Chad's Cross Country PTS Mustang

[nesikachad]

Just in case anyone has ever wondered. . .

You can get almost 14 miles on a tank of 10% Powermaster with a PTS Mustang (Hangar 9) if you switch to a 9X8 APC prop and have a 35mph tail wind!

A buddy and I did this on my last day home prior to redeploying to Iraq last week. Flew from Ft. Meade in Sturgis, SD and almost made it to Newell SD.

When I get home in the Spring we plan on adding retracts, additional fuel capacity and seeing if we can make from Spearfish to Rapid City. May have to refuel in Sturgis.

FWIW, I use a JR12X radio and a 7 channel Spektrum receiver in this little hawg and I have ZERO issues when sitting inside the comforts of the mini van while flying.

In case this should digress into some sort of philisophical/ethical debate so let me preface this first by saying that if there is ever a "no mans land" in the United States, it's between Sturgis and Newell. There's nothing out there but some cows and a couple barns. I flew well to the side of the road the whole time. In short, it's not nearly as reckless as it initially sounds. I promise.

Was just something fun/cool to do my last day home.

So, if anyone has the itch, match it/beat it using the same plane and post it up.

Cheers!

C

[FENWAYFLYER]

Vid would be cool.

[TheTank]

I have always wanted to do that flying from a convertable or something! The landscape up here in the Northeast just doesnt cooperate.

[nesikachad]

We'll get the video in the spring once it warms up. The confines of a minivan just makes it too hard. -13F temps don't help either.

I'd love to get that thing about 20 feet in front of the vehicle at about 5' off the deck inverted. That'd be cool in a video. . .

Hmmmmm.

[hpapilot]

	Quote: Originally Posted by nesikachad
	We'll get the video in the spring once it warms up. The confines of a minivan just makes it too hard. -13F temps don't help either. I'd love to get that thing about 20 feet in front of the vehicle at about 5' off the deck inverted. That'd be cool in a video. . . Hmmmmm.

It's a lotttt harder than most people would think. I spent a day flying off the boat with Fred from Higher Plane Productions. Amazing how different it is to be tracking the same speed as the airplane...

[nesikachad]

yeah, the perspective is a little different when the plane never changes size. Trying to match the speed to the car was a bit of a task also. Good training!

A buddy had this hair brained idea of going for a "coast to coast" flight. I told him to put his crack pipe away.

That would be a feat though huh?. . .

Hmmmm.

[wildbird50]

Hey Chad,that sounds like too much fun!! Stay safe in Iraq, we appreciate you guys. BTW I soloed my Eaglet this past Friday, and it was great. A year of flying scratch built foamies , now nitro planes. Flew about 2 hours total in 2 days and it is still together. I am really hooked now.

[airborneSGT]

Oh man what a way to have fun right before deployment. I have always wanted to try something similar. My time in the sandboxes of the Stan and Iraq always had me wondering how awesome it would be to do some flying.

I flew on post a few times also. Once some USAF dude came out and said they saw my plane on radar. Another the MP's just hung out and watched.

I would think the back of a pickup might also work well if you could rig up some sort of chair to strap into.

[HK the III Esq.]

We looked at rigging a climbing harness to the Light Rack in the flat bed, so you could stand, be supported and fly, without any major balance issues... no so "legal" tho. It'd be great for shorter term trips, but for the long ones you'd need to sit for sure. We've looked at doing it across the province. Glad to see someone give it a try!

[WangoTango]

Space City R/C in the Katy, Tx. area has held a cross-country event for many years. I won the first one with a Andrews Big H-Ray and a ST.46. I went dead stick on one of the legs and landed the plane in a rice field close to the road. No problem........ Just run on out there and pick it up, refuel, start it and go on your way........ Yeah. Right. Let me educate ya'll on what the heck lives in rice field here on the Gulf Coast. Yer basic 4-6 foot water moccasin! And oh yes........ The land in these areas is your basic MUCK. I lost a shoe on the way out and the other on the way back to the convertible! I finished first but stepped on two snakes and accepted my trophy with wet pants and no shoes. The pants? I'm only guessing........ The ground was wet but there was no standing water......... You do the math!
As far as flying goes...... The idea of flying out alongside a boat or car takes a little getting used to but after a minute or two, you get used to it and you start doing rolls and inverted flight and the plane seems to be standing still. All fun!
WT

[nesikachad]

So, anyone care to venture what the fuel consumption is for an Evolution35 engine at WOT?

I was at half throttle w/ a 35-40mph tail wind using an APC 9X8 prop on that flight. I went all of 13 miles, actually a bit further cause I had to circle a few times so the van could catch up.

I'm guessing I'd probably only get about 9-10 miles if flying in dead calm conditions. It's 40 miles from Spearfish Air park to the one in Rapid City (straight line shot. A bit more when following the roads.

I think the PTS mustang comes with an 8oz tank. So, I'd be needing something like 32-40 oz of fuel to make it. That's over two pints! I'm guessing that 10% Powermaster weighs about 6-6.5lbs a gallon. So, a quarter gallon of fuel is between 1.5 and 1.625lbs. (32 fluid oz)

I'm betting that a 10X7 prop would be more efficient for this kind of flying also. The 9X8 doesn't allow the engine to unload quite enough at full boogie.

This is all kinda silly, but it's fun too. I'd love to get a range of 50 miles out of this thing. Think a 1500maH NMH battery is enough capacity? won't be any real hard/heavy control movements. Just enough to keep it pointed the right way.

I'll see about some video once we get this going in March.

Cheers.

C

[WangoTango]

Chad,
Do you mean the Evo .36? If so they run about an ounce a minute. That thing doesn't know it's a .36....... More like a good stout .40! Just for this kind of flying, you might try an 11-4. You also might try some under-the-wing "sling tanks." Just rig up a couple of six ounce tanks and pressure feed them to the main tank. You are looking for 40-45 mph at about a little over half throttle. The Mustang ain't exactly the right airframe for this but is do-able. If you got a .60 size high wing trainer-like bird, you could strap on some bigger aux tanks. My buddy has a Cedar Hobbies Lift Meister with a US41 on it. This thing could probably stuff a couple of gallon cans inside it and lift it to boot! Just talking about all this is making me want to get the bug for cross-country-ing again! HMMMMMMMMMM.......... Cross-country mixed with 3D-ing at certain check points and maybe a limbo at another checkpoint............... I like it!
WT

[Cracky]

A friend of mine had plans to do a cross county with a 1/3 scale cub in a convertible. The thing flies forever with a 32 oz tank or whatever he has in there. I think he gets like 30 mins from half the tank or something stupid. With the plane that big he would have no issues putting in dual 50's. The wings can handle the load for sure. Not sure if he is still going to try it or not.

RORO, where are you? You going to do this still?

[Roger Russell]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Cracky
	A friend of mine had plans to do a cross county with a 1/3 scale cub in a convertible. The thing flies forever with a 32 oz tank or whatever he has in there. I think he gets like 30 mins from half the tank or something stupid. With the plane that big he would have no issues putting in dual 50's. The wings can handle the load for sure. Not sure if he is still going to try it or not. RORO, where are you? You going to do this still?

Yes I am, waiting for warmer weather and before crops get planted just in case we need to make a emergency landing.

Have done this numerous time with a Kadet SR in the back of a pick up truck driving country roads.

It is fun.

PS:
Have a 50oz tank in the CUB with a G62 on it.
Have passed the TX around for 30 minutes and had leftover fuel.
Have a 6 volt 4500mAh in it just for the XCountry flight.

[HK the III Esq.]

What kind of cruising speed do you run in that Cub with the truck? that's what we were looking into flying for ours... 1/4 scale though, not the 1/3.