ATIS
07-01-2009, 10:13 PM
PARKZONE
P-51D MUSTANG BL (BNF)
BUILD AND REVIEW
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51noseground-1-1.jpghttp://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51tailground-1.jpg
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51Boxed-1-2.jpg
The PZ P-51 BNF comes neatly and securely packaged. The interlocking foam cross members keep everything in place during shipping so you shouldnt have any damage upon arrival. Its a nice touch compared to just taping the cross members into place and hoping they stayed put. (Note: The cross members have to be pulled STRAIGHT up to remove them after you have removed the tape)
Whats in the Box:
(1) P-51
(1) Park 480 BL motor (installed)
(1) 18 amp BL ESC (installed)
(1) AR5000 RX (installed)
(3) servos pre-installed (2 aeliron, 1 elevator)
(1) 3s 1300 lipo
(1) car charger
(1) Bind plug
(+) Misc hardware (pushrod and control surface horn for the optional rudder)
Whats not in the Box:
Transmitter (must be DSM2)
Touch up paint (needed if you install the optional rudder)
The Build:
Wing:
The first step is attaching the main wing to the fuse...be sure to feed the aeliron servos wires through the hole and pull them so they dont get pinched between the wing and fuse. When you secure the wing to the fuse apply a little loctite to the screw to prevent it from backing out later.
Attaching the elevator is next, however, if you want a functional rudder I would add it BEFORE attaching the elevator.
OPTIONAL FUNCTIONAL RUDDER: (see pics)
I found the instructions here to be a little fuzzy...or it might just be my tiny brain....it tells you to cut the lower support. This needs to be cut in a "V" on both sides. I made 2 cuts per side, I used the curve of the fuse and rudder to guide me ensuring they met up without extending past the other. This will remove a "V" shape piece of foam from each side. (This is where the touch up paint would have been nice as you now have white foam screaming at you!!)
The second cut is along the upper counter balance. This is where I had to look twice and think for a second. Run a nice sharp #11 Xacto blade along the 3 GREEN sides of the counter balance. DO NOT CUT ALL THE WAY AROUND IT. To get the clearance so the counter balance will move with the rudder and not drag on the fuse I removed a very thin strip of foam from right in front of the counter balance (vertical section). If you keep this thin the white foam wont show too badly. Now test flex the rudder. It should pivet fairly easily in both directions.
The servo pocket is already cut for you so all you need to do is drop in your serov (minus the servo arm) and secure it. I use foam safe CA along the outer side with some kicker. Now plug the servo into the rudder channel of the RX. To attach the control surface horn simply hold the horn in place along the rudders edge and puch the screws through SLOWLY. Then put the back plate on and screw the two plates together. The screws are very long... I used a dremel to cut mine down a little. The control horn is black...I painted it yellow to keep it from jumping out on fly bys. I used a EFlite S75 as I had one sitting around looking for a good home and it fit perfectly without any work.
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51RudderHingecut-1.jpghttp://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51rudderupperhinge-1.jpghttp://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51RudderServo-1.jpg
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51Ruddercontrolhorn-1.jpg
Elevator:
Slide the elevator into the fuse (ensure the green side is facing the sky and slide from right to left so the control surface horn doesnt get jammed into the fuse). Take your time as you have to go in at an angle to clear the rudder. You will see a line on each side of the elevator, those line up with the fuse. Once they are lined up, slide the entire elevator FORWARD keeping those lines lined up along the fuse. Pushing it forward will ensure the elevator will not get hung up on the rudder. [/CENTER]
The instructions call for applying the included clear tape along the fuse/elevator joint... I prefer to apply a thin bead of foam safe CA along the UNDERSIDE of the elevator/fuse joint and hitting it with a little kicker. I trust the CA joint over the tape especially if you fly in a very hot climate or off wet grass alot. I also apply a drop of regular CA to the top of the control horn to ensure the teeth dont give and I lose the elevator...I then cut of the little section that looks like a "F"...just to clean up the looks a little.
