Official FlightLine 1600mm P-51D Mustang Thread

[GliderGuy]

Back in 2016 I repainted my FMS P-51 as Hubert. After going through this entire thread I am getting the itch to get the FL P-51 which appears to be vastly superior to the FMS version and redoing it as Hubert again. I am also entertaining the possibility of equipping it with a scale 18.6" diameter 4 blades Varioprop propeller.
Josh

That would be awesome! Please strongly consider moving forward. Caution has been previously stated about overloading the ESC.

Let us know if you decide to do it.

-GG

[n99jh1]

Back in 2016 I repainted my FMS P-51 as Hubert. After going through this entire thread I am getting the itch to get the FL P-51 which appears to be vastly superior to the FMS version and redoing it as Hubert again. I am also entertaining the possibility of equipping it with a scale 18.6" diameter 4 blades Varioprop propeller.
Josh

[n99jh1]

xviper

Can you please measure and report the distance from the face of the motor mount (where the motor "X" plate attaches) to the back side of the spinner on the FL?

Thanks a bunch

Josh

[jetfool]

Grossman56,
I remember the back floorboard full of 8- track tapes.

[Grossman56]

Yep, GIRLS in hot pants and tank tops and cars (69 Mach 1), those were the teenage years that kids today have no idea. Good clean fun, mostly.

Rex

Yep, not to mention Fender Strats and Marshal amps!

Grossman56
(Dangerous Dan)

[xviper]

I believe the two prop adapters are different lengths as well. That's why I also bought the P-51 prop adapter to go with the Spitfire motor (comes with the prop adapter for the Spit).

Got the parts today. The 2 prop adapters are IDENTICAL, so I could have gotten away with just ordering the 1600mm Spitfire motor. I guess I'll have a spare prop adapter.


Continuation of my journey to make an FMS 1700mm/FL 1600 P-51 Mustang hybrid (from post #106) ....................
Here is a couple of pics of all the old parts from the FMS and all the new parts from the F/L P-51. The difference in length of the motor/prop adapter is 4mm (the X mount is 1mm thicker on the F/L), so I'll need to bring the F/L motor forward 4mm. As you can see, the diameters of the 2 prop base plates is minimal, the F/L one being a couple mm smaller, so barely noticeable. The biggest problem I see is in the X mount plate. The outer hole distance across the motor center is quite a bit smaller on the F/L. I'll have to figure out how to make new holes in the face of the FMS motor mount. I may use a 4mm thick ply plate and attach it to the motor mount. That'll also take care of the need for standoffs. (I do love a challenge.)

New data ...................... The F/L motor and X mount needs to be brought forward by 15mm. The FMS prop adapter sits on TOP of the fat part that screws into the motor. Only the small hex part goes inside the base plate. The F/L prop adapter completely fits INSIDE the prop base plate. I will use both X mounts and a 1/2" ply spacer to achieve the required motor placement. The outer holes in the F/L X mount will need to be reamed out slightly so the 2 X mounts can be stacked together.

[GliderGuy]

Front just north of us at sunrise. Being at the leading airmass interface, the wind was forecast to be light at sunrise. Sooo, I went out.

Forecast was wrong! S @ 12-15 mph. I flew the P-51 anyway because it’s gonna be N @ 35 mph all day after the front passes.

3 flights in choppy air…Gave the gyro a work-out.

Landings were “ok”…small bounces due to gusts.

She handles these conditions VERY well.

Never has she attempted to drop the nose on a bounce, but that’s probably due to my tail dragger experience and knowing when to hold full up elevator in certain bounce conditions.

-GG

PS Unless you are a perfect pilot in gusty conditions, glue some tip skid plate material on the bottom/trailing edge of the wing tips. You’ll be glad you did. Also a good idea to protect the bottom outer aileron trailing edges with some skid plate material.

[jetfool]

Yep, GIRLS in hot pants and tank tops and cars (69 Mach 1), those were the teenage years that kids today have no idea. Good clean fun, mostly.

Rex

[Grossman56]

Oh wow, Elbee, me and my cousin had the PT 19 and I had the Cox Spitfire too, which my dad tried to fly and, well lets just say it didn't go well. I flew the PT 19 under power a couple of times until one string detached and it became garbage fodder.
Little did I know that 40+ years later I'd have what I have now, I remember dreaming about owning a 'Galloping Ghost' radio system!! And enviously watching the guys at the local club with their Kraft radios.

