P51 Thunder Tiger
Dennis,
Your post was several months ago. I just ran across it, sorry. By now, you must have answered all your questions. If not, I may be able to help you with some........
I've had six of these great planes over the last several years, so you know how much I love them. The first had a Fox 40, then came the next three with a OS 46, then the last two with the same OS.46 but with a Ultra Thrust pipe and a 11 x 4 prop. It will climb out of sight at part throttle. Also inverted at 1/3. CG is not a problem.
That's way more power than called for, but it sure is fun. There are two modifications required to handle the extra engine power.
1) Strengthen the vert stab by adding 3/4" triangle under the horz stab to the fuse. That makes the horz stab stronger and prevents it coming off in flight. It will!
2) Take out the forked elev control dowel and replace it with two 4-40 rods. Join them together with two wheel collers two inches from the elev servo. Cut one off and run the other to the servo. This prevents elev flutter which WILL occur at high speed and make the tail fall off.
The fuse will also handle a much larger tank. I have a 20 oz stuffed in.
Grass fields are easy with the standard wheels since it takes off so quickly. Landings, as you've discovered, can be made very slowly.
I use standard BB servos. 6 volts works very well.
It can be made to fly very slowly by mixing in flaps with the ailerons to produce "flaparons", then also adding a little down elevator. With a little practice it will fly at almost walking speed.
This plane is more fun than anything I have ever flown, and I've had some 26 planes in the past few years. I just can't find anything more fun. I keep going back to it. It does everything well; can be fast or slow, does outragous manouvers, looks good on the ground and in the air.
Sorry it took so long to post a reply. Let me know what you think of your plane.
Arthur