TM DE MA IN A US WARRANTY..... Top Flite Models guarantees this kit to be free of defects in both material and workmanship at the date of purchase. This warranty does not cover any component parts damaged by use or modification. In no case shall Top Flite's' liability exceed the original cost of the purchased kit. Further, Top Flite reserves the right to change or modify this warranty without notice.
TABLE OF CONTENTS METRIC CONVERSION CHART ............2 INTRODUCTION.....................................3 Precautions ..........................................3 DIE PATTERNS .....................................4,5 DECISIONS YOU MUST MAKE EARLY IN THE BUILDING SEQUENCE ..................6 Engine and Mount Selection.................6 Supplies and Tools Needed ..................6 Other Items Required ...........................7 Common Abbreviations ........................7 Types of Wood...................
WARNING! THIS IS NOT A TOY! The model you will build from this kit is not a toy! It is capable of serous bodily harm and property damage. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AND YOURS ALONE to build this kit correctly, properly install all R/C components to test fly the model, and fly it ONLY with experienced, competent help in accordance with all safety standards as set down in the Academy on Model Aeronautics Safety Code.
DIE-CUT PATTERNS PLY PLY PLY -4-
DIE-CUT PATTERNS PLY PLY BIRCH PLY PLY PLY PLY BIRCH PLY PLY -5-
DECISIONS YOU MUST MAKE EARLY IN THE BUILDING SEQUENCE ENGINE AND MOUNT SELECTION The recommended engine size range is as follows: .60 to .91 cu. in. (10cc to 15cc) 2-cycle .90 to .120 cu. in. (15cc to 20cc) 4-cycle The Mustang will fly well with any of the recommended engines. The 4-cycle engines and most .90 2-cycle engines will turn a larger prop at lower RPM’s. This is often desirable for scale realism. Many .60 2-cycle engines produce about as much horsepower as the popular .
COUNTERBALANCES OTHER ITEMS REQUIRED Four to six channel radio with 4 to 7 servos. Engine (see page 6 and the box side panel) Engine Mount (see page 6) Propellers (see engine instructions for recommended sizes). Note: The 4-blade prop shown on the front of this manual is specially made for display purposes from two wooden props and is not usable for actual flight.
“Photos of Violett T-33 main landing gear and suggested 1/4" plywood aft mounting rail.” a. They are very low profile and can be buried in the wing deeply enough to leave room for outer doors. b. They lock down in a position that is angled. Therefore, they compensate for some of the dihedral in the P-51 wing. c. They have a pivot block strut hole diameter that directly accepts Robostruts when shimmed with a piece of K&S brass 13/32" O.D. tubing. d.
5. Starting with the right half of the stab, pin ribs S-2 and S-6 to the building board over their locations on the plans. 6. Center the LE vertically on the front edge of ribs S-2 and S-6. Glue it in place with CA. 9. Trim the LE and TE so they end exactly over the stab centerline. 10. Repeat steps 5 through 8 to build the left half of the stab. The left half of the stab is built next to the right half with the two halves butt glued together for now. 12.
wipe the joint with a fresh paper towel to remove excess glue and make sanding easier. Mark the poorest surface that you think should be the inside of the sheet with an “I”. 4. Working on a flat surface, sand the skin with a large flat sanding block and fresh, sharp 220-grit sandpaper. blend the top surface to the LE (particularly toward the tip), even with the ribs. Sand the TE, if required, to blend with the ribs. 5. Trim the perimeter of the sheet to even up the edges. 18.
21. It is important to get a good glue bond between the stab structure and the bottom stab skins. Apply a heavy bead of medium or thick CA to all of the bottom edges of the right side of the stab structure. Place a skin on the structure and hold it in place with your hands until the glue sets. Repeat this for the left side. Be careful not to bend or twist the stab during this step. Use a razor plane and a sanding block to shape them to match the stab airfoil.
. If you are adding scale balance tabs, add the simple additional structure as shown in the photo. (Parts not included). 2. Draw a centerline on the aft surface of the LE. Draw two parallel lines 1/16" away from both sides of the centerline. 5. Glue the two 1/2" thick shaped balsa Rudder Tips to both sides of the top of the rudder plate. 6. Glue the two 1/2" thick shaped balsa Rudder Bases to both sides of the bottom of the rudder plate. 13. Glue on the right skin. 3.
1. Place the wing plan on your building board and cover it with waxed paper (you may wish to cut the wing panel sections of the plan apart to make handling easier.) 2. Hold the 1/4" x 3/8" x 36" balsa Spars over the wing plans. Mark the Spars about 1/4" longer than they need to be. Cut off the spars at the marks and save the excess for the Flap Servo Mounts. the two die-cut 1/8" plywood Aileron Bellcrank Plates (AB). Assemble the bellcrank parts as shown in the sketch, making a left and a right plate.
8. Pin a Spar assembly to the building board at three or four locations using the crosspinning technique shown in the sketch with the Doublers up. 10. Glue the aileron Trailing Edge assembly to the aft edge of ribs W-8 through W-12. The upward facing edges of the ribs and the Trailing Edges should be even and the jig tabs should all be touching the work surface during this step. 12. Glue the lower 1/8" x 1/8" x 21" balsa Flap LE into the aft portion of the slots in ribs W-2 to W-7.
Flap TE to ribs W-2 and W-7. The flap TE should be centered on the aft edges of the ribs and should protrude straight back (see the crosssections on the wing plan). Make sure all the jig tabs are contacting the table. A metal straight edge can be placed on the structure over the jig tabs to hold them all down. shaped balsa Leading Edge to allow it to “bend” (break) at R-4. Use the LE detail drawing on the wing plan for reference. 15.
21. If you are going to use flaps, trim the 1/4" x 3/8" balsa stock left over from the wing Spars to the length shown on the plans for the flap servo bay rails. Glue the rails into the notches in W-2 and W-3 with CA. If you do not plan to use flaps, you may fill the notches with scrap wood or put the rails in anyway. 24. If you plan to use flaps, fit and glue in the two die-cut 3/32" balsa Flap Root Ribs. Use a scrap piece of 1/16" balsa to space the root ribs apart.
allow for free movement of the pushrod and clevis. Securely snap a nylon clevis onto the bellcrank. Feed the wire assembly into the wing and screw the threaded end well into the clevis. Hint: The wire is extra long. After the threaded end starts threading into the clevis, you may bend over the excess wire and use it as a handle to turn the wire the rest of the way into the clevis. Be sure to hold the clevis securely with pliers while threading the wire into it to keep from stressing the clevis pin.
spacing is not correct (it should be for most retracts) adjust the aft slots. 37. Manually extend and retract the gear, noting the strut angle. Adjust the depth of the slots if necessary to give a satisfactory angle when the gear is retracted and extended. It will be necessary to cut a slot in R-3 for the strut to pass through. 2. Draw a centerline on both W-2’s as shown in the photos. 35. Make any adjustments necessary to allow the bent wire main landing gear to slide properly into place. 38.
6. Test fit the wing panels on the Jig Blocks with the two die-cut 1/16" plywood Dihedral Braces in place. Adjust any parts until the panels join up nicely at the spars. The die-cut 1/8" plywood Aft Cross Brace (CB) should be included in these test fittings. If it requires trimming, take equal amounts off the right and left ends. 9. When the wing fits on the Jig Blocks with the Aft Cross Brace (CB) and the two equal length sticks in place, it is time to glue it together.
19. Make shear webs for the aft spar between W-1 and W-2. Glue them to the front of the aft spar with medium CA. 20. Trim the length of the 1/4" plywood beveled edge Wing Bolt Plate until it fits between the two W-2’s near their centerline. 15. Notice that the W-1 ribs in the assembly are undersized 1/16" (except the area around the top of the aileron servo) to allow for a center doubler of 1/16" balsa center sheeting.
SHEET THE WING 1. Sort through the remaining 1/16" x 3" x 36" wing sheeting. Pick out the best 8 sheets and set them aside for the top of the wing. fuselage plan for the proper orientation of the angle on the front of the W-1A’s. Fit this forward assembly between the two W-2’s. The aft edges are centered on the front face of the dihedral brace (you also may look ahead to the wing sheeting section to see why the W-1 ribs are undersized).
