This is from my freind Serafin, who has the P-51, but cannot figure out how to post here!:
"P-51D Mustang
Its was a cold clear winter morning in the Bronx. The sun has not yet cleared over the trees, the sky was fire orange to the east and dark blue to the west.
For a city slicker as I am there are few places to fly in the city not to count on the amount of people that uses the park here. So early bird gets to sneak a flight or two before the city wake up. I picked this morning a track and field for two reason, test out the landing gears on the paved track and try a belly landing on the grass.
After I did my pre-flight check and did a short taxi. I didn't realize as I put together this kit that the rear wheel was part of the rudder and was not fix. Great, I can steer this plane. But how did I over look this you may ask? Simple, there was almost nothing to do. Out of the box you just connect one servo wire from the wing and screw on the main wing to the body. You then glue the rear wing on, glue the clear canopy and screw on the prop and wheels. Beside waiting for the glue to dry and the battery to charge it took me about 15 minutes to put her together and that from someone who is still new to this sport. I been destroying planes now for about 4 years. Always looking forward for the next crash and burn.
As I taxi I notice the Mustang kept tipping forward on its nose. I place the battery a little to the rear and that problem was history. Now it time for a short take off and landing. I power up and she pick up speed quickly. As she got 4 feet into the air and I notice the plane was very tail heavy. I cut power and landed. I learn in R/C flying that any landing that their no damage is a great landing. Well I had a great landing, (barely). I put the battery forward from where I moved it from.
I power up and she rocket right up almost to a loop. I trim her and she rode like the Broadway express train (rails in the sky).
I did two laps around the field following the running track. I line up for a land. (There was no wind this morning.) I cut the power and she floated down on rails. A few feet off the ground I added a little power to soften the landing. As she softly touch the pavement of the running track one landing strut snap right off. She spun around on a wind and stop.
The plane was still flyable. The only damage was that the wheel strut broke off. It was still screwed on to its wing mount but the mount rip off the foam wing. The company needs to glue this part on better.
Well it time for the hand launch. I was planing to do a stall test and see what she really can take. Well I power up and can feel her pulling on my hand. As I hand launch her I felt something bang back inside her. To late she was out of my hand and climbing real fast. As I level her out I quickly realize what I heard. It was the battery shifting back out of place. Now I had a bird high in the air with its CG way out of place. This will make for some interesting flying.
Now both the P-51 and the pilot gets a real test. I wrestle with her pitching and rolling wildly. All this time I was flying her west from me with the rising sun behind me. Now she flown over me and flew east. I was just trying to keep her from hitting the field flood light and fences. The Mustang flew over a baseball field next to this field. That was good as their was more open space.
As I got her to turn from east to west as she was at the far end of the baseball field. As I was getting her in some tpye of control she flew right in front of the sun. The morning sun was now over the trees. Wow that sun was a powerful bright fire orange. I read that the attack planes of World War 2 use the sun to hide in the sky as they dove down from up high to some poor guy blinded by the sun.
Well I stood their blinded by the morning sun wondering where is my plane. I Could hear it but not see it. My question was quickly answered by the sound of foam being crushed as it plow into the field at full speed. Then I also heard someone laugh out loud in a far distant. The damage was heavy to both plane and ego.
To close this I must put blame on myself for the crash as I should of better secured the battery and not rely on what the instruction told me.. Beside that, for the short flight I must say she flew great and the plane was easy to put together. Glue and screw drive came with the kit. The only two problem I seen was the the instruction needed to been more detail and the ESC was a little cheesy. The ESC has no low voltage motor cutoff. Good luck if you let the battery drain to much. You will lose all control.
The Aftermath. I collect all the loose foam parts and put it in a bag. I came back later that afternoon and found some more form parts.
A few days later a glued the whole plane back together and it never looked like it had a blowing crash. Only one small half inch section of the bottem cowling is missing. I strap in the Battery better this time and she flew great. Stalls are good, she just drop the nose. For loop you need to dive a little to pick up speed. You can roll forever with little loss of height. The only change I did was use a old ESC I had from a T-hawk. Like the peace for mind that I have full control of plane when battery are running low.
Picture soon to come"
