P-51D Mustang (oz15148)

About this Plan

P-51D Mustang. Radio control sport-scale model. For .60 engines.

Note this model used a foam wing. Root and tip cutting templates are shown. Quote: "Use a standard LANIER wing of 62 in span, 620 sq in area."

Quote: "Unmistakably a P-51, this stretched-out semi-scale performs well with adequate power. Ready-to-fly wing works fine. Mustang, by Dick Carman.

Oh no, not another P-51! But tell me - at that last air show when you saw that sleek Mustang profile poised for flight, didn't you check to see when the flying demonstration would start? And later - that's a V-12 firing off now. Look, the tail is up. More speed. It's off! A slow roll on takeoff - those loops and four point rolls are so smooth, and now a victory roll. It must be getting ready to come in those long main gears stretching for touch-down.

Weren't you helping fly that bird? I was. I always wanted to build that airplane and, when I did, I wanted it to fly well, as well as look scale. Plenty of P-51 kits were available, but I de-cided to build an almost scale Mustang using the Lanier wing. It is one of the best pattern airfoils around, with its tapered, square-tip look. When lightly sanded with #400 wet paper just enough to break the gloss and given two light coats of Hobbypoxy silver, the first Mustang wing took shape.

I've built three of these airplanes. Each came in at a different weight and each had its individual flying characteristics. The first ship used an old Lanier Bronco horizontal stab cov-ered with 1/16 sheet. It was so tail heavy that the airplane required a 11(% lb. lead brick in the nose to balance, Dry weight was pushing 7-3/4 lb but, surprisingly, only the vertical maneu-vers indicated it was heavy. In silver paint and military markings, it was a sweet-flying airplane. The Lanier wing didn't seem to be bothered by the extra weight. The second model used a home-cut wing, same airfoil and span. It weighed 6-1/2 lb, no more foam stabs!

The model I now fly has a wider, deeper fuselage and a flat, built-up horizontal stab. No difference in take-off or flying qualities between a stab with airfoil or this flat stab are evi-dent. The flat one makes it easier to get the incidence correct. A 66 in wingspan was used on this model, which weighs 7 lb dry. The Lanier wing does well up to about 7 lb, at 7-3/4 lb the landings are a bit warm but not unreasonable. The 66 in span allows the flier to choose his landing speed, and the speed through maneu-vers looks more scale.

Construction: Fuselage construction for this air-plane is the most time-consuming step, so this area was simplified but without losing scale appearance. Familiar slab side and plywood doubler techniques are used, along with 1/4 in sheet for the cowl and radiator. Cut both sides from 1/8 x 4 x 48 in medium balsa. Contact glue the 1/16 plywood doubler from the nose to just beyond bulkhead F4. Since a 4" width is not quite wide enough for the full fuselage depth, two pieces at the leading and trailing edge of the wing cutout must be added. Glue 1/8 x 1/4 strips along the top and bottom edge of the rear section and reinforce the sides with a few diagonal pieces. Add a 3/32 sheet balsa doubler to the last 8 in of tail section.

Cut all bulkheads: F1 and F2 out of 1/4 in plywood; F3 through F7 from 3/32 or 1/4 balsa; C1, C2, R1, and R2 from 3/16 or 1/4 in balsa. Pre-drill F1 for the radial mount to be used and F2 for the wing dowels. Cut one 1/8 x 1/4 strip to the same width as F5, F6, and F7..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

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