NOTE: This is a somewhat unique way of joining the sheeting in the center of the wing that eliminates the need for glassing the center section. Do not try to sand the center sheeting so the wing skin will have 100% contact with it. If the skin is left a little high on the top surface of the wing, it is fine, since this part of the wing is hidden under the saddle. NOTE: All balsa sheeting will usually bend when it is cut from the log because stresses are relieved.
16. Apply the other bottom wing skin. wing that are not covered by the main skin. 17. If you are using functioning flaps, put light marks on the skins where the hinges will go, so you can find the blocks later. pushrods to exit the bottom wing skins. The plans show the proper size and location of these holes. Reinforce the inside edges of the slots as shown with strips of scrap balsa. 14. Put the wing upside-down on its “jig.
taper of the ailerons over the plans to make sure you have the correct parts. 24. Working rapidly, put a stream of medium CA on each rib at the spar and allow it to run forward down the rib to the leading edge. Put a bead of medium CA on the spar. 25. Hold the wing vertically on one wing tip and, starting at the middle, roll the skin back onto the wing. By holding the wing on its tip, and putting equal pressure on both sides of the wing, the wing will retain its proper shape and washout.
BUILD THE FUSELAGE 4. Inspect the two fuselage sides. Choose the Right and Left sides so the best surfaces will face outward. Mark the inside of the appropriate part RI and LI (for Right Inside and Left Inside.) Sand the outside (and to a lesser extent the inside) of each side with a sanding block and sharp 220-grit sandpaper to smooth out the joints and the surface. 1. Test fit the die-cut 1/8" balsa Upper Forward Fuse Side, Upper Aft Fuse Side, Lower Forward Fuse Side, and Lower Aft Fuse Side together.
Tape the Fuselage Bottom View over your flat building board (we recommend cutting that part of your plan loose to make it easier to handle). Cover the bottom view with waxed paper. 7. Line up the fuselage doublers using the notch at their back (for F-8) and the wing saddle as the primary references. Be sure to put them on the inside of the fuselage sides and make a left and a right. Glue the doublers in place with CA. 11.
14. Place the die-cut 1/8" plywood former F-3 in its slot but do not glue it yet since its forward slant is set by the fuselage sides. F-8C to the Aft face of the former F-8A. The 1/4" holes should line up. This assembly is now called F-8. NOTE: It is helpful to keep some weights on the crutch while building the fuselage to keep it flat on the table. bevel the forward outboard edges slightly for an interference-free fit. When it fits well, tack glue it into the structure with CA. 15.
21. Drill 5/64" holes through the two punch marks in the die-cut 1/8" plywood Tail Wheel Plate (TW). E. Heat the metal with a soldering gun or iron, and apply solder to the metal. The metal must get hot enough to melt the solder and the solder must freely flow into the joint. F. Do not move the parts until the solder has cooled. 22. Glue the die-cut 1/8" plywood Tail Wheel Plate (TW) to former F-10, making sure they are perpendicular. Make sure the number on F-10 faces down. 23.
. Roughen the tubular Nylon Bearing on the tail wheel wire with sandpaper so glue will stick to it. Threaded Both End Rod. Place a brass Threaded Coupler over the unthreaded end of the 8" piece. Measure the length of the assembly. Cut length off the wire until the total assembled length is 8-1/2". Slide a 5/16" length of inner pushrod tube over this piece of wire as shown on the plans. Silver solder the Brass Coupler to the wire. Adjust the wheel collar height for best alignment of the pushrod.
