speedaholic

My Feedback: (4)

I was wondering if i had some carbon fiber blades made for the byron p-51 reduction unit with 4 blades would anyone else be interested in them. A guy at the local hobby shop makes carbonfiber propellers and i was gona see if he could make one and what it would cost. or does anyone make an upgrade prop blade for this already. thanks

Jack Devine

My Feedback: (6)

Man I hope you are serious here. If he could come up with a Carbon Fiber blade that would be a bolt in he couldn't build them fast enough. This would bring this power unit into modern times and make it perform. The blades that Byron produced are 9/10ths of the problem. Above 3500 RPM they are flat and the thrust falls right on it's butt. I changed my Mustang from the Quadra 42 to the Byron Mustang 50 and gained over eight hundred RPM and it has less thrust at the higher prop speed than it did with the 3300 RPM from the Quadra. Please keep me posted on this. I'm very interested.

Jack Devine

maddog-RCU

My Feedback: (23)

Count me in also. I would be VERY interested in getting some of those babies. Keep us posted.

BOMBERGUY

My Feedback: (5)

I'd be interested in a set too.

John

kram51

My Feedback: (3)

Count me in as well!!!

Mark

Paul Grubich

My Feedback: (1)

This would be a great thing if you can pull it off. I have always wanted to put the Byron Mustang drive in a lighter warbird and if we can get stiffer props this would really be a powerhouse.

speedaholic

My Feedback: (4)

For those who might be interested i talked to the guy that makes the props and he estimated a set of four blades at 250.00. I cant afford this right now but for those who want some i can maybe get his email. Also for this he will need a new blade from the unit to mold off of. and for me i was wondering if anyone has a new set of blades for the byron mustang they want to part with. thanks.

kram1234

Wow! That's pretty steep. One nose over and you're out a pretty penny. I'm still interested to see if others will step up but I can't justify that kind of money on the props alone.

Nothing worth having is ever easy is it?!

GPaloz

My Feedback: (1)

Curious as to price breakdown on a bulk order? ie How many blades would it take to lower the cost?

speedaholic

My Feedback: (4)

I will have to talk to him about this. he is not sure on the exact cost but did say the more people that buy them the less they will be. Do you guys nose over much. the guy i got mine from almost nosed it every takeoff. looks like the mains are touching the strut, maybe cause a bindup.

kram51

My Feedback: (3)

I will still throw my hat into the ring if it helps to convince this guy to go ahead and develop the molds and such. The more he can get the lower the price right?

Trident

Hey are there realatives here? There is a kram51 and a kram1234. What is the significance? Anyway I had a Byron 51 for about four years flying with the 4 blader before I sold it. I have to agree that the plastic props are just barely stiff enough. If I still had the model - droping 250 for a vast improvemnet would not be all that bad considering the time and effort I put into trying to get it to fly decent.

Trident

Almost forgot, I am not one of those guys that says "I'll take it" only to disappear when the check arrives. I just thought I would chime in to say I think it is a good idea. Thanks.

Mustang51

My Feedback: (25)

Know one likes the Byron Mustang\reduction drive set-up more then me(except maybe Jack D.),Everyone wants to see this set-up improved, but I hate like hell to breake this to you. You guys need to go "underground" and stay off the radar with this. These Byron blades are propriatary, reproducing them with out written permission(from Iron Bay) is a "no-no".
(but....ehhh... keep me in mind, I'm in)

-Mustang51

Jack Devine

My Feedback: (6)

Mustang 51: You may have a point there. I have sent a couple of emails to the Iron Bay folks and all you get is that they have no plans on changing anything. With lawyers what they are today I'm sure you could find one that would make some stink about it. It should be considered an aftermarket part available to fit this system. Kind of like a new Demon Carb to replace that tired old Quadrajet on your Camero. GM doesn't gripe about that.
Hell it would pick up the sales of replacement parts on this system considerably. A guy should be able to buy what ever prop he wants for his airplane. I sure can for all of the rest of my models.

Jack Devine

speedaholic

My Feedback: (4)

I havent had a chance to talk to him yet as i have been busy with work, but i am gona e-mail him now. I dont think that there would be a problem with reproducing them he saind he would probably sand the blad to make it thiner so it cuts the air better. just an aftermarket upgrade. so does anyone here have problems with nosing over on there byron mustang? I am gona use the plastic ones first till i get good at the landings and takeoffs.

kram1234

No relation that I'm aware of to Kram51. He has the call letters I wanted!!
I like the idea of working out all the bugs with the original blades first and then switching over to the "high performance" units. This should help to minimize anything that might lead to broken blades .. . . outside of dumb thumbs that is!

Jack Devine

My Feedback: (6)

Speedaholic: If the landing gear is set up correctly and the wheels on the main gear turn freely then you shouldn't have any trouble with your Mustang nosing over. I fly primarily from a grass field and the Mustang handles it just fine. I don't have any nose over tendencies.
Jack Devine

speedaholic

My Feedback: (4)

He told me that the blades will be about 250.00. if anyone wants to talk with him directly you can at

[email protected] or com not sure i just send to both. he can probably answer your wuestions better than me, also he said he is backed up on orders and it would probably be 3 months before he could even make the..just in time for next flying season..hehe
also where is the CG located on the byron mustang. I have the older one with the one piece wing. thanks for any help

Merlin65

Excuse if these are stupid questions.

Has anyone approached any of the major prop manufacturers about this problem?

If Clark Ind can run a metal hub with four wooden blades on their Spitfire, why can't this be done on the byrodrive? Wood is a lot cheaper, particularly once the CNC programming is done.

Just curious,
--
Merlin

Jack Devine

My Feedback: (6)

Merlin: The main problem with the Byron unit is the spinner backing plate which has the blades bolted to it and the spinner attached to it. It is also is the upper pulley part of the drive system. It has two v-grooves in it that allow the motor to transfer the power to the upper shaft through the two drive belts that fit in the two grooves on the spinner back plate. The blades have steps on the back of them that secure them into the steps molded into the backing plate and each blade is attached with two bolts. I see no reason though why a company that can CNC maching a prop blade would have any problem with cutting a prop blade. It couldn't hurt to ask. Most of the other carbon fiber prop companies are in Europe. Clark is in Canada. We should check it out.

Merlin65

Thanks Jack, now I understand a little better.
I will write to Bolly who are right here in Aust.
--
Merlin

Mustang51

My Feedback: (25)

The reason no "outside" company is touching the Byron unit is AGAIN... The Byron unit is PROPRIETARY. That means they CAN'T!
It would be copyright infringement, a LAW SUIT.
The only way any other company outside of "Iron Bay" can do anything with the drive unit would be through written permission, from "Iron Bay". I would hardly think "Iron Bay" is not only going to give up the money making possibilities on this, they're also not going to open themselves up to POSSIBLE litigation, should company "x"s R&D not perform properly.

-Mustang51

kram1234

Mustang51
Curious, how is that you have this knowledge of the Byron drive system? Not meant as a flame in any way, just curious. There does seem to be a pretty good precedent in the hobby industry for "aftermarket upgrades" that either enhance a designs performance or boldly plagiarize someone else's design. Just look at the 1/10 scale touring car business. No sooner does an HPI, or Associated release a new design and numerous "upgrades" are available from many different sources. How is this any different?

Mark

SCALECRAFT

My Feedback: (13)

Dear Sirs

My understanding is that generally a "copy" of a product must be changed at least 10% from the original design. This would include
construction material also.

Of course, just to answer a legal complaint would cost more than the average modeler would want to advance.

Steve