Official FlightLine 850mm P-51D Mustang Thread

[Kokopellimusic]

I’ve always wanted this scheme but I tell ya, I wouldn’t do it again. Lol. Those checkerboard graphics are hard to do. Not bad for a toss about plane. Thanks Callie! Wonderful person to work with.

[andrewqle]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post here and this is also my first plane of this size; the previous planes I've flown are just the small indoor planes and the emachine p-51 and corsair. I don't have a lot of experience building planes, but I do have to say that this was a really fun and interesting build. Doing the optional rudder was an especially great learning experience.

I do have one question though. I'm running this on an NX8 and AR8020T (overkill for this plane, but I like the idea of being able to transfer to larger and higher channel count planes in the future). Everything is bound and all of my control surface directions are setup and all that is left is throttle issue; I do not appear to be getting any throttle response or control.

I do notice that when I plug in the battery, I get the three beeps from the ESC to acknowledge the 3S battery, but then the ESC doesn't make the final BEE-DEEB sound at the end. I also did notice that after plugging in the battery for the first time, the prop brake did turn itself on.

Any advice that could be provided on this would be greatly appreciated!

[Kokopellimusic]

Hello and welcome. Mine did the same thing. You have to calibrate your esc.

[andrewqle]

Hello and welcome. Mine did the same thing. You have to calibrate your esc.

Well, now don't I feel like a silly bird. That was exactly what I needed to do. Also, I found out the ESC settings can't be accessed if the throttle cut is turned on.

Awesome, weather is called to be perfect-ish tomorrow; so I'll charge my batteries tonight and hopefully I'll be in the air for her maiden :D

[Coconut]

Kokopellimusic that gap is ok. You won't have any problems. Nice work on the painting of your plane. I especially like the tail section with the edges painted black.

[Kokopellimusic]

Regarding the rudder. It is not pre-hinged and there are no control horns attached to it BUT, see the attached pics, there is a pre-cut spot in the tray for a 9g servo, and a tube molded in the back of the fuse for a control rod. It will pop out in the perfect spot on the fuse to add your rudder.

James, I’m using the same receiver in my plane and thought the poles needed to be towards the rear. I see in your post, the photos pg 1, yours are facing forward. Can it be used this way? Thanks

[Aros]

Welcome andrewqle and thanks @Kokopellimusic for the response. Good luck with your maiden! Keep us posted! Just make sure your underhand toss is about half power with some up trim....Low rates for maiden. (Full power tosses usually end up in a lovely violent torque roll to the left into Mother Earth. Ask me how I know.) Then once you are used to her put that girl on high rates and go nuts!!

[andrewqle]

Just got back from the maiden flight...

Well, that could have gone better... as it turns out I misjudged how strong the winds were today. I brought her up to 60% throttle, gave her a good under handed toss into the air, then she caught the wind, went vertical (in retrospect the throw was probably too much vertical too), stalled out, and fell forward. I almost saved her as I (with a bit of help from the gyro) were about to get the plane level, but there just wasn't enough elevation and the plane hit the ground and broke the propeller. I had extra props with me, but guess the one tool I forgot the bring to the field with me...

It's not all bad though; just a broken prop and a bit of crinkled foam. Nothing that will stop me from trying again next weekend.

[Kokopellimusic]

Hey guys, if your using the Admiral receiver, could you post a photo how you have it placed? I was always under the impression that it had to face a particular direction with the polls to the rear of the plane but I have seen some photos with it facing the other way. Does it matter with that receiver I thought it was kind of particular? I would love to see some of your photos. thanks

[Aros]

It's not all bad though; just a broken prop and a bit of crinkled foam. Nothing that will stop me from trying again next weekend.

Well if it's any consolation I went through 3 stock props from piss-poor takeoffs before buying APC upgrades and never broke another prop again...There's an art to under tossing a smaller warbird. Glad there wasn't any major damage. You'll get it next time!

[Kokopellimusic]

Well if it's any consolation I went through 3 stock props from piss-poor takeoffs before buying APC upgrades and never broke another prop again...There's an art to under tossing a smaller warbird. Glad there wasn't any major damage. You'll get it next time!

what props are you using? Does Motion carry them?

[andrewqle]

Well if it's any consolation I went through 3 stock props from piss-poor takeoffs before buying APC upgrades and never broke another prop again...There's an art to under tossing a smaller warbird. Glad there wasn't any major damage. You'll get it next time!

Thanks for the words of encouragement! :D

After I broke the prop and found out I didn't have the tool to remove it, I did a quick test out of curiosity, throwing the plane over-handed more like a football just to see if it I hadn't guffed up the controls or the gryo in the first place; it glided almost perfectly and exactly like you said, I could tell that it needed a bit of up elevator trim. So now I'm pretty confident that if I can just figure out my take offs, I can fly this plane :D

I currently only have two spare Flightline props, so I'll definitely look into getting a set of APC props.

