THE P-51 MUSTANG was North
American Aviation’s answer for a longrange,
single-seat fighter. Arguably the most
famous of World War II, it was designed,
built, and flown in just 117 days. The P-51’s
ability to escort bombers all the way to and
from their targets was a huge success for the
Allies.
“When I saw Mustangs over Berlin, I
knew the jig was up,” said Hermann Göring,
commander of the German Luftwaffe.
Steve Kerry designed the 1/12-scale model
for electric power, around a Speed 400
brushed motor. It features full-house controls
of aileron, rudder, elevator, and throttle.
The 32-inch-wingspan Mustang is
constructed using built-up balsa and light
plywood, with blue foam for part of the
fuselage. Steve used Chrome Solarfilm to
obtain a scale-looking finish.
Employing round cells, this P-51
weighed 20 ounces. With an easy upgrade to
a brushless motor and Li-Poly battery, the
flying weight could be kept
at a pound or lighter.
Steve designed the
model without landing
gear and noted that the air
scoop makes a convenient
handgrip for launching.
He pointed out that his
aircraft was clean in the
air, allowing it to slow to
a walking pace. He
claimed that it had a good
glide for a warbird, and
stalls were gentle and
straight, allowing for easy
recovery.
Steve Kerry’s P-51 was
featured in a construction
article that was published
in the September 1998 MA.
Members can access the
magazine’s digital archives
on the Academy’s Web
site to read more about it.
The Mustang is AMA
Plans Service listing 862B,
which is available for $10
plus shipping and
handling. See page 167 or
go to www.modelair
craft.org/plans.aspx for
ordering information.
Edition: Model Aviation - 2010/02
Page Numbers: 65
