mesaflyer

Hello. I am not sure if this question is in the right forum, so if not, please let me know where to post it. My 11 year old son and I saw a guy flying this plane he called a "slow fly mustang", doing some really slow aerobatic manuevers. I found one here: http://www.acehobby.com/ace/TTR4529.htm. My son wants one, but we would prefer that he and I build a kit together while he learns to fly my trainer. Does anyone know of any good kits that are this type of plane? Doesn't have to be a mustang, just good, easy to follow instructions, and a good slow flying plane. Thanks for all your help.
Pete

I can't tell you why the link doesn't work. It works from my favorite list! Anyway, the plane is called a Thunder Tiger Lazy Tiger P-51 ARF.

Bad_Daddy

The reason the military flies or ever flew any model of aircraft is because they are very aerobatic. This means they are, by design, relatively unstable in flight, and can perform some phenomenal maneuvers, but must be tended for every second of flight. You DO NOT want to start with one, unless you really want to be so discouraged after the first 20 seconds of flight (and crashing) that you'll never try to fly anything again.
There are dozens of models that are designed for beginning fliers, because they fly slowly, are self-correcting in flight, and give a beginner time to think before they must react. If you insist on buying it, plan to hang it on the wall as a piece of "art" for the next year, as you (and your son) learn to fly.
One model I would suggest is called the Slow Stick. It isn't pretty, doesn't look like anything any war ace ever flew, and doesn't tear up the sky. But it will fly, it will teach you how to properly control a plane, it will teach you about the conservation of momentum, and it won't break your wallet if you smack the ground and break some $3 part. Every part is replaceable, parts are sold at nearly every hobby shop in the US, and it can be modified (as you get better) to provide more challenges to the both of you.
Read more about if [link=http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122951]here.[/link]
And here is [link=http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&P=WR&I=LXHCJ1]one place[/link] where you can get them. See, they aren't very expensive, and a simple 4-channel radio is all you need to fly them.

Oh, Your link doesn't work because you have a period (.) at the end of the url. Change it to [link=http://www.acehobby.com/ace/TTR4529.htm]http://www.acehobby.com/ace/TTR4529.htm[/link] and it will work just fine.

P.S. If you don't follow my advice, you'll be hard pressed to get $10 for what remains 2 minutes after you launch that airplane. We see them all the time stuffed into the trash can at a park.

mesaflyer

Big Daddy,
Thanks for the info and fixing the link. I have moved on from the trainer and have been flying a Pulse XT for a few months now. I am not an expert by any means, but fairly comfortable with doing manuvers with the Pulse. The guy flying the slow fly mustang said it was pretty easy to fly, so I figured he was not trying to steer me the wrong direction (pardon the pun). We want to stay with glow engines. So, reading the ad for the Lazy Tiger it suggests that the slow fly airplane is a category all by itself. Guess not. Anyway, if there is a slow flying airplane kit that is pretty stable doing slow aerobatics, I sure would like to know about it.
Thanks

Bad_Daddy

Oops, sorry. I knew what the problem was with the link, but when my wife distracted me I never went back to look at what the link was pointing to. Still, I think you should give yourself some time with a mid-wing plane before having a go at a low-wing aileron-equipped airplane.
Does your radio have the capability of working in "Trainer" mode? Do you have the trainer cable for your radio? And is it compatible with your "slow fly Mustang" friend? If so, maybe he would be willing to set them together and allow you some stick-time on his airplane, to see if it is as easy for you to fly as it is for him. You know, I have been wrong before, and it could definitely happen again, but if you could work out such an arrangement you could "try before you buy".

mesaflyer

Well, we take the motorcycles and go camping at a dry lake bed. I decided I wanted to start flying in the mornings because there is all this room and pretty calm. So I taught myself on a Nexstar, and have had a blast with the Pulse. I am teaching my son to fly using a buddy cord. There are not too many people flying there, but one day my son and I went for a ride around the lake and came across these two guys flying. One was flying the Lazy Tiger. So, to answer your questions, my radio has the trainer switch, as does the one that came with the Nexstar. But I do not know the guys that were flying that day. And by the way, the Pulse is a low wing, tail dragger, with ailerons. I wanted to start flying warbirds, but the guys on the warbird forum said NO WAY should I go from a Nexstar to a warbird. So they talked me into the Pulse as one of a few planes I should fly before any warbird. They were probably right, but I have had no problems with the Pulse, other than trying to teach myself some of the manuvers. I always stay three mistakes high when I try something new. I have even been playing around with the high control throws. Lotsa fun. Believe me, if I could have tried the slow fly mustang, I would have.

