RE: ParkZone P-51 Mustang RTF  
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    • All Forums >> Electric Aircraft Universe >> Park Flyers & Backyard Flyers >> RE: ParkZone P-51 Mustang RTF
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    RE: ParkZone P-51 Mustang RTF - 7/11/2005 10:45:36 AM   
    miklos



    Posts: 196
    Joined: 4/1/2004
    From: Meriden, CT, USA
    Status: offline     		The CG of the mustang is at 70 mm from the leading edge of the wing.

    (in reply to The Marsh Man)
           Post #: 126

    RE: ParkZone P-51 Mustang RTF - 7/11/2005 6:35:36 PM   
    lrrambo


     

    Posts: 18
    Joined: 8/30/2004
    From: Phoenix, AZ, USA
    Status: offline     		Noticed a lot of complaints about the landing of the PZ P-51. Here's what works for me. Cut a tennis ball plastic tube in 1/2, put it under the cowl/body. Opened access to the batter hatch and opened the frt. so air could flow thru, the rear of the can diameter is slightly above the radiator scoop. Can’t see it much in the air, but when it comes to landings it acts like a float, the P51 skids, not stops abruptly catching on the radiator scoop.
    As to landing, yes it is nose heavy. I have luck maintaining a fast approach down to 1 or 2 ft. from the ground and then cut the throttle. The P-51 will start to settle, just feed a little up elevator then just as you loose speed and are about to touch feed and hold full up elevator. You are too close to the ground to tip stall and with the added homemade skid it settles well. We don’t have a lot of grass in Arizona, what we have is short and doesn’t cushion much. So far, the mod with packing tape cut and installed on the wingtips no damage to the plane so far. Over 30 flights now and still holding up. BTW, As to the sticky aerilons, sprayed graphite into the tubes and it helped.

    (in reply to tclaridge)
           Post #: 127

    RE: ParkZone P-51 Mustang RTF - 7/11/2005 6:52:12 PM   
    Airchief


     

    Posts: 60
    Joined: 6/21/2005
    From: Dayton, OH, USA
    Status: offline
    quote:

    ORIGINAL: lrrambo

    Noticed a lot of complaints about the landing of the PZ P-51. Here's what works for me. Cut a tennis ball plastic tube in 1/2, put it under the cowl/body. Opened access to the batter hatch and opened the frt. so air could flow thru, the rear of the can diameter is slightly above the radiator scoop. Can’t see it much in the air, but when it comes to landings it acts like a float, the P51 skids, not stops abruptly catching on the radiator scoop.
    As to landing, yes it is nose heavy. I have luck maintaining a fast approach down to 1 or 2 ft. from the ground and then cut the throttle. The P-51 will start to settle, just feed a little up elevator then just as you loose speed and are about to touch feed and hold full up elevator. You are too close to the ground to tip stall and with the added homemade skid it settles well. We don’t have a lot of grass in Arizona, what we have is short and doesn’t cushion much. So far, the mod with packing tape cut and installed on the wingtips no damage to the plane so far. Over 30 flights now and still holding up. BTW, As to the sticky aerilons, sprayed graphite into the tubes and it helped.


    Not bad. Do you have pics you could post?


    _____________________________

    Back of a Firework tech's shirt: if you see us running, try and keep up.

    (in reply to lrrambo)
           Post #: 128

    RE: ParkZone P-51 Mustang RTF - 7/11/2005 7:11:55 PM   
    L0stS0ul



    Posts: 549
    Joined: 3/18/2005
    From: Ashburn, VA, USA
    Status: offline     		after 22 flights I broke my original battery hatch last night. It's still usable but I have to use a screwdriver to get it out. Yesterday was the first time with no wind at all in my area in a long time. Having no wind makes landing the plane much harder. It comes in much hotter. I had my spare battery hatch and the first thing I noticed is that it is not in nearly as tight as my original hatch. Before breaking this hatch I have never had a battery ejection on landing but my first landing with the new hatch and the hatch came right off. I think I'll go get another hatch and just use the original until I get a new one.

    (in reply to Airchief)
           Post #: 129

    RE: ParkZone P-51 Mustang RTF - 7/11/2005 10:00:14 PM   
    lrrambo


     

    Posts: 18
    Joined: 8/30/2004
    From: Phoenix, AZ, USA
    Status: offline     		If the CG is 70mm or 2.6" where on the leading edge do you measure it? From the leading edge of the center or the wing or perhaps the gunports? if it's anywhere other than from the center froward edge of the center of the wing wing attachment mine is very noise heavy.

