• If you are new to GiantScaleNews.com, please register, introduce yourself, and make yourself at home.

    We're 1st in Giant Scale RC because we've got the best membership on the internet! Take a look around and don't forget to register to get all of the benefits of GSN membership!

    Welcome!

Scale Don Smith P-51 Mustang

stangflyer

I like 'em "BIG"!
I'll be putting the big DS Mustang off to the side for a while to work on the Velox. But I did take the opportunity last night to finish up the sheeting on the fuse. (I just could not take a break or stop until at least that much was done.) That was thankfully "after" I glued my fingers together. Oiy!! Tonight after getting things put away, I wanted to see what the big ole Kolm home was going to look at. What a new perspective. I guess I didn't really realize the full impact of the size. Dang this things is going to be fun. A few sneek peaks of the future Mustang.

20181231_170518.jpg 20181231_170520.jpg 20181231_234748.jpg 20181231_234835.jpg 20181231_235302.jpg 20190101_182456.jpg 20190101_193853.jpg 20190101_194102.jpg 20190101_194124.jpg 20190101_194150.jpg

I was shooting for 8 pounds on the fuse with all the major construction done. I would say I pretty much blew that number out of the water. I do realize there will be a slight change once I have the firewall installed, the wing saddles glued in....(they are 1/64" lite ply) and the canopy frame support glued in. Taking into consideration some sanding and shaping and slight revisions to the engine box, I am still pretty confident I can make that 8 pound goal. The built fuse is pretty darned strong too. So not too worried at this point.

When I return to the Mustang, I am going to start the tail section. Stabs first, then fin and rudder. One of my friends here has a laser cutter and has done extensive designing of RC airplanes and actually works in the aircraft industry. He is going to help me lay out the stabs, laser cut lite ply stab ribs and help me line out the stab tube and anti-rotation pins so that the big Mustang will have removable stabs.

Next step after that will be the main wing construction. I will need to order carbon fiber wing and stab tubes and sleeves. Somewhere in between this I will mount the Kolm 150. I will need to start laying out how everything is going to be installed and then the fun begins. Ordering electronics and such. ESC for the starter, servos, etc.

There is quite a bit done, but oh so much more yet to go. I am really hoping and shooting for a 2019 maiden and possibly...hopefully, The Warbird event later this year. Guess we will see how it goes.

Stayed tuned fellas. More yet to come.
 

Snoopy1

640cc Uber Pimp
Really starting to look like a Mustang. It does look big when stand it up like that. And the sheeting looks really good nice work. Looks like there were a couple really difficult parts to sheet but most of the fuselage is done.
 

stangflyer

I like 'em "BIG"!
Really starting to look like a Mustang. It does look big when stand it up like that. And the sheeting looks really good nice work. Looks like there were a couple really difficult parts to sheet but most of the fuselage is done.
Thanks Snoops.... Difficult is an understatement. Too many compound corners and curvatures. Ugh.... But, I got it.
happy-nodding-smiley-face-emoticon.gif
 

Snoopy1

640cc Uber Pimp
Looking at the pictures again that air scoop on the mustang is a lot larger than I had envisioned it, with no wing and the rest of the stuff the air scoop is a big part on the plane. Is your going to be open and all nicely shaped as an air scoop.
 

stangflyer

I like 'em "BIG"!
Looking at the pictures again that air scoop on the mustang is a lot larger than I had envisioned it, with no wing and the rest of the stuff the air scoop is a big part on the plane. Is your going to be open and all nicely shaped as an air scoop.
I am indeed going to open it up. I'm also going to design waste vents in the back of the scoop/keel. Basically my plan is to be able to draw the air from the engine through the fuselage via a air shuttle and have it dump out the back of the plane like the full-scale. It's going to take a lot of the engineering, but I think I can do it. The waste dumps will also be radio-controlled.
 
Last edited:

Snoopy1

640cc Uber Pimp
Wow you are really going all out. This build is getting more and more interesting. Glad you are opening it up, see several Mustang with just a painted flat plate and it looks awful.
 

stangflyer

I like 'em "BIG"!
Wow you are really going all out. This build is getting more and more interesting. Glad you are opening it up, see several Mustang with just a painted flat plate and it looks awful.

Glad to see it here and not RCSB. Not that it doesn't belong there as well.
Thanks guys. Yes, I do intend...(don't know if I will actually see these plans realized) but I do intend to do some pretty cool stuff with this Mustang. The Pilots available are full bodied and very nice. What I want to do is get one that has the hitec servo in the head that makes his head turn when you operate your rudder stick. Remember that Svetlana video? You know the one? The RC Sukhoi that has a Svetlana figure in it. Well, her hand moves with the throttle, her head turns with the rudder stick. Her feet move with the rudder stick and her right hand moves back and forth with the elevator. I want to take it one step further and figure out how to make my pilots hand go left and right with the aileron. While being completely independent so it can still move with the elevator. If a GM mechanic can't do it, it can't be done. LOL. I do have a lot of features I want to implement on the Mighty Mustang. But all that will take time.
 

stangflyer

I like 'em "BIG"!
Just remember, every added detail is added weight. It would be very cool, but it's not like this Stang won't be way cool anyway.
You have a point my friend. And weight is the very key ingredient I am focusing on. That is why I have decided to forego a few other little features in leu of a couple I really want. Sure, there are lots of warbirds with sliding canopies. And bomb/fuel tank drop mechanisms. I think the sliding canopies are really cool and add a certain distinction to a plane. If I can salvage a few ounces here and a few ounces there, then perhaps I can have that extra saved weight that I can use for some really cool features. But as you have pointed out, the Stang will be cool anyway. So really are all the little bells and whistles just a moot point? This is the pilot figure I want for the Big Stang. At just 7 ounces, I think he would be a really great addition.
http://www.warbirdpilots.com/RC_Pil...an_USAAF_p/american-usaaf-pilot-1-4-figur.htm
So here is my list of "wants" on the feature list of the DS Stang.
*I would like a sliding canopy to show off that really cool dash and cockpit.
*Warbird pilot with movable head, arms and feet with transmitter input.
*operating waste gates/cooling ducts.
*Nav and landing lights of course
I really don't know just how detailed I will go at this point. But it is fun to "want" right? Guess we will see when we get to that point.
 
Top