0 my friend. I hope mine turns out half as nice. Be sure to get some video! She will fly at 10lbs. Just make sure to balance it about 1/8 in front of the CG called for on the plans. My "B" flies great at this CG.
Old 05-01-2010, 06:09 PM
  #2555  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

hey guys mine is finally ready for its maiden flight! now i am just waiting on some good weather and some luck i will try to get some video of it but we will see
Old 05-01-2010, 09:17 PM
  #2556  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

Hey thanks Scratcbuilder. I weighted my plane and without the fuel tank or batteries it 12 lbs. I don't know what they are supposed to come out at with retracts, but it is what it is
I don't normally run two batteries and two switches in my planes smaller than 50ccs, but I am going to do it in this plane because I dont want to lose it over a bad swich or battery. The two switches are hid under my fuselage fuel tank. The tank is held on with two rare earth magnets and popps on and off easily. I also added my air tank fill valve.

Aaron D.
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Old 05-01-2010, 09:32 PM
  #2557  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

ORIGINAL: CGAV8R
I don't normally run two batteries and two switches in my planes smaller than 50ccs, but I am going to do it in this plane because I dont want to lose it over a bad swich or battery.
This gets my vote!

Aaron, if you switch is under the canopy, that canopy must be easily removable. How did you secure it?

Regards,
G
Old 05-02-2010, 12:09 AM
  #2558  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

Aaron, she is a little heavy at this weight, but if you balance it at 1/8" in front of the CG on the plans, it will still not be a handful. You do not want to run out of elevator at this weight, and this CG will take care of that. She will land a little hot, but use flaps and you should have no problem. Do Not use flaps on take off! Get her up on the mains and let it run, you will be able to tell when she gets light and will rotate just fine. I don't remember your power, but my "B" has an OS 91 4 stroker that gives me a scale speed of about 65 mph. She will be a little faster without the drop tanks, but they do add some drag on mine. Once you get it up and trimmed, it is a great flyer. I think you will be just fine. If you have more power than mine I know you will be.
Put some expo in it about 30% and you should be fine. Best of luck.
Old 05-02-2010, 12:45 AM
  #2559  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

mine weighs 11 lbs and some change full of fuel and i am getting 8 lbs of static thrust
Old 05-03-2010, 09:26 PM
  #2560  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

well today was d-day and i have good news SHE FLY'S!!!!!!!

it was not the best weather for a maiden but it went well for the most part. today started out dead calm all day long until i got the the field to find a 15mph ish dead 90* cross wind to our runway. since i had already got my nerves up to do the maiden i decided to hell with it and went for it. it took me a couple attempts to take off the engine sagged on the first run and so it came to a stop in the grass went back to the pits and made a few adjustments and was ready for a go. take off was fairly uneventful tracked strait down the runway with little rudder required got the tail up and continued down the runway and gently lifted off. continued my climb fighting a slight right roll started the first turn and almost lost it, it was a down wind turn and she dropped a wing, got leveled out and raised the gear. did a couple passes to get rid of the jitters and got her trimmed out for level flight she needed about a 1/4" down elevator and several clicks of aileron to fly strait and level. got familiar with her and decided it was time to land so i dropped 1/4 flap and reduced throttle to half and dropped the gear no noticeable pitch change which was nice continued down the base leg and made the turn to final reduced throttle to 1/4 and dropped the rest of the flaps and lined up for the landing. not my best landing but it qualified as a good one (the plane was in one piece and still flyable which equals a good landing) ended up on the grass and a little hot and ended up in the typical mustang bow. this thing does not bleed speed very fast.

final thoughts on the landing: reduce throttle sooner and try to get on the runway.

final thoughts on the maiden: over all good (sorry no video) i need more power i need to play with the engine before the next flight. my plan is to change from an apc 16x7 prop to an apc 15x8 to see if i can get some rpms back and hopefully get some better performance. she flew well once on step but i felt it needed a bit more oomph

i still have some minor details to finish like painting my wheel wells and install instrument panel but that is just cosmetics
Old 05-03-2010, 10:48 PM
  #2561  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build


ORIGINAL: rotccapt

well today was d-day and i have good news SHE FLY'S!!!!!!!

.......not my best landing but it qualified as a good one (the plane was in one piece and still flyable which equals a good landing) ended up on the grass and a little hot and ended up in the typical mustang bow.

