Mustang Fever

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Ray:

Riddle's right about not flying the Mustang if it's your first RC. A good first plane would be the Mustang PTS from Horizon. It can be made progressively more difficult to fly as you learn. Then, once you're really comfortable with that, I would suggest one of the 60 size Mustang ARFs as an interim step. They're not near as expensive as your TopFlite will be, and have all of the treacherous handling qualities of a P-51.

Riddle: That's why God invented rudders.

RayEMan

Hi guys. I do plan on flying a foamy for the summer before completing this aircraft. Low wing with 4 channels. I am also thinking about hooking up my radio in training mode with an experienced flyer for her first couple of flights. But, I plan on having a lot of RC time before this lady is complete.

Here are the photos to date:

TeamMuir1

My Feedback: (-1)

Mustang Fever What motor again did you install I have been keeping up with this thread but I went to go look and I have not
found were you posted your motor size.
I see on other used a OS 91
let me know.. thanks.
Ron

Mustang Fever

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Ron:

An OS 1.20 AX with a 15x10 prop. The balance came out perfect with no lead added- just the 1450 mAh Nimh pack in the tailwheel well.

RayEMan

Build the first wing today. Looks nice and straight. Got the weights on it though to prevent warping. Here are some pictures...

Riddle4U

Looking good Ray, progressing nicely. I forgot how straight forward construction is on this model, I have my model at the 80% done stage for about three years...yikes! I am back on it now though. Glad you are going to get profficient flying something else first, make sure it is something with a pretty high wing loading, and a tail dragger.

RayEMan

Just joined the wing halves. Must have done an OK job at building as they came together pretty well. I think I have to put them away now because I need the gear assembly before I sheet the wings. Would be hard to level and line everything up with the skin on... I'll keep you posted.

[8D]

RayEMan

Ok, fuse is coming along. I have gotten to F8, now I think I need my tail wheel retract before I can continue. So, fuse and wing are at a standstill waiting on $s...

So, I have been shaping the elevator and test fitting the tail assembly. Here are a couple of pictures. Fits well, so I guess I am building decently. I guess the proof will be when aligning the wing and stab. I have decided (thanks to all of your posts) on the Robart 531RS retracts. I will be ordering them in a couple of weeks. I am going to run them with the 663 RoboStruts. I still plan on the U.P. sequencer valve for the inner door/tail door operation. I'll keep you posted.

Mustang Fever

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Lookin good, Ray. If you want to use an electronic sequencer, let me know, I'll sell you the one I bought for half price.

N1EDM

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Well, I guess it's time for me to join the Club. I just found out that I'm getting the TF Gold P-51D and a P-51B conversion kit for it for Christmas. Nope, I didn't peek. Santa hid it in the wrong spot. I probably won't start it for several months (I have other Scale projects in the works) but I'm going to 'lurk' on this thread (like I've been doing for months) to pick up tips, etc.

Oh, and if you have any "True Believers" watching for Santa, have them head up to www.noradsanta.com. As of 9:00AM EST, he's already been to Australia and New Zealand. There's film and games to occupy the kids time. Have them check throughtout the day as he drops in at different locations.

Merry Christmas, guys.

Bob

Corsair 29

Looks like I'm joinng in as well. I'm also going to convert this one to a B version, got the conversion kit last summer, and recently bought the P-51 kit last week. Started build on Monday. I've got the horizontal stab, vertical stab, rudder, and just started on the right wing. My setup will include Robart 701RS 85deg air retracts, robart 121 retractable tailgear, RDS, working inner gear doors, and hopefully working tailgear doors as well. With the knowledge I learned from this thread my build will go a lot smoother then I expected. Thanks!

Mustang Fever

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Lookin good, Corsair. Feel free to ask any questions, as a lot of the info may be hard to find.

RayEMan

Looking great Corsair. Keep the pics coming.

zope_pope

Proof that my build lives. Snapped these the first time she's stood on her wheels!

Riddle4U

N1edm, Lucky you! Merry Christmas..ha ha! It is still good when we get old and get what we really want. I got my younger bro a nice SIG Kavalier kit (for Xmas). he built the "Somethin Extra" and I suggested that wasn't a good interim step-up model to build flying skills. So now his wife thinks maybe I'm on her side after all (that proper build doesn't come out of the kid's food budget). Rock on with yer new Mustang kit when you get to it!

