Hangar 9 Mustang with Laser 155

[Tim Flyer]

I recently purchased a Hangar 9 Mustang ARTF from Kings Lynn Model shop at  an excellent price after noticing it on “special offer” due to a damaged box. It’s a break for me from full construction kits but I’m very happy modifying bits I feel I would like to change, plus the original manufacturing quality of this kit is very good. 
 

I have had this model in mind for a couple of years after seeing a rather nice example at my club, plus also having a perfect engine for it . The 155 Laser is probably at the largest possible engine size in terms of neat fit but will provide great performance. 
 

I thought it might be interesting for any others contemplating this model. It sits at a nice practical size range where costs are not astronomical and handling should also be good. 

[Tim Flyer]

Here are the front modifications to place my Kavan 14oz tank at the bottom of the fuselage. The inside has been glassed for extra reinforcement. The servo and battery trays will fit above the tank. 
 

 

[Jon H]

I best get on with fixing my ugly mustang so it has a playmate. 

[Tim Flyer]

After having more time on this kit I must complement Hangar 9 on the quality. It’s the first time I have actually used the supplied metal clevises and the fit of the model is very good . I swapped out the cyano hinges for flat hinges on all the control surfaces (apart from flaps which are supplied with round hinges) as I prefer the flat hinges.
 The manufacturer also supplies spare covering which is of the self adhesive  type … I did save the film I removed from the wheel bays by sticking it to grease proof paper. 

 

This week I have also been working on the retracts.
 

I have bought a set of JPerkins electric 60-120 size electric retracts from Steve Webb Models , rather than the far more expensive(and mostly unavailable) E flight ones. These are similar in spec and fit into the same slots as the e-flight retracts but are 90deg rather than 85deg so will require some washers to get the angle right due to the wing dihedral .

 

The JPerkins retracts came with 5mm wire legs which i have cut to form the new strut pins.  The J Perkins retract wire legs are fairly “mild steel” and I might replace the pins with some stock piano wire pins  if they bend too easily. 

 

The model is supplied with fixed U/C plates and some fairly decent struts which I have chosen to use.

 

The suppled struts are too long for  the retracts. I guess if you buy the expensive £200+ e-flight retracts you would also need to buy special retract struts to match unless like me you shorten the kit supplied ones?
The struts needed about 1cm lopped off the top as the supplied fixed U/C plate mounting point would be nearer the wing tip.

 

Lopping the end off also required me to make a new internal bushing to act as a spring stop and hold the retract pins. I used some spare steel builders studding. This required careful drilling and then I  epoxied the studding into the end of each strut and drilled and tapped them and put 3 grub screws in the end of each leg to retain the pin. I also needed to shorten the strut springs as the supplied ones were far too long and also had a far too high spring rate. 

Edited November 25, 2023 by Tim Flyer

[Tim Flyer]

I have been working on the cowling over the last few sessions. I have installed my own cowl fixings which are comprised of two M3 threaded inserts on each side inserted into wood beams . I will be using M3 threaded plastic screws to fix into the inserts. It is worth noting that the dimples already marked by the manufacturer in the cowl are in the wrong place when using their cowl spacing. This is no problem as I used my own fixings and the simple cowl “hidden thread measuring tool”. 

 

I also cut the motor shape out of the cowl using my dremmel and was pleased that the fit is good with only a small part of the cylinder head exposed. The spinner alignment plate hangar 9 provided was useful for cowl cutting. 

The other job I did was glassing the floor of the cowl with 300gm  weave to reinforce it . 
 

I have also added a baffle made of aluminium mesh and glassed with light cloth which will direct the high pressure airflow from the front intake directly onto the cylinder. I have also cut the air outlet in the back of the cowl. I will do the exhausts when it all sets.