YAY!!!!
Old 05-04-2010, 12:09 AM
  #2562  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

Congratulations ROTC!!!!! That is tremendous. I know you must feel great about that "first scary and full of unknowns flight"! Some better conditions...and with your improved confidence, maybe you can hone it in on your next flight. I might suggest experimenting at altitude with configuration changes while lined up on final perhaps. Do some go arounds while lined up on final just to see how she reacts to pitch/power/configuration changes (fly the pattern non-stop). Thanks for the positive input for some of us on the flying part. I am sad that some have had a bit of bad luck on early flights. I think if you can bring her around the pattern and do simulated dissents (aborted landings), you may find the right power settings for ballpark comfort on the approach. Again, Congrats!! In the words of Trump....."thats UUUUge".
Old 05-04-2010, 12:11 AM
  #2563  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

Great beginning. Getting the rpms up with the smaller prop will help. The larger prop will cause some windmill effect when you try to slow her down. Next flight or a couple in, get to 3 mistakes high, roll her over and see how she flys inverted. This will give you the best indication of the CG. If she dives I would move the CG aft some and try again. It took me three flights to get it dialed in. My "B" flys at about 1/8" inch in front of the CG on the plans. You will see the difference in how it turns and the feel in the air. The wing was doing its job, not just the power of the engine. Get the lift right and you will enjoy flying this one! Best of luck on future flights. Get some videos.
Old 05-04-2010, 09:30 AM
  #2564  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

Allright Capt. Good job building and flying. You will figure out all the in's and out's of the plane as you get more stick time on her. Congrats man.[sm=thumbup.gif][sm=thumbup.gif][sm=thumbup.gif]

Aaron D.
Old 05-06-2010, 08:20 PM
  #2565  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

Pilots painted, plane is balanced, engine is run up, video camera is charged. All I need is good weather.

Aaron D.
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Old 05-07-2010, 06:30 AM
  #2566  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

looking good good luck on the maiden. i got my new prop but i haven't run up the motor on it yet been working on another project if weather is good i may fly it again this weekend
Old 05-07-2010, 05:12 PM
  #2567  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

Last pics before the maiden[X(]

Aaron D.
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Old 05-07-2010, 05:32 PM
  #2568  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

Congrats rotc, and good luck Aaron!
Old 05-07-2010, 06:28 PM
  #2569  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

4.0 Aaron!!! Best of luck on the maiden. Take a deep breath and take flight! You have a jewel!
Old 05-07-2010, 08:56 PM
  #2570  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

She flew. She was a handful at first. She wanted to climb and I kept feeding in down trim, but I ran out and she still wanted to climb. I took off in high rates and the elevator was VERY touchy. I fly a lot of 3D birds with a lot of travel, and this still felt touchy to me. I switched to low rates and that helped quite a bit. I balanced it at the 3 and 7/8" recommended in the manual, it felt tail heavy and thats what probably caused the elevator sensitivity. I got a few laps in trying to trim her out. Once I ran out of elevator trim, I just flew it a few more laps and dropped the flaps to see how they felt. They felt good so I did my approach and landed. I greased the landing and taxied back. It felt good to get her on the ground safely. I'll move the CG forward and adjust the elevator pushrod. Hopefully the weather will be good tomorrow and I can get a better flight in. My camera guy quit filming and said the lighting was not allowing the camera to focus and he could not get any good footage. Just as well though, it wasn't the prettiest test flight, fighting the climb and all.

Aaron D.
Old 05-07-2010, 09:53 PM
  #2571  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

Aaron, good first flight it sounds like. My club pres. also is a 3d nut and he usually gets the maiden flights on my birds. Move that CG fwd, add some expo 30% maybe and you won't believe the difference 1/8" to 1/4" inch will make in the flight performance. He flew my B the first time, said move the CG ahead 1/8" and it was like night and day. Good luck, good flying! You know the trick with 3d to go inverted to check CG. Works here too. Just get 3 mistakes high, roll her over, try to keep your knees from knocking, and hands from shanking, and see what she does. Once you get her dialed in, it is just plain fun to fly. Keep us up to date. I hope to have the D I am working on ready soon. Just getting servos and motor together.
Old 05-08-2010, 07:36 AM
  #2572  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

Gratz Aaron! It seems like all these TF Mustangs come out of the box needing down trim. Mine was well balanced, but still carried at least 1/8th down, maybe 3/16ths.

Regards!
G
Old 05-08-2010, 12:08 PM
  #2573  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

This is all I got on video. Not very good but it is what it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh3P8XTm2xM

Aaron D.
Old 05-14-2010, 09:23 PM
  #2574  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

Nice work Aaron! Can't wait to see a video once you are comfortable "wringing her out". This video was worth seeing if mainly for takeoff...e.t.c.. Always nice to get it back after that first flight!
Old 05-16-2010, 01:36 PM
  #2575  
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Default RE: Top Flite 1/7 P-51 Build

Here is a little more video. 2nd flight, still needed a little trim after takeoff. The CG is much better at 3-3/4". I had 2 great flights on her today and two pretty good landings. My second landing was better than the one you see on the video. I don't know why I'm having so much trouble catching good video of this plane?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lziQJAXYRjg

Aaron D.

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