Old Remote Control P-51

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

My boss inhereted this from his uncle and is wondering as to weather or not it was a puchased model or scratch built. Knowing the knowledge in this group, I kinda figured some would know. Here are the photos I have of it.

 

[mikewint]

Not any kind of expert but looks scratch built to my eye

 

[GrauGeist]

Looks scratch-built and appears to have quite some age to it.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

I think it was done in the early 50s. Just a guess though.

 

[at6]

Great model. Appears to be metal construction. Also, it's a "U control" design where you attach two lines and turn in a circle while flying it. I had several plastic ones as a kid and crashed every one of them almost immediately since they can be even trickier to fly than remote control planes.

 

[tyrodtom]

The plastic ones were the only ones I would fly.
I spent the whole winter of 1960 building a Beech Staggerwing with a about 3 foot wingspan, out of balsawood and fabric.
Never did fly it though, after all that work I didn't want to see it in pieces.
Who ever built that Mustang really had some metal working skills.

 

[GrauGeist]

The plastic ones were the only ones I would fly.
I spent the whole winter of 1960 building a Beech Staggerwing with a about 3 foot wingspan, out of balsawood and fabric.
Never did fly it though, after all that work I didn't want to see it in pieces.
Who ever built that Mustang really had some metal working skills.

I had a few Balsa kits in my teens that had been handed down and I built them - I'm like you, I didn't want to see them destroyed - one was a Nieuport 17 (by Guillow's - two foot wingspan) and the other was a Stinson ST-9 (Berkeley - three and a half foot wingspan)

 

[Wurger]

It looks like typical aerobatic line control model from 50-60'. Today it would have the flaps at the wing trailing edges. Anyway a great looking model.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Thank you guys. The rear horizontal stabilizers have the only control surfaces. The throttle is on the left side of the cowl just behind the prop. And there are two looped wires at the end of the left wig. For the line controls I would suppose.

 

[Milosh]

Cool.

What is the engine size and make?

The 'throttle' you mention is a mixture adjustment. The engine ran at a constant speed.

 

[Wurger]

Thank you guys. The rear horizontal stabilizers have the only control surfaces. The throttle is on the left side of the cowl just behind the prop. And there are two looped wires at the end of the left wig. For the line controls I would suppose.

Yep.. a line control model desn't need all control surfaces. Therefore there are the elevators movable only. The two looped wires at the end of the left wing are just the pushrods for their moving using a rudder bar and one more pushrod mounted in the fuselage . The loops are connectors for attaching control lines with a handle. Below a diagram showing a such control system.

 

[mikewint]

It wasn't controllable but the rudder was fixed turned to the right to keep the aircraft pulling outward. You turned in a counter-clockwise circle since the handle was held in the right-hand.
Never had flaps on any of my model though

 

[Wurger]

Instead of the rudder turned to the right for keeping the control lines tight the same effect can be achieved by deviating the engine right .

 

[mikewint]

Yup, on planes that I intended for acrobatic stunts like figure-8, up-and-over, inverted, etc. I did that as well to maintain tight control lines. Up-an-over was always tricky with the weight of the plane straight overhead

 

[Wurger]

Yes. Therefore it would be recommended to put the endings of the wing pushrods a little bit back to the CG and add the flaps at the wing trailing edge. Also fixing ailerons as leaned helps to control the model in a better way.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Thank you Mike and Wurger. Much appreciated. Does anyone know what company might have made this kit?

 

[mikewint]

Aaron I sticking with scratch built rather than a kit. All of the control-line models I built and flew were covered with rice-paper and dope. I do not recall any kits with a sheet-metal skin. At the time monokote film was just beginning to appear for models

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Ok Mike. So no one made templates so you could cut thin aluminum and form it?

 

[mikewint]

Aaron unknown to me at least. There were places where you could send for full-sized plans for making wings, fuselage, ect. by cutting your own balsa/plywood ribs, stringers, etc. But I've never seen plans for the outer skin.
The monokote film was applied with a small heated iron then trimmed much like the rice-paper would have been applied.

 

[fubar57]

Very cool Aaron. A quick web search found these: maybe they know something...
Control Line
Control Line Airplanes
Flying Lines: Combat