FT Mighty Mini Mustang

cranialrectosis

Faster than a speeding face plant!
Mentor
You should be good. I can barely squeeze a 35mm wide 850 in mine. The lipo you linked to is 32mm and should fit right in.
 

PilotMM

Junior Member
So I just realized I posted my build log in the "full size" mustang thread. Oh well.


Meet Strega the FT Mini Mustang Reno Air Racer! Just need to add the 7 to the wing.


-MM image.jpeg
 

xMeox

Member
Just upgraded mine from a 1806 to a 2204. DAMN this thing is fast. I really have to get my bigger speed controller ready to try out my 4s battery :)
 
IMG_0458.jpg

i freekin love this thing
I just built one of these last weekend and before the end of the maiden it was hands down my favorite FT airplane.
 

MSmethers

Junior Member
Hey all, took my fresh built quick build mini mustang out for maiden today. F pack with included servos, rudder and 3S 800 mah, all in all a "stock" kit build. Tried taking off from tarmac with no hint of lift. Went for hand launch and she nosed into the dirt like a brick. Again no sign of lift from the wings. Added several degrees of elevator just to try and get a little something going and again, brick. Hit hard enough 8 feet in front of me, the BBQ skewers tore out of the fuselage. CG was right on the front spar line. Kinda lost where to go from here as this is my first scratch build. Thrust angle set by swappable pod seems awful drastic and the same direction she drove herself into the ground.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
20160226_191210.jpg
 
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MSmethers

Junior Member
I wish it were that simple. CCW rotation, writing on prop facing forward. Feels like there is plenty of thrust/pull to get airborne. I may have flubbed something in the build. The included picture is post maiden attempts. Oblonged holes for skewers, posterboard popped loose and even broke the receiver loose from inside the fuselage.
 

xMeox

Member
may be Im wrong, but in that picture the prop looks like a cw prop. (of course I can be wrong, after all the resolution is not that good and the image might be mirrowed or something as well..)

also: if you run your motor ccw (as mentioned before) you have to invert the angle on the power pod from right to left
 
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akarmy

Member
If you click through the picture you can get a much larger version. I don't think anything is wrong with the motor setup. It's the sliver coned motor which is the right motor for a tractor setup. And the prop is on the right way to turn CCW.

Seems like maybe a launching technique issue? Is it torque rolling on launch and winging over into the ground? If so try launching with less power (like 1/2 throttle or just a touch more) and give it a good straight throw to get some speed going. then once it's in the air and going you can throttle up.
 

MSmethers

Junior Member
akarmy, thanks for the response. I searched pretty extensively before posting regarding flying issues and came up empty as these seem to have a good track record of flying great out of the box.
There was no roll as it dove. In all fairness it wasn't in the air long enough to get much of a gauge. I'll make the necessary repairs, remove the tail wheel so it's not so skittish on a rolling take-off and keep after it. I don't want to subject her to the impacts of hand launch until there is some hint of lift on the runway.
Thanks again and keep the ideas coming.
 

xMeox

Member
If you hold the bird in the hand vertically on full throttle, do you have the feeling that it could lift itself up?

edit: I looked at the big version of the pic (thanks for the tip btw. clicking on it multiple times was the trick as I was not bale to zoom in after the first click).
Just to clarify things up. In my understanding, the motor is spinning ccw if the the prop is spinning ccw from the view of the pilot. Please correct me if Im wrong here.

Assuming your prop is running ccw, Im pretty sure that the motor angle is wrong. Again it is hard too see on the picture and easier to check for you but for a ccw spinning prop the motor angle must be to the left and not right.

Anyhow, make the vertical pull test. If this shows that the plane has the power, it has to be something with the pod as the build is nice and clean and I doubt that aerodynamics are off in any way. Maybe you can upload a photo of the unmounted power pod?
 
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MSmethers

Junior Member
From the cockpit, prop spins clockwise. I'll try the vertical pull test tonight. I suspect it will do just fine as it drug itself down the runway at a pretty good clip.
My suspicion is in the thrust angle as well. Again, from the cockpit, the motor points down and to the right.
I will post a pic of the pod later this evening as I'm nowhere near the craft ATM.
Appreciate the help.
 
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xMeox

Member
ah ok. at least we figured out why I was so confused about the prop mount as we used different definitions of ccw ;)

I flew mine today and I was able to start with 1/3 power, though I would recomend 1/2 throttle for a save lift of.
Also I wonder how you start yours. I usually take it from above around the cockpit area, swing my arm forward and let go. I imagine that a start above the head is way harder as you dont have grip under the wing..

Edit: just came back from the field again. I payed extra attention to my starting process and I noticed that during start I do give quite a bit of elevator, otherwise I would dive into ground 4-5m infront of me..
 
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MSmethers

Junior Member
When holding her vertically and applying throttle there is definitely lift. However... with the lift, there is also a downwards (horizontal) pull. So it seems if I were to let go, it would rise, then nose over. Taking this into consideration, I made the necessary repairs and lowered the rear of the mini pod by <1/8 inch(probably 6 or 7degrees). I took the plane into the yard to test my theory and indeed it rose about 2 feet and nosed over with a hard, left wing down nose dive 3 feet in front of me. It was immediate and very fast.
Prior to these attempts/mods I had to reinforce the pod as the firewall was loose and the skewer holes enlarged as were the holes in the fuselage. Once she's up and flying, I have some serious work to do to get the fuselage sorted and structurally sound again.
Here are the motor pod pics.
20160227_211958_zpszfjirj1p.jpg

20160227_212027_zpshunisvof.jpg


Thanks again,
Marshal
 
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