if anyone is wondering, it's $225k for the kit which doesn't include engine, prop, wiring, or avionics. after all that, it ends up around $320k for a completed aircraft
Pretty crazy when you consider how much (very rich) people will pay for hyper cars, mansions, vacations, yachts and casinos... All of which I'd spurn for one of these!
@@way2sh0rt07grad From their website: "Rotax916iS and MT-4 blade propeller has a cruise speed of approx. 180 kTAS in FL150. The fuel burn is approx. 7.5 USGph in ECO cruise." P51 burns 65gph at cruise. A rotax doesn't sound like a merlin though. Nothing you can do about that.
George Morse out of California built 2/3 scale p-51s called prowlers. There's still a few around. He was first and best using a aluminum Oldsmobile block with fuel injection and duel distributors. Very cool.🛩️ George passed away about ten years ago. We lost a true gentleman.
Imagine grabbing a coffee, sitting in your lounge and being able to get the impressions of a guy of Kris Caldwell's calibre on a plane of this calibre! Thank you SW - marvellous stuff and cheers from Sydney - Dave
@stephenschroeder6567 David Lee Roth had a funny saying, "Money can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you a boat big enough to pull right up along side it" 😉
We truly live in a golden age of civilian aircraft. Warbirds like the P-51 and PBY Catalina are making comebacks with amazing modern systems and amenities. Hundreds of models of bush planes you can have shipped to your house. As a man that has loved aviation my whole life, some day I am going to own the SW 51 and explore the US with it and maybe even the world.
We absolutely do NOT live in a golden age of civil aircraft. The accessibility and price for aircraft is basically zero compared to the past and IN the past there used to be way more companies producing aircraft.
Keep going dude, the record for most types of aircraft flown is 487 by Eric Brown of the Royal Navy fleet air arm, the man was a legend. See if you can top it 👌
Gorgeous fighter plane! One of my favorites behind the F4U Corsair. I also love the FW-190 Focke Wulf fighter design next to the P-51 for the cleanest meanest designs to come out of those years.
Saw this plane at OSH 22 and it was without a doubt the coolest plane at the show IMHO. The rivets designed into the molds made for such a beautiful airplane.
Definitely a dream plane for me. I’m also excited to see in a few years someone put a Turbotech, Heron, or TurbAero turboprop on it when those companies come to fruition
In an interview on Dogfights (history channel), a WW2 Mustang pilot said while most warbirds had to be muscled in engagements, the P-51 only required a light touch to maneuver. Lines up with this pilot's impression.
Man, I remember looking up at my ceiling at night. My dad had used fishing line to hang my models of a P51B Mustang chasing a Stuka. Of course I also had a Corsair engaging a Zero on the other side of the room. 👍
Amazing!! Almost makes you think we need to bring these type of aircraft back for military service since they can fly low slow, super cheap and easy to maintain.
This is awesome! A smaller p-51? what?! thats such a cool idea. I want to fly one, i've been flying a p-51 in a simulator for awhile now it would be amaing to try the real thing.
The comment section of any post is merely the way in which to open the can of worms. Take the good with the bad or the in between. Folks salivate over eye candy in every venue. Collect more of that 6th sense like a blind man and life will be much more rewarding. The wants always overshadow the needs. Once the instant or accumulated self gratification is met, imagination goes stagnant, until......a new attraction takes its place. Thank you for gifting us this nice piece of workmanship. A very fine looking aircraft......
Over 180 different planes you've flown? What a lucky duck! I have (technically) two and I'm pretty proud of that. Two Piper warriors and a Piper Arrow. I know, both PA-28's, but different names, so I'm counting it. 😁
@@flyboy8364 That's awesome! I only have 3 hours, but that's because I was hit with a permanent disability many moons ago. Now I am a full-time armchair pilot. 😉 Thank goodness for Flight Sim and X-Plane.
@@Viking8888 I'm so sorry to hear that! Sims are definitely the next best thing. Especially in VR you really can't get much closer to the real thing, MSFS2020 and DCS are so close to realism, I forget I'm in VR sometimes 😆
@@flyboy8364 Thanks! I have a Quest 2, but my PC is lacking in the GPU department. I can either have a beautiful slide show or Awful looking, but smooth visuals! 😜 I've been saving for many years to get a really good GPU, but new ones are on the horizon so I'll wait a little longer and stick with flat screen until then.
I suspect modern style p51 could still be useful for military use if it was fitting with modern sensors and modern smart missiles. Combine it with ground vehicles with drones it could really expand the capabilities of light ground forces.
I’ve wanted to build one of these for a while, but I just can’t get past having the dummy exhaust and not having a real v12. I’ve already spoken to a professional engine builder about this and they ca build a v12 that can cope with extreme g-force and running inverted. Would a Toyota 1GZ-FE fit in the airframe? They have factory redundancy for each bank so if one side stops the other still works, and with the builders modifications it would have significantly higher power output from factory and much higher reliability as they replace a lot of the internals with stronger parts. Just curious to see if it can be done because unfortunately I’m just slightly short on being able to build this myself by about half a million dollars
@@BYGRACE80 yes way. the Curtiss P-40 is the best looking prop fighter ever made. the P-51 is just a slightly upgraded P-40 that had the intake moved back on the fuselage to accommodate a stronger engine.
If y'all made a variant of this to the forthcoming MOSAIC LSA specifications, they would absolutely sell like hotcakes. The only specification you'd need to conform to is the clean stall speed -- you might even get by just by adding vortex generators.
Thank you for this excellent comment. The SW-51, in its current design, already matches the new MOSAIC LSA specifications with a Vs1 (clean stall speed) of 54 KCAS. This is without vortex generations, i.e. no penalty of top speed.
Since it is a 70% scale replica, I'm curious as to what type of engine it has, & how similar it's performance is, to the 100% actual P-51s from the days of yore. Gorgeous aircraft, & a nice concise review here!
@@scalewingsaircraft That is an amazing feat of engineering & manufacturing. Also, quite an expensive build, yet seemingly worth every penny for performance gains. Imagine they shoehorned a Gen4 supercharged Coyote in that bird, fitted to a 6 blade modern prop. That thing would would FLY!!!
We're talking half the speed of a P-51D, half the service ceiling, and 2/3 the rate of climb. However, turn rate will obviously be far better than a P-51D due to lower speed and much lower wing loading.
I wonder about the longevity of the aircraft. I know nothing about carbon Fibre so I wonