foodstick

I have a friend that is getting older.. and he just needs a more forgiving Mustang than the Topflite giant scale one. He seems to get along ok with his giant TF Corsair and P47... but the Mustang has been HARD on him, and he has been hard on it. is there an easier flying maybe less scale Mustang kit in that size out there? he sure has been taking it hard.. yet he hasn't gave up looking.

Any help appreciated.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

That big?

Hangar 9 is as easy to to fly as any advanced sport plane.

ForcesR

The TF giant Mustang is easy to fly, actually it's easier to fly than the TF 65" WS Mustang. What problem(s) does your friend experience when he flys his TF giant P-51D Mustang?

My Mustang is very stable in flight even with this heavy load attached!!

chris923

My Feedback: (53)

There is a no better choice than the Top Flite 84in ws P51.
Trimed correctly a little nose heavy, It takes off, flys and lands like a dream..
Remember, bigger flies better. The smaller the plane the more "squirrely" they are especially warbirds.

Shaun Evans

Hi,

Are you asking KIT or are ARF's included? If you're counting ARF's, the best FLYING one I've experienced so far is the H9 60cc.

foodstick

For some reason he just couldn't make his Topflite kit land well he just kept breaking it up....He has other smaller planes that he can land fast and on the wheels but I am not sure what the gremlin is in his P51.

He does have a smaller Hangar 9 Mustang that he LOVES.. I have been telling him possibly the bigger Hangar 9 would be a wise choice. He likes to build so I don't think he was considering arfs.. but I am going to recommend it to him.

foodstick

ForcesR, that is quite the payload ! hahaha

thanks for all the help, I have called him and passed on the hangar 9 reviews and he is considering it. The topflite he had kitbashed into a B model and I am not sure that he hadn't built something off a bit.. And I know he hated adding lead to it.. But I am pretty sure he was balanced ok.. I always tell him a bit nose heavy beats a bit tail heavy every time !

flycatch

My Feedback: (26)

Depth perception nothing more. Have him land in front of himself.

RCFlyerDan

My Feedback: (54)

Several are still recommending the TF, even though you said he was having difficulties. Currently building a Ziroli P-51, and I have flown all of them from the TF KIT built, heavy as heck model, to the light and forgiving ARF's, including World Models, H9, and Aeroworks. The easiest by far is the Aeroworks. Looks good and truly flies like a trainer. The issue is if you buy it as an ARF that has the retracts and airlines installed. Everything leaks, and there is a forum on here about it, and had to be replaced. Cheap Chinese stuff. Put Sierra electric or air in it, and a DA50, DLE55 or good ole reliable Zenoah 62. Good Luck.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

I've flown every model mentioned in this thread.

I can tell you all that none fly better than the H-9

It has some issues with fit here and there but it's the most sport plane least warbird flying of the lot.

Chris Nicastro

My Feedback: (3)

Im flying the TF kit built to 25lbs and it lands very easy but with healthy respect to its character.

Two things to consider for this plane;
1) the landing gear rails must be strengthened
2) any working struts like Robostruts have to have dual rate, progressive or two springs. Yellow AC struts have two stage springs and the P-38 I fly doesnt bounce when you first touch down. When holding slight up elevator on final and the wheels first touch on hard springs the plane usually pops back up. Ive seen this and done this for years and have been modifying my gear ever since. On this TF kit Mustang Ive gone to the hardware store and bought short springs and spacers to tune them. The plane sits with the gear fully compressed so when it lands like full scale the gear helps settle the plane down.

Ive been flying mostly 60 size P-51's for many years and they dont compare to the bigger versions. The bigger P-51's will be more stable generally but Ive seen the TF Mustang high speed stall too. So set up and flying style will dictate success or failure.

nemesis4u

My Feedback: (77)

HOW ABOUT THE forgotten WORLD MODELS P-51.... I hear they fly well..... and price is very reasonable....

They are available in many color schemes :::

http://www.airborne-models.com/html/...p?ProductID=21

Just food for thought.....

Mike06659

Poor guy, I feel for him. If we all live long enough we are bound to suffer from slower reaction times making our once best flying planes a challenge. TF Mustang seems to be one of the best out there.
He may benefit from some sort of flight stabilization system to calm things down.
Mike

foodstick

I do think turning 72 was a year that took some of his endurance away.. but he seems to still fly many of his planes well. But he has a strong urge to be able to have a bigger Mustang that he can take home in one piece everyday. I still think there was some error built into this last kit ...he really changed a lot when he built it.

TJC333

If he can fly a Top Flite giant scale Corsair but not the Mustang there must be something wrong with the way he built the Mustang.

FireBee

My Feedback: (34)

Foodsticks, Most mustangs have a tendency to tip stall on landing if too slow on approach. Solution is more washout in the wing tips. Take both ailerons and add 2 turns out on the Clevis to make each aileron slightly higher. This adds washout to an already built wing. Expect to re trim for straight and level flight as it will want to climb slightly.

If you want to mix your radio and you have aileron servos on two channels ( ch1, ch6) you could also do that.
this is how my right side slider bar is set up. Neutral position is neutral. For landings I slide it up on downwind leg, and this adds up to both ailerons thus creating more washout on the wing tips.

dmyers0403

My Feedback: (48)

Take a look at JB-Hobbies P51. It is a large very good looking ARF with a 96" ws. Just made maiden flight on mine a couple of weeks ago. Very light for its size and flys great. Assembles quick with very little extra work. Cost more with retracts than TF but bigger and better. Manual sucks but a very good ARF
It is a fiberglass fuselage with builtup wings and removable stabs.

quist

My Feedback: (198)

H9 and Aeroworks both fly and land great. Much better ground handling than the Top Flite. IMO

Eddie P

My Feedback: (4)

I'd love to see some photos of the gear spring modification if you have them, thanks!
Ed

chris923

My Feedback: (53)

What I and several others have done with the TF GS P51 is put the correct dihedral in the wing. The arf only has 5 to 6 degrees. It should be 10 deg. This make the plane much more stable on landing.

the hobbyman

If he wants to build one, I would be looking at the Meister one, flys like a trainer with its flat bottom wing

oldtimer4759

hi all,
I think the secret was early in this post, MAKE IT NOSE HEAVY, a 1/2 inch in front of the book balance point, it will still fly like a pattern model, the other thing to do is increase the low idle, these things will bounce if you come in too slow, increase the low idle so it is almost still flying, heaps of flap will help to stop a wing tip stall.
just my 2 cents worth, it works for me.
Oldtimer

chris923

My Feedback: (53)

+1

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

With all due respect, most manufacturers are already conservative to the nose heavy side and moving it even further forward results in a home sick lawn dart or lead sled that often can't produce enough elevator to flare properly especially on low rate.

I wouldn't go any further back than recommended but I certainly wouldn't go that far forward.

Just my 2 cents (which given the current state of the stock market might be worth even less tomorrow!)

chris923

My Feedback: (53)

I would never fly or even land my TF Mustang on the manual suggested low rate...................that is why you have a lawn dart! Full rate elevator allows me to fly 12" above the ground until it settles on the mains.