    (in reply to L0stS0ul)
           Post #: 130

    RE: ParkZone P-51 Mustang RTF - 7/12/2005 1:36:56 AM   
    miklos



    Posts: 196
    Joined: 4/1/2004
    From: Meriden, CT, USA
    Status: offline     		I measure the CG from the front of the wing where it meets the body. Where the wing saddle is.

    (in reply to lrrambo)
           Post #: 131

    RE: ParkZone P-51 Mustang RTF - 7/12/2005 1:54:51 AM   
    Airchief


     

    Posts: 60
    Joined: 6/21/2005
    From: Dayton, OH, USA
    Status: offline     		Should i switch to deans when i get lipos? And how do i go about fixing up a wire to charge my lipos with the Hobbico MkII? Just get two banana plugs and a deans connector, if thats what i go with, and some wire. What kind of wire do you recammend and where to get it?

    What about deans micro, would that be better?

    Thanks alot


    _____________________________

    Back of a Firework tech's shirt: if you see us running, try and keep up.

    (in reply to miklos)
           Post #: 132

    RE: ParkZone P-51 Mustang RTF - 7/12/2005 7:40:23 AM   
    mustangfly


     

    Posts: 24
    Joined: 7/9/2005
    From: , IL, USA
    Status: offline     		Hey, can you post some pics of the modification you've done to your P51 to make the landing better?

    thanks..

    (in reply to lrrambo)
           Post #: 133

    RE: ParkZone P-51 Mustang RTF - 7/14/2005 9:01:01 AM   
    Libertarian


     

    Posts: 254
    Joined: 7/13/2005
    From: Alvord, TX, USA
    Status: offline     		Hey everyone,
    I have read this entire post and (having just joined rcuniverse) can only offer my 2 cents. I had my PZ P-51 for about 2 weeks until it had a serious disagreement with the ground a few days ago. Like another poster here I let it get a "little too far away and it was a little too dark out to tell what side was up, and down she went." Still I love the plane and was planning on buying another until I read about the deal on a fuselage from one wonderful poster for $58. Thanks. I too had some problems with the battery hatch (the clip broke off trying to open it) but I still used it for about 12 or 13 flights (just had to use a pair of needle nosed pliers to remove it). It came off once on a landing too. So, I bought 2 extras and Andrew at www.modelflight.com.au gave me a new one free along with a free new wing (sans servo) since mine arrived with some wrinkles in it (that didn't affect strength). I bought 2 extra props, a canopy, a new wing also and an extra cowling and a Kokam 2000 3 cell LiPo battery from them. I am going to purchase a Thunder Power 2100mAh 3-Cell 11.1V LIPO 16GA battery from Redrocket (and their LiPo charger). They report almost 30 minute flights with this battery and I don't mind paying a little extra for it. If someone goes brushless I may consider this as well (so please post your results if you do). This is my 5th electric plane and aside from some launching trouble I love it. I have no knowledge of RC building so a RTF was my only option. I have learned not to use full throttle (I try for about 3/4s throttle) as the plane tends to arch left hard and crash if I use full throttle. Amazingly? the manual doesn't mention this technique; I had to learn it off the aussie site where I bought the plane. Unlike my earlier, lighter planes I would never consider hand launching this one myself; it's just too heavy and awkward to hold and I need full concentration to steer right and up as I lift off. Launching is the only scary thing but I am thinking about building a surgical tubing launcher that would make throwing less of an art and a mere trigger pull for my terrified girlfriend. The cowl wrinkled quickly and I wish I could think of some ultra hard compound to line its' replacement with to make it stronger. In fact I wish the whole plane was made out of a hard plastic as the Styrofoam seems too vulnerable but you can’t have everything. Until my hard crash I never broke a prop. I'd like to try a 4 blade once I kill my 3 extra 2 blades but am worried the one mentioned by some posters for the 34” wingspan model from the GWS Mustang might be too small for this larger plane. The grass I land in is typically a foot or so tall but I flare up and kill the motor as I glide in and even though the plane always flips over front ways it never broke a prop before this week’s hard crash. I found out that the plane goes out of control and crashes (still didn’t break a prop from 40 feet up!) once the battery dies so I no longer let it do that and I land while still having some power left. Unlike my GoldEagle XXL or Accipter Badius that retain elevator/aileron control while shutting off the motor early the Mustang does not unfortunately. I may add a camera I got free with my Accipiter Badius from Raidenech if I can locate it in the air vent under the cowl or somewhere else unobtrusive. I noticed on Mode B (fast control) that a fast upward pitch at high speed can result in the plane cocking sideways instead of smoothly climbing up so be warned. If you're in a dive and attempt a quick climb you could get a nasty surprise this way. Fortunately I steered out of it anyway. I can easily loop the plane from level flight IF the battery is well charged. The stock battery has a tendency to partial charge once in awhile for no reason. Set at 1.4 on the stock car charger I have noticed that sometimes the charge light can go out after only 10 or 15 minutes (manual states 40 minutes is normal) so DON'T BELIEVE THE CHARGE LIGHT! Wait the 40 minutes or find yourself flying with about 1/3 power, be warned! I also just learned (here on rcuniverse!) about using a glass of water to break in your motor for full performance. I can do nice upward barrel-roll spirals in fast mode and combo loop rolls and inverted flight in easy mode. Fast mode is tricky and I have to work hard to be smooth when I use it (seldom). Since I am hoping to get a real pilot's license soon I appreciate that this plane is not forgiving and makes me work hard to keep it level. All the crazy angles I find myself in have taught me some agility in recovering that a forgiving plane would not have. I feel this plane is very fragile but I am going to try to do more flying at higher altitudes so I'll have more recovery time. With it's 2500 foot range (Megatech claims 500 feet for their RTF P-51!!!) I have plenty of room for tricks (especially when I get my LiPos). Sorry this turned into a novel but I had a lot to say. Happy flying!

