Oregon Craig

I haven't ordered any upgrade stuff yet. I liked the Mustang fine, and it was all my fault that it crashed.
The electronics up to that point were working fine, and I plan to put those in the Spit at first.
If I keep it going, all I plan to do is put in a micro receiver that will work with one of my "normal"
72 Mhz transmitters, and a brushed speed control. I already have a couple of sub-micro standard
wiring type servos. Hitec 55s that I won at a club raffle. That's about it. I did order an extra battery
pack from cheapbatterypacks.com and I upgraded all of my connectors to get rid of that cheap Tamiya/Molex
stuff. That was originally going to be for the Mustang, but now I have it all ready for the Spit. I'll post over
in the spit thread as things start to happen.

GTWCMT

WOW....
If you look back at May's post, you will see that we hada bit if a battery issue and so I ordered a fuse, wing, spinner and cowel.

They arrived yesterday!

Not only did they take 3 months, but they are Rubbish. I got broken wing tips ( trailing edge has been taped on one side and is about to drop off) the glue on the alerteron (on wing) isnt holding the wing together! nice tear in the top of the wing. the cowel is fine, and the fuse is OK, there is a little minor damage but nothing worth mentioning.

I am about to Email ABCmodelsport.net to complaine. I had to issue a LBA ( letter before legal action) to get the parts from them So I dont know whats going to happen.

I was shocked to see the delivery and I hadnt planed on takeing any flights over the bank Hol WK end, I couldnt fly as I think it would fall apart any way!

2002denali

That sucks man.Hope everything works out for ya mate.

Sinai

YOU WERE RIGHT: I JUST DID IT, I'm SO GLAD I DID.

New set up for P-51:
Velcro Battery Cover
Apex 2100 mah 3s LiPo battery
Electrifly Triton Jr Charger
Electrifly Equinox Balancer
Brand NEW Electrifly Adapter (part #GPMM 3181): Mates Thunderpower (Flightpower) Battery balance-connections (including APEX) with Equinox Balancer!!

I am NEVER GOING BACK TO NiMH!!!!!!!! Inverted loops at the end of a 15 minute flight. That's all I have to say.

Thanks, for your help in clearing up questions for the P-51's JUMP TO LiPo. I appreciated your help.

sniper1

This thread has gone quiet lately, surely the rest of the worlds weather hasnt been as bad as our summer in England! Have you all bought the new Parkzone Trojan and abandond our beloved Mustang?! The weather has grounded me for most of the summer but i still got a few flights in, trying to get some dogfight video footage with my friend's Fw190. I had hoped to have had enough footage to have made my final dogfight video by now, but due to my friend getting disorientated against a setting sun and smashing both his 190's into the ground at full power- The dogfight video has come to a grinding halt. Instead i made a video of my other love - the Me 262, and if there are any other 262 lovers here- this is for you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPNQ_OSajMo

As for my Mustang, i made two drop tanks out of blue foam and used double sided tape to stick them on, for a photo shoot. The plane flew fine, just not as aerobatic- as is the real thing. The pictures included are shot at a place called Devils Dyke on the south coast of England and is really a slope soarer and para glider location, but on a calm summers dawn patrol, it was flyable and turned out to be my best mission yet! Enjoy!!

2002denali

Very nice.

Sinai

oops!~Great video!

AETCBoom4

Anything new here?

Sinai

I recently found out that on deadstick, a U turn is a BAD BAD IDEA in the stang. Causes a nasty stall. Thank God I only broke a cowling from 40-50 feet up . . . Now I put a new motor in it and new cowling. I want to know for sure about the 1320mah 3s LiPo(normally used in the HZ SuperCub). I wanted to get more than one flight out of it after using the 2100mah first.

in answer to your question . . .

Just another question: Can I fly my 1320mah 3S in the mustang? How will it differ from 2100mah LiPo I normally fly with? SHOULD I or SHOULDN'T I put 1320mah LiPo in the P-51?

AETCBoom4

You'll most likely have decreased run times and probably less performance. In addition, she may become tail heavy since that battery is lighter and the battery compartment is forward of the CG point.

tclaridge

The 1320 will give you less power because the amp output will be less, but the biggest thing is the CG. You need the nose weight of the heavier battery like AETCBoom said.

AETCBoom4

Sinai:
If you go with a substantially lighter battery and end up with a way aft cg, the plane may become highly unstable.

