so I have a fms 800mm p-51 mustang plane kit that i have tried to learn to fly but never been successful at. and I wanted to know what's the right way to setup a airplane for flight so that it will fly right the first time? and what's the right way to balance an airplane? do they have to be balanced? any help would be great thanks a lot guys.

These 800mm warbirds are not suitable as your first plane. They need to be flown quite quickly otherwise they will fall out of the sky. Also, they can be quite cg sensitive and often need weight added to the nose to balance them out.

I ended up with one AA battery stuffed up the nose of the plane which made it a tad nose heavy. The 65mm cg as quoted in the manual is wrong and it will be tailheavy at that cg.

You measure the cg of low wing planes upside down.

Also, if you are flying with the stock radio, these small planes are twitchy.

I would put it away, learn with a beginners plane like a bixler or a skyhawk or a Cessna, then onto a low wing trainer, then maybe onto an 800mm warbird.

are the bigger planes easier to fly, than the 800mm ones? cause that's how it was when I learned to fly rc helis it was easier to learn on a 500class heli than it was to learn on a 450 so is it the same with planes would bigger be better?

Originally Posted by Iceman320

are the bigger planes easier to fly, than the 800mm ones? cause that's how it was when I learned to fly rc helis it was easier to learn on a 500class heli than it was to learn on a 450 so is it the same with planes would bigger be better?

Yeah the larger planes are much easier to fly as they glide better and are not as twitchy. I started with an FMS Cessna 182 skytrainer and it was great. The only bad part was the landing gear and in particular the front lg which takes a beating for a while until you learn how to land a bit more softly.

I have heard that the Dynam Hawksky is a great plane to start with and more forgiving than the Cessna.

I wanted a plane that looked like a real plane which is why I went for the Cessna. Something with a high wing or a powered glider is the way to go to start out with.

ok thanks, maybe i will look into something bigger, but how can i make the p-51 that I already have fly a little bit better? and how can i measure to get the cog and the balance right?

I find that the cg for these mini warbirds needs to be around 45mm from the leading edge of the wing. At that point balancing the plane upside down it should be slightly nose heavy. I have found that these planes like to be a bit nose heavy as they penetrate the air better.

If you have a computer radio, you should dial in some expo and dual rates as I find these mini warbirds really twitchy at 100% throws and no expo.

I know that you want to just fly the P51 but I almost guarantee that you will crash it if it is your first fixed wing.

I have already crashed it a couple of times last summer when I was trying to learn to fly it, so I just let it sit for a year while I learned to fly my rc helicopters instead of the p-51. I would really like to learn to fly with the p-51 that I have if possible but if I have to buy another plane i guess I can save up the money after I get my truck painted and done I guess.

Check out the fy-30a gyro stabilizer. It's not cheap, but think of it as training wheels until you get more comfortable with the p51. It will make the airplane very docile in flight, takeoffs & landings & you can switch it on or off.

Originally Posted by Iceman320

I have already crashed it a couple of times last summer when I was trying to learn to fly it, so I just let it sit for a year while I learned to fly my rc helicopters instead of the p-51. I would really like to learn to fly with the p-51 that I have if possible but if I have to buy another plane i guess I can save up the money after I get my truck painted and done I guess.

i know the feeling

i have a 800mm T-28 & 800mm TA6.....they both fly perfect..but the P-51 just didn't want to fly ? i have a second one. still don't want to fly like the other 800mm planes ??? can't figure it out

Originally Posted by KCinNC

i know the feeling

i have a 800mm T-28 & 800mm TA6.....they both fly perfect..but the P-51 just didn't want to fly ? i have a second one. still don't want to fly like the other 800mm planes ??? can't figure it out

Mine has always flown well on both 2cell and 3cell batteries. Add weight to the nose and it is one sweet flying plane. Without weight it is like a dog dragging its backside along the carpet and not flyable. The P40 was the same.

This is proof that it flies well only on a 1000mah 2cell:

FMS/Airfield P-51 Mini 800mm Second Flight of Maiden Day. (1 min 0 sec)

how much weight did you add to the nose of the plane? and i think that I should have bought one of the bigger p-51 planes to learn to fly?

I added one AA battery up in the compartment that is visible when the wings are off. The bigger ones are easier to fly, but even then I still think that a trainer is better. Plus you don't want to bang up a nice looking P51

Ok thanks for the help i will decide now if i want to lear to fly planes or just stay with helis. Don't know right now If i want to dump any more money into rc stuff right now.

I just got a banana hobbies p40. I have flown before, but its been a while. I decided I'd take it up.

Well i made the idiot mistake of not velco-ing my battery to the fuselage....yea that resulted in a 150 ft dive to asphalt...

Anyone have a motor for an 800mm fms? msg me.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by eric34069

I just got a banana hobbies p40. I have flown before, but its been a while. I decided I'd take it up.

Well i made the idiot mistake of not velco-ing my battery to the fuselage....yea that resulted in a 150 ft dive to asphalt...

Anyone have a motor for an 800mm fms? msg me.

Thanks!

This is the exact motor you need. I believe it is the same one that FMS uses. It's inexpensive via Hobby King!
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...dProduct=18648