traxxboy

Hello, I love warbirds. My top flite p-40 is just to much trouble to fly every time I go to the field, and my midwest p-51 has been retired due to centimental reasons. I am looking for a .40-.60 size airplane, mechanical retracts, and pretty cheap. I am leaning towards the vq fw-190 or world models p-51. I am open to suggestions.

Redback

IMO VQ is the way to go.

I have a VQ zero with retracts which flies very well. Retracts are reasonably reliable (especially considering the price plus our grass field liberally scattered with Roo Poo), just need an occasional tweak.

Lots of models to choose from too.

Terry

traxxboy

I dont need anthing super scale just something that looks good in the air. I have gotten close to buying a vq p-51b before...but backed out. What engine do you have in your zero?

MANFRED

My Feedback: (27)

Just buy any of the H-9 planes, go together nice and fly great.

traxxboy

Will they fly alright on a .60 2-stroke? How well do there retracts hold up on grass?

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

a 60 2st will fly a H-9 well I have 2, a P-51,and a P-40 they fine flyers the gear is not the best, if you fly off pavement or well mowed grass there fine but off rough surfaces there lible to get beat up fast and will need replacing,our field is astro turf its pretty smooth so they havent needed to be replaced.
both my planes are powered by OS 91 4st engines which are about the same as a 60 2st.

CorsairJock

My Feedback: (90)

I had a Great Planes AT-6 ARF, powered by Saito .56, and it became my 'rough field' airplane. That short but stout retractable landing gear meant it could plow thru some pretty rough runways. With the .56, it could do any aerobatics that the full scale could, and a few that the full scale couldn't (including knife edge) . Yet, I could idle it back and make super scale looking slow fly-bys. With a 12 x 6 prop, it even had a bit of the AT6 biting sound.

They are no longer made, and somewhat hard to find, but generally sell for about $150 or less (retracts not included).

Too bad I still don't have mine: I flew my H9 Corsair at a private campground on July 4. It didn't handle the tall grass well enough. I horsed it off the ground for 1 flight, landed and it flipped over. I made repairs to fin (CA), and made 2 attempts to take off again. Both attempts ended with it flipping over and onto the tail again. 2nd attampt burned up my speed controller.

I also really liked my H9 Hellcat, but it was not as well suited for rough runways (wanted to flip over too easily in tall grass).

Yep, I know what you mean. I fly nothing but warbirds, and like to take one to parties and such some times, but I don't have a rough field warbird anymore, and thinking I need to get my spare AT6 together to I will have one.

Evil_Merlin

My Feedback: (13)

Personally I would avoid VQ. Poor wood quality, poor parts (plan on replacing them all), saggy film covering (don't let it in the sunlight for any extended length of time), and horrible glue joints for the fuse formers.
Don't count on any type of customer service either. They are horrible about it and make no attempt to take care of their customers.

I have had decent luck with the Hangar 9 products for cheap beater warbirds that have good customer support.

I've also had good luck with WillHobbies planes.

G-Pete

Yes he is right, get a H9 there is nothing wrong with them. You have a goos quality product and an outstanding customer service. Yes they are more then the CMP or other knock offs but you have more fun and have to fight a bad design...

Happy landings
G-Pete

traxxboy

thank you, Usually when I bring the topic of a daily warbird up some people say buy sport planes for that kind of stuff. People are not as wowed by sport planes. Even a semi-scale p-51 can get people's attention more than a pretty four star.

Ok now that Im done ranting....Yeah Id rather avoid cmp. Have heard some real horror stories. What about the world models p-51 .46? anybod fly it?

US185Damiani

My TF corsair is as close as you can get to an everyday warbird great flyer and the gear (NOT ROBART) are very reliable with just basic maintenance probably hundreds of flights by now.

My WW1 fav is my Hangar 9 Camel.

great flyer and head turner

daven

My Feedback: (1)

I had a world models mustang and liked it very much. With a stock .46 it has plenty of power and was a great flying plane.

The retracts were a little soft, and occasionally needed a little bending, but they worked fine.

Nice plane, there are a lot of them at our field.

paladin

My Feedback: (9)

