Topic: Galaxy Models Mustang (Take two)

OK folks,

The Mustang build was never going to be a proper build thread as it had already been done in the past, it was always going to be more of an update and help thread as I am converting a semi-scale kit into something more scale like.

So, to recap:

The P51D will be in the colours of an aircraft based at Coltishall in 1945 belonging to 303 Sqn.



Because others had already posted pictures of this kit from the beginning of the build I started posting at this stage of my build.





The retracts took a bit of getting in, mainly as there ain't a lot of room left in the wing once the depth had been found. As usual, i'm pretty slow at building and if I remember rightly it took me over a week to get em in.

The wings have been heavily modified and now have scale flaps and ailerons, and though I had originally set the flaps up as you can see, I have now changed this to a simpler set up that cannot twist under load on the advice of Phil.



I then started to attach the tail appendages and this happened 



Had to cut the fin off and start again. My fault, I had not secured it well enough to dry over night. 

We then moved onto this stage, as you can see, I have modified the air intake to a more scale like appearance.



Starting to look the part now. retractable tail wheel is fitted, hmmmmmm, its still giving me nightmares.



All back end surfaces now fitted and balance tabs modified in. Thanks to Phil, (again) and Stueysheep for getting the scaling sorted on that one.



I have some photos that I have taken this morning to upload then we will be fully up to date.

Sadly, I have to go to work now.

TTFN

Charlie C

YAY........... SHE'S BACK...... The "mussy", not you of course Charlie...

YAY........... SHE'S BACK...... The "mussy", not you of course Charlie...

 

CC

Just thought I would at the latest bit whist time is on my side.

Below is a piccie of my home made carbon pushrods and end caps. I'm right chuffed wit them as I have never made anything like that before and they turned out rather well. The rods are 8mm and the end caps are 10mm alloy bar, cut, back drilled at 8mm them back drilled at 3mm for the M3 threaded rod. The whole lot was then epoxied together then cross drilled and 2mm carbon rods epoxied in to make sure nothing was tempted to move.





You will notice the mods to the fuselage sides around the tail wheel. This is because, I'm having the devils own job trying to get a pair of retracting tail wheel doors to work. I have spent hours on this with no luck  .
Soooooo, instead of giving up, I have made the bottom panels around the tail wheel removable, and decided to leave it alone for now and just have the aperture for the tail wheel to retract into. I can then come back to it later.

I have put Eurokit retracts in and now see that if I had fitted more up market items I could have gone the whole hog very easily and had rams and sequencers for the doors. (Yup, I owe Phil an apology. Your right Mr Clark , I know, should have saved harder and gone the CJ route) still all is not lost as I have been loaned a micro servo which may, if I can get the angles right save the day.
However, that's a job for another day.

In the meantime this little ole engine has found itself bolted to the front



And this is what it looks like with its clothes on.



Got a bit of fiddling about to do here, nothing major though, except the exhaust. The one with the engine is HUGE so I need another one.

I learn't a lesson with custom exhausts on the Sea Fury, and as Mr M of this parish stated, volume is everything if you don't want to strangle the engine.

I'm not sure how to go about this yet, but, I'm hoping NNG will read this. He's good at making things like this and I'm sure we can sort something out. 

TTFN

Charlie C

Yes great to see it back Charlie...and with all the important bits nicely compacted in Just a thought, but if your going to use servo operated doors on the tail wheel, you could still put the whole shebang through a SM services door sequencer, so it goes door servo open, air gear down and vice versa. Mustang's coming along nicely 

Walts.

  EDIT Doh! Just see your using a mechanical tail unit.........same principal anyhow.

Yes great to see it back Charlie...and with all the important bits nicely compacted in Just a thought, but if your going to use servo operated doors on the tail wheel, you could still put the whole shebang through a SM services door sequencer, so it goes door servo open, air gear down and vice versa. Mustang's coming along nicely 

Walts.

  EDIT Doh! Just see your using a mechanical tail unit.........same principal anyhow.

Hi Walts,

Thanks for that. It is another option. That will be a modification later on now. I intend to crack on and get the thing finished, fly it  and come back to it later.

Charlie C

Here's another question for the assembled audience.

The flight pack is going to be a sub C 6V jobbie about 2300ma, and I'm thinking of using the same for the CDI.

I am slightly nervous about plumbing in the tail wheel retract servo into the flight battery, but, I can't see any harm plumbing it into the CDI battery. That way, if the servo stalls, it will only drain the ignition battery which will, if it happens, eventually stop the engine.

What do we think, or should I put in a small 3rd battery just for 1 servo.

Charlie C

Here's another question for the assembled audience.

The flight pack is going to be a sub C 6V jobbie about 2300ma, and I'm thinking of using the same for the CDI.

I am slightly nervous about plumbing in the tail wheel retract servo into the flight battery, but, I can't see any harm plumbing it into the CDI battery. That way, if the servo stalls, it will only drain the ignition battery which will, if it happens, eventually stop the engine.

What do we think, or should I put in a small 3rd battery just for 1 servo.

