tigertooth

My Feedback: (1)

Nice job Bobby! The B version is my favorite on the mustang. Hawaii has the best flying weather, been there and miss it! Richard.

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hay TigerTooth,
Thanks for the words...and I managed to final all the servo's in the fuse tonight, adding the contole horns too-to the rudder and elevator. I've yet to glue in the elevator and rudder, but that will be tomorrow night. This will make the fuse almost flight ready. I'm having trouble finding 2 3/8" long 6/32 screws, to mount my muffler...I hope to find a sorce soon. So far it's comimng together with out to much fuss. I also started to add some fiberglass to the cowl...and this will take a couple more days to finish and then I will paint the canopy and cowl to match the fuse. I can't wait to get the wing started...
Soft and gentle landings always,
Bobby of Maui

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Update...
I finsihed the fuse, and it's ready to fly. The total weight of the fuse, came out to 5#-11 oz. Does any one know if this is considered heavy for a .60 size P-51 fuse...or average weight ?

I'm pulling off the covering of the last wing half and now into the wing modifications.

I still am unable to find 6-32 x 2 3/8" cap head screws. I need two...I would love four...any help would be appreciated.

Soft Landings always,
Bobby of Maui

CSpierings

My Feedback: (29)

Bobby,

Here is a shot of my attempt at something similar to what you've done with your 51.

CSpierings

My Feedback: (29)

Sorry got submitted by accident. I'm going to strip the cowl and repait as well as add the other details yet. I also removed the shaky retracts that came with it and replaced them with Spring Air.

Chris

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hay CSpierings,
That is a nice "B" conversion. I'm ready to paint my canopy and cowl myself, and bought a shaker can of T.F. olive green to do the honors.

How much does your fuse weigh ? Mine came out to 5# 11 oz.

I installed a retractable tail wheel, added an extra servo for the retract tail wheel, and a Du-Bro vibe mount. The Spinner is Dave Brown parabolic unit and it fits well.

What are you going to put in as power for your model?

Have you flown the kit yet...if so, how did yours fly?

Soft landings always,
Bobby of Maui

tychoc

Bob Paris,

The modified P-51 looks great!

Did you consider adding flaps it while you had the covering off? I see the P-51 60 size World Model ARF comes with flaps.

I've purchased the same ARF as you have and I was considering adding flaps. Do you foresee any problems doing this?

Thanks,

tychoc

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Tychoc,

Yes, I am adding full flaps, and acutally I am going to skin the whole wing with balsa. There is an another post where a guy added flaps to this kit and he shows how to do it. It was his post that got me to buy this kit and do the mods. Go look it up, I believe he calls his post, "adding flaps to an arf." He walks you through it step by step and knows what he is talking about. He did a great mod to this same kit and it's simple and easy to do.

My kit had All the balsa joints well glued, and the wing looked straight and well assembled. I did show some pictures of the uncovered wing in this post. I'm very pleased with the kit so far, and if you have the same one I do...you have one of the better one's out there. I finally glued in the rudder and elevator, and it was dead on square without doing anything. It was a shame to remove all the covering, for it was the best cover job I've ever seen on an ARF. Not a wrinkle anywhere, and near perfect.

How did your kit's covering look to you?

I used Pacer canopy glue to install my rudder and elevator. I started using this four years ago, and I never have had a failure yet with it. It's water based, and dries clear. It takes a few minutes to set up, so you can possition everything to be square.

I am starting the wing this week. And I will install my C.J. retracts into the wings first. I've removed all the covering off of both wings now, and every thing looks the same...good work all around, with lazor cut wood. If the manufatures of this kit manage to get the balsa wood quality up a bit, it will be near perfect.

I managed to buy two kits off of e-bay from the same vender, and both kits are identical. I managed to get both kits, delivered to Hawai'i for under $300.00 total. This to me was a very good deal, for this quiality. The proff will be in how she flies...and I will hold off that until this bird gets airborn, and I know for sure. Right now I'm having some fun and the model is coming out better then I expected.

Keep me posted on your build,
Bobby of Maui

tychoc

Bob Paris,

Yes, mine looks like very high quality for the price as well and the covering looks really good. I still haven't decided if I should strip it down and make improvements or just assemble it and fly it as is. Given the price, I might just get another one and do both since this will be my first warbird.

Please keep us posted regarding the progress on the wings. I was contemplating sheeting the whole wing as well and maybe even glass the whole bird.

-tychoc

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hay Tychoc,

The man with the post about building in the flaps to this kit is named, Joe. His call sign handle is, Paladin. Look his post up, "adding flaps to an arf", he did a great job on this flap modification.

