400 Series LC P-51 Build

[Pauli72]

Beautiful job ADW!

I have to say, I was a little apprehensive when I saw you actually start skinnin' the bird in pink, but this thing looks awsome
The yellow cowl, spinner & air scoop really balances the opaque pink nicely. Great job bud!

What's next on your build list?

[ADW 123]

ive got my Cessna skyhawk for U control on the workbench right now... But im also making plans for building a wind tunnel so I can test my experimental wing designs. This might interfere with my Cessna but we will see how we go.

[granpa]

What is the point of moving the peg forward? Do you lose a lot of wind capacity?

[ADW 123]

I might loose a little capacity but i dont have to add nearly as much nose weight for balancing. plus its easier to get at the rear motor peg.

[paul]

Looking at your finished model, I think I am trying to hard to make the plane look like the picture on the box.
I have to change my ways of building and painting from plastic-balsa.
So frustrating when all that time and effort I have taken has gone into building the perfect model, I go into Plastic Mode and ... it up.
Starting my 4th attempt, hopefully with better results, and with a different mindset to completion.

[Marshdweller]

That's a fantastic looking model!

I have two questions though:

1. How do you go about adding nose weight after the model is completed? Have you left access somewhere hidden?

2. I would love to see a step-by-step guide to how you built your removable nose section, or does it come like that in the kit?

And, Paul, I too have just ventured away from plastic towards balsa (with a vague idea of ultimately building my own RC plane) and I too am learning that these guys work to different standards from the plastic people. Here, function takes precedence over form, whereas form is definitely top dog on the plastic forums.

[ADW 123]

some people put nose weight in the nose cone. others put it in the spinner. mine has a nice space inside of the nose cone area just under my box i built for the nose block. I built this without instructions. If you do some searching on the forum you can find info about how to make one.

[Marshdweller]

I think you'll find that not all modelers sacrifice form for function.

Sorry if that came across as some sort of criticism, that wasn't how it was intended. I merely meant that plastic modellers (in my experience) care only about how it looks, and weight etc. aren't considerations for them. Ultimately realism is their only yardstick, whereas here, with flying models their in-air performance is the major consideration, so dihedral is altered to aid stability, the tissue is left translucent, undercarriage omitted etc.

Believe me, I had no wish to imply that the models shown on here are aesthetically inferior to plastic kits. They are built to different criteria and so have different standards to meet.

[paul]

Plastic modellers make their models for that authentic look, as I have done for many a year.
It seems like the rule doesn't apply when building with balsa.Totally different aspect of building, this is where we plastic modellers fail. We go into plastic mode, stick a bit of model strip on, and alls well. = Failure.
Building my 4th attempt, hope to post pic's soon

[ADW 123]

I agree with Marshdweller. Having gone from plastic to balsa as well, I found the same thing. I also found that balsa was better for me because of all the different functions that needed to be considered. It makes balsa a little more challenging in my opinion.

[Mitch]

First... Let me say VERY NICE. Second... I like the way you mounted the cowling. Third... Interesting placement of rubber motor, are you planning to fly? With the rubber mounted there you have room for the PILOT. Just put my P-51 back on the scale and its at 81g (w/o motor/prop/spinner)

Also I went through great efforts to move the motor peg AFT, I see people move it FWD. I had respectable flights with the P-51 and wish you the BEST!

Mitch

[ADW 123]

I am going to fly it. Should be fine with two loops of 1/8" rubber 1.25 hook to peg length. i have to add some clay to the nose for ballast but i shouldnt need more than 5 grams i dont think. we will get to that later. maybe this week if im lucky. i have been busy with school and i think this wind tunnel i want to build might take precedence over my Skyhawk currently on the workbench. If you moved your peg forward, you probably would have a lighter plane (if you added ballast) which I assume you did. I probably gave up too much weight over detail work but that is something that needs to be a compramise. Ill get trim tabs on it and get some tests done soon.

[Charles_c]

The P-51 looks great. Tell me about moving the rubber band peg FORWARD ! Why ???
There is something I am missing, here.

Charles

[ADW 123]

just makes for less weight in the tail. we know practically all of these models end up tail heavy, so we do as much as possible to lighten the tail. moving the peg forward does just that.