New Phoenix 80 wing span P-40 ARF
07-24-2016, 08:47 AM
#1
Thread Starter
New Phoenix 80 wing span P-40 ARF
I got a new products e-mail for Tower for the new Phoenix models P-40 ARF. Looks a lot like the Seagull P-40 marketed in Britain.
http://www.towerhobbies.com/products...mma1770_e.html I'm sure the scale police with find a lot wrong, but I have found the Phoenix and Seagull models to be lightweight and good flying in general. Right now, no room in the hanger until something is sold or totaled.
For the scale police, the tail wheel is not in the correct position, the spinner is not the correct shape and the wheels are too small. Most of this can be corrected or improved without too much effort. You can paint it in what ever scheme you like.
Also it comes with included rotating air retracts. Which is good if the work and a needless expense if they don't. The last ARF I got with such didn't work long. The aluminum was simply too soft (for our grass runway) and they had to be replaced.
http://www.towerhobbies.com/products...mma1770_e.html I'm sure the scale police with find a lot wrong, but I have found the Phoenix and Seagull models to be lightweight and good flying in general. Right now, no room in the hanger until something is sold or totaled.
For the scale police, the tail wheel is not in the correct position, the spinner is not the correct shape and the wheels are too small. Most of this can be corrected or improved without too much effort. You can paint it in what ever scheme you like.
Also it comes with included rotating air retracts. Which is good if the work and a needless expense if they don't. The last ARF I got with such didn't work long. The aluminum was simply too soft (for our grass runway) and they had to be replaced.
07-24-2016, 09:40 PM
#2
My Feedback: (7)
I am a huge p40 fan and was eagerly awaiting this one, until I saw it. This is a horrible representation of the p40. You would think since they were designing this from the ground up they would at least researched. 40. Very disappointed and will not be purchasing this one because of the looks alone.
07-25-2016, 07:41 AM
#3
Thread Starter
Yes they could have done better re scale. It is possible to design an RC P-40 that is close to scale and flies good. Those example are the TF 60 size ARF which I have and the FMS P-40B (foamy). The H9 flies good but looks less scale. By all reports the TF Giant Scale P-40 which has good scale looks, flies good, but I have never flown one.
The kit built TF Gold edition of the P-40 has good scale looks but mine was a hand full to fly. (got it already built) Got over 120 flights on it before I took all the hardware out and sold it. Don't know how I didn't total the thing. It had no wash out, was over weight, narrow gear, long nose etc. Would snap if given half a chance, so long take off runs, fast approach and landing, very gentle maneuvers.
The kit built TF Gold edition of the P-40 has good scale looks but mine was a hand full to fly. (got it already built) Got over 120 flights on it before I took all the hardware out and sold it. Don't know how I didn't total the thing. It had no wash out, was over weight, narrow gear, long nose etc. Would snap if given half a chance, so long take off runs, fast approach and landing, very gentle maneuvers.
07-26-2016, 11:19 PM
#7
My Feedback: (60)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Litchfield Park,
AZ
Posts: 7,677
Likes: 0
Received 25 Likes
on
23 Posts
This coming Monday Jerry, August the first. Should be in the hospital two or three days and then a month or so of recovery if all goes well. With any luck I will be back in full operating condition before the good flying weather gets here! 
09-08-2016, 08:54 PM
#9
My Feedback: (34)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Modesto,
CA
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not scale but should be a fun flying "warbird" beater. I like to fly a relxing plane or two before flying the big boys and this should fit the bill perfectly. Going with a NGH 35cc rear exhaust.
This should be a good transition P40 until I get a more scale one.
This should be a good transition P40 until I get a more scale one.
09-08-2016, 09:07 PM
#10
My Feedback: (34)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Modesto,
CA
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Btw, very impressed with everything you get for the price and the side mount two piece wings are a huge plus. Cowl is solid. Top wing is not fully sheeted.. Has flaps and decent looking retracts with tank/valve.....prefer electric but these are included at no extra cost, cant beat that.
09-09-2016, 02:56 AM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Bardufoss, NORWAY
Posts: 625
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've seen worse. It will look fine with bigger wheels and a split canopy. A scale tail gear also helps. The full size had 30" wheels, so 5" to 5,5" will look good on this one. I don't know why every manufacturer insists on making ARF's with tiny wheels. Phoenix's Giant scale P-51D Mustang is worse. They moved the tiny landing gear out to the point that it looks ridiculous on that one.
My CMP was horrible out of the box, but I bashed the heck out of it and and happy with how it ended up. I planned all the mods before I bought the plane, as there were no alternative ARF's at the time.
My CMP was horrible out of the box, but I bashed the heck out of it and and happy with how it ended up. I planned all the mods before I bought the plane, as there were no alternative ARF's at the time.
Last edited by tahustvedt; 09-09-2016 at 05:07 AM.
09-09-2016, 06:06 PM
#13
My Feedback: (34)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Modesto,
CA
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Def worth it at the price. Should make a good giant scale warbird trainer- gas engine, flaps, retracts, tail drager, low wing...def worth it. should fly better than the TF P-40 I would think for sure.
tahustvedt - NICE JOB!!!
09-09-2016, 07:08 PM
#14
My Feedback: (7)
Def worth it at the price. Should make a good giant scale warbird trainer- gas engine, flaps, retracts, tail drager, low wing...def worth it. should fly better than the TF P-40 I would think for sure.
tahustvedt - NICE JOB!!!
