P51 Mustang 850mm

[T200]

SOS!
New to RC airplanes, have a P51 Mustang 850mm 3 cell 2200 battery, 6 channel radio with receiver etc as recommended by on motion rc. The plane has been assembled and configured, elevator, flaps etc all aligned, everything works! however the plane is ditching just after take off, need advice/help on troubleshooting the issue. Is the battery too heavy??

thanks

[SanExup]

Did you configure your esc? No your 3s 2200 is probably lighter than a 4s 2200 which it also flies on. Are you sure you have the correct CG? This model does not have flaps, it only has ailerons, if it's the Flightline p51 850mm. Have you watched the video on Motionrc's site? Take note how he hand launches his! He's not at full throttle and he underhand tosses it at 45° or less.

[T200]

Yes the Esc is wired into the receiver in the throttle slot. How do I know I have the correct CG.? The ailerons are set to being level with the rest of the wing ie not up or down. I’ll watch the motion rc video again. Thanks for your help and reply btw

[SanExup]

So the esc needs calibration to the end points on your throttle, it's not enough to just plug it in. I can explain it in words but a physical demonstration of it is the best way. There are decent videos on how to calibrate an esc, I do believe if you go on the motionrc youtube channel that they have produced a esc calibration vid. As for the CG, I believe the instruction manual has the Center of Gravity measurements and shows where to measure from, the wing root. A wing will not fly well until it is balanced correctly. And a mustang being a low wing, you must balance it upside down, so your measurements and marks will be in the top of the wing so you can flip it over to balance it. I am sure youtube has videos of that process as well.

All of this being said, it sounds like this mustang is a first rc plane? Or maybe you've had a plane that was ready to fly out of the box? A mustang is a challenging plane as a first rc plane, this one can be flown as a first low wing plane, but honestly if you were a friend in front of me I would tell you to get a high wing plane, with a light wing loading. I have owned a few mustangs, they tend to have a tip stall vs a gentle straight stall that a trainer type wing will have. A tip stall on takeoff or landing from a mustang should almost be expected in order to avoid it. And then there is "p factor" as well, usually on take off or any time going from a glide to full throttle. In other words, it can become very easy to get task saturated flying a mustang as a new pilot, or an old pilot. Every landing I have with a mustang with landing gear that doesn't end up in a ground loop still gives me a smile. And I have had Mustangs for some years.

[Grossman56]

I totally agree, the first plane I bought was the 1400mm FMS Mustang. Cooler heads prevailed and it sat in the basement while I went through my first trainer, a Piper cub, then in to the Pandoras for two years, even then, the Mustang was a challenge. Until you've done the crawling and walking then you can start thinking about running. Tip stalls are why most RC sellers are in business.

Grossman56

[Grossman56]

How about your rates and expo, flap settings? Does it have a gyro? I believe the airplane doesn't come with a built in receiver does it?

Grossman56

[Evan D]

No flaps or rudder on this plane.

Bottom line is the P-51 is not a good first airplane, not even close. Even a more intermediate plane needs a person, a more experienced pilot to check CG and setting and do a trim flight.

Did you calibrate the ESC, is it balanced correctly, did you do a range check, did you set a throttle cut?



I was just on a resellers site and read this in the product description, it's fitting. "For further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Support Team and one of our knowledgeable RC experts will be glad to assist you. Happy flying!".

[kallend]

SOS!
New to RC airplanes, have a P51 Mustang 850mm

In WWII, before a new pilot was let loose on a P51 they had to undergo extensive training on simpler aircraft such as the Stearman 75, T6, PT22, PT19, etc.

[BluesDragon]

I totally agree, the first plane I bought was the 1400mm FMS Mustang. Cooler heads prevailed and it sat...

I will second this agreement! My first buy was the Corsair. Always loved that bird since growing up watching the Black Sheep Squadron on tv. One of those cooler heads, to prevail me, was even the G'man I quoted here. I listened, went out and got a trainer, mine was the mini-apprentice, and flew, crashed, repaired, flew some more, crashed, repaired, and finally felt good enough for that Corsair. I was wr.. wron.. not as ready as I thought!

Bottom line... take your time to learn as much as you can from the hobby, before flying your favorite.
.

[BluesDragon]

Bottom line... take your time to learn as much as you can from the hobby, before flying your favorite.

It still hangs in the garage hangar as a reminder for me to take my time and never get too over confident in my limited skills.

[Grossman56]

Amen brother! I've been in this hobby for 8 years now and my Mustang is still going strong

And the reason(s) for that are still flying as well!


God knows how many flights are on these two birds, but at least the first two seasons and I still enjoy flying them.
Even at that, the Mustangs were intimidating, I took my B model with me to RC Flight School and had Dave Scott buddy box with me on the first ever Mustang flight.

Never underestimate the value of a good teacher and a buddy box.

Grossman56