FT Mustang - Build

SlingShot

Maneuvering With Purpose
Nice one! Here's my power pod:

powerp.jpg

Just a little hole on the bottom did the trick.
 

urzu

New member
Can anyone recommend two motors? One for slower flight with a 8-9in prop similar the the power pack C kit and one that I want for more speed with maybe a 4 blade prop and a spinner on it.

I liked Mid7night's metal mustang with AL tape so it will be a little heavier so a little more power wont be a bad thing.


For the powerpack C alternative a Turnigy D2836/8 1100KV
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-d2836-8-1100kv-brushless-outrunner-motor.html

And I am considering this for my faster version (Propdrive 2836 1800KV )
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/propdrive-v2-2836-1800kv-brushless-outrunner-motor.html


I've seen a few suggestions here in this thread but a lot of the links from 2-3 years back are dead now.
 

mrjdstewart

Legendary member
simply going from a 3S to 4S will do what you need depending upon desired top speed. i have flown mine using a C-pack Emax 2215GT on both and usually pick a 4S-1800. it's not a speed demon but faster than scale and still very stable and controllable. if i want speed i got planes for that...

good luck,

jason ;)
 

Bioman

New member
How to fit the Propdrive 28 in FT Mustang build? I'm sure this is dealt with somewhere, but I didn't find it. Maybe you can point me to the correct link.
1) Using the Prop Drive 28 motor, I need to use the accessory to mount it "backward" on the firewall. The existing axle now points aft. Do people just poke it through a hole in thefirewall or what?
2) The recommended propellor has a too small an axle hole to accomodate the 5 mm accessory axle. Do you just drill it out or, what is typical procedure here?
3) Any (many) pics of the power pod build with the Prop drive 28 motor would be appreciated!
 

Tamlin

New member
Hi,

I've been all over the flite test site/forum for a couple of years but this is my first post. It's about time I gave a little back for all that I have received from this great community.

My latest build over Christmas was a FT spitfire and a Mustang. Here in Australia getting cheap foam is problematic, and when you live in a remote location like I do shipping makes it even worse. I have been building with Depron, but it's expensive. I looked into the Hobbyking foam but there wasn't a lot of positive reviews on the stuff and the shipping made it almost as expensive as Depron.

So when Hobbykind has fee shipping to anywhere, I jumped online and got a couple of boxes of the stuff. It's smaller than depron at 1000x500 as opposed to 1000x700, it has no paper covering, and it's 5mm - flite test plans are 5mm not 6mm (depron).

It's softer than Depron and from what I can tell a lot weaker than flite test foam as there is no paper, however it is very light. It's more like Depron than different, so I'm quite happy with my purchase.

I've built a Spitfire that is under 500grams with the battery!. It flys great. Very floaty, and easy to fly. Finding out that the Hobbyking foam was a success I then spent a little more time building a Mustang. I also made it quite a bit heavier/stronger than the spitfire with chrome poster board detailing and coloured book covering vinyl on the wings for strength, plus some strapping tape in the usual week spots. After all this reinforcement it still turned out OK and not too heavy (although very noticeable over the spitfire)

- Weight WITHOUT the battery is 550grams
- Weight with 1300ma 3S battery is 665grams
- Hobbyking foam - 5mm
- 2212 1000kv motor (VERY cheep generic Chinese $6 motor)
- 30A esc (VERY cheep $6 generic Chinese ESC)
- 1300ma 3S battery
- 4 x 9g servos
- 1045 slow fly prop - great for beginners (2212 1000kv motor)

I'm VERY happy with the easy performance with the small cheap motor, and would totally recommend this to someone who doesn't need the speed, but enjoy longer and more relaxed flight time (more scale too).

To top it off my young Boy has gone drone nuts. We got him the parts to build his own racing quad for his birthday, and we have been flying together over the past week, with him chasing the planes. He really has picked up flying it quickly! We put an old action camera onit (poor quality image) but the results have been quite fun regardless. The following video is our second attempt at some chase footage. 4K action camera on the cards as the next purchase!


What a great way for a Father and Son to get out there, build some memories and experience flight together!

Thanks Flite Test!,
Tam
 

tomh

New member
my 3rd FT build

almost done with my third and favorite build, the P51. Always my favorite WW2 plane, I knew it would be on the short list. The Sea otter is a blast, and my daily flier here in Michigan during winter. Works great on snow, and perfect platform for my key chain camera.

