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P-51B - Tony's new design for the 2013 Special Issue


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I've been chatting to Tony around a new model for our 2013 Special Issue....we've now settled on something, it's a warbird, something he's not done before. It's a P-51D in fact.

Now I know some folks will raise their eyes a little given the ubiquitious nature of the machine, in model form at least but hopefully most will agree with me when I say that you can't have too many P-51s wink 2

I'll leave Tony to fill in the blanks and hopefully he'll blog his progress here too. I think he's settled on electric and 60"'ish span.

 

 

 

 

Edited By David Ashby - RCME on 29/01/2013 08:04:49

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Interesting news! He will have to get a move on!

One thought... just to lob in my two penny worth. What about getting him to show a P51B alternative on the plan?

It might need one or two different formers, but not much else. Personaly I'm not sure I'd build a D. I tend to go for slightly more unusual options, and slightly more unusual scemes. If I want a USAF P51 D ARTF options abound, but the idea of building a B in RAF coulours might tempt me.

I wonder if showing formers for the alternative might make the plan more attractive to a number of builders.

As I said - just my ramblings!

Edited By GrahamC on 29/01/2013 08:28:42

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Cool, my favourite. I know some people will think oh no not another P-51D, but there are thin pickings for decent looking Mustangs of this size. I am still pedalling my old Kyosho one with a OS 62fs, one day I will need to replace it. A good idea to show the changes needed for a B version. Will it have flaps, and could the retracts be designed to give a good forward rake for us flying from less than perfect grass patches?

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Well, good luck, hope it goes well, but have to say that's yet another year when the opportunity to do something to demonstrate a fresh approach and really add to whats out there (like Black Horse with the Westland Wyvern) slides past, and this decision carries no interest at all for me.

Anybody who still thinks they need an electric P51D should get a Flying "Leg-End" one, that'd cool their ardour!! wink 2

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Some more pics of Fragile but Agile.

But a question. You can see in these photos a duct sort of thing open, in front of the tail wheel below the Star.

But here, it is gone...

Obviously it is retractable and is an air duct of some sort, but what is it and why does it retract?

I'm glad the Mustang has been chosen, a rival to the Topflight one. I may well build one as a first warbird, in Fragile but Agile's scheme of course, I like it all stripy! I'd convert it to four stroke power, retracts, flaps, maybe some detail here and there, oh no I'm getting ideas! Not good!

CS

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CS. It is indeed an adjustable outlet. One of the features of the P51 was the ability to manage the airflow through the radiators and utilise the thrust generated by the increase in air volume due to increase in temp. This gave the P51 a slight speed advantage. I think the vent shut as speed increased and the ram air effect into the radiator increased.

The Phenomenon has a name, but I can't remember it. BEB will probably know!

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Found it.... (It wasn't that hard; its in the Wikipedia entry for the P51) Its called the 'Meredith effect' and is a way of achieving an element of jet thrust, by means of expansion of air passing through a radiator. Don't expect to harness any performance gain in a model though as it appears that you really need to be travelling at 400mph and at 20 000ft to really benefit!

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I am now much more interested in Helicopters and hope to continue with this interest like most 18 year olds, but a Tony Nijhuis P-51D might tempt me to revisit scratch building a model again. I cant think of any other designer who has had, or will have this effect so well done Tony, keep the lovely models coming!

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Posted by jeff2wings on 29/01/2013 21:41:05:

I agree with Graham C and Reno racer ,no doubt this will be drawn up on cad so should be straight forward to add the extra detail to make a B version or a A-36 Apache .The only plan for a B I know is Dave Vaughan’s one, and that's a bit out of my league !frown

Warbird Replicas kit the D and the B, here is the B. I agree the TN one should show formers for the B version, even though I would build the D one (well actually, Fragile but Agile is a P-51 K, which is a D but with a different prop on the full size). I am looking forward to seeing how TN will tackle this plane!

CS

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