solafein

Scrolling through the threads I have found no recent Top Flite P-51D build threads. There are a couple of large ones, which I will read, but I decided to start my own. Selfish me. Gluing little things together is therapeutic for me besides, balsa is easier on the hands than steel. Here goes.

I have read the instructions three times, inventoried the parts twice and marked the parts the second inventory. I like the fact that no hinge material is provided, it gives me an excuse to try Robart hinge points. It being a warbird gives me an argument to use on my wife to fork over the cash for retracts and a soft mount. One cannot cut corners on a bird like this. Her problem will be the fact that she cannot pick the covering scheme, I'm going scale.

I am differing from the instructions on a couple of points:
1) I am going to build up and sheet the ailerons and the elevators, saves weight.
2) I am throwing out the gun ports. I am going for something a little more scale like.
3) I am going to go ahead and put in the counterbalances, can you imagine trying to control a real one on cable control without them.
4) The control horns, while perfectly serviceable on a sport plane, are not scale.
5) I am going to hinge the control surfaces in a scale manner, with rounded leading edges and everything.
6) While I am going through all this work I might as well engineer the linkages so they are completely hidden.
7) A thin vernier on both sides of the hinge line, blended to the wing, stab and fin trailing edges, should finish the hide.
8) Twin aileron servos, a single makes me nervous, not to mention the slop.
9) Some kind of cockpit is in order, beyond a couple of blocks and a bust.

Ambitious for someone on their third kit, but if I am going to build a scale bird I might as well go the distance.

Here is what I have achieved so far. Not much, I know, but I've just spent three days cleaning the garage, man land that my wife took over for temporary storage, and I am tired. Margaritas to make and drink anyway.

solafein

I got boored.

solafein

I get more work done during parties.

Countryboy

My Feedback: (25)

Don't forget to put in some small hard balsa blocks for hinge support for the Robart hinges.

solafein

Thanks, I would have forgotten.

solafein

Does anyone have any wisdom on what size Robart hinges I should use? The instructions say to use #309, super hinge points, for the flaps. Robart has new Fowler flap hinges that travel out and down. Is that scale? How deep should I go adding balsa to the inside of my built up surfaces at the hinge point locations?

ticketec

My Feedback: (2)

Hey Solafein,

The other thread is getting pretty big to get through but there's heaps of good info there, but there's no harm in starting another one...

Fowler flaps are not scale for a P-51. They are for P-38 etc.. I thought about using scale styled hinges for my flying surfaces but you will quickly come to realise that there are a fair number of "scale" issues with this kit that you end up trying to make her too scale.

Having said that, You seem to want to go down the similar path that i have with a number of the standard issue parts, by discarding them and starting again. There is a cockpit kit available but i have been waiting for over a month to only find out yesterday that they shipped it 2 days ago!!!!! Not happy with that level of service, mostly because i could have been emailed and told that there was a delay. I'll let you know what it looks like when i get it!

Thanks

solafein

Top Flite makes a cockpit for the 1/5 scale, but I am building the 1/7. If the cockpit you got is for the 1/7 I would definitely like to hear about it. If you like it tell me what is wrong with it. If you hate it, tell me what is good.

Countryboy

My Feedback: (25)

The #309 hinges should be fine for the elevators and ailerons also, as long as you have a minimum of 5/16" material thickness ( prefer minimum of 3/8) at the trailing edge of the wing and leading edges of the control surface to be hinged. As for the hinge support blocks, they need to be able to support at least 75 /80 percent of the hinge point length, but full depth is even better from a glue surface area stand point.

For the elevator control surface balance tab, do your layout on the h-stab and frame in the opening for the balance tab before you sheet the surface.... a lot easier than trying to add after sheeting.

solafein

Framework laid, extensions for hinge points laid in, I went with 3/4". After I took this picture I cut the tabs and sanded everything for sheeting. Sheeting cut out and ready to glue. I messed up and left my glue syringe full of soapy water and now I have to wait for it to dry before I continue. I don't think that the stab will be thick enough for the 3/16 hinge points, although I won't know until after final sanding. I might have to go with the 1/8 on the tail feathers and use the 3/16 on the flaps and ailerons.

ticketec

My Feedback: (2)

Hey Solafein,

I am talking about the 1/7 scale TF mustang. I will let you know but i have just found out that even though i ordered and paid for it over 1 month ago, it was just shipped on Saturday!!!! I was most annoyed that i didn't get an email to let me know that there was a delay, or even a sorry for that matter.....