41. Work a lightly sanded 17-1/4" long Outer Pushrod Tube through the formers around the wire, starting at F-7 and ending at F-10. Glue the outer pushrod tube to formers F-7, F-8, and F-9, but not F-10. 36. Make sure the fuse is centered over the plans and use a couple of pins to hold it there. When it is aligned, apply a generous bead of medium CA to the joints of the fuselage sides, F-10, and TW. 39. Mark and cut-out the rudder pushrod exit where shown on the fuselage plans.
fuselage as shown. Notice on the plans (sideview) that they stop 1/2" short of the aft end of the fuselage sides. Glue them in place. 48. Test fit the die-cut 1/8" balsa Radiator Keels into the slots in F-8, F-9, and F-10. You may be required to shorten them slightly. Glue them in place (see the photos at steps 50 and 51). 51. Use a knife, a razor plane, and a coarse sanding block to bevel the radiator sides and bottom as shown. Look at the cross-sections on the fuselage plans for reference.
54. Roughly shape the Radiator Corners with a knife and a razor plane. Save the final shaping until after the aft bottom sheeting has been applied. 57. Glue in F-1B starting at the crutch. Use the firewall jig to make sure the angle is correct. 60. Glue the two 3/4" x 2-5/8" x 4-3/8" shaped balsa Chin Block pieces together as shown. The angled end of the block aligns as a projection of F-3. Glue the block to the fuselage. 55.
2. Round the ends of the 2-1/2" long 1/4" Dowels. Insert the Dowels into the wing (do not glue yet). 5. Tape some scrap 1/32" plywood (from the wing fillet base die-cut sheet) to the wing skin near the trailing edge and over the spar to simulate the die-cut plywood Fillet Base being in place. Again test fit the wing to the fuselage.
ATTACH THE STAB AND FIN 9. Drill through the two holes in the Wing Bolt Plate and through the Fuselage Bolt Plate with a #10 drill (or 13/64"). Remove the wing and tap the holes in the Fuselage Bolt Plate with a 1/4-20 tap. Wick some thin CA into the threads to harden them. Allow the CA to cure fully. Run the tap through the threads again to clean up the threads. Drill out the holes in the Wing Bolt Plate with a 17/64" bit. 10. Bolt the wing to the fuselage.
in the stab. Shave the sides of the LE slightly as needed. 9. Insert the pushrod assembly into the outer tube that was previously installed in the fuselage. 12. Tack glue the stab on with medium CA and again check its alignment. Glue the stab to the saddle from the inside and outside of the fuselage with 30-minute epoxy. Be sure to glue it to F-11. 6. Cut a notch at the aft edge of the stab saddle to give the Elevator Torque Rod room to rotate. 10.
14. Check the alignment of the fin from the front and rear of the model to see if it is vertical. Glue it in with thin and medium CA. Apply some epoxy to the intersection of the fin LE and F-11, being careful to avoid getting glue in the elevator pushrod. Glue the fin trailing edge to the aft fuselage sides with thin and medium CA. 4. Hold the elevators up to the stab.
FUSELAGE COMPLETION 4. Drill a 5/32" hole for the tail gear wire to exit the aft fuse bottom. This hole may have to be enlarged slightly. Test fit and adjust the balsa sheet. 1. Drill a 5/32" hole through the punch mark in the die-cut 1/8" plywood Lower Tail Gear Support (LT). Test fit the support in place and adjust its length if required. 9. Test fit the elevators with the blocks to the stab/fuselage.
8. Glue the die-cut 1/8" plywood former tops F-10B, F-9B, and F-8D to the tops of their respective formers. 10. Glue in the die-cut 1/8" plywood former tops F-4 and F-2. NOTE: The same offset line is used, whether or not spacers are used, since the 9mm plywood engine mount spacers project at the same angle as a longer engine does.
13. Mark the locations of the mounting bolts for your engine mount. You may find it convenient to also mark locations for the fuel lines and the throttle pushrod at this time. Drill pilot holes for the bolts. 16. This is a good time to do additional fuel proofing inside the nose section. 21. Cut the two Forward Deck pieces out of the 1/8" x 3-1/2" x 30" balsa sheet. An approximate pattern is provided on the fuselage plan sheet. 17.