Charlie C

Can your ignition handle the 6V? Quite alot state that you should only use 4.8V which is why I question it?

If it's OK with 6V then go for it, at least you'll know the servo is stalling when the engine runs out of electrons!!

PS if I were you up the mah amount to 3000+ then you'll be flying all day on one charge rather than charging all the time, they don't weigh anymore to have extra capacity.

Steve

Hi Steve,

Below is taken straight form the manual. I assumed that 6v is Ok, however, you know me, I'm a bit of an ignoramus in such matters.

I'm quite happy to be guided, sworn at, cursed, mocked  or otherwise verbally abused as long as it gets the result.

 

CC

"The RCGF ignition system is designed for input voltage ranging from 4.8 to 6.0 volts,
no more and no less. A battery pack of 1200mah or greater may be sufficient for a day
of flying for most users. Check your battery voltage with a voltage meter before every
flight and do not fly if the voltage is not between 5.2 and 6.0 volts; the voltage at the
start of a flight may not remain for the duration of the flight. Disconnect the battery
from the ignition system while charging the battery. The ignition module should be
connected to the battery through a heavy-duty switch, mounted where it can be
reached easily when starting the engine.
NOTE: A 6 volt or larger battery pack must be regulated to between 5.2 and 6.0
volts or it will supply too high a voltage to the ignition module."

If I understand you, you're contemplating powering a tail wheel servo from the CDI battery? It isn't best practice to have anything attached to the Rx also electrically connected to the ignition system. Usually we try to keep significant separation between the two systems. I know 2.4GHz systems are supposed to be better able to reject interference from ignition sources but sooner or later it will bite you.

Sorry if I got the wrong end of the stick...

Charlie

Looks very much like you'll have to regulate the ignition pack if you want to use it then. a fully charged 6V pack will be putting out far more than 6V. I'd suggest putting a 4.8V pack and re-think what your planning to do as glowfly has just made a very good point, especially as your still using 35mhz

Steve

Oh Bu**a,

Thanks chaps

Being as I'm on good old fashioned 35meg, and will be for a while yet, I shall install a small battery for the tail wheel retract and main wheel valve operating servo.

Lesson definately learned here. Next time it will be air all round.

Charlie C

OOps, forgot. Steve, your right, I'll put a 4.8v pack of as large a capacity as I can get onto the ignition.

Charlie,you might try lipos with a bec, mine regulates perfectly at either 4.8 or 5.9 just remember to put a switch between battery and bec.....got all mine rom giant cod and use them on the rxs.

Steve, your right, I'll put a 4.8v pack of as large a capacity as I can get onto the ignition.

How about THESE for the ignition?

Charlie can you take pickies of the exhaust side of the engine please with and without cowl, it will give me an idea what we have to work with 

Hi Guys,

Those batteries were the ones I wuz looking at . I have never used that supplier before, but they seem to get get reviews. Als thier 6v packs seem to be excellent value.

Shaun, will take some piccies later and put them on. (Family visitors inbound  )

CC

How about THESE for the ignition?

Charlie can you take pickies of the exhaust side of the engine please with and without cowl, it will give me an idea what we have to work with 

Shaun

As requested, I sneaked out for an hour 







http://www.rcmf.co.uk/RCMFLive/albums/userpics/13671/IMG_1390.JPG[/img]









Hope that's enough.

Charlie C

That's gonna be tight!

That's gonna be tight!

It doesn't have to get inside the cowl. I am quite happy to cut a hole in it and paint the exhaust to match. (If that makes sense)

Charlie C

hope you caught and spanked the grafitti artist charlie... 

Yup, can make the profile of the outside of the exhaust come close to the cowl shape  

hope you caught and spanked the grafitti artist charlie... 

Ooooh yeah, give myself a right good thrashing 

NNG, how are we gonna attack this.

CC

NNG, how are we gonna attack this.

CC

My preferred method is a large hammer followed by a good fettling with a grinder 

There are several ways to do it but difficult for me to explain in text.  The time consuming bit it to get the profile of the exhaust to match the cowl but it just takes time, nothing hard to do.  Like I said I can only weld steel, I don't have an AC TIG  :(

My preferred method is a large hammer followed by a good fettling with a grinder 

There are several ways to do it but difficult for me to explain in text.  The time consuming bit it to get the profile of the exhaust to match the cowl but it just takes time, nothing hard to do.  Like I said I can only weld steel, I don't have an AC TIG  :(

Thats fine.

I could drop the whole lot over to you if you wanted. I've still got things to do on the wing, rudder and elevators fo an evening of three.


Charlie C

OK folks, for the second time tonight, (I pressed the back button instead of gallery mid post, doh  )

Its been a while since I updated the thread, mainly because, I seem to have spent hours on the thing but never seem to get anywhere further forward.

However, I have something worth showing now.

The undercarriage gubbins in and ready for testing.



And, looking aft, its starting to fill up a bit now.



I wanted to hide the switches and air filling point, but I couldn't bring myself to cut a scale size hatch in the side, but, they have to be hidden.