I'll post pic's when available.

Thanks

solafein

Customer service sucks, that's standard in the marketplace today.

solafein

Here is where I left off before naptime:

solafein

I have shaped and rough sanded the stab and leading edge of the tips. The outside edges will be sanded when I tape on the elevators and shape them. There is a piece of sheeting at the trailing edge that chipped off when I was sanding the sheeting seam. I'll fill that with filler when I shape and blend in the elevators. It also looks like I will be using the 1/8" hinge points on the tail feathers.

tubig

solafein, you do good work. i've been watching your progress as i'm thinking of doing another TF kit and the p-51 was one of the ones i was looking at. thanks for posting this thread.

solafein

Some folks are a little picky when it comes to wood quality and structure. I purchased this kit from my LHS, who had just recieved it from Tower. It is an updated kit with the laser cut stab TE, fin TE and rudder LE. Being a newer kit that had not been sitting around in someones garage for a couple of centuries, as both of my other builds had, you would expect a little better warpage control. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing to complain about. The warpage is minimal and I can easilly work around it, but some people are particular. One nice thing about Tower, if I couldn't work around it and had let them know, they would have parts in the mail that day. This is not a $350 kit from a custom laser cutter and one should not expect that level of attention to detail. This is a good scale bird, for a reasonable price. The dies they used to cut mine must have been new as the cuts themselves were perfect. I didn't even have to sand the back sides to get the parts to pop out, I just looked at them hard and they escaped of their own free will. I am happy with this kit and I am enjoying this build.

You really can't expect more than that.

solafein

Here is the frame up of the fin.

solafein

Today, because it is over 100 degrees, I build for a while and then come inside to cool off for a while. Guess what I learned? The sheeting on the fin needs to extend below the first rib by a little bit. Luckily I caught it before I had glued the sheeting together, but I had already cut it. Fortunately I have a bunch of extra sheeting, extra replacement stock from mistakes on other projects. The sheeting follows the wing-form on the stab below the first fin rib. Good thing about reading about other peoples builds is that you can learn from their mistakes. The first picture shows the original pieces, the second shows the revised piece. The revised piece is too big but I would rather it was too big. Shaping a piece that is already too small is an exercise in futility.

solafein

One side sheeted, tabs cut off, counterbalance tabs framed in and hinge point extensions glued and clamped. I am almost ready for the rudder.

saramos

My next build is going to be a TF P-51, but the Anniversary P-51 B version. I should start work late summer or in the fall. So far, you build looks like it's coming along well. I agree that you can learn a lot from the build threads, and learn a lot from doing a build thread too.

Scott

ticketec

My Feedback: (2)

Hey Solafein,

I finally received my cockpit kit. To save on writing the same info, check out this thread...

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_28...tm.htm#4374412

thanks

solafein

O.K. I finally got ahead enough on bills to be able to afford some retracts. I can now go back to building, when they get in. I do need to order them first. I was wondering what was the better way to go, CJM or Robart? The Robarts are cheaper, but the CJMs are an inclusive unit.

IL2windhawk

The way I figured it, they were darn near the same cost (CJM & Robart).
Like you said, the CJMs come with everything you need, except for a speed control valve.
With the Robarts, i seem to recall having to buy the retracts, oleos, and accessories all
separate, which combined was about the same cost as the CJM package.

ticketec

My Feedback: (2)

Hey Solafein,

I have the robarts in my Mustang, but was not overly impressed with the quality. Having said that, if you search around this forum, you will find people who have had bad experiences with the CJM's in the Mustang.

From all i have read, Robarts seem the easier option, even thought they can only fit a 3 1/4" wheel.

thanks