Riddle4U

Bob Hunt, thanks for going along with my sentiments to help others, by coaxing them to break some easy planes before these funner projects! That message needs to remain out there. Merry Christmas.

Mustang Fever

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Riddle:

Back at ya. Like General Yeager says, "Progress is marked by great, smoking holes in the ground."

zope_pope

Oh and a quick word about testing retracts. I dont have my tank, valves, etc., but I came up with a quick method to actuate them while they are installed. Simply take a can of compressed air (the kind you dust a computer with) and attach the straw to the retract tubing. Squeeze ever so slightly and as a short burst and presto, it actuates.

Corsair 29

Thanks Bob. I framed up both wings halves, and I'm now awaiting for the RDS parts to show up. I hope to see them any day now since the order was placed last week. Its much better for me to work on each individual wing halves seperatly then having to work on the whole wing. Believe me the temptation of joining both wing halves were very strong, but I decided to wait. I'm also going to strengthen up the retract rails by adding support blocks underneath them.
I'll start on the fuselage assembly if the RDS parts don't show up soon.
This build is going faster than I expected. I ordered 4 Inch robart wheels,a 1 1/4 inch tail wheel, and a squencer unit.

Mustang Fever

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Looks like there will be a squadron of P-51s getting test flown this spring

zope_pope

Hey Corsair,

You read the bit on this thread about how the 4" wheels were hard to fit? I have opted for smaller wheels just to try and keep them inside when retracted. The width seems to be the problem.

Also... Has anyone gone pneumatic on the tail wheel? I have the robart 121 like everyone else, but I was going to rig up the pneumatic cylinder to save me some hassle of mounting another servo. Thanks everyone!

I plan to have mine done for the summer. This build has gone on long enough for me. :P

Corsair 29

Thanks for the heads up I will look for it. Here are some pics on my retracts, they show the added support blocks I glued in place. The wheels on the pics are the dubro lite 4" wheels they have a width of 1 1/8 inch.

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

another lurker reading away preping for my Mustang "C"Malcom hood build.

but to answer your question I have done a couple of the robart 121's with a pneumatic piston, what I did was to mount the piston at a fuse former,at or around the CG of both the models,my TF P-47 I mounted it under the air tank,for my Royal FW190A8 under the cockpit screwed to a bulkhead.

the basic set up was to use a 256 pushrod in a pushrod tube,so there was no rubbing, and help keep the pushrood strait, fed to the retract unit through the fuse.
on the piston end I soldered a threaded end to screw into the actuation arm of the cylinder.

for stearing I used some 30lb plastic coated fishing leader, and a crimp connector,for the pull/pull stearing.
just loop the leader through the stearing horn on the unit and squeeze the crimping connector flat there very strong,and wont let go.

I then threaded the wires through some more of the clear plastic pushrod tubes,crossing them in the center, the tubes are light and prevent any rubbing I like to cross the wires they seem to work better for stearing.

at the servo I used EZ connectors to attach the p/p wires I will also hook the rudder pushrod to the servo arm as well.

when the unit is retracted the P/P wires go slack and the servo only controls the rudder with no resistance.

Mustang Fever

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Zope:

I kinda did the same thing as bigtim. That bulkhead aft of the servo tray just begs to be used as a mount for an air cylinder, as it lines up with the retract mechanism real well.

I used a seperate servo, forward and high up in the fuse so that the steering wires would run over the top of the servos in the tray. I've always done steerable retracts this way so that I can use the trim to get the bird tracking straight on the ground, then mechanically readjust the rudder to neutral.

I hate Robart scale wheels. They look so nice, and they won't stay hard and they weigh too much. They cause way too much rolling drag for safe takeoffs and landings. I have a ton of them in a box of all different sizes. I'll sell any of them at 1/3 list price if anyone wants some. I'm sold on the Dubro wheels. Tough, hard, and light.

Corsair 29

I know what you mean on these Dubro wheels since I've used them and also on some of my bigger planes. I got the notification from tower that my shipment is on the way, if the robarts start failing i'll switch over to the dubros. I also agree with what bigtim posted, I'll give that a try as well.