landing a tail dragger!
 

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?!

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

Two suggestions:

1. Put that plane up and get a Sig LT-40 with an O.S. 46 AX engine.
2. Get a buddy box and a trainer.

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

Like he said!

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

To expand on what Michael said:

Put that Mustang on the shelf and get a good trainer
Get a Sig 4 star or something equivilant after you solo and mastered the trainer
Then, maybe, you will be able to fly the Mustang.

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

1.Get a flight simulator, that has a Mustang on it. Try to take off, fly it and land in one piece. Whenyou crash, no big deal.
2.Get an instructor.
3. have him check it out and do a maiden flight for you.
4. have him teach you to fly using a buddy box.

Keep in mind this is a warbird not a sunday flyer.
They are not very stable, fly and land at higher speeds due to wing loading.
They are easy to stall and put in to a spin. Been there done that... lol
In my opinion, with a good instructor you can learn to fly on any airplane that is set up properly and flys well.

Don't try to fly it on your own unless you really want to carry it over to the nearest bin.

Good luck

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

What people keep forgetting...is that a warbird isnt a warbird anymore..

Most wabirds are sport-scale now...hanger 9's new mustang arf (not the pts) with retracts and all..doesnt fly much different than a 4 star with a clipped wing it just looks nice (note: this is from the mouth of someone i fly with, im still a newb)

You gotta remember to ask which model it is..

But, at the same time, without an instructor, i can almost promise u it will take up less space in your car on the way home than it did on the way to the field...

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

Your Right RJM, I should have asked.
Mine is scale one.... And when you say P-51 is the first thing that comes to mind. lol
I keep forgetting about the "New Mustangs".

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

I see this at least once a month at our field, someone show up with a really cool model, has never flown before and sure as heck isn't going to let anyone else touch it. They either let us test or we send em home. Then I'll hear a couple days later some dork tried taking a model off an open field somewhere and destroyed it. the guy does just as predicted one of two thing happens. either ground loops it or get it up about 3 feet and snaps it into the ground from a tip stall cause he couldn't reach quick enough and din't get enough speed.

Just put it on the self. get a trainer, join a club and get with an instructor. you'll learn quicker and have a fighting chance at learning to fly, tuning the engine right and having the radio set right. Done on your own. 100-1 you'll fail, just how it goes, there are to many thing to learn to do it on a warbird by yourself.

Two kinda of people I've found teach them selves how to fly. good pilots of real planes, though some real pilots are the hardest to teach to fly and those with a great hand eye coordination starting out on gliders.

I did teach myself how to fly. I had about 10 min on someone else's morris the knife. I then got a slope soarer and at the same time was reading everything there was about rc. The absolute best source for information for the beginner is the tower hobbies catalog and web site, the things they tell you that you need they mean it. Also reading many of their adds over several items you can pick up the lingo of what's what pretty quick. Anyway I learned on a zagi slope soarer. After about 4 dork throws I got it on the hill and flying around pretty good. course the site I was at is a world class slope, up until we lost the site there were many world competitions held there, it hand every bit of 6 square miles of lift. After several months of that my dad got me a towertrainer and a piper cub kit. His thing was if I'm going to get into this hobby he expected me to learn everything about them. ANybody who has never built a model I highly reccomend doing at least one, simply for the education. After about the third time showing up at the field with the trainer, when everyone else was leaving I just went for it and did fine. At that point I had years of video game experience, hours and hours on flight sims, not rc type but it does teach the basic concept of how the control work.

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

Normally I take an opposing stand on whatever the common voice is....but-
Dont kill your Mustang, Dude

Get a different First plane
However, I would think you'd want something that didn't look like a sky minivan....
how about a SemiSymetrical Low Wing Taildragger, kinda the type of a mustang right, learn on a similar plane
How about one for about $70, WorldModels AirBorneModels Skyraider Mach II

get 2 for $140, so WHEN you plant it, no biggy, swap the guts to the next one & away you go
Even when you blow apart the second one, just look over to the Mustang and say
"Glad that wasn't you, Baby... now gimme some sugar... oh, you're so..." um, let's all just forget that last part[sm=rolleyes.gif]

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

A beginner learning on a Mustang? It can be done but how many will be successful? I got a pal, he flies helis only, first plane was the Kyosho F16 and he did fine, now that is super rare. Again, he is Austrain, a stickler for precision and he is most careful.

If you must insist on a nice looking trainer:

WM Sky Raider Mach II
WM Rambler 45

These 2 planes float in for landings and are tail draggers.

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

dude i just got my first plane, a Goldberg superchipmunk and usually i am the kinda person who says ahh, that dont look so hard, but i tried takin her on the first flight got about 20 foot in the air she rolled upside down and smashed a tree now as much as i would want to disagree and be able to say i did it my self, i taught myself how to fly, i know now after about 70 dollars in repair's (new wing kit) i dont want to take that chance again, believe me its worth the A.M.A. membership fees to fly at most fields, they are having a new memebership thing that is on $19.99, now would you rather have lost 20 bucks or you 200-500 dollar plane????

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

Those are the kind of guys that ruin it for the rest of us with more and even tighter rules and regulations. [:@]

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

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 :D )

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

Ditto!!!;)

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

AND- If for some reason you decide to go ahead and fly despite the loads of good advice posted here. GET IT ON VIDEO- We can't stop you from taking chances, but at least we can all watch...[&:]

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

AND--AND- one other piece of equipment if you do decide to try flying it. A .60-size trash can.


Park that thing, get yourself a cheapo trainer that you won't care about beating up.

