I'm glad the issue of props on P-51s was brought up because it was always something that bothered me. From my earliest exposure to models I always liked the Mustang for its sleek lines and beautiful proportions. Without a doubt, part of its appeal to me is that huge 4-bladed prop on the front. Even as a kid, I made note of the fact that there were 2 different styles of props used on Mustangs. A bit of research (way back when) revealed that there were 2 brands of props used, Hamilton Standard and Aeroproducts. I'm not sure which one is which, but I always liked the design that the blades look similar to an outline of a baseball bat.

I've seen numerous Mustang models lovingly crafted right down to the rivets, skin texture, detailed cockpits, even tread patterns on tires and functional scale exhausts, only to have the effect totally ruined by a stupid looking popsicle stick of a prop hanging on the nose. Seeing a model like that is to me the equivalent of being served a goumet meal with a dead bug in it[:'(]

Yes, there are those who will argue that no model is 100% scale and I suspect that someone who can disregard a feature as prominent as a prop on a Mustang would probably consider it accurate enough even if it had the tailfeathers of a Piper Cub on it.

Kilroy52,
I have a Top Flite Red Box P-51B with a 3 blade prop, (which is correct). She has flaps, retracts, hand built cockpit, and is, or was, fun to fly. General Chuck Yeager was so impressed with her he placed his personal autograph on her hood right in front of the windscreen. My wife won't allow me to fly her anymore and declared her a Hangar Queen! I hung her, (the P51B, not my wife...LOL) in the corner of my living room. My wife came home, saw the Mustang hanging and asked, "Are we hanging our R/C Airplanes in the living room now?" I smiled and replied, "If they're autographed by Chuck Yeager we are!" No further protest was made. She, the P51B, now flies 24/7, flying escort for a flight of B-25 Mitchell Bombers from the 498th Air Apaches gunning and bombing Japanese ships off LaShima in a Robert Taylor Painting hanging next to her. I have two 86" W/S P51B's that will be equipped with 3 blade props on their 2.10 engines. I plan to put a 4 blade prop, (without a reduction drive) on my Pica 1/5th scale P51D. Rock On!

"Keep 'Em Flying!"
Flak

Airsteve172,
Thank you I couldn't have said it any better[sm=thumbup.gif]

Kilroy

Airsteve172,
Ditto to Kilroy 52's comment.

"Keep 'Em Flying!"
Flak

Note that he said "huge 4-bladed prop on the front" in the third sentence, not dinky 4-bladed prop. Like someone already mentioned above, you need to read the posts a bit closer.

The original question in Post #1 was "Why do you folks not use Four blade props on your Mustangs?"

My answer in Post #3 was "model airplane engines do not have the power to swing scale diameter 4-blade props."

My answer still stands. Scale diameter means 20" on a 1/7th scale Mustang, not 15" or 16".

By the way, here is a picture of my Corsair with a "flying" Hamilton Standard 3-blade prop on it:



At least the prop looks like a scale prop.

I don't know???????? It looks kind of Dinky to me

No No No JUST KIDDING.......That is a realy good looking plane. "AND Prop"

Original Post" Why do you folks not use Four blade propes on your Mustangs?????

"NOT" Why do you folks not use "SCALE FOUR BLADE PROPS" on your Mustangs??????

Ok, Now that you explaned why you can't use a scale prop, I can agree with you. That was not my question but I learned something

What I say is. As long as the rest of the plane is not 100% scale, stick a four blade on it. It might be a tad smaller then what it should be, but it looks cool, and flys ok, a little slower, but so what, the cool look over rides that. And that non scale prop don't look any worse then that non scale tail wheel hanging on the rear.......

Don

Oh" Oh" I forgot to say, you need to read the post a bit closer.[

Richard L.
About your Corsair-----You said, at least the prop looks like a scale prop. Is it??????

Don.......

I purchased an RCV .90SP for the TF Spit I am building. Being able to turn a 4 blade prop was the primary reason for my selection. The second reason was to maintain as much of the cowl shape as possible. The recommended 4 blade prop is the APC 15 x 12.5. If the test flights go well, I may experiment with a 4 blade Zinger 18 x 10. That would be getting close to scale in size. Now I just have to finish some other projects so I can get back to working on my Spit.

Scott

Sounds good Scott[sm=thumbup.gif]
Don

Richard L.

If you dont mind me asking, who manufacture's that prop on your Corsair, and what size is it?