I'm hoping that after I finally tidy up the fuselage prior to glassing that I can make that hatch just about invisible 



A couple of general views.





I am hoping to get it glassed in the next couple of weeks, then onto the painting bit. I have acquired a few 2" rolls of "Flight metal" tape, but I'm going off that idea as it could be very laborious, where as painting could be a better more accurate and quicker  option. Not sure which way to go yet.

Thats all for now.

Charlie C

Just read my last post for the P51, it was in March 

Its back on the building board now and I'll not be stopping till its flown  , barring accidents in the fleet of course.

The engine is now sitting in an engineering works having the custom silencer made up and fettled and tonight I shall remove all the servo's switches and bits ready for the final rub down and try and get a working set of rear undercarriage doors made and working using the little widget that Neil sent me. Thanks Fella 

I am also making up a decent ish cockpit as the one supplied, well, there wasn't one actually, but I have got hold of various decals and bits plus a 1/6th scale pilot and I'm hoping to get this lot done in the next week or two.


Charlie C

Who knows, it may be ready in time for Binham 

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa...

Nice one Charlie.....

What you waiting for... 

Custom exhaust    Sorry mate, I let you down on that one    It completely slipped my mind, I appear to have been in fluffy land for some time 

Custom exhaust    Sorry mate, I let you down on that one    It completely slipped my mind, I appear to have been in fluffy land for some time 

No worries NNG, its all in hand, so to speak.

CC

Looking very good Charlie, boy.

As a matter of interest, what is the make and size of the engine please.

Regards Phil G.

Lookin nice and neat Mr C,

I'm lookin forward to seeing her being finished

Mudders

Lookin nice and neat Mr C,

I'm lookin forward to seeing her being finished

Mudders

So am I Mr Mudders, so am I. (Thanks for all the info by the way) 

Phil, its a 45cc RCGF like wot Ali had in a big Yak at Osbournby last year I believe. Its the same weight as a Z38 with CDI ignition, sadly it has a side exhaust, but I'm hoping that my brother in laws welding skills will disguise it. 

Not done anything today as I've been out gliding this evening.

Charlie C

Another quick update one and all, (Or more realistically, both of you)

I haven't done that much recently. I have to be honest, I have been doing a bit of gliding, and thoroughly enjoying I am to.

The engine is away having the exhaust made and most bits are ready for the next stage which is glassing, another first for me  , so I'm kinda pottering around a bit, so decided that the kit supplied cockpit wasn't up to much, like there wasn't one, so I had to fill the hole in.

Little did I realise that I would end up making a gun sight, and it don't half look bad either.





In fact, being as this is all small stuff in reality, I'm quite chuffed wiyh how its turned out.



Its not Fighteraces standard, but give it time 

Anyway, having cut an access panel in the side for switches and air filling, I'm not happy as it looks really badly out of place, so, thinks I'll have a go at that, plus I have an ingenious device, supplied by a certain Russian sounding forumite that will make my tail wheel doors function properly, so I might as well get on with it now.

TTFN

Charlie C

I think you will find there are more than 2 watching the build Charlie.

I think you will find there are more than 2 watching the build Charlie.

more than me and ewe Shaun? Too right. 

The latest updates, nearly there:







Just the undercarriage doors to make now. Gonna make em out of alloy sheet I think, then, the dreaded glass cloth and painting.

Just had an update on the exhaust, will be ready in a week or two 

Charlie C

Lookin good CC, don't forget to take into account the force of the wind on ya doors, you don't want them twisting/flapping in the breeze 

Dear Charlie
Looking good, it should by finished by Saturday, which Saturday I don't know.
It was nice to see you all and visit your patch, the other Thursday evening and thank you for the engine.
The carb has not turned up yet though.

You have an ideal site for an event? 

Thank you once again.
Regards Phil G.

Hi Guys,

Matt, fear not, I have played the instant one sided air brake game before when the Sea Fury door twisted round on take off. Made for an interesting circuit I can tell you. never again and all that. Thanks though.  

Phil,

I sit here embarrassed. Whilst plodding on last night inthe garage, I moved a sheet of paper, and hey ho, underneath was that ***** carb that I thought I sent on to you.

Sorry, it will be in the post tomorrow  

I take it the piccie is your  P51 then. Get it sorted and You , Mudders and myself could try an atmospheric flypast or two.

Charlie C

PC, Mudders, has it flown

Hi Guys,



Charlie C

PC, Mudders, has it flown

Yes mate, in a fashion, we were troubled with the poxy 'el'cheapo engine  Fine on the ground, but as soon as the prop unloaded it coughed and spluttered with the odd dead stick thrown in for measure. Gimmy a Zenoah any day 

Yes mate, in a fashion, we were troubled with the poxy 'el'cheapo engine  Fine on the ground, but as soon as the prop unloaded it coughed and spluttered with the odd dead stick thrown in for measure. Gimmy a Zenoah any day 

Ohh no.

What are ewe gonna do about it.

CC