For the last few winters I've endured the downtime when hang gliding, cycling, or even snowboarding is not possible with a remote control aircraft. It's a good way keep my mind sharp and my flying skills polished. Last winter it was the Blade CX2 (here), this winter it's a Parkzone P-51D Mustang.
Parkzone P-51D Mustang
I scored this thing for 60 bucks off Craigslist. It wasn't working, so it was a gamble. I was able to trouble shoot it to the receiver, which was fixed by hacking a good one out of an old foamie slope soarer. It was flying in no time. I was amazed at how great it flew; nice and slow, but snappy enough for basic aerobatics. Here was the first flight with Mark.
First Flight with Mark
In September took it to the Santa Cruz Flats Race hang gliding competition where I flew it almost every day. The comp was held at the Francisco Grande Resort, a ten story building surrounded by green grass and palm trees - perfect flying grounds. The mental break of concentrating on flying the RC did wonders for relieving my stress level during the comp. Jeff and I even flew it at night under the lights of a soccer field. It was nerve racking because the lights turned off at a different time every night. If that happened while the P-51D was in the air it would be lost forever. Jeff and I also snuck onto the roof of the ten story building to fly it in the mornings and evenings. The stakes were high landing on the "carrier deck" roof. If I was short it would fall 100 feet to the ground. If I was long it would fall off the other end, 100 feet to the ground. And if that wasn't enough there was a "minefield" of vent tubes sticking up all over the roof. I stuck most of my landings, but a few resulted in controlled crashes that were easily fixed with Shoe Gu, strapping tape, and hotel room keys for splits.
The Francisco Grande Resort
View from Our Room
Roof Top Flying
The 100 foot tall roof was tiny to land on and it was filled with a minefield of vents.
One of a Few "Controlled" Crashes
Note the hotel room key splint forward of the wing from a previous crash.
When I got home I used it to exercise the dogs. Sugar and Molly chased it enthusiastically, while Nana (being the sensitive one) sought the shelter of the nearest human being that wasn't me. Superior Town Park and the Dog Park are my favorite places to fly. Both are surrounded by tall trees, fences, playgrounds, pedestrians, lakes, and streams. After a particularly bad crash at the dog park I decided to rebuild it with a new fuselage and wing. When I did so I lengthened the ailerons in increase the roll rate and added a rudder. The rebuilt P-51D flew great. The new fuselage was much lighter without being weighed down by Shoe Gu. I took advantage of this by mounting the Go Pro HD in the old canopy section. It was seriously overweight with the Go Pro, but if I minded my speed and kept it fast it flew great. Right up until I crashed it (again) at the dog park!
Terminal Wing Damage
New Airframe
Installing Metal Gear Servos
Lengthening the Ailerons
Rebuilt with Full Span Ailerons and a Rudder
Go Pro Mounted in the Old Canopy Section
Go Pro Mounted Flight in Superior Town Park
Go Pro Mounted Flight at the Dog Park
(Crash at the End)
The Carnage
(I'll rebuild it)
1 comment:
Looked like fun while it lasted. No Guts..No Glory..
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