Official FlightLine RC 1600mm P-38 Lightning Thread

[TiredIronGRB]

Doh, I didn't look hard enough. Man that's awesome. Have you flown with them yet? Looks like two lefts and a right. Smaller wheels for clearance I assume.

One more question, ok maybe two. Did you use the FW p51 strut pins that came with the struts? What about nose steering? C clip?

It will be a while before I fly it, I just got back into RC a few months ago after having not flown in 30 years...I have RealFlight 7.5 and I'm taking lessons at our local club, I have a Dynam Hellcat and Corsair that I fly here at the house. I got back into the hobby while looking for large scale warbird models, I bought a LX B-25 then pre-ordered the P-38. The Dynam's are my trainers.

Yes, two lefts and a right...the FW wheels are way too large. I made pins for the struts but ended up using the ones that came on them. Look at my build thread for the steering.

[crxmanpat]

Here's a revised label for the blue box. This will do the following:

Make the Landing Light turn on and off with gear up and down.
Make the wingtip lights stay on steady,
Make the formation lights (under the belly) strobe.

If you want the formation lights steady but the wingtips to strobe, you'll need to Y the wingtip light leads together.

You're welcome. :)

[F106DeltaDart]

Just flew the second flight on my P-38 with the cg at 72mm. Flew much better this time with the extra nose weight! Great flying tendencies and settles in nicely for landing.

[TiredIronGRB]

Can someone post a pic of the CG range on the underside of the plane?

[xviper]

Thanks, Pat. I'm sure this will help a lot of owners as they build.

As an aside, I read the P-38 thread in the "other" forum with some amusement as people are wrestling with getting those grub screws off the wheel collars so they can change tires. They almost always strip and then have to be drilled out but then, the metal is too hard or they can't find the right sized bit and one guy even started talking about freezing one part and heating up another part and it just goes on and on. I don't post over in that rag forum anymore, but for anyone who does, somebody should just post over there with a simple message ......................... "Bic lighter for 20 seconds on the collar where the screw is". Ryan posted this and I followed suit. Worked like a charm. Quick and easy. It's almost painful to see so many posting about how much trouble it is to get that screw out.

[Lon]

Thanks, Pat. I'm sure this will help a lot of owners as they build.

As an aside, I read the P-38 thread in the "other" forum with some amusement as people are wrestling with getting those grub screws off the wheel collars so they can change tires. They almost always strip and then have to be drilled out but then, the metal is too hard or they can't find the right sized bit and one guy even started talking about freezing one part and heating up another part and it just goes on and on. I don't post over in that rag forum anymore, but for anyone who does, somebody should just post over there with a simple message ......................... "Bic lighter for 20 seconds on the collar where the screw is". Ryan posted this and I followed suit. Worked like a charm. Quick and easy. It's almost painful to see so many posting about how much trouble it is to get that screw out.

Ditto's Viper...I only did it for 10-15 seconds and "click", the grub screw easily broke loose. Put a grin on my face!

[ryramZ]

Yep, yep and the way to not melt the wheel is to spin it. It doesn't take much heat really. Heat and rock with pliers a little.

The middle nose guns plastic piece is completely hollow for those adding weight.

I can't wait to get mine back out when it's not windy.

[xviper]

Just flew the second flight on my P-38 with the cg at 72mm. Flew much better this time with the extra nose weight! Great flying tendencies and settles in nicely for landing.

A little clarification please. I haven't flown mine but I have marked off the CG at 65mm (as per manual). If you balanced yours at 72mm, doesn't that mean you've got it weighted more to the tail? Looking at the diagram in the manual, it looks like they measure the "leading edge" from point on the wing just inboard of each engine pod. That's where I started from, using a square and straight edge.

[PlaneCrazy]

It will be a while before I fly it, I just got back into RC a few months ago after having not flown in 30 years...I have RealFlight 7.5 and I'm taking lessons at our local club, I have a Dynam Hellcat and Corsair that I fly here at the house. I got back into the hobby while looking for large scale warbird models, I bought a LX B-25 then pre-ordered the P-38. The Dynam's are my trainers.

Yes, two lefts and a right...the FW wheels are way too large. I made pins for the struts but ended up using the ones that came on them. Look at my build thread for the steering.

From what I see it is not two lefts and a right, it's two rights and a left............look again.......I've looked and looked!

[F106DeltaDart]

A little clarification please. I haven't flown mine but I have marked off the CG at 65mm (as per manual). If you balanced yours at 72mm, doesn't that mean you've got it weighted more to the tail? Looking at the diagram in the manual, it looks like they measure the "leading edge" from point on the wing just inboard of each engine pod. That's where I started from, using a square and straight edge.

I see my problem now, I measured from the leading edge right after the fillet by the cockpit. That is a considerable difference in CG and required several ounces of nose weight to balance. The plane flew very nose heavy the first flight. The next flight, I removed that weight, and kept my 2 admiral 4S 3000s all the way forward and it flew great. Note to self, double check the diagram..

[TiredIronGRB]

I ordered two rights and a left thinking right was sitting in the plane right...but apparently it's looking at the plane so now I'm short one strut on my P-51.

[PlaneCrazy]

I ordered two rights and a left thinking right was sitting in the plane right...but apparently it's looking at the plane so now I'm short one strut on my P-51.

So TI am I right???? Two rights and a left. Looking at the plane from the front, the nose gear is the same as the right main.........correct??

[TiredIronGRB]

No, if you order from the parts page get two lefts and a right.

[Aros]

I think the sweet spot is around 70mm. This is the spot I used to start my measuring point from...

[FLTRI]

Can someone post a pic of the CG range on the underside of the plane?

Yes please. I would love to see where the guys with successful flights under their belt, marked their CG. There's several numbers floating around, and several "starting points" to measure from...

[F106DeltaDart]

I think the sweet spot is around 70mm. This is the spot I used to start my measuring point from...

I found that to be the sweet spot as well.

[PlaneCrazy]

No, if you order from the parts page get two lefts and a right.

TI respectfully...............I just looked at the parts page for the Freewing P51 Old Crow and in order to duplicate what you have, I would have to buy two rights and a left. That would make all the knuckles or whatever you call them, face forward.

[Aros]

Here's my CG location. 72mm which puts it at the leading edge of the inboard wire covering. A bit tail heavy with gear up (I have Robart wheels) but totally within limits.

[TiredIronGRB]

This is what I ordered and it was wrong...I had to use the left off my P-51 and order another left yoke end.

[FLTRI]

Here's my CG location. 72mm which puts it at the leading edge of the inboard wire covering. A bit tail heavy with gear up (I have Robart wheels) but totally within limits.

Thanks for that. Yup, I'm still tail heavy, glad I decided to put off my maiden. Off to the shop to add more nose weight...