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51CAelevator-1.jpg
Binding:
I prefer to bind the RX to the TX before I attach the pushrods to the control surface horns incase a servo is not centered it wont drive the control surface to the maximum deflection or strip itself out.
Once your done binding leave the TX on and just remove the Bind plug. Its now time to center everything and attach the pushrods to the elevator. For the rudder, attach the servo arm to the pushrod and then attach the arm to the servo followed by attaching the pushrod to the control surface.
PREFLIGHT:
Double check your control surfaces, with my DX7 my aelirons were reversed so I had to reverse the servo in the programming screen. For throws, I like alot and set my aelirons to the max for high rates. Everyone is different so if your new go by the book here. I moved the alerions in 2 holes and the elevator in 2 holes to gain more defelction. The included 3s 1300 lipo weighs 103 grams, a EVO 25 3s 1200 weighs 109 grams. Not much change in weight for a higher C rated lipo for those that may be looking for extra power.
Build Time:
Per instructions w/o rudder : 20 minutes
Per instructions w/rudder: 30 minutes
My build time included the rudder, painting the rudder control horn yellow, taking pictures, touching up the white foam from cutting the rudder free took me 30 minutes. I also applied a couple of light coats of clear matte finish to protect against grass rash on landings.
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51clearspray-1.jpg
Report Card:
Good:
CG marks on TOP of the wing
Quality foam
Fast build
Nice details... spinner looks great
Included charger charges through the balancing tap
Bad:
18 amp ESC, thats limiting if looking to change props for more speed.
Same pilot as before...way below the standards and quality of the plane.
Rudder should have been standard
No touch up paint
Some decals already pulling away from foam
Designed for 3s 1300 lipo
FLIGHT REPORT:
Weather Conditions:
Setting sun
8 mph winds with gusts to 20 mph
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51sideflying-1.jpghttp://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51invertedflying-1-2.jpg
Maiden:
I simply couldnt wait for weather conditions to improve especially after texting my neighbor to death about flying. He brought his Corsair down and I went out with the P-51. We flew together and his girlfriend took the in flight pictures. Admittedly I didnt do a whole lot during the maiden due to the wind.
Hand launch was a non-event...3/4 throttle and a nice level stiff throw and she was off and racing. Surprisingly she was faster then I thought and I would have to guess she is slightly faster then the T-28 and Corsair.
Circuits were easy, but with the heavy gusts the wings did get rocked, alot and I found myself countering the unintended roll into inverted flight. the winds caused the tail to wag and I really think a 3s 1500 lipo with the added weight would help with the wind. I flew a good 5 minutes of circuits with a few low level passes. She is a thing of beauty in the air and when the sun dances across the wings during a hard banking turn you cant help but smile from ear to ear like a little kid during his first visit to a toy store!!
Landings are another non-event. Just turn into final at 1/2 throttle and roll the throttle back to 1/8 to keep the prop spinning and she will glide across the field. Add a little up elevator to raise the nose and she will flop on to her belly. I actaully over shot my landing spot by 20 feet despite the 20 mph head wind!!
Report Card:
HL: Easy, non-event
Glide: Level, with gradual decent
Rolls: Sweet, 1 per second
Loops: Nice and big
Inverted: A little down elevator is all it takes
Speed: Great speed for a BNF/RTF, estimated 50mph level
Landing: Easy, non-event
Beginner: No, a good second plane if taken easy
Summary:
Excellent aircraft. Good quality foam, fit and finish are without issue other then a few decals pulling away from the fuse. Flight behaviour is exceptional for a plane of this size and I am confident in lower wind conditions she will perform excceptionally well in the air. If your looking for a P-51 look no further. This is the plane for you!! Pick up a second lipo becuae your not going to want to be on the ground too long!
