Parkzone P-51D Electric Plane
 

Hello, I just purchased a Parkzone P-51D electric plane. I was wondering if anyone owns this plane or has any comments about it (things to replace right away, mods, etc etc). I have read around the net and seen a few people who had to replace the charger right away. I did get a second battery for free so I am good to go with that.

I have a gas powered trainer that I am not too fond of so I bought this eletronic one instead. i'm going to sell my gas plane eventually...

RE: Parkzone P-51D Electric Plane
 

There's a large thread about this plane over on the RCGroups website. You should check there. I have had a number of these mustangs and enjoyed them all, but there are some things I've learned over the years that I would reccomend. First, the battery hatch tends to pop off by itself. I would secure it with gray or silver duct tape. The prop spinner also pops off very easily, and I use to tape the front of the spinner to the backplate with clear tape to keep it from spining off in mid flight. The fuselage frame is a plastic skeleton and as such is very brone to breaking in any nose first landings so make sure you land her gently. The canopy is also prone to poping off, and I use to tape that down also to keep it from parting company in mid flight. The gear drive houseing is also prone to cracking so you should take off the cowl from time to time and examine it for cracks. Other then that, check out the thread as I mentioned and you should be good to go. I upgraded my last one to a brushless motor with Lipos and it was a real screamer. If you decide to go that route, make sure you reenforce the wings as they are prone to folding where the wing root meets the fuselage under high G maneuvers.;)
Enjoy.

RE: Parkzone P-51D Electric Plane
 

wow, thanks for the reply. very informative. i did just find the large thread about this plane. already subscribed to it. ;)

I read that alot of people said to take a trainer up in the air first as this plane is a little tough to get used to. would you also recommend that? I seen people recommended the J-3 Cub and the Decathlon. I may just grab the cub from evilbay since they are pretty cheap and just have 2 planes. i want to try and get some type of landing gear on the P-51 as I do not want to crash it up on belling lands.[&o]

RE: Parkzone P-51D Electric Plane
 

If you've never flown before, then I would reccomend a trainer. As for landing gear, most of the people who put landing gears on this bird do it to make the takeoffs easier, not the landings. The plane holds up well to belly landings, and glides pretty good. It's the takeoffs that people have problems with as the the plane tends to dip drastically before it gains enough air speed to fly. It is this dip that causes many newer pilots to crash when hand launching this bird.

RE: Parkzone P-51D Electric Plane
 

For a first airplane, look for the Parkzone Slo-V or the Hobbyzone Super Cub. They're well-suited for the first-time pilot who's trying to learn to fly without the help of an instructor.

The Mustang is an impressive flyer, and the stock motor and speed controller can be flown with a LiPo battery pack. It makes for an impressive upgrade.

A good field charger will allow you to quick charge your battery packs from your car battery or another 12V source so you can go fly all day if the mood suits you. Some of the included Hobbyzone/Parkzone chargers will "false peak" and tell you your battery is fully charged when it isn't, you'll go to take off and 10 seconds later your flight battery runs out of juice. This is probably why folks are recommending getting a better dedicated charger.

I have a Hobbico Quick Field Charger MkII that has proven to be invaluable to me. The more batteries you have to charge, the more important a good charger will be to you.

You're definitely going to have fun with your Parkzone P-51 Mustang. As for other planes or a battery charger, good luck and good shopping!

RE: Parkzone P-51D Electric Plane
 

Hello, thank you both for the replies. they are extremely helpful. I am bidding on a J3 Cub on ebay..I can grab it for under 100 dollars. I will fly this first until I feel comfortable enough to take out the P51. I would hate to crash this plane on the first try. [X(]

I will probably get a new charge off the bat just to play it safe. I have flown my gas powered trainer a few times so I have a "basic" understanding of flying. This P51 is much smaller and much quicker than my large trainer. the trainer is like a caboose with wings:D

RE: Parkzone P-51D Electric Plane
 

Battery cover issue really sucks. Even with an elastic holding the door on for extra security, I lost two battery packs. Of course, a plane with no battery is a self-willed missile. Fortunately both times, repairs were minor. Parts are cheap.

You should know:
The second battery pack I lost came out at about 50-100 feet of altitute. I saw it hit the end of the grass runway. As I was walking over to it, I heard a very loud pop... and then another... and another.
The pack shorted out from the impact. There were small flames and a lot of sizzling. Had it been in dry grass, it would have started a fire for sure.

Something to keep in mind.

JP

RE: Parkzone P-51D Electric Plane
 

Hey JP, man that's terrible. Luckily no fire happened in your case. I haven't gotten the plane in yet, but I am going to see if I can possibly rig up something with velcro strips. A little more security on the battery door.