Dan

[Elbee]

Even down under my brother and I had numerous cox 049 control line plastic models. Mostly crashed of course was fun

Seems I must have always run mine too lean, flame outs were the norm.

Most frustrating time of my aviation career.

The other part was plastic cement would not fully repair the broken bits, so mine all ended up as shelf models that dripped spent fuel.

In the end most were blown up with fireworks at some point in my misspent youth.

The PT-19 below is from the early 80's; asking price from eBay is $425.

If memory serves, I also had the Cox Thimble Drome P-40 but all that CL rage was in the late '60's or early '70's for me.

I discovered 'girls' about that same time and my lifes' priorities became noticeably skewed from that point onward.

Best, LB

[f4u ausie]

Even down under my brother and I had numerous cox 049 control line plastic models. Mostly crashed of course was fun

[Aros]

Somewhere on my external HD I have photos of my buddy's calf that got completely torn up from a prop. He was working on his model, went to stand up and his knee accidently bumped the throttle stick all the way up and he paid the price. I had to drive him to the ER immediately. It was gruesome but luckily nothing major other than embarrassment and a lot of stitches.

[Elbee]

Yep, forgot about the .049 days. And I remember the blisters from trying to hand crank the Cox tether cars. LOL

[WDivCV61]

Hah, but not a funny Hah.

Does anyone else have a uniform set of scars running along the inside of their forearm from adjusting a needle valve from the wrong side of the prop?

Ya only do that once unless you just like that kind of thing.

Scared the wee outta me and of course I was out at the field by myself.

What a moron I was that morning; bled like a stuck pig, no stitches just a really nice set of scars.

Best, LB

Not those, but the ones at the base of the thumb where it meets the wrist from the Cox and Testors .049 days in the 70's. That specific sound when a 3.5 prop meets flesh and tendon. Scratch built a 1/2A Stuka back in the day and put a .010 on it, pissed off little carpenter bee that was, the level of concentration to adj the needle when it's parked 1mm practically from the prop, didn't extend it, chose to live dangerous lol. On so many blood thinners gotta be uber careful nowadays, stinks.

[xviper]

I was still working, I was up close and personal with finger "decaps". A young worker at a new house build cut off 4 fingers with a chop saw. We were tasked with finding them in the dirt and sawdust. Found them but none were re-attachable.
During a flying day, someone cut off 3 fingers in the prop of a 2M Carbon Z Cub. Found them but again, none were re-attachable. Any prop plane powered by a 4S to 6S is a dangerous piece of equipment. Never underestimate what these things can do.

[davegee]

Yep we r very familiar with. Chopper.. famous. Or more like infamous when I was a boy one of his let's say eliminations was only couple mile . From my home at the time remember it well. Unfortunately

Yep, he's a "little" over the top, but some friends of mine and I enjoy his outrageous humor. Of course, we're lifelong Python fans from the 60s, so that humor agrees with us!

Cheers

davegee

[f4u ausie]

Yep we r very familiar with. Chopper.. famous. Or more like infamous when I was a boy one of his let's say eliminations was only couple mile . From my home at the time remember it well. Unfortunately

[GliderGuy]

Messing with the FL P-38 ESC calibration with the (I knew better) props on. She came alive at 100% throttle and jumped off the workbench straight at me.

Instinctive reaction was left hand out to stop it from hitting me. Ended up with blood everywhere / floor, ceiling, walls. The bathroom looked like a surgical table.

The ER doc gave me a tetanus shot… no stitches. I spent months with a squeeze ball getting the fingers to function correctly again.

A lesson that will be long remembered!

Those P-38 props are SHARP as a knife! The P-51’s 16 inch prop on a more powerful motor….I shudder to think the damage it might cause.

-GG

[davegee]

Hah, but not a funny Hah.

Does anyone else have a uniform set of scars running along the inside of their forearm from adjusting a needle valve from the wrong side of the prop?

Ya only do that once unless you just like that kind of thing.

Scared the wee outta me and of course I was out at the field by myself.

What a moron I was that morning; bled like a stuck pig, no stitches just a really nice set of scars.

Best, LB

The chicks Dig scars! 🤣🤣

[Elbee]

Hah, but not a funny Hah.

Does anyone else have a uniform set of scars running along the inside of their forearm from adjusting a needle valve from the wrong side of the prop?

Ya only do that once unless you just like that kind of thing.

Scared the wee outta me and of course I was out at the field by myself.

What a moron I was that morning; bled like a stuck pig, no stitches just a really nice set of scars.

Best, LB