ORIGINAL: daveyw
Ok I know, I've done it all wrong. I'm a beginner and bought myself a pretty tail dragger. I should have bought a trainer but you know how it is!!! I got myself a 60 size mustang. airleron, elevators, rudder throttle and retracts. Not had a calm day yet to risk a maiden flight!! Got her set up. The engine runs sweet and the COG seems as per the instructions. Not too worried about taking off but it's the returning to earth that concerns me. Would really like to get her down in 1 piece! Any suggestions?!
I hate to burst your bubble, but as the others have said, get a trainer type plane AND an instructor FIRST.
There are several reasons for this. Regardless of whether or not the Mustang is a sport scale or a true scale several things are common with warbirds. They are not as stable as a trainer. They have a noticeably higher wing loading than a trainer (higher wingloading means the plane MUST take off at a faster speed, fly faster in the air and land faster ).
When you are learning to fly slow and stable is what you need. Some people will say you can learn on a simulator - NOT TRUE.
While simulators are very good, when you get into the real world there are any number of things that are different. On a sim, the plane is PERFECTLY BALANCED and ALWAYS flies in a particular manor and the weather, clouds and sun are always the same. In the real world the balance may be off a little bit, the engine may not be performing exactly right. there may be a gust of wind or the wind shifts (many sims do not have a wind function OR allow it to change suddenly).
Without an instructor, the average 1st flight lasts less than 30 seconds and normally results in damage to the plane and/or equipment on board.
You have a plane, engine and radio equipment worth about $300 - $500 (or more). Now you want to take this investment/equipment and with NO EXPERIENCE operate it ? If you want to do that, send me the money (I can use it
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