Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hay SuperMustang,
You are going to be surprised just how well this airframe fly's. It groves just like a good pattern plane and though your going electric...your going to be very happy at is flight performance. Just keep your speed up on landing and you will grease them on.

I used Robarts 3/8" collars to hold down my gear doors. I ended up going to Robart struts and wheels...and their 3/8" collars fit perfect onto there struts. To be surprised...I had no idea C.J. had snap on 3/8" collars...I'll have to try them on my next model.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

radfordc

My Feedback: (14)

Both the 1/7 Mustang and the Giant Scale TF Mustang fly like pattern ships....smooth and easy.

cubcrasher

My Feedback: (6)

Hey Guys,
I had one of these bad boys in the classifieds adds a few weeks back, still got
it if anyone's interested.

cubcrasher

My Feedback: (6)

Nib

acdii

Yes it does fly nice, once you get the throws setup properly that is. Be very diligent on both balance and elevator throws and fly on low rates on the tail or you may be looping into the ground when you least expect it. Once I found out that the elevator was my issue and corrected to throw, it flies beautifully. Still working on the landings though, greasing in usually winds up flipping it over. Still, since I only have a total of 6 flights, the last three with it properly setup, my second to last landing was a thing of beauty. My last landing acquired a light tailwind in the process and came in too hot for a grass strip.

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hay Acdii,
I found by moving my C.G. forward to 5-1/4 to 5-3/8 inches will work wonders for your elevator sensitivity. I make a point to keep the power up especially with full flaps and wheels down. If you do keep your power in...and not afraid to be a bit fast on approach...you will find this airframe is very easy to fly right down to the runway. I hold just a touch of up elevator and after the model touches down...I release the elevator...and she will do the most beautiful wheel landing. With full flaps the model fly's nose low...in straight and level flight...and this nose low attitude makes your wheel landings a simple chore. Remember...its a fighter plane...and needs to be flown like one. It is not a trainer...but once in the air...is one very sweet flying model. I have a DLE 20RA in mine...and it handles the engine quite well...and mine came out to 10 lbs. 2 oz.

I tossed out my kit mechanical landing gear and went with Lado's...perfect and they have lasted me for over five years on this model. I never knew if T.F. up graded their retracts...but I am now a confirmed Lado retract user.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

SuperMustang

Thanks Guys.

Is there any alternate to CJM collars as I live in England and no one carries CJM parts here. Robart also has very limited availability here.

Bob do you know the exact description or part number for the Robart ?

Thanks,

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Dear SuperMustang,

#650DB 3/8" dia RoboStrut Gear Door Mounting Brackets

http://robart.com/collections/robost...nting-brackets

I used 3/8" Robo struts and "Lado" electric retracts. If you use 3/8" struts...then the above will do the trick.

Soft landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

acdii

Mine is at 5 1/4, based on your settings a while back. Grass is my enemy in landings, the Stang is way to easy to put its nose down, and the resistance of grass doesn't help. Once I replaced those awful wire struts with Robart struts, ground handling has greatly improved. All landings so far have been just as you described, and if it werent for the grass, they would have all been upright landings! I found that as soon as the mains touch to apply just a tad up to keep the nose from dropping, though if it drops too fast, no amount of up will stop it. Its a fine ballet of hand eye coordination to time it just right to keep it on the ground and upright when landing on grass.

Tailwheel Pilot

My Feedback: (2)

I picked one up a couple of months ago and finally got it put together. I asked a buddy to do it since I haven't been feeling very energetic but it's flying and has 11 flights. Power is a OS 95 with onboard glow. Steve beefed up the area for the gear after all the stories. We have five 51's at our field and they all broke the mounts for the gear. We did use the stock gear and everything is fine for now but I'm sure I'll change it out. The plane fly's great. My best landings so far have been full stall three point landings. I've rolled it on doing wheel landings but the transition to tailwheel on the ground is tricky. It's a lot of fun but of course you guys know that!

SuperMustang

Hi Guys,

I could not find anything suitable here in therefore had to order the bracket form Century Jets USA. Its has taken about 10 days for the brackets to arrive. I will try to install them over the weekend.

Just one more thing guys, On my kit the flap servo wing hatches were not symmetrical as it included 2 right hand side hatches. I am not sure whether other people had similar issue. Anyway I notified Topflite dealer and received the correct servo hatch.

I am attaching photos of this

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hay SuperMustang,
Your flap servo's are not suppose to be symmetrical. The flap servo out put arms slots should both be on the same side-on both wings...where your aileron output arms are opposite of each other and are symmetrical. Since most folks use just one channel for flaps, if you "Y" cord to connect them to the Rx...Both Flaps must come down together...not opposite like on your ailerons. Think about it a minute and it will make sense. Now if your using one channel for each flap servo that is not an issue, because you can reverse one servo with your Tx, not so with one channel for both Flap servo operation. from your first picture...turn the right side servo hatch around 180 deg. and your set up properly for Flap operation...from one channel.

I hope this explains it to you...if it doesn't ...let me know and I will send you a picture of my set up.

Remember...aileron servo's need to go in opposite directions to work...flap servo's need to go the same direction to work properly...using one channel on your Rx.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

radfordc

My Feedback: (14)

Yes...with symmetrical flap covers you will need to drive each flap servo from a separate channel, or use a signal reverser in one of the servo leads.

SuperMustang

Thanks for clarifying this Bob. Now I know why the servo doors are not symmetrical.

