Mike Emilio

So, , , basically your securing it in reverse of the Nosen.

Your going to glue the forward section of radiator to the lower wing, then install the 3/8 dowels into the back of the radiator???

Ya, , , I can see that, , , should'nt make no differnce at all, and be just as good, , ,if not better. , , , That's a good idea.

Hisham

http://www.robart.com/retracts/20-55lbgsretract.aspx

Retracts,
I have one still in the box, the Original BudNosen, love this plane should start building in a month or so,
am really watching this thread closely,
http://www.wannafly.com/planes/bud_nosen.htm

Check out these pix.
Have new G62 engine but guess will be using a 100cc one. .

Cheers
Hisham

rcwarbirdbuilder

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This is the hardest part of the build, the MS side panels have three 3" cuts extending from the front so it welll curve around F2b former, the MS sides are 30min. epoxied to the fuse sides, and the F2b former with the pre attached side brace is glued to MS and held with clamps, than I drill 4 pilot holes on each side through the fuselage and MS and ran 4 #8 3/4" screws through each side into F2b brace, now glue F2a firewall to front of F2b.

rcwarbirdbuilder

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With MT ply top epoxied in, I installed F1 unto the sides with glue at the notches, than made shallow cuts as shown and wraped the sides around F1.

easyschnucki

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George,

2 questions. Are the braces on the F2b former recessed in order to take MS between the fuse sides and the braces? Are your MS made of Ply?

Thanks a lot
-Sven-

rcwarbirdbuilder

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Sven, it is not recessed so you can slide f2b where you want for a little down thrust or side thrust of engine, ms is 1/8' hard ply, p51's have only down thrust 1 degree.

rcwarbirdbuilder

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The fuselage now has the top front formers installed, the engine and spinner plate is mounted as a guide and 6 more 1/4" stringers needs installing before the 1/8" sheeting. Jim Repp has decided to power his P-51 here with a customized Quadra 100 racing engine, this plane is going to crank!.

rcwarbirdbuilder

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COWL:

1- first step is to lay the 1/8" ply part C1 on each side of fuse.
2- epoxy 1/8"x3/4" ply accros the C1 rails at front and back.
3- epoxy fa,fb,fc,fd,fe, on C1. (fa is glued to C1 as well as the back of F1 and well be cut out latter).
4- cowl is now sheeted with 3/16"x1/2" balsa strips. I had to install 3/16" shims on the first cowl former to get proper shape curve I want on the 3/16" planking, to clear the engine head and allow for opening big enough to cool the engine.

Doolittleraider

My Feedback: (72)

George you are a builders builder. Your the man! My friend Greg is still flying your rock solid top flite corsair here in Fla. (which I told him to buy!) This thread makes me want to build one of these one day.
Whats the fuse length? Do you make your wings three piece? If so whats the mid section width?
Keep on building them George!
All the Best
Peter

rcwarbirdbuilder

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Peter, hay thanks for the good word, the P-51 lenght without the spinner is 86". the wing mid section is 56" span, you'll be happy with one of these birds, p-51 all fly good, this one flys a little better, George.

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

The redesign on the front former for better scale shape required the top sheeting to be in four section do to the compund curve, the seams well be filled (Balsa Lite) and sanded to shape, makes it easier not fighting with one long piece to glue.. The cowl bottom completed has been cutoff from former F1.

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

I am about a week into this P-51D fuselage, it is all sheeted except the bottom back, which is left open tell I install the pushrod sleeves, the engine removed now the fuselage is ridgid, the fuse has had a quick sanding with a 60 grit sanding block to pick off the high and low spots to be filled with Balsa Lite filler. The second picture shows the P-51B in about the same completion as the P-51D.

rcwarbirdbuilder

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Couple pictures of the shop, Jim's meister P-47 getting a work over, and my wood chewing little helper next to one of the two P-51's we are building for this thread with the cowls completed.

rcwarbirdbuilder

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TAIL:

Trace outline from plans onto 3/32" balsa core, mark off rib locations, lay flat and add front 1/4"x1/2" wide leading edge, than 1/4"x3/4" trailing edge, glue in half ribs, add balsa center section and the tip filler, shape l.e. and t.e. and sheet over with 1/16" balsa, flip over and repeat for the top after attaching vertical stab, this is repeated for the vertical stab, rudder and elevator.