INSTALL THE DORSAL FIN NOTE: A few early P-51D’s did not have a Dorsal Fin. If you have a particular plane/trim scheme in mind, check to see if it has a dorsal fin. 27. True up the top of the aft deck sheeting and 3/16" square stringers with a razor plane and a sanding block. Repeat steps 22-24 for the other side of the fuselage. 28. Trace the shape of the top of the fuselage deck onto the 1/2" x 3" x 18" balsa Aft Deck Block. Rough cut the block to shape.
MAKE THE TOP COWLING NOTE: The sequence below shows the installation of an O.S. .120 Surpass 4C pumper on a J-Tec JT-122SV soft mount. See the fuselage plan for an alternate engine installation. 4. Fit the balsa pieces on both sides of the Dorsal Fin. Start by shaping the aft edge of the balsa pieces so they overlap the fin slightly. To save work, fit and shape the balsa pieces as well as you can before gluing them on. 3.
6. Trim the shaped 1/2" balsa Cowl Sides so they fit between the fuselage sides and the Spinner Ring. The bottom edges of the sides should align with the bottom edge of the Spinner Ring and the mark you made below the centerline on the fuselage sides. Notice on the top view of the fuselage how the Cowl Sides protrude outward from the structure about 1/8" to allow for shaping. 9. Carefully cut the corners at an angle with a sharp knife as shown in the photos.
13. Refer to the forward fuselage crosssections for a look at the correct shape at F-3. Use a razor plane and a coarse sanding block to shape the nose. Final shaping should be done later, after the cowl has been securely mounted and the wing fairing made. A lot of material needs to be removed. 3. Tape the cowl to the fuselage and put marks on the fuselage to indicate where the mounting blocks need to go. 8.
2. Tape the plywood wing fillet pieces to the wing saddle as shown in the photographs. Notice how the Wing Fillet pieces overlap the wing saddle and fit around the fuselage behind the wing saddle. 4. With the wing bolted to the fuselage, glue the wing fillet to the wing saddle with medium CA. 3. Tape a layer of waxed paper or plastic food wrap to the top surface of the wing in the wing saddle area (the shims used to simulate the thickness of the fillet in earlier steps should be removed).
3. Glue F-3C to the wing with medium CA. 8. Flip the plane over and build the small fillet on the bottom side of the aircraft behind the wing. 9. Allow the filler to dry completely. You may have to let it sit overnight, depending on the thickness of the filler. shape the fillet. Remove the wing and clean up the edges of the fillet. Wick some thin CA into the junction of the plywood wing fillet and the wing saddle from the inside the fuselage. 4.
FIT THE RADIATOR NOTE: You may glue the scoop on now with CA or epoxy, fillet it in, and finish it with the rest of the airplane. However, the easiest thing to do, as done on the prototypes, is to paint the scoop separately and glue it on after the rest of the model is finished. This technique does not give you an upper fillet (between the scoop and the wing), but an upper fillet is not important for sport flying. 1.
NOTE: Be sure to maintain the hinge locations while shaping the flap components. 2. Cut the flap loose using a razor saw and a sharp knife. The plans show the proper cut lines. 3. Use a T-bar or sandpaper taped to a flat table to even up the front edge of the flap. 4. Use a Dremel Moto Tool with a drum sander or sandpaper wrapped around a dowel to sand the ribs back to the shear webs inside the TE. Use a T-bar to true up the aft edge of the wing sheeting at the flap. 5.
11. Trace the outline of the Flap Servo Bay Cover accurately onto the wing skin. Carefully cut out the rest of the bay and fit the cover into place. 8. Plug the flap into the wing. Check its fit and run it through its range of motion. Make any required adjustments until the flap swings freely through its range of motion (remember the flap is not required to raise above neutral). hinges. Drill 3/16" holes at the hinge locations.
NOTE: The hinge points are glued in after finishing. We recommend roughening them with 80-grit sandpaper then gluing them in with epoxy. FINISHING 13. Cut a slot in the bay cover to allow the servo arm to exit and move back and forth. FINAL SANDING 14. Mount the bay cover to the wing, using six #2 x 3/8" flat head sheet metal screws provided. These should be countersunk into the bay cover.