09-09-2016, 08:31 PM
#15
My Feedback: (34)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Modesto,
CA
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
going by what I have read the giant TF P-40 has no washout and stalls easily, not a fun flyer from all I have heard.... I built the 60size over 30 years ago but its a smaller plane.... whatever one I end up with in the end will have to have a one piece fuse and/or have the lower chin removable only for engine access. the removable cowl on the giant TF and the stall/flying issues I have read on this and other sites steer me clear of it not to mention having to add counterbalance to rear stab... This however at the pricepoint including tower hobbies discounts is a good deal for a larger (80" or greater) P-40 even if its not true scale. The value to me is that it will get me comfortable again before flying my more expensive warbirds.....been out of hobby since 2005 until this year so....this fit the bill perfectly for me. I have been debating on what plane to fly to get me back to speed and finally pulled the trigger on this one.
09-09-2016, 09:07 PM
#16
My Feedback: (34)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Modesto,
CA
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
will probly do a few little things to it to make it look a little better like bigger wheels and retract in the rear but that's about it. I will open up the bottom wing to see how much room I have for larger wheels. The ones included with the kit are 4". They do not leave much room in the wing so might be a challenge finding the right wheel to fit. These ones are 5" next to the 4" that came with the kit..they are horrible.
Something must be done Might just have to go with a 4-1/2". Should still look better with the least amount of work.
Something must be done
Might just have to go with a 4-1/2". Should still look better with the least amount of work.Last edited by AC2; 09-09-2016 at 09:15 PM.
09-09-2016, 09:31 PM
#17
My Feedback: (7)
going by what I have read the giant TF P-40 has no washout and stalls easily, not a fun flyer from all I have heard.... I built the 60size over 30 years ago but its a smaller plane.... whatever one I end up with in the end will have to have a one piece fuse and/or have the lower chin removable only for engine access. the removable cowl on the giant TF and the stall/flying issues I have read on this and other sites steer me clear of it not to mention having to add counterbalance to rear stab... This however at the pricepoint including tower hobbies discounts is a good deal for a larger (80" or greater) P-40 even if its not true scale. The value to me is that it will get me comfortable again before flying my more expensive warbirds.....been out of hobby since 2005 until this year so....this fit the bill perfectly for me. I have been debating on what plane to fly to get me back to speed and finally pulled the trigger on this one.
09-09-2016, 10:21 PM
#18
My Feedback: (34)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Modesto,
CA
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
okay... 
Agree,,,,,cant believe everything you read. Thank you for the positive feedback but just as an illustration I have never heard anything bad about the flying characteristics of the TF P-51, or P-47 soooo..... gotta go with the gut on the P-40. Sounds like you are a damn good flyer.... i'm sure I'm not in the same league so negative comments carry more weight from my perspective. In the end we all make our own choices anyways and its never wrong to hear both sides of any view, just helps us make wiser choices.... I'm sure nobody is intentionally trying to offend anyone, some folks just have stronger/different opinions,,no harm, no foul...its just life...I appreciate your perspective
Back to this one though, it looks like its built more for fun flying than for scale and it does come with retracts, flaps so a guy can get familiar with using flaps/air retracts. The gear appears to be somewhat narrow as well so that too should help. Again, I think this would be a good entry level warbird type trainer. Back in the day my first large scale warbird type plane was the hanger 9 PT19 but it did not have flaps or retracts so when I flew my Corsiar it helped bridge that gap from smaller 60 size planes. Up until that point the largest plane I flew was a Bud Nosen trainer on a 60 sized Webra but hardly the warbird type...and it was built from a kit...we have it made nowadays!!
plus its a gasser if a guy is using a gas engine for the first time
Last edited by AC2; 09-10-2016 at 05:37 AM.
09-10-2016, 07:15 AM
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Bardufoss, NORWAY
Posts: 625
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
will probly do a few little things to it to make it look a little better like bigger wheels and retract in the rear but that's about it. I will open up the bottom wing to see how much room I have for larger wheels. The ones included with the kit are 4". They do not leave much room in the wing so might be a challenge finding the right wheel to fit. These ones are 5" next to the 4" that came with the kit..they are horrible.
Something must be done Might just have to go with a 4-1/2". Should still look better with the least amount of work.
Something must be done
Might just have to go with a 4-1/2". Should still look better with the least amount of work. My CMP P-40, which is smaller than the Phoenix P-40, has 5" wheels in the pictures I posted. It's about 1/6 scale so 30"/6=5.
09-10-2016, 07:32 AM
#20
My Feedback: (34)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Modesto,
CA
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What brand of wheel did you use?
BTW, I had that kit many years ago, never built it though. They used another name before CMP. If I remember correctly the kit ran around 175.00 ugh... so at 389.00 this is a real good deal especially when factoring in the included retracts.
BTW, I had that kit many years ago, never built it though. They used another name before CMP. If I remember correctly the kit ran around 175.00 ugh... so at 389.00 this is a real good deal especially when factoring in the included retracts.
09-10-2016, 08:19 AM
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Bardufoss, NORWAY
Posts: 625
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My wheels are 5"Kavan SuperLight with an air filler valve and plastic hubs. I made covers for the hub. I bought them from http://www.troybuiltmodels.com/ many years ago.