    (in reply to mustangfly)
           Post #: 134

    RE: ParkZone P-51 Mustang RTF - 7/14/2005 2:18:54 PM   
    Airchief


     

    Posts: 60
    Joined: 6/21/2005
    From: Dayton, OH, USA
    Status: offline
    quote:

    They report almost 30 minute flights with this battery and I don't mind paying a little extra for it.


    I believe that is at half throttle. Most people report 15-16 min at WOT. I am using, or will be when it gets here, Dymond lipos 10c 1800mah 11.1v from Dymond Modalsports. People have reported the same flight times with the dymond batt and it is a lot cheaper at $35.


    _____________________________

    Back of a Firework tech's shirt: if you see us running, try and keep up.

    (in reply to Libertarian)
           Post #: 135

    RE: ParkZone P-51 Mustang RTF - 7/14/2005 10:34:30 PM   
    kennydee


     

    Posts: 247
    Joined: 12/27/2002
    From: Atlanta, GA, USA
    Status: offline     		Hi Guys------I have really been enjoying my Mustang, until the last outing. I noticed right away that the handling was different, I couldn't keep it straight and level. Landed and investigated. Found the problem, the ailerons won't center. I also noticed that the ailerons are moving slower lately, contributing to the slow weird flight response. I only have about 20 flights on this plane. The aileron control wires appear to be binding or the servo is dying. The control wire tube appears to still be glued in place. I'm not crazy about going into the wing to fix this. And if the servo is dying, well, don't get me started. You know, I was worried about this kind of problem when I first saw how the aileron servo was set up. Any ideas on the best fix.

    (in reply to Airchief)
           Post #: 136

    RE: ParkZone P-51 Mustang RTF - 7/15/2005 1:12:15 AM   
    tclaridge



    Posts: 481
    Joined: 1/28/2005
    From: Fairfax, VA, USA
    Status: offline     		Sounds like you need to lube the control wires to remove friction. I took the wire out after carefully bending the ends where they loop on the servo arm. Then I sprayed WD 40 on the wire, BUT NOT ON THE END WHERE THEY ATTACH TO THE AILERON! I think it would hurt the screw fitting that secures the wire to the aileron control rod if you got oil on the ends of the wire. They might not grip like they need to. Then slide the wires back in place and re-bend then onto the servo arm.

    If this doesn't work, then your wing servo may be burnt out and need replacement. After I oiled my aileron control rods, I saw no delay in the aileron response, and they always return to center.

    Let us know if this works!

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