-----

Quick fact of relief, I originally wanted to get the Freewing F-18 90mm as my first large non-single cell plane (extremely silly of me, now that I think back on it); I remember that while I was considering it, I saw James' crash video from 2019 and thought to myself "yeah, maybe a big plane like that for my first big plane isn't such a great idea...", and that's when youtube recommended the Flightline P-51 video. Had I bought that Blue Angels F-18 and crashed it on the first try, I would be distraught beyond all belief...

[SanExup]

Kokopellimusic APC 9x6 props, I use the standard version vs the thin electric but either work. Some modifications tonthebspinner are required. I've posted photos in either this thread or the FW190 thread. And yes the servo lead side of the receiver must be oriented towards the back of the plane, not how James shows it in the video.

[Aros]

These are the props I bought which are perfect upgrades. You may need to do some trimming here and there to the central hole but it's more than worth it.

https://www.apcprop.com/product/9x6/

A major key to a successful underhand toss with this bird is half or just above half throttle, about a 20 degree upward toss and be prepared to counter with a bit of right aileron. Once she is airborne and on her way she levels out and it's just fun from there.

[andrewqle]

So next weekend has come and I have had myself another try at flying my plane to... better, but still unfortunate results. I took user Aros' advice and gave the plane a 20 degree-ish launch at 60% throttle and now I can get the plane to take off.

However, now that I can take off, I've realised that I've having some issues with my flight controls:

1. The plane seems be extremely pitch sensitive in the air, even with the smallest motion of the elevator stick it either wants to snap up into a vertical climb or it wants to nose down and dive. I'm pretty sure that it's not a CG issue because I can pretty easily leave the plane into a regular horizontal glide.

2. The other issue is that I seem to be getting very little control over my ailerons. When I try to roll the plane so that I can bank turn, the plane just stays level.

My first guess about both of these problems is that my rates and expo are not correct; right now, I have my rates set in to what the manual recommends and I'm set to 20% expo on all the controls. Can anyone make any recommendations or suggestions on the rates/expo or any other causes or solutions to this issue?

[SanExup]

Have you set up a switch to be able to switch to different rates on the fly? It's nice to have at least two sets of rates, if not three.

I find most factory rates to be way to much for my liking. I usually 'detune' rates based off of measurements and then move the control rods holes on the control horns etc. vs using percentages in the transmitter. But to give an example, just today at the field I flew a plane I've had for a while but felt the elevator was too pitch sensitive and dialed it down to 60% throw. So, I don't know what you had it set at but going from 100% to 90% might be imperceptible vs going from 100 to 70% on the rates, just as an example. And 20% expo for a pitchy plane isn't that much if you're at full throw. But I would recommend reducing throws, with a switch for rates, especially on an elevator not necessarily jacking up the expo. Are you using Safe mode? That might explain the bank angle restriction but it would be restricting the elevator too unless you tweaked the angles in Forward Programming. It's difficult to know what the problem is without having the plane and transmitter in hand. But again, factory rates are usually too much.

[andrewqle]

Thanks for the advice on rates and throws, SanExup; I'll look in on getting them properly set in along with putting them on a switch.

As for stabilization, I'm using the Hobby Eagle A3 Pro since the 8020T doesn't have gyro features; everything on the A3P is kept default except for the gain pots, the orientation setting, and the stabilization modes. The gain pots are all set to about a 10 o'clock position and the mounting orientation is set so that the gyro is on the side hull of the plane, I know those two things for sure. That said, I'm starting to wonder if I goofed up something in the gyro mode setup, that might explain why the flight behavior is so wonky; the stabilizer might be trying to give me a completely different kind of stabilization than what I want from it... I'll do some research and check in on that.

In retrospect, I think it would probably have been easier if I had just started off on the AR630 instead of the AR8020T. I get AS3X and SAFE included on the receiver and although I give up 2 channels and a lot of the A3P's customizability, at my level, that's better since it's less things for me to goof up.

Everyday is a learning experience :D

[SanExup]

You could get an inexpensive Lemonrx with stabilization and pull the Spektrum and the gyro for another plane. It would save some weight. I haven't used the Hobby Eagle, I do have one that will be going in another plane, but I have used the Lemons in both my P51 and my Fw190, it works great and is easy to setup. Just a thought. You can find them for around $28 I believe.

[Kokopellimusic]

Hey guys, I’m getting my plane ready to take to SEFF. I have not flown the mustang yet. I was planning on doing the maiden there. While I was checking all the surfaces and the Gyro I noticed the ESC was warm. Has anyone else noticed their ESC getting warm just sitting there?

[Kokopellimusic]

Sorry, so many questions. Flightline P-51 850mm. Do you want the motor brake on or off? On the Motion website, James says have it off. On the forums guys are say have the brake on so you don’t break the props. 🤷🏻♂️