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/PZTrio.jpg
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51sunside-1-1-1.jpghttp://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51frontsideflying-1.jpghttp://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51sunbottom-1-1.jpg
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51treeflyinglots-1-1.jpghttp://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51bellyflying-1-1-1.jpg
P-51D MUSTANG BL (BNF)
BUILD AND REVIEW
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51noseground-1-1.jpghttp://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51tailground-1.jpg
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51Boxed-1-2.jpg
The PZ P-51 BNF comes neatly and securely packaged. The interlocking foam cross members keep everything in place during shipping so you shouldnt have any damage upon arrival. Its a nice touch compared to just taping the cross members into place and hoping they stayed put. (Note: The cross members have to be pulled STRAIGHT up to remove them after you have removed the tape)
Whats in the Box:
(1) P-51
(1) Park 480 BL motor (installed)
(1) 18 amp BL ESC (installed)
(1) AR5000 RX (installed)
(3) servos pre-installed (2 aeliron, 1 elevator)
(1) 3s 1300 lipo
(1) car charger
(1) Bind plug
(+) Misc hardware (pushrod and control surface horn for the optional rudder)
Whats not in the Box:
Transmitter (must be DSM2)
Touch up paint (needed if you install the optional rudder)
The Build:
Wing:
The first step is attaching the main wing to the fuse...be sure to feed the aeliron servos wires through the hole and pull them so they dont get pinched between the wing and fuse. When you secure the wing to the fuse apply a little loctite to the screw to prevent it from backing out later.
Attaching the elevator is next, however, if you want a functional rudder I would add it BEFORE attaching the elevator.
OPTIONAL FUNCTIONAL RUDDER: (see pics)
I found the instructions here to be a little fuzzy...or it might just be my tiny brain....it tells you to cut the lower support. This needs to be cut in a "V" on both sides. I made 2 cuts per side, I used the curve of the fuse and rudder to guide me ensuring they met up without extending past the other. This will remove a "V" shape piece of foam from each side. (This is where the touch up paint would have been nice as you now have white foam screaming at you!!)
The second cut is along the upper counter balance. This is where I had to look twice and think for a second. Run a nice sharp #11 Xacto blade along the 3 GREEN sides of the counter balance. DO NOT CUT ALL THE WAY AROUND IT. To get the clearance so the counter balance will move with the rudder and not drag on the fuse I removed a very thin strip of foam from right in front of the counter balance (vertical section). If you keep this thin the white foam wont show too badly. Now test flex the rudder. It should pivet fairly easily in both directions.
The servo pocket is already cut for you so all you need to do is drop in your serov (minus the servo arm) and secure it. I use foam safe CA along the outer side with some kicker. Now plug the servo into the rudder channel of the RX. To attach the control surface horn simply hold the horn in place along the rudders edge and puch the screws through SLOWLY. Then put the back plate on and screw the two plates together. The screws are very long... I used a dremel to cut mine down a little. The control horn is black...I painted it yellow to keep it from jumping out on fly bys. I used a EFlite S75 as I had one sitting around looking for a good home and it fit perfectly without any work.
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51RudderHingecut-1.jpghttp://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51rudderupperhinge-1.jpghttp://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51RudderServo-1.jpg
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51Ruddercontrolhorn-1.jpg
Elevator:
Slide the elevator into the fuse (ensure the green side is facing the sky and slide from right to left so the control surface horn doesnt get jammed into the fuse). Take your time as you have to go in at an angle to clear the rudder. You will see a line on each side of the elevator, those line up with the fuse. Once they are lined up, slide the entire elevator FORWARD keeping those lines lined up along the fuse. Pushing it forward will ensure the elevator will not get hung up on the rudder. [/CENTER]
The instructions call for applying the included clear tape along the fuse/elevator joint... I prefer to apply a thin bead of foam safe CA along the UNDERSIDE of the elevator/fuse joint and hitting it with a little kicker. I trust the CA joint over the tape especially if you fly in a very hot climate or off wet grass alot. I also apply a drop of regular CA to the top of the control horn to ensure the teeth dont give and I lose the elevator...I then cut of the little section that looks like a "F"...just to clean up the looks a little.