The 'Stang was a challenge, poster board part drove me nuts, but I pulled it off AND..I added my own little design twist. I cut 2 strips to make fillets for the wing roots. I just bent them with a straight edge to 90 degrees on the edge of my kitchen counter, and cut for final fit. I made one relief cut near the spar section. It hides a slight gap, and glued with hot glue adds some strength to join to the Fuse. I have a tomcat 940 KV park 450 with a 3 blade 8x4 on 3s. Analyzer shows 160 watts, and power pod is pulling hard, should be plenty of power!
 

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tomh

New member
Nice Tam

nice, can you tell me more about the vinyl used? I'm in the States, not sure what the equivalent is or if available. How did you go about applying it? Neat build!
 

Tamlin

New member
I use Adhesive Book Cover - to bend and protect paperless foam

nice, can you tell me more about the vinyl used? I'm in the States, not sure what the equivalent is or if available. How did you go about applying it? Neat build!

It's very easy and to some extent essential for foam that doesn't have a covering on it. The Hobbyking foam and Depron will simply crack if you don't put some sort of covering before you bend it (tape or book covering).

Just do a google search for "Book Cover Roll" and see the images. Go to your local office supplies store and they will have plenty. Large rolls of clear, and smaller rolls of coloured.

To apply I cut out the foam piece as per the plans, then before you bend it apply it to one side (If you have ever covered books, or put a large sticker onto something, that's the technique). This is the first time I've left the covering on. I usually use clear covering (50 meter rolls are cheep) and only use it to do the bends, but the coloured coating has really made the foam so much stronger I think on my builds that weight isn't as bit an issue I will do this a bit.

There is a YouTube video showing someone applying it to a whole sheet first that looks like a handy hint. He is using adhesive paper but It would be the same for plastic/vinyl adhesive film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxvqqE4-Uu4

Tam
 

Steve Fox

Active member
heres mine :)
 

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tomh

New member
Nice!

I'm doing that same color blue for my canopy as well. I don't know why, but I always like it best for solid canopy, windows. Where did you source the decals?
 

CapnBry

Elite member
I built a mustang too!
DSC06226.JPG


I thought I'd be a super smart guy and 3D print the shock-absorbing landing gear from the Eclipson Model Z instead of trying to use a coat hanger or something to make the wheel struts. They came out pretty nice even though I should have thought about the color before I started the print. Tried them out in the backyard and ran into a biiiiit of a problem

Yeah I used the CG marker as the mount point so when the wheels pivot from behind the CG when the model is level. It can probably take off from smooth concrete, given enough thrust and up elevator but forget about taking off from even the slightest uneven surface. They're attached onto toothpicks glued into the wing with CA and baking soda, and then the tops of the toothpicks were clipped off. I'm sure these will snap off on the first landing though and give me a second chance at positioning them.

The FT Mustang needs landing gear. All the other FT planes I've built have a nice smooth bottom with a gentle curve up front for nice easy belly landings, but the Mustang is the exact opposite of that, with a scoop underneath that acts like a tailhook except in the bad way. The instant a molecule of grass touches that scoop, the model comes to a dead stop. My first two landings ripped the power pod through the fuselage as all the guts wanted to keep going but the airframe stopped.
 

CapnBry

Elite member
Gotta share it before it's crashed :)
Looks great and nice work on the tape job. Also good work on putting the canopy where it should be instead of where I put it because that's where my paint stripe ended! :-D

My Mustang flew so well I was getting bolder and bolder with it. I've been working on my sustained inverted flight, as in more than just flipping inverted and staying there until the first slight gust of wind or mistake. I'm definitely getting better but today this happened when I thought I had enough altitude to loop under.
IMG_20190329_122417.jpg



Hard to tell, but the electronics bay is about 10m downrange and the battery is another 5m beyond that. I'll probably strip off the landing gear and iconic mustang scoop and just glue the wing onto the fuselage and carry on. Also note that the landing gear ripped off, I dunno, like 12 times with various attachment mechanisms until I just made a giant plastic backplate with big plastic washers on the outside. I only had one actual landing with them where they rolled in a beneficial manner anyway.