Hi Combat,
Hand launching planes is no issue for me. I've been doing it since forever - all types. Even hand launched my own ukie combat planes a few times when nobody was around to help. Ate dirt more often than flew but eventually I could get it in the air then run and get tension on the lines and save the day.
The Mustang will most likely have retracts. If I can't find anything I like then probably no gear. I'll have to see how the scoop looks. This was supposed to be a scale plane so the outlines are fairly accurate. But I have no intention of making it a speed plane. I will put on a higher diameter, lower pitch prop but start off with something I know has enough speed to fly it. It's probably not a good choice for the .15. My initial plan was to give the kit a good look over and figure out how much engine it will need after conversion to RC and replacing wood as necessary. I've been thinking a .21 would be the perfect engine but I'd have to buy one. Thus if the .15 will work and my other plans for the .15 get ditched then it would at least fly.
I know exactly the style shoulder wing you're talking about. I made a plug for a hobby shop owner when I was in Germany for a .15 speed plane. He showed me the prototype and it weighed give or take a few grams, at least a ton. It had some rear-exhaust piped .15 that I believe was Russian. Couldn't tell you what it was. He showed it to me in his shop. I never saw it fly. I took the fuselage to measure to make the plug.
Anyway, I've got lots of decisions to make but a couple things come first. I have to finish those horses because last year they didn't go out for Christmas until feb this year. I have no excuse for not getting them done. But there are 38 of them so as little word as there is to do on them it's still a lot of pieces.
Then I have a plane I started on years ago and pulled it back in the shop last year. It just needs to be finished but the weather isn't cooperating. Too humid to spray dope.
Then I promised a good friend two roofs for the steam tractors he's machining. Any time I asked him to make anything for me he had it done in a couple days. I promised him these roofs almost two years ago and keep putting them off.
I also need to make some fixtures because I'm almost out of one size. Everything else I have at least a year's worth of so after that I'm clear to start playing with whatever I want.