paulsen

My Feedback: (2)

You could finish a Mojo 25, 40, 60, 65 to look like a warbird. I've seen it done before. check out this site http://swanyshouse.com/index.aspx then check out "the profile brotherhood.com" don't use spaces though.

Here's a pic of a profile corsair one of the pro bro's scratch built. Lot's of good stuff on the Pro Bro site, sound's like your drawn to the kind of flying they do there.

paulsen

My Feedback: (2)

I might as well give you a few more links for kit's. http://www.ohiomodelplanes.com/ http://kalteisen.com/index.html

OH wait a minute, I got just the thing for you and your boy! http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXJA64&P=0

Razorback58

My Feedback: (8)

I have one of the Thunder Tiger slow fly Mustangs and I can tell you that it is just that, a slow easy flying airplane. It's very stable, and the only bad tendency that it has is that it wants to nose over on take off due to the configuration of the landing gear. If you're confident with a trainer, then this plane on low rates will be almost as easy to fly. It'll also take you into some aerobatics, although not as extreme as a Mojo.

mesaflyer

Thanks for the info Paulsen and Razorback58. Was wondering if the fun fly 51 has the same slow flying characteristics has the Lazy Tiger. We really wanted to build from a kit, something similar to the Lazy Tiger.
Thanks

broke_n_bummin

Yup. They're real slow and docile... For a .25 size plane. I had one and loved it. Just bend the landing gear out a little bit so that the center of the wheel is in front of the leading egde of the wing about an inch or so and you won't even have the nose over problem. Rolls, loops, inverted flight, hammerheads... and it will fly almost as slow as you can walk.

paulsen

My Feedback: (2)

The lighter you build the more slow and docile it will fly.

You could save weight by using a plain bearing engine like the LA.46 or the combo deal for the LA.40/Fun 51 for $99, the Thunder tiger .42 is another good option for weight savings, all these engines weigh just over 12oz and have all been said to be good strong 3D/aerobatic power plants . Most other BB .46s weigh about 17oz. Just thought I'd toss that out there.

mesaflyer

Thanks for the advice. Looks like we are going to go witht the Lazy Tiger and forget about the kit idea for now. We just don't like the profile look. Prefer something with a "real" fusalage to hide the fuel tank.

warhwk

My Feedback: (3)

I have flown the Lazy Tiger when I maidened one for a friend of mine. Very stable and easy to fly. It could loop within a 10' radius, but it needed all the aileron you could get.

He had a .25 on it which I thought was a tad underpowered, but fun never-the-less. I would recommend a bushing .40 engine, maybe like an OS 40LA, or a Thundertiger .42

It really was a great flying airplane. Too bad he stuffed it before I had a chance to fly it again.

paulsen

My Feedback: (2)

Whoops... This whole time I was thinking the TT Lazy Tiger was a profile I forgot it had that thin/high fattie fuse.

mesaflyer

warhwk,
Saw this one: http://www.thundertiger4u.com/lazy-t...25-p-7414.html Seems like a pretty good deal, even if the engine is a bit small. Should be good for my son. He can put a larger engine on it after awhile. I have a OS 46 on my Pulse that I would like to change out to the 55 next year. I wonder if I put the 46 on the Lazy Tiger if it would still be a slow fly. Hmmmmm.
Thanks for the info.

warhwk

My Feedback: (3)

A ball-bearing .46 would be too heavy for this plane. A lightweight bushing engine like the LA 40 or Thundertiger GP42 would be almost perfect, if not even a touch over-powered. The .42 can be ordered from the same place. http://www.thundertiger4u.com/gp42-a...rc-p-7523.html

mesaflyer

Thanks, wishfull thinking on my part, I guess