rcwarbirdbuilder

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SETTING UP THE SQUARES:
I am making my vertical stab attached to the horizontal removable from the fuselage, I have sheeted the bottom half of the horizontal with 1/16" balsa and the left half of vertical stab sheeted with 1/16" balsa, this leaves me a flat top on the horizontal stab and flat on the vetical righ side, small square is set for 90 degree angle as the epoxy sets, I also have a large square to help set a 1 degree offset to the left on the front for the vertical stab, per factory specs. I have used a 5/16" dowl at the front of the stab into FT15 for alingment, and you can see I have two 8-32 screws which go through the horizontal stab into blinds nuts which is mounted on a 1/4" ply which goes accross the fuselage sides under the stab sadle Sd. The balsa 1/2" spacer is attached at the front center of the horizontal stab and well be shaped into a L.E. fillet. Once everything sets I well add remaining edges and half ribs to sheet the surfaces, (this info is all ignored if you are not making your tail removable).

IFLYRC-RCU

My Feedback: (28)

OK - Let's review the basics here - this P 51 is an all wood, easy to construct, "Sport Scale" design aircraft. The profile has been adjusted to make it look more scale - but not exact. Very enconomical and easy to build. We have recieved a lot of emails pointing out minor discrepincies. We know - but, this does make a fine looking P 51.

With the true model builders becoming fewer and fewer, this is an easy and great build project for the average builder. It is "Old School" tech, with an updated design philosopy for ease of : building, transport, and strength.

OH - did I mention this P 51's other great attribute??

The plane is an absolute joy to fly. The flight envelope is huge - this thing will putt by at 25 mph steady as a rock - or "Split S" into a 110 mph fly by [ with a Q 100 of course ! ].

Takeoffs : 30 feet at full power - very little rudder required, Scale takeoffs are easy - add power slowly, keep it in the middle of the runway, ease it up slowly, retract the gear.

Landings : Full flaps, 1/3 power, practically lands itself. [ Lands OK without flaps too.]

Aerobatics: With good power, this thing will do 500 ft loops, point rolls, slow rolls, barrel rolls, Cuban 8's, pretty much what you are capable of doing. Add some expo to "smooth" it out around center stick - makes it very smooth through the turns [ more realistic ]

With a few details added, it makes a very good "scale" looking aircraft that flies great. We focus on that flying part - no hanger queens in our collection of planes !

God Day !

rcwarbirdbuilder

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Here are some random photos of progress and explanations to help some of the guys who have been following and or building along on the project.

photo 1:
Tail section on left shows vertical tail section accurately squared and glued, bottom section has half ribs and sheeting installed, now the top is ready for half ribs and sheeting with the vertical now glued in. Tail on right is set up as a removable unit and has 5/16" dowl set in place at front.

Photo 2:
Shows sadle area for the removable tail, hard to see but there is a hole on each side about center of sadle with blind nuts below for the stablizer to screw into, also two screws go into F15 through the bottom of rudder post to anchor it as well.

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

photo 1:
Shows bottom area before sheeting with 1/8' balsa. 1" balsa tri stock installed on sides to allow curve shaping and push rod sleeves installed and braced. I am using two sleeves for elevators, one for rudder and two for tail wheel cable steering.

photo 2:
Shows area sheeted and f13 bottom cut off in the tail retract area.

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

photo 1:

I am using a Quadra 100 for power, this is a similiar Q75.

photo 2&3:
Cowl area details, the engine is mounted slanted to the right slightly to reduce the carb from sticking out on the side.

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

photo 1:
I am down to the final optional tweek of the fuselage!, here I have ca+ some additional sheeting on the front to shape and give me more scale shape of the front area, this conpensates for the round front shape of former f1.

photo 2:
I have used a razor plane to feather the edges, and filled the area in with Balsa Lite putty which well be final sanded to shape in prep for glassing latter with 3/4 oz. glass fiber and resin. Don't worry about the weight, this is a warbird and well need the weight in front to balance.

rcwarbirdbuilder

My Feedback: (104)

Fuse in the back has stablizers glued on, the front plane has a removable tail section, once the wing center section is built the fuse well get a wing fillet than glassed.

easyschnucki

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Looks good !! Could you give us maybe a few closeup shots around the tail section? (around the stabs)

Thanks
-Sven-

rcwarbirdbuilder

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I hope these pictures help and are what your looking for,,,,

Slow Low

Very nice!

rcwarbirdbuilder

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Thank You!.