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This
project was a joint design by Steve and Mike Briggs, based on
Paul Janssens' original design.
Our
40” span P-51D Mustangs built from a modified version of
Paul Janssens’ plan had proved to be excellent fliers,
managing not just to stay aloft in the light lift at the Lleyn
Peninsula last August, but also to indulge in aerobatic
manoeuvres, and generally behave to our satisfaction. The mods
we made to the plan were primarily to substitute a built-up
fuselage for the balsa-clad foam one, and to change the
mainplane incidence, with appropriate adjustment of the
tailplane to maintain a sensible decalage. Then, more
recently, we were asked to build another as a birthday present
for a friend who had recently lost his, but to produce it as a
P-51 B/C version for which he had a preference.
Fortunately
there is oodles of information available on Mustangs, so it
didn’t take long to find some drawings and loft out a set
(well, three, if you can call that a set) of rear
upper-fuselage half-formers. A new model was built with the
razor-back sides sheeted with 3/32” balsa, in place of the
foam turtle-deck we had used on the D version. At the same
time we incorporated a subsidiary half-longeron to reinforce
the fuselage sides across the wing bay, where ours were
showing some creasing alongside the main bulkhead; no doubt
the effects of some less-than-perfect landings (i.e. most of
them). A balsa block was carved as a canopy form, and in a
short session with the electric fire and electric drill, a
canopy was produced. When fitted it wasn’t just right, as it
didn’t merge into the rear fuselage smoothly enough.
Sandpaper and elbow-grease on the form easily remedied that,
and a couple of acceptable canopies were soon made.
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North
American P-51 B Mustang by Steve Griffiths |
Assembled,
with a veneered white foam wing (but excluding all servo
mounts, cockpit fittings and pilot), the whole model weighed
under 12 oz. ready to cover, and was completed in spare time
over a couple of weeks. It is expected to fly at an AUW of
20-21 oz, giving a wing loading of around 11.5 oz/sq.ft.
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