The TRIM section contains information on some non-aluminum colored sections of the model. You may wish to read it before proceeding with the Covering section. When covering areas that involve fillets and sharp junctions, like the tail section of the P-51, cut narrow strips (3/8" to 5/8") and apply them in the corners before covering the major surfaces. The larger pieces of Monokote will overlap and capture these smaller strips.
4. Repeat these divisions on the fuselage’s left and right sides as well as the bottom. EXHAUST STACKS 5. Draw rings around the nose of the plane with the marker (and a pencil on the cowling). The rings should be even all the way around. The rings may be drawn by applying strips of plastic fine-line masking tape around the fuselage, then running the pen around the fuselage using the tape as a guide. 6. Divide the fuselage up radially using the box and other photos as a reference.
FINAL CONTROL HARDWARE HOOKUP 1. Install the flap and aileron horns in line with the pushrod exits as shown on the plans. On the prototypes, 1/16" holes were drilled in the flaps and ailerons at the horn locations. These holes were then thoroughly soaked with thin CA glue. The horns were then glued and screwed in place with #2 x 3/8" Sheet Metal Screws.
2. Plug in the bent wire main landing gear. 3. Mark and drill mounting holes for your retracts. 3. Hold the flat Nylon Straps in place as shown on the plans. Mark the hole locations. 4. Drill 1/16" pilot holes through the marks. 4. You may make wheel well liners from vertical grain 1/16" balsa, 1/64" plywood, or a number of other methods -OR- you may leave your wheel wells open. 5. Fuelproof the inside of the wing. 6. The aileron servo hookup can be seen in the above photo.
4. Paint the interior of the cockpit. An alternative to paint is to cover the inside of the cockpit with fine-grit black sandpaper for a textured finish. If you use the sandpaper technique, it is still advisable to paint the cockpit corners black first. INSTALL RECEIVER, SWITCH AND BATTERY BALANCE YOUR MODEL 1. Wrap your receiver and battery in plastic bags. Then wrap with foam rubber.
snappier “feel” and often improves knife-edge capabilities. In any case, do not balance your model outside the recommended range. FINAL HOOKUPS AND CHECKS 1. Make sure the control surfaces move in the proper direction as illustrated in the following sketches: 2. With the wing attached to the fuselage, all parts of the model installed (ready to fly), an empty fuel tank, and the landing gear down (extended), hold the model upside-down with the stabilizer level. 3. Lift the model at the C.G. marks.
PRE-FLIGHT Check to make sure that all screws remain tight, that the hinges are secure and that the prop is on tight. CHARGE THE BATTERIES Follow the battery charging procedures in your radio instruction manual. You should always charge your transmitter and receiver batteries the night before you go flying, and at other times as recommended by the radio manufacturer. FIND A SAFE PLACE TO FLY 1. The best place to fly your R/C model is an AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) chartered club field.
3. Where established, I will abide by the safety rules for the flying site I use, and I will not willfully and deliberately fly my models in a careless, reckless and/or dangerous manner. RADIO CONTROL 1. I will have completed a successful radio equipment ground check before the first flight of a new or repaired model. 2. I will not fly my model aircraft in the presence of spectators until I become a qualified flyer, unless assisted by an experienced helper. 3.
ALSO AVAILABLE FROM TOP FLITE O.S.® .61 FX Easy to start and maintain, the .61 FX offers 1.9 hp of hard-charging sport power for sizzling aerobatics. Fins on the semi-squared head and 1-piece crankcase carry away performance-killing heat. Dual bearings, a balanced crankshaft and O.S.’s exclusive ABL (Advanced Bimetallic Liner) smooth away friction and vibration, reducing heat, wear and wasted power.
SuperTigre® G-75 Ring It fits where a G-61 would, but delivers almost 18% more power for maneuvers and climbs. Designed for beam mounting, the G-75 offers the distortion-resistant strength of a 1-piece crankcase and a dual bearing-supported crankshaft for smooth, friction-free operation. A rugged ringed piston ensures high performance and long life; a thermally treated, low-friction steel sleeve keeps temperatures at acceptable levels.
TWO-VIEW DRAWING Use this layout for trim scheme planning only. Not suitable for scale documentation.