And an instructor...... that you don't care about beating up. (He might, though:))

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

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RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

I agree that the Hangar 9 Warbirds are sportscale and don't fly like a super heavy loaded scale model but I have one and can chime in here :) It was my third plane after flying a Nexstar and Tiger 2.

There are TONS of things to take into consideration. Every mustang model I've seen fly has required a ton of right rudder on take off. If you are not practiced with using rudder on take off (like someone trying to fly this as their first plane, alone), as soon as it gets off the ground - if he hasn't let off the rudder its going roll right in.

They do fly and land easy, however that really is relative. It's more difficult than my tiger because it requires more power and throttle management to land. Retracts are another added complexity someone new to the hobby doesn't need to deal with. Also, the comment about a clipped wing 4-star. I can see the comparison by someone who has had a lot of stick time but the 4* also does not have tapered wings. The tapered wings add greater tip stall probability. It's not an extremely violent tip stall but it's there, trust me! Mine tip stalled on a dead stick on the 3rd flight. No damage because I immediately gave it opposite rudder and landed upright. Will someone new know to do that? A 4* with a constant wing chord will mush the nose forward on a stall - very easy to recover from.

The H9 Warbirds are great flying planes but not trainers - except for the PTS....

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

[link=http://www.spadtothebone.com/freeplans.htm]here[/link]
Fly it around, smack it into a tree a couple times .... 20 minutes with a hot glue gun, and you're back in business.

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

Guys,
It's a troll. The OP hasn't even re-visited it. He is just sitting back, laughing at you guys going off on how to "buy a trainer" and so on. Just ignore him.

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

Maybe this guy is a troll, but perhaps people, especially beginners can learn something by this thread.

I'm confused about the above quote. I don't fly in a club probably for reasons like this. How can a club force or mandate that their plane first be inspected before its maiden flight? If someone is insistent on flying their new shiney warbird at the field after being told how difficult it is or how the chances of them successfully flying it are next to none, by all means the sky belongs to you just as much as it belongs to me. As long as no one is going to get hurt and there is wide open field, have at it. It's happened at the field where I fly a newbe shows up with a brand new plane. Just for conversation purposes we begin to talk and it's revealed it's his first time and first plane. I suggest the whole trainer buddybox method, but they insist on taking it up. I say okay,,,,,grab a seat and watch a plane go up in its last moments and just watch.

I don't know,,,,maybe I'm just missing something here, but I don't think I can tell someone,,,,!QUOT!this is your first plane and you're a beginner so let us inspect and test fly it for you and if you refuse to you'll need to leave.!QUOT!

I've instructed 3 people and currently helping another. I've test flown about 4 planes for beginners. I help all that I can for FREE, but when someone says he flying it no matter what,,,,,by all means,,,not guts no glory.

Bottom line for all you beginners,,,,get some help and be safe out there. :D

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

If it's a private field and it's in the rules that a new plane must be inspected before flight they can do it. They do it at events, if you watch the "Warbirds Over the Rockies" DVD they go through and inspect planes...looking for loose engines, cracked props, etc. IMAA events require that a giant scale plane have 8 flights on it before flying in an event. It has nothing to do with someone being a newbie. It has everything to do with safety. I don't care how good of a pilot you are, if something is wrong with the plane it's potentially dangerous for the spectators and other pilots.

I have no issue with others looking at my work and checking it out. I want to make sure my plane is safe for everyone around me AND myself. People HAVE been killed by these models. People have lost hands, fingers and I read where one person got hit in the back and ended up with a lacerated kidney. I think if a club has the opportunity and the ability to inspect an aircraft and possibly prevent an accident, they actually have an obligation to do so. It has nothing to do with "we know better than you because you're a newbie", it has everything to do with keeping people out of the hospital, protecting from law suits and making sure all members of a club have a nice, safe, flying environment.

Sure, things still can happen but I'd rather know that I or my club did everything it could do to prevent it than be hanging out with a bunch of people who promote negligence for the sake of "fun".

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

Its the attitude that counts, you never want to force yourself on anyone,,,, and if you treat them with a welcoming spirit, respect and a genuine desire to help they arent going to refuse help they will ask for it EVERYTIME. If a newcomer with an AMA membership comes and wants to fly and he says hes been flying for a while, we casually visit with them and get a feel for their experience. Usually a good positive conversation will reveal their experience level right away. It doesnt take a brain surgeon to figure whos who... I have never once seen a newbie show up with a gas engine plane,, but I have seen a ton of them show up with Cousin Joes hand me down Stick or 4*.. Its either that or a new trainer every time. They typically struggle with their gear and end up asking for help,,, or looking up for someone to offer help right away.

I have never had anyone balk even for 1 second at letting me teach them to fly after they have seen me fly, thats really the key. Most newbies come and watch a little when they get to the field... The person that is going to pick them up as a trainee should fly for them,, dont announce it,,,just casually get out there and fly around, if they see you fly compotantly with grace, style and precision they will NEVER say no...

These arent stupid people just because they cant fly yet... Im sure that sometimes after they watch someone fly they dont want them to fly their plane for good reason. There are a LOT of nice, friendly, AMA members that I wouldnt let fly my planes either.

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

someone coming out like this 19 out of 20 times is a none ama member and or none club member. Our club rule don't allow this person to fly even if they've been fly for years. If the guy has AMA we have no problem with letting him fly. but if he's never never flow before well insist on testing it for him but if he really feels he want to try we all get on the ground and he can have at it. been done 4 times with the same results. guy goes home with a busted model and we never see em again. kinda sad really. I'm a jerk for saying it but reallity is harsh sometimes

RE: landing a tail dragger!
 

You know,,,you guys are right. I agree. Safety is paramount in this hobby and it begins on the ground with thorough checks on a new plane then carried over during preflight checks before take off.

;)