Hi All,
First off I'd like to thank many of you on this forum for all the good advice, and help you've given me. I started flying back in late March/early April on an Alpha .40 with an instructor, in early June I soloed, and have been flying a PK Trojan, and a Sig Kadet. I fly as much as the weather will permit (rain, winds ) on average I fly about four days a week, I got a real nice 1400mm FMS V7 P-51 with flaps, and retracts a couple of months ago but I hav'nt flown it yet, I feel I need more stick time. The other day I flew a guys FMS 1100mm Hellcat (no flaps, or retracts) on the first take off the Hellcat pitched to the left on take off, but I gave it a little right rudder, and all was well, and I flew her and landed her pretty good. The thing I noticed with the Hellcat is you can't relax, that plane must be flown every second it's in the air unlike the Trojan. Because of the flaps, and retracts, and the fact that the P-51 is a nice plane I still feel I should have more stick time before I fly it, no sence destroying a nice plane just because Im in a hurry. What I want to do is get the Tower Hobby Hellcat, and fly that all winter and hopfully by this spring I'll be ready for the P-51. Also I really like the FMS B-25 Mitchell bomber, it's a twin engine (motor) and trike landing gear, but I have no idea of what it takes to fly a twin engine plane, if it's easier or harder, or pretty much the same as a single engine warbird, I could be very wrong here, but Im thinking because it's twin engine it might be easier to take off, and because it's a trike it might be easier to land. I'd sure appriciate it if some of you guys who fly twin engine planes would chime in and tell me a little about flying a twin engine warbird.
Thanks Much,
Paul

Hi!'
A properly trimmed out "warbird" flies as easily as a trainer and doesn't have to be "flown " as you say, all the time.
From my Point of w you ought to fly some faster, low winged planes first, like Q-500 racer, and also build something so you get the hang of how a plane is constructed. From what you say it sounds as you have only flown ARF planes and not built anything...
It's also vital that you get the sense and feeling of how to set up and engine properly, especially so if you want to learn how to fly a twin engined plane.
Competition is the best learning ground! I have been competing in pylonracing for 30 years or more, Started out flying R/C when I was 21.
And I can definitly say that pylonracing is the best way (and most fun) to learn all the things you need to know flying fast,heavy warbirds ...and to set up engines.
So get a .40 Engine (TT or Kyosho .40 GX) and a Great Planes "Viper". Set it up with either Uni-flow tank or a Tettra "Bubbleless tank", 10x6 Graupner "Sonic " or RAM prop and have a ball. If you want more speed get a JETT .40 Engine.
If you can handle these type of planes you can fly anything!

A guy at my club has one of those 1400mm FMS P51's, and his opinion was that it would have made a great intermediate plane between a trainer, and before I fly my Hangar 9 65" P51 (with DLE20) as that FMS P51 apparently fly's great, and without any bad habits. It's not too heavy, so there is not that high of a wing loading on it like my gas one has.

The thing to note, is that a smaller warbird, like the one your already flying, is going to be a harder plane to fly than a larger one - like your P51.

I agree a properly trimmed airplane is not hard to fly whether its a trainer warbirds or a acrobat. So how do you know if your trimmed? Well on a calm day fly wings level and no climb or dive at 1/2 throttle simply let go of the sticks it should continue with no change in pitch yaw or roll

I have to respectfully disagree. The term Warbirds was used and while there are quite a few Warbird's on the market, most of them are not true Warbirds. There are quite a few Warbird's that the pilot to fly the plane at all times. Slowing it down to much can cause a tip stall. You must learn how to use throttle management and learn how to fly your plane to the runway with power applied. You must learn how much speed is needed to before takeoff as to much elevator and not enough speed will once again cause a stall. A lot of the ARF's that look like a Mustang, have different wing designs and are built to fly like a trainer. You must know the difference when selecting a plane. Scale planes can be a handful, but still worth the effort to learn how to fly them. Good Luck, Dave

I have flown the hangar 9 150 sized P-47. I currently fly the 35% Extra and the 40% Sukhoi. I have been flight crew on a T-39 and a 727. No matter The type of aircraft you're flying it should trim out and fly on forever unless acted on by another force such as wind or control or throttle input.
I do agree that throttle management and the way you fly differ from aircraft type to aircraft type. There no way you're going to chop power on the downwind leg and and glide around using a normal approach to touch down like you can with a trainer when your flying a bipe.
But I am talking trim here.

I keep posting this little trick for warbirds and/or heavy models with rather heavy wingloadings. It is simple "WASHOUT!". Washout can be easily accomplished. Simply turn your ailerons to about 5 degrees UP. I have had warbirds that 2 degrees worked well. I had one small Spitfire, rather heavy and large engine for size, used for Scale Warbird Racing, that took 8 degrees up before it became a purring *****-cat. Starting with 4 degrees, it was near impossible to get a decent take-off. Finally at 8* it was just great until when overtaking a P-51. it pulled up and removed the Spit's tail assembly from behind the wing. YUCK!
Back to topic, I am now working with a student learning using a model with ailerons on the outer portion of the wing. It was set precisely, but the model had difficulty keeping from rolling past center when rolling out of a bank. With his permission I rolled the pushrods using only 2 turns, and just a small amount of up-aileron on each side. WOW, no more unwanted rolling, entire flight became very smooth and all flight included landing became very smooth and easy.
Warbirds really love a bit of washout. Try it, you will love it.
IT works!

I want to thank all of you for the advice, yesterday after flying I pulled the trigger on a PK Focke-Wulf 190, and also took advantage of Horizon Hobby's wheels-up promotion and bought the retracts for it. After flying today Im going to build the plane, but Im not going to install the retracts just yet, I want to get used to how it lands on the static landing gear first. I was told that the Focke-Wulf will be a bit more challenging than the Trojan, but it's a good first step up from the Trojan. As of my last flight yesterday I have 66 flights on the Trojan with only one crash, my fault I flew her when the winds were too high, but I figure there comes a time when I have to make the step up from the Trojan, and after 66 flights it might as well be now.
Paul

very nice