aidan mcatamney

Just home from the aerodrome with my 1944 Tuskegee red tailed P51 fighter plane. Enemy engaged and mission accomplished. Squadron returned back to base and all accounted for.

Hi Jim and the very best of luck with the sale of your Multiplex Mentor. I still have mine and still flying it almost ten years later. I have mine on floats for all that time and never flew it off grass but maybe one I will soon. Kind regards Aidan

My 13 year old P51 Mustang seen here this morning at my home prior to leaving for the flying field where I tested out my brand new landing gear made by the local engineering works who did a fantastic job. At the field I had three successful flights and the plane returned home in one piece. Im delighted with the new undercarriage and here's to the next 13 years with this lovely plane God willing.

I'm repeating the same to everyone here that I've just returned from the flying field with my P51 after three tremendous flights. The ground tracking was superb, as straight as an arrow up tye grass runway. Into the air and flew as stable as a trainer. The landing was uneventful, one of the best I've done in a long t8me and that was for everyone of the three flights . The 60g of lead in the n9se has been there for 13 years and is a necessity. My two Kyosho calmato sports 40 are the same where they ate severely tail heavy and require the same amount of lead up front. I'm delighted with the new landing gear and the way it tracked on the ground and the landings. I'm a happy pilot today. Many thanks and kind regards for your reply. Aidan.

Thank you Toto. A man with some manners. I'm just back from the flying field after three perfect flights with my Mustang. The new landing gear didn't change a thing, the plane tracked as straight as an arrow down the runway and it flew as stable as a trainer. When I bought this plane 13 years ago I had to add 60 grams of weight to the nose as I almost crashed it on its maiden flight due to the extreme tail heaviness of the plane. 13 years later and my Mustang is flying just as good. I came up the road in the car singing. Happy as Larry as us proud Irishmen say. Kind regards Aidan.

I'm afraid Jon you didn't understand me . You have your opinion and I have mine. So I will try again and maybe get through to you this time. Without any lead being added to either the Kyosho Calmato or to the Hangar 9 P51, both these planes are severely TAIL HEAVY, and I mean severely TAIL HEAVY. At 95 mm back from the leading edge you can go either way past that measurement, but this makes no difference at all, still severely TAIL HEAVY. The P51 suffers from a des8gn flaw the sane as the Calmato Sports 40. Go look up on the Forumns in America about the Kyosho Calmato Sports 40 and you will read from the owners themselves about the severity of tail heaviness. The Mustang has the same problem. When I first flew it in 2011, I was very very fortunate to get that P51 down in one piece on its maiden flight. I decided to fly it like you advised without any nose weight and it was a disaster waiting to happen. So lead had to be added to the cowl and that balanced the plane perfectly and I never had any trouble since that. I appreciate your views Jon and everyone has their own opinion, but on this matter I am right in what I say even I say it myself, no disrespect to you. I'm flying almost 40 years Jon and I know a bit about model flying. In the meantime can we let this rest and I wish you all the best. Kind regards Aidan.

With this amount of weight added to the nose of my P51, the plane is an absolute joy to fly.

Hi J9n and thanks for your reply. The cg on the Hangar 9 P51 has to be measured back 95mm from the leading edge. As I've said the plane is very tail heavy and requires the right amount of lead weight inside the cowl , otherwise I would be bringing it home in bits. Always remember the wise old saying , a nose heavy plane doesn't fly well but a tail heavy plane only flys once. Other owners of the P51 have reported the same problem. Lots of weight needed in the nose to balance. In fact I have two Kyosho Calmato Sports 40 planes and they have the same problem as the P51, extremely tail heavy and needs a ton of lead in the nose to balance the plane and this is universal. I have the same engine in both the P51 and my Calmato Sports, its an OS 55AX. Just to show you how much weight is required to balance these planes , I've taken a photo of the Calmato as I'm not going to dismantle the cowl on the P51. But it takes the same amount of weight for all three planes to get the proper cg otherwise they would be a handful to fly safely.

That was good to read Frank, thank you for sending that. This Hangar 9 P51 of mine was bought 13 years ago and has given me immense pleasure over the years. I never had any trouble with noseovers and the fixed landing gear held up well until recently when I noticed that that it was starting to noseover upon landing and the reason being that the steel wire had virtually gone straight. So I took both landing gear wires off , removed the two wheels and took it to the local engineering works where I ask them kindly to put a bend on each wire strut. Yes, I think I may have ask them to bend it a bit more than required but it's not tye end of the world and when I try out the ground handling at the flying field and its not to my satisfaction, then its just a case of taking it back out and bending it back a bit more. I'm excited to see the outcome. I'm flying 38 years and new experiences always excite me. Thanks for your reply.

Will give it a go anyway Frank. Nothing ventured nothing gained. I love experimenting and I'm curious to see what the outcome will be whenever I eventually take it to the field. Thanks for your reply.

Jon, I have that plane 13 years now and it's always been very tail heavy. So a lot of lead weight needed at the front. No, this is just an experiment I'm carrying out with the gear raked forward at this acute angle. If it doesn't work out its just a simple process of raking it back an inch or so. Thanks for your reply.

Yes each to their own. Time will tell. Thanks for your good wishes.

Hi Glenn and thanks for your reply. Sorry to inform you that this engine is no longer on the market. Kind regards Aidan.

Hopefully this will solve the problem of numerous noseovers due to landing gear being too straight. The local engineering works did a great job in breathing new life into the old gear. I will soon find out soon enough when i take the plane to the club flying field at the next available opportunity.