Anyways as I have corrected (or uncorrected) this symmetry issue, I spent a several hours fiddling with my XG 11 to correct why the Flaps are not moving in the correct direction and ended giving tp the idea of using a Y cable and used dual Flaps option in my XG11. I know I can fix the problem by using a reverse Y- Cable but I would stick to dual servo flaps as this gives me much better end point adjustments.

Its very near completion now. spent a couple of hours trying to adjust and flush the Wing doors with the wings.

acdii

So, why does the P-51 not like grass? Flew today, very nice take off, of course that is after restarting it when it nosed over taxiing. It flies great, very maneuverable, had a perfect landing approach, up to the moment the left tire kissed the grass, then BAM over on its nose. I found the left strut got bent and that there was a slight bump in the grass where it landed.

I maidened my P-47 150 today, no bad ground handling issues, take off was great, nice and straight, no issues wanting to nose over, and the landing was perfect, no flaps needed, taxiied back to the exact spot that I started out from. So what is it that the Mustang is so nose over sensitive? When I take off I have the elevator at high rate and as soon as it lifts off I switch to low rate. I can't taxi it on low rate at all, it just wont move more than a foot without nosing over.

I would fly this more if it weren't for the bad ground handling. It flies on rails, and handles great in the air.

Bob Paris

My Feedback: (13)

Hay Accdii,
First off...there is a world of difference between the P-47 and P-51. I too have them both...and my T.F. 20 cc powered P-47 is a dream to fly, both on the ground and in the air. The Tbolt has a wider stance on the ground and that alone helps the Tbolt. I have flown at least a half dozen Tbolts from .049 to my T.F. 60-.90 size, w/DLE 20RA....all handled much better on the ground thenT.F. P-51. I love how my P-51 flies in the air...but take off and landing takes a bit of more attention. I love how it ground handles...but I am always flying it...on the ground or in the air. For some reason the Tbolt is easier to handle on the ground...and I helped my T.F. P-51's ground handling...by putting a couple of thin washers under the aft main landing gear mounting rails, in two places. I then mounted my retract unit over the two washers on the aft rail...screwing the retract unit down over the washers. This moved my landing gear struts...when retracted in the down and locked position...a bit more forward. Your tires when retracted in the up position while retracted...may be slightly astray from normal...but at full throttle...down low...who is going to see this anyway. It helped me...and I do it on all my tail draggers now.

I love all my Tbolts...but my Red Tail P=51...looks awesome in the air and when I am able to do a squeaker of a wheel landing on asphalt...it kind of makes me smile a bit. I fly her down with throttle and with some speed...and as she starts to kiss the runway....I throttle down. Works every time....But...I've yet to do a nice 3-pointer with her. Get the lady a bit to slow...and you will have your hands full at best...or she will tip stall and drop a wing if you get to slow. I know...it has happened to me. There is little wiggle room with the speed you need, to do a nice 3-pointer and the eventual tip stall-if you slow up to much. It also depends on where your C.G. is. Mine is set a bit forward of what the book recommends...but I like how it flies a bit forward of the T.F. P-51 manual recommendations.

Soft Landings Always,
Bobby of Maui

acdii

The bent gear has me flabbergasted! It was a smooth touchdown landing. It lightly touched the grass, then BAM. I have had one perfect landing where I was able to keep the nose up and taxi it back, on grass, but the grass was cut short.


Not joking about it being bent. Knocked the hub cover off too.




I did the washer thing and pushed the gear forward, it did help quite a bit. The gear sits towards the rear of the cutout now though.

radfordc

My Feedback: (14)

It should not have any problem on grass. Here is how mine handled our not so smooth grass strip: https://youtu.be/_48EbAn-uE0

Either the wheels are too far aft or the CG is too far forward. That's really the only factors at play.

thebluemax

My Feedback: (151)

Nice flight....

acdii

CG is perfect, not going to touch it, but I will see if I can move the wheels a bit more forward. Still puzzled why it bent, It's as though I slammed it into the ground, which is not the case here, it was a smooth touch down. It even bent the shaft.

radfordc

My Feedback: (14)

Put a couple of washers under the back of the retract unit to move the wheels forward a little.

acdii

Already did.

aghost

My Feedback: (13)

acdii: I have the same or similar Robostrut (653L/R) on my P-51. Early on the oleos bent at that same point as yours three different times on decent landings. I ordered a spare set of oleos and installed them. This set hasn't bent on me so far. Better landings now or a weak spot in the first oleo set, I don't know.

I was fairly successful straightening the bent oleos, but I think that may have even weakened them more.

Brian

flyrcjets

My Feedback: (30)

I've had no problem with the Eflite Struts so far. Been on for three years or more.

I_Fly

Mine has the nose over issue on grass. Fortunately our club has a paved runway. I'm fine if it stays on the pavement but it does not usually fair well on the grass unless it was just cut or I'm a little lucky. Only problem is that it does like to land quickly so it tends to run off the end of the field. My prior kit built model met it's end because it slowed too much on approach. Not interested in repeating that...

I have also tried washers under the retract units. It does seem to help with nose over but only a very little bit. It also seems to cause the wheel alignment issue someone noted. After my stock mechanical retracts finally died I bought some inexpensive servo less electric retract units and struts from Hobby King. They work great.

Not sure about the exact CG but mine flies great. I'm OK with the occasional nose over and don't wish to move it back.

Jut thought I would share a few thoughts...