This is a cool setup. No inverted engine. no cowl cutting.

That's nice, who makes that setup?

COPIED FROM OTHER POST, HAVE SEEN THE PROP IN R/C MAGS






Posts: 732
Joined: 6/19/2002
From: Berwyn, PA, USA
Status: offline I had mentioned in my previous post about seeing a Ziroli P-40 with this belt drive set-up. The guy's name is Duane Vandermolen and he Ollie and worked
together on the proto type drive. Duane since has moved to Bermuda Dunes CA. I know he had another one on a test stand destined for a Pica 1/5th scale spitfire. Unfortunately I haven't spoken with Duane in ages....last I knew, his e-mail was:
[email protected] (tell him you got it from me and I say hi!)

OK guys, as promised.....here's the information (it took me some time to reduce the picture small enough to post on here):

The gent's name is Ulrich Glimm and he is located in BC, Canada. His email is: [email protected] (again, please let him know that I passed you along to him)

This is copied right from email correspondance we had recently:

Hi I am new to the internet , I cnc machine custom reduction drives for the scale propellers on large planes. My reduction drive is 1.75: 1 using a serpintine belt, it brings the output shaft up towards the head so more of the engine can be inside the cowl,very good for 1\4 and 1\5 scale war birds. I'm sorry I don't have a website yet. In the picture you can see the reduction drive mounted to a Super Tiger 4500 . With this drive on the 4500 I get 4200 rpm with a 24" 3blde prop at 15Deg. pitch, this flew a 1/4 scale P40 war bird very well. I sell this drive for $450. US. I can custom make adapter plates for most motors, i.e.: chainsaw conversions etc. Call for pricing.

(I think he meant to say 1/5th scale P-40) - sean.

--------
Hope this is of interest guys! I've been itching to use one ever since I saw Duane fly his P-40. Oh, here is the web site for the Solo prop manufacter www.soloprops.com

Flak,

Just FYI.

The ONLY Mustangs that flew with a 3-blade prop were the Allison powered A models. These included the P-51, P-51A, A-36 and British Mustang Mk I and IA. These Mustangs actually had a shorter fuselage (vertical height) due to the Allison engine being smaller. When the Merlin was put into the Mustang, the cowling change required the fuselage to be enlarged to house the larger engine. The same "greenhouse" canopy was retained but the bottom edge of the canopy was several inches higher from the wing than on the A models. This newly engined Mustang was the B/C model (depending on which plant it was built at) and utilized a 4-blade prop.

Hi Scott, here are a couple of pics of my TF 1/7 P-51 with an 18x12 Zinger and RCV 120. Full right rudder required for takeoff, and pulls it along pretty scale-line, IMO- only problem so far is cooling, so I'm slowly working on that As I recall, according to the plans, I think the scale size would be 18", MAYBE 19", but I haven't actually checked my books.......

Connery,
Thanks for the refresh. However, I believe I have seen photos of P51B's with 3 blade props. Besides, a 3 blade prop looks much better than a funky 2 blade any day!

"Keep 'Em Flyng!"
Flak

That's a great looking plane. I bet starting it up at the field turns a lot of heads. I did the engine break-in of my RCV at the field and it always drew a crowd. I know my Spit will not be one of those screamin' warbirds that are ever so popular, but if I can pull basic maneuvers, I'll be happy. I've always been partial to the low and slow flyby. Watching footage of full scale warbirds, their aerobatics were more tame than what you see most RCrs do. Thanks for posting the photos

Scott

Flak,

I definately agree that the 3-blade looks TONS better than any 2-blade. That's why my next scale warbird after I finish the TF P-47 will be a Dave Platt design P-51A probably built as an A-36 Apache and use a scale 3-blade.

Hybrid,

Great looking -51, all you need to do now is paint that wooden prop black with yellow tips and you've got a winner!!

Connery,
Sounds cool. I will one day build a tru A-36 Apache complete with the dive brakes in the wings.

"Keep 'Em Flying!"
Flak

Kilroy52,

lol, when I finish my ME109G (with an RCV-90 swinging a 18" 2-blade) I'll have to fly down to Modile and shoot down that pokey P-51.

Yes!!!! That would be a cool looking dog fight.....[sm=punching.gif]

Do the job properly

schroedm,

I've seen that setup before and have heard there are overheating issues with it. Have you though about how you are going to get cool air up to the cylinder since it isn't inverted?