User Manual

Balance Propellers Carefully balance your propeller and spare propellers before you fly. An unbalanced prop can be the single most significant cause of vibration that can damage your model. Not only will engine mounting screws and bolts loosen, possibly with disastrous effect, but vibration may also damage your radio receiver and battery. Vibration can also cause your fuel to foam, which will, in turn, cause your engine to run hot or quit. We use a Top Flite Precision Magnetic Prop Balancer
™
(TOPQ5700) in the workshop and keep a
Great Planes Fingertip Prop Balancer (GPMQ5000) in our flight box.
CHECK LIST
❏
1. Fuelproof all areas exposed to fuel or exhaust
residue such as the cowl mounting blocks, wing saddle area, etc.
❏ 2. Check the C.G. according to the measurements
provided in the manual.
❏ 3. Be certain the battery and receiver are securely
mounted in the fuselage. Simply stuffing them into place with foam rubber is not sufficient.
❏ 4. Extend the receiver antenna and make sure it
has a strain relief inside the fuselage to keep tension off the solder joint inside the receiver.
❏ 5. Balance the model
laterally
as explained in
the instructions.
❏ 6. Use threadlocking compound to secure critical
fasteners such as the nuts that hold the wheel axles to the struts, screws that hold the carburetor arm (if applicable), set screws that hold the tail gear components, etc.
❏ 7. Add a drop of oil to the axles so the wheels will
turn freely.
❏ 8. Make sure all hinges are securely glued in place. ❏ 9. Reinforce holes for wood screws with thin CA
where appropriate (servo mounting screws, cowl mounting screws, etc.).
❏ 10. Confirm that all controls operate in the correct
direction and that the throws are set up according to the manual.
❏ 11. Make sure there are silicone retainers on all
the clevises and that all servo arms are secured to the servos with the screws included with your radio.
❏ 12. Secure connections between servo wires and
Y-connectors or servo extensions, and the connection between your battery pack and the on/off switch with vinyl tape, heat shrink tubing or special clips suitable for that purpose.
❏ 13. Make sure none of the servo wires or air lines
interfere with any moving parts (servo arms, pushrods, retracts, etc.).
❏ 14. Make sure the fuel lines are connected and
are not kinked.
❏ 15. Securely tighten the propeller nut. Remove the
3mm screws that hold the spinner cone to the backplate. Add a small drop of thread locking compound to the screws, then reinstall the screws.
During the last few moments of preparation your mind may be elsewhere anticipating the excitement of the first flight. Because of this, you may be more likely to overlook certain checks and procedures that should be performed before the model is flown. To help avoid this, a checklist is provided to make sure these important areas are not overlooked. Many are covered in the instruction manual, so where appropriate, refer to the manual for complete instructions. Be sure to check the items off as they are completed (that’s why it’s called a
check list!
).
IMPORTANT: The Top Flite Giant P-51D Mustang ARF has been extensively flown and
tested to arrive at the throws at which it flies best. Flying your model at these throws will provide you with the greatest chance for successful first flights. If, after you have become accustomed to the way the Mustang flies, you would like to change the throws to suit your taste, that is fine. However, too much control throw could make the model difficult to control, so remember, “more is not always better.”
These are the recommended control surface throws:
High Rate Low Rate
ELEVATOR 9/16" up 3/8" up
[14mm] [10mm]
9/16" down 3/8" down
[14mm] [10mm]
RUDDER 1-1/2" right 1" right
1-1/2" left 1" left
[38mm] [25mm]
AILERONS: 3/4" up 1/2" up
[19mm] [13mm]
5/8" down 3/8" down
[16mm] [10mm]
Half Rate Full Rate
FLAPS: 1-3/16" [30mm] 2-1/8" [55mm] Note: If flying the model at the forward C.G. location, you should land with the elevator throws set to the high rate. If the model is nose-heavy the
low-rate throws may not provide enough control to flair upon landing.
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