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51CAelevator-1.jpg
Binding:
I prefer to bind the RX to the TX before I attach the pushrods to the control surface horns incase a servo is not centered it wont drive the control surface to the maximum deflection or strip itself out.
Once your done binding leave the TX on and just remove the Bind plug. Its now time to center everything and attach the pushrods to the elevator. For the rudder, attach the servo arm to the pushrod and then attach the arm to the servo followed by attaching the pushrod to the control surface.
PREFLIGHT:
Double check your control surfaces, with my DX7 my aelirons were reversed so I had to reverse the servo in the programming screen. For throws, I like alot and set my aelirons to the max for high rates. Everyone is different so if your new go by the book here. I moved the alerions in 2 holes and the elevator in 2 holes to gain more defelction. The included 3s 1300 lipo weighs 103 grams, a EVO 25 3s 1200 weighs 109 grams. Not much change in weight for a higher C rated lipo for those that may be looking for extra power.
Build Time:
Per instructions w/o rudder : 20 minutes
Per instructions w/rudder: 30 minutes
My build time included the rudder, painting the rudder control horn yellow, taking pictures, touching up the white foam from cutting the rudder free took me 30 minutes. I also applied a couple of light coats of clear matte finish to protect against grass rash on landings.
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51clearspray-1.jpg
Report Card:
Good:
CG marks on TOP of the wing
Quality foam
Fast build
Nice details... spinner looks great
Included charger charges through the balancing tap
Bad:
18 amp ESC, thats limiting if looking to change props for more speed.
Same pilot as before...way below the standards and quality of the plane.
Rudder should have been standard
No touch up paint
Some decals already pulling away from foam
Designed for 3s 1300 lipo
FLIGHT REPORT:
Weather Conditions:
Setting sun
8 mph winds with gusts to 20 mph
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51sideflying-1.jpghttp://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51invertedflying-1-2.jpg
Maiden:
I simply couldnt wait for weather conditions to improve especially after texting my neighbor to death about flying. He brought his Corsair down and I went out with the P-51. We flew together and his girlfriend took the in flight pictures. Admittedly I didnt do a whole lot during the maiden due to the wind.
Hand launch was a non-event...3/4 throttle and a nice level stiff throw and she was off and racing. Surprisingly she was faster then I thought and I would have to guess she is slightly faster then the T-28 and Corsair.
Circuits were easy, but with the heavy gusts the wings did get rocked, alot and I found myself countering the unintended roll into inverted flight. the winds caused the tail to wag and I really think a 3s 1500 lipo with the added weight would help with the wind. I flew a good 5 minutes of circuits with a few low level passes. She is a thing of beauty in the air and when the sun dances across the wings during a hard banking turn you cant help but smile from ear to ear like a little kid during his first visit to a toy store!!
Landings are another non-event. Just turn into final at 1/2 throttle and roll the throttle back to 1/8 to keep the prop spinning and she will glide across the field. Add a little up elevator to raise the nose and she will flop on to her belly. I actaully over shot my landing spot by 20 feet despite the 20 mph head wind!!
Report Card:
HL: Easy, non-event
Glide: Level, with gradual decent
Rolls: Sweet, 1 per second
Loops: Nice and big
Inverted: A little down elevator is all it takes
Speed: Great speed for a BNF/RTF, estimated 50mph level
Landing: Easy, non-event
Beginner: No, a good second plane if taken easy
Summary:
Excellent aircraft. Good quality foam, fit and finish are without issue other then a few decals pulling away from the fuse. Flight behaviour is exceptional for a plane of this size and I am confident in lower wind conditions she will perform excceptionally well in the air. If your looking for a P-51 look no further. This is the plane for you!! Pick up a second lipo becuae your not going to want to be on the ground too long!
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/PZTrio.jpg
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51sunside-1-1-1.jpghttp://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51frontsideflying-1.jpghttp://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51sunbottom-1-1.jpg
http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51treeflyinglots-1-1.jpghttp://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww172/ATIS_TIKI/P-51bellyflying-1-1-1.jpg