Traxxboy, I build one ARF every other year as a take it out and fly plane. This is the plane that gets the call when it is two windy for the good stuff, or too wet, or after the ground has heaved for the winter. It’s also the one I mock dog fight with my son with usually.
six years ago I built a Kyosho me109 I was impressed with the strength of the model and it flew well with my Rossi 40 or Super Tigre GS-45K ABC (I never broke a LG mount out of it). I used hobbico retracts that I can pick up at any RC flee market for $5-10. I was very disappointed in the covering, after 81 flights it was shot. I recovered it but the fuel had been able to pass through the covering and completely soak the balsa. Nothing would stick to it, not even balsa rite. That is what pushed me to pass it on to a modeler new to war birds, because the balsa on the bottom of the wing had to be striped off and recovered to fix the problem. Mine had flaps from day one, I put lots of budding war bird pilots on it to demo what happens with flaps that are setup correctly.
Two years ago I built a evergreen P-51D from raiden tech. I also added flaps to it, and CJ retracts. At 40 flights one of the front LG mounting blocks broke out and twn flights later the other did. I replaced them with Engine mount maple pushed further into the wing (to move the LG wheels under the wing LE and epoxyed there. I’ve just reached 106 flights after last summer and thus far in this one (200 flight life expectancy) and have several problems that I hope to nurse to the off season. The top of the decking is all broken up between the firewall and canopy, this is because the engine had some problems end of last year and beginning of this year that have been resolved, but it spent a lot of time on its back in a cradle waiting for parts and it was not designed for that. The second is the covering is just starting to peal everywhere, which is typical of an ARF because it was not covered by a modeler who knows where to have more overlap and where it is not needed. Lastly partly due to the amount of raw fuel the canopy has seen while the engine was not running correctly the paint had all wrinkled in the bottom of the cowl. It started life with a OS 1.2 surpass II pumper which produced plenty of power (= to surpass III non pumped). The problem was the pump died and now it only puts out the power of a .90 surpass III. It flies it but verticals are short and not fighterish.

I would recommend either plane, you know what problems I had with them so hopefully you can avoid them. The kyosho ARF’s go for aprox. $180 from Kyosho. The evergreen goes for approx. $125-130 from raiden tech (it is a copy of the H9, and its scale short comings are obvious when set next to a H9) but the price is right.

http://www.raidentech.com/pwwwanirarec.html

Redback

Traxxboy,

Got a Saito 62 in the VQ Zero. Provides just about the right amount of power to fly in a reasonably scale like way.

Terry

Redback

Traxxboy,

Got a Saito 62 in the VQ Zero. Provides just about the right amount of power to fly in a reasonably scale like way.

Terry

Oops, double post!

chistech

I agree with Paladin on the Kyosho. I have the spitfire with a OS 48 FS. I now have over 45 - 12 minute flights on it with virtually no problems. What is real nice about it is that you don't even need to take the wing off if you have a rear seat. With a little dexterity you can manuever it into the vehicle in one piece. Even though the Kyosho warbird series are "40-50" size they fly much bigger. Here on the New England coast line the wind is always blowing and they handle the conditions well. I have personally built and flown the Spit, P51, and ME 109 and they all fly the same. Very well. Like Paladin said they cost about in the $170.00 range depending on model with retracts included. The retracts used are the same units as the "60" size H9 warbirds. With a 52-56 FS in them they are also economical to fly. They are very good scale flyers and can perform most all manuevers but don't have unlimited vertical. In stock form they also build light and land very easy with light wing loading. The all up flight weights have ranged from 5.66 lbs for the spit to 6.11 for the P51. You can have a very low cost FS warbird with retracts. Kit-$170.00 Magnum 52-$140.00 Hitec retract servo-$29.00 Dubro fuel filler-$8.00 (5) JR st47 servos @ $13.50 ea, HD charge switch $15.00, for a grand total of $429.50. All that is left is battery, reciever of choice, y harness,2-3 extensions and prop, etc. My H9 birds also fly great and are pretty durable also. For a every day flyer they are a little harder to transport because of the size depending on what you drive and of course will use more fuel with the bigger power plants. 40 size planes are just easier to pickup and go to the field with for a few quick, end of day flights. Below are some pictures of how they build up and how they look inside the servo bay. Sorry, I can't find the pics of the P51.

traxxboy

I havent even considered the kyosho line.....till now.

starcop

GP Mustang, Just completed it. Just C.G and she's RTF. Yellow spinner too. I hear this bird fly's great. starcop out.

drdoom

My Feedback: (9)

Top Flite's New P-51 ARF .60 size is just the ticket.. And it is beautiful. comes with Mechanical retracts.

traxxboy

That is getting a little to expensive for what I want. right now I am between the world models p-51 .46 or the kyosho p-51

KentuckyColonel

Kyosho makes a great product.

starcop

Hi All, I just couldn't wait for the Top Flight Gold Edition Corsair; so I picked up the Hangar 9 Corsair, I know the re-tracts need to be re-worked for issues but it's a nice flying plane. Also has a weak spot on the elevader, I'll fix those problem areas and she will fly great. I'm powering her with a Magnum XL .91 Four Stroke, should be fine for power and flight. I'm ordering the Top flight SpitFire, like I wanted in the first place. starcop

traxxboy

On the kyosho me-109, which way to the retracts rotate(scale or inwards)

predman

My Feedback: (7)

I have the Kyosho p-40 w a OS56 FS and the thing flies awesome!!! I also have the Kyosho spit w the OS.46 and they are great flyers! You cant beat the price for what you get.

prop wash

I've had the WM P51 for about 8 yrs and for around 200.00 it's a good plane.Takes a 46 and the gear is good as long as you don't bash them.My field is grass and a little ruff so take your pick.Tom p.s. both planes are WM