I am going to sheet all my wing, so I will be able to cut out my flaps and make them scale size. Joe's mod does not remove the covering from the wing, but do, to how the wing is covered with balsa, and wing strength/integrity, he made his flaps smaller to leave some wing skin on the wing, in the flap area. It was good advise too.

I'll post more pictures in a few day's of the retract instilation.

Bob

CSpierings

My Feedback: (29)

Bob,

Mine hasn't flown in the B configuration. It was the H9 D model but the lousy fuel tanks that come with ARFs mean I had to deal with a sloppy mess when it split. My mistake was getting a replacement from H9 and installing the same sort of tank a second time. It split too. A dubro tank is going in the third time. The plane had been flying for 2 years when I decided it was time to clean it up and thought about converting it to a B. I thought I had a robart tailwheel retract mechanism laying around but couldn't find it so I skipped installing it like you did. Part of the motivation for this project was to work on something while the finish was curing on my 109Z that I'm fiberglassing the fuse on. I'll update you on the finished weight when its done. Mine will probably come in a little heavier because I've got a D cell nimh full time onboard glow system in it. I'm shooting the silver on the cowl this morning.

The plane flew great as a D model. The retracts were its down fall. They were very sloppy and loose and given our rough field conditions they just didn't hold up well. The same motor I flew with earlier will go back in it, a Magnum 91 four stroke. It flew the plane great before and I'm sure it will do so again.

I'm also trying to work out the nose art "Dody" and some of the other lettering. My emphais is on keeping the project relatively simple and keeping the costs down since the ARF wasn't all that expensive to begin with. I'm trying to just use the stuff I've got on hand.

Chris

tychoc

Bob,

Thanks for the info on the "adding flaps to an arf" thread. Lots of good info.

I'm not ready to get started on the P-51 yet. I still have a GP Ultimate kit that I have to finish. Since I'm not really in a hurry, I'm looking into different mods and improvements that I can do.

After the P-51 I want to start building a TF Spitfire kit. I'm looking at the P-51 as a "training" ARF to prepare myself for the Spit.

Looking forward to following your progress in this thread. It's been very helpful to me as a wardbird beginner.


Chris,

I'd be interested in reading more about how you glass your fuse. I'm looking into trying this technique myself.

-tychoc

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

I managed to finish the fuse and the the cowl and canopy are painted. The C.J. retracts are going in really nice and easy. I will post a few pictures of the work with the wing in a couple of days.

Soft landings always,
Bobby of Maui

nemesis4u

My Feedback: (77)

ALOHA....
Bob,
Man...That is a nice conversion..I have been following you..That is a steal on that P-51...Great Idea to convert it over..
BTW on my H9 CORSAIR FF59... I painted the exposed tail servos the color of the covering and they blended in so well most people do not notice them hanging out of the fuse... Just a cool tip I discovered while fiddling with a way to "hide" the servos...
Keep posting more pics...[8D]

cochinito77

*oh no i have awakened the dead thread!*
whatever happened to the conversion? how did it fly? any video?
lol
Raf-

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hay Raf,
Yes the model did fly and its still with me. I've had over 35 flights on her, but I ended up with a few issues with this China made ARF.

On my first flight I found I had a lot of wing twist and ended up with a bit of right aileron trim as well as a lot of down elevator to fly straight and level. It was a cheap kit...so not unexpected, but I'll admit I was disappointed. She flys well, has a huge presence in the air, and lands just fine if you keep your speed up.

I ended up going with Lado retracts and pulled the C.J.'s out of the model. I did use the C.J. struts and Doug at Lado drilled out the cams for me to fit the Lado's. The C.J. struts ended up to be more problem then they should have been, and now installing Robart 3/16 P-51 struts. I had a learning curve with the Robart retractable tail wheel, but once I understood how to set them up (with help form my buddies here on R/C Universe), worked well for me.

When painting my cowl and canopy...the Top Flight paint caused the plastic parts to warp to the place that they were unusable. Sigs P-51B cowl and canopy fit ok...not perfect, but well enough to work. I mounted my engine with a Bison Pitts style header and that fit nice into the cowl...and sounds great in the air. The Robart scale wheels seem to ware out the plastic bushings in just a few landings...so I ended up going with DuBro scale 3" diamond treaded wheels.

I'm now installing new landing gear rails in the wing, for the kit supplied rails split on me even though they were pre-drilled and CA glue used to beef up the holes . The wood used was just not up the the job...and/or my landings. Because of the warped wing, I need to land a bit faster then I usually like to. I did try a stall landing once...but the right wing dropped so hard...I bent the landing gear pin on the right wing.

I've since built a Top Flight P-51D and looking at the T.F. P-47D.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

cochinito77

Outstanding Bobbi of maui!! lol
i love seeing mods like this....
Raf