Sinai

That's what I needed to hear. The p-51 already seems tail heavy after switching to LiPo. thanks so much for that.
smooth landings, Greg

AETCBoom4

Sinai:
To check your planes Cg, I would:
1. measure the wing from the leading edge to the trailing edge near the wing root in mm
2. take that number and divide by 4, this will give you 25% of the wing chord (a forward Cg will give more stability and she might be a little quicker)
3. mark this position on the top of the wing on both left and right side
4. insert the battery
5. invert plane and balance on your finger tips the mark shown in step 3.
6 add weight to nose to get her to balance level.

Sinai

Thanks for the helpful info here. I laid awake trying to think of ways to weight the MUSTANG's NOSE. Like what and where do you add?

(BTW I flew this morning and noticed tail heaviness in-flight and at landing time. BUT I Flew EVEN LOWER THAN EVER while inverted today. Inverted foight is scary. Tail heaviness Does make inversion easier, but slows it down like you say. And i almost stalled it a few times just trying to land.)

Thanks again. I'll save the 1320mah for my HZ Supercub only for now. Now, are there some good ideas for HOW TO ADD WEIGHT TO THE NOSE?

AETCBoom4

Get stick on weights from the LHS (they have self adhesive backing on them). Follow the directions that I gave you for finding CG.(IMHO Parkzone does show it at 70mm but I have found it to be inaccurate). You can tape the weight to the underside of the cowling and fly until you find the right mix for you. Then remove the prop and spinner and place in the forward bottom portion of the cowl. You'll be able to sneak them in there. Trust me I know. Sorry to ask. what battery are you using now?

Sinai

Right on. I'll get down there this week. It's flyin AWESOME right now. I just put the wing reinforcement (an arrow) inside the wing. I'll get some pics of it.

My LiPo is an APEX 3S 2100mah
with Electrifly Equinox balancer, and the Triton Jr to charge on a Pyramid "PS-14KX" 12V power supply.

rfries_gha

Iā€™m currently upgrading my Parkzone Mustang to a brushless system; so Iā€™ve done a detailed study of the center of gravity for my new build. (complete details and photographs of my brushless conversion are forthcoming)

The center of gravity for my stock* Parkzone Mustang is as follows.
No Battery -- COG 3-9/16ā€ -- weight 21.50 oz
Stock NiMH -- COG 2-7/16ā€ -- weight 28.75 oz
2200 Li-PO -- COG 2-9/16ā€ -- weight 27.50 oz (PKZ1030 Li-Po battery that Parkzone recommends)
1800 Li-PO -- COG 2-11/16ā€ -- weight 27.00 oz

* The only modification was adding Deans Ultra connections to the battery and motor.

Please note:
1. I measured the COG with the plane inverted.
2. I measured my COG from where the plastic fillet on the fuselage meets the leading edge wing surface. I personally found it difficult to measure from where the wings meets the fuselage.
3. I use blue painters tape or a Post-It Note on the wing to measure my anticipated COG location (about 2 1/2 inches back from where the plastic meets the wing)
4. I read that the ā€˜fingerā€™ method to measure the COG can be unreliable resulting in false readings. Iā€™m way too cheep to purchase a balancer ā€“ yet. What Iā€™ve done is cut some cardboard in a ā€˜Uā€™ shape. I hold the cardboard upright using some bar clamps (or a couple phone books) and place the plane inverted over the cardboard. The narrow surface of the cardboard and the fact thatā€™s held still allow you to precisely locate the COG.

With all this information Iā€™m going to start with my COG for my new build at 2 1/2" back using the 2200mAh Li-PO. This is half way between the stock NiMH battery and the Li-PO battery Parkzone recommends. BTW currently the COG for my new build is tail heavy. Iā€™ll try to move my ESC and receiver forward before adding any weight.

AETCBoom4

Sounds like your going my route. I did everything that your doing , but all at once. Ck out my models in my profile for my setup. The Cf arrowshaft is a God send. I would've folded my wing for sure w/out it. Put some weight up front and you will notice the difference. Not like the shaft weighs much but if you did it like mine than it's placed behind the balance point pushing the CG a tad bit aft.

Sinai

This is some really good stuff. Those measurements are really helpful. Now I probably DID put that arrow behind the Cg. Wow. Any pics of the bl when you're done? Here's the pics of my arrow. It's cut to 14", used Gorilla Glue for the project. It's impervious to a fold up in the air. Now I'll dial in the CG like you all suggested. Happy Flyin Gentleman. Good luck on your bl upgrade. Thank you so much for the posts here.

rfries_gha

Below are my photographs where I upgraded my Parkzone Mustang to a direct drive, brushless motor.

1. I used 3/16ā€ plywood cut to fit the cowl mount.
2. Temporally use the old engine mount with your new assembly to mark the center for the prop shaft.
3. Center the ā€˜Xā€™ mount hardware over the center mark you just created and mark the mounting holes for your new motor.
4. Now relocate the engine mount over the marks for the new motor. Use the engine mount to get the proper angle for the new motor. Use a drill bit the same size as your blindmount screws.
5. Use a flat end drill bit or hobby knife to recess the screws. When you tap in the screws they will be at the correct angle.
6. I purchased screws long enough to extend the motor as needed. I used aluminum tubing as a spacer. (I wrapped the motor with painters tape to keep from scratching during construction.)
7. The aluminum tubing at the ā€˜Xā€™ mount was ground flat; the end at the fuselage was ground with an angle as needed.
8. Keep checking your installation until the distance and angle is correct. I must have installed and uninstalled the prop and cowling 30 times to get things just the way I wanted - perfect.
9. Now install the rest of your equipment to check your COG. Iā€™m going for 2 Ā½ā€ back from the leading edge. (refer to my previous posting for how I locate the COG.) The motor that I choose is a tad light and the COG is way back. I have the ESC mounted in the cowling and still itā€™s light. If I could tie the receiver to the prop I would be OK. Looks like Iā€™m going to have to add some weight. I was hopping to avoid that.
10. One thing I forgotā€¦ The stock prop for the Mustang is very deep so I had to grind off the back of the prop.

Iā€™ll work on the electronics this week. With any luck Iā€™ll have my maiden flight next weekend.

BTW, Iā€™ve heard people complain that a 2200mAh Li-PO wonā€™t fit the Mustang. It actually fits just fine without any forcing. The battery wires simply get in the way. I mount the battery butt-end first and sneak the wires past the battery. Everything fits perfectly.

The_Mongrel

Nice pics and a nice job!!

Can I ask what Motor you used?

I have a p51, but I am waiting for parts. My first throw saw it roll on its left and crash HARD!! Some say this is because of the torque on the prop... is that right?

Cheers
John

AETCBoom4

Rfries:
Outstanding job and thanks for the build pics. Let us know how the maiden goes. I do have 1 question and an input. Did you build any downthrust into the mount or are you gonna experiment with it? I see you are using the stock prop. On my BL setup, I had a lot of prop cavitation at WOT. I swapped out with the 10x8 E-flite prop and problem gone. The stock prop is rather flimsy at the ends.

rfries_gha

John,
It seams to happen a lot on maiden flights. My recommendation is to start with the throttle at 3/4; it will roll less that way. It will tend to roll to the left; so I throw mine with the wings banked to the right just a bit. Others will tell you to adjust the trim for takeoff, and then readjust the trim once airborne. Thatā€™s too much work for me.

Are you using the stock battery or an upgraded Li-Po? I used the stock battery for a couple flights, but found the performance was lacking. The Li-Po battery makes a HUGE difference.

The upgrade to brushless is costly ā€“ about $150. Most enthusiast would say weā€™re nuts. But for those of us that love the Mustang itā€™s worth it. Itā€™s also about bragging rights to say you have the fastest on the block ā€“ if not the entire neighborhood.

Motor & ESC: KDA Outrunner KD A22-20L with the ESC included -- $40 total. I found this on eBay. I only paid $20 for the motor and ESC. The shipping cost from China was an additional $20. I personally think itā€™s a good deal. Please keep in mind that I havenā€™t test flown it yet.
Receiver: AR6000 -- $45. I get mine cheep off eBay.
Servo: E-flite S75 -- $15 & JR MC35 -- $20. I used the JR for the ailerons. It should have more than enough torque for both ailerons and the control lines.
Wing adjustments: I havenā€™t even gotten to the point where I reinforce the wing. Looks like will need to do this before my maiden flight.
Miscellaneous items: You will need servo extensions plus the material for the build.
Battery and charger: Donā€™t forget the cost for the 2200 mAh Li-Po and charger.
Transmitter: Plus you have the cost for the transmitterā€¦


Thanks AETCBoom4, I will keep your prop recommendation in mind. I used the motor mount to adjust the angle, so I have both downward and angled thrust. I'm very very new at this. I didn't know you didn't need the downward thrust. NOW someone tells me. Thanks a lot for the heads up here people.

Enjoy, Roger

AETCBoom4

Yeah, my BL setup is a inrunner, eflite 6 series 2700kv using the stock gearbox. I had to add one prop washer to the top 2 holes behind the GB. It increased the DT and RT to counteract torque. Without it my plane would climb like crazy at WOT. PZ designs these things around the brushed motor. I also had to shim the wing down using a popsicle stick and a piece of 1/16th cardboard to decrease the wing incidence. What would happen is that as speed is increased the nose wants to climb. The shims change the angle of the wing. All these tweaks I picked up here. Any questions please ask.