Turnigy powered Mustang BL

The Parkzone Mustang BL is a great looking model.  I resisted the temptation to buy one right off the bat, hoping that a small wait would result in some aftermarket parts and a proven formula to build one inexpensively.

I’m not breaking any new ground here, just condensing information I found on RCGroups and what I considered the best aftermarket mount.  There is a master thread at RCGroups that you should absolutely look through if you are considering a build.

The best value is to buy the parts as the complete airframe, the part number is PKZ1870.  I paid $79.99 for mine from Horizon, and note that when you ship there is typically an oversize charge.  The box is HUGE!  Still, you save quite a few bucks over buying the pieces individually, and you also get some labor items done for you, like cowl fitting, control horns, and decals.

The genesis of this idea was discovering the way-cool mount that Customrcparts.com makes.  I opted for the venerable Turnigy 35-36C, because I like them, and also because I had a good one on the bench

The Turnigy Plush 40 or any 40A speed controller will work fine, as long as it is slim enough to fit in the nose of the airplane.  HXT-900 servos fit right in the pockets and are dirt cheap – to date, we’ve never seen one fail in service under normal use, and they are plenty fast.

The Customrc mount is great.  It goes right in, and you can use the stock spinner and prop with the Turnigy motor.  Everything just lines up
Note – You can’t use APC props with this setup, they don’t fit, and you would need an aftermarket 2.25″ spinner.

I noticed a lot of little niceties in the parts – there are channels for servo wires in convenient places, a nice tray for your RX, and the aforementioned pocket for the ESC. 

I opted to do the optional rudder sutup, which was quick and easy.  All the parts come in the airframe kit, and I can’t think why you would not do it for the price of another HXT-900.

I used Hobbycity 3S 1850 40Cbatteries, because they fit the pocket so well.  There are a lot of well-documented mods on RCGroups that allow you to use 2100′s quite easily, I just happened to have these batteries on hand.

I used the stock 9×6 for the maiden flight, which was a joy.  It’s got great, forgiving handling, feels very nimble, and does the full suite of aerobatics with ease.  I didn’t take any measurements on the maiden flight, but for the next flight I installed a Master Airscrew 10×8, and went to town.

Awesome.  We got two confirmed radar passes at 69mph, and you can go 5 minutes at triple latte on the 1850 and still have a little puff to get home.   I didn’t get an Eagletree reading today, but we registered 41.6Ap 476Wp in static testing with the 10×8.  I bet I’ll be able to tune for a little more speed once I get some Eagletree data.

The best thing about this is the fact that you can put one in the air for about $175, but you get some substantial upgrades like more horsepower and the aluminum mount.  It’s a blast to fly, and I’m looking forward to further mods like retractable landing gear, and flaps.

My new favorite daily driver

Overall, it’s clear that Parkzone is not resting on their previous success.  The overall design and flight characteristics of this model are top notch at any price, and using the aftermarket parts, you get a chance to customize your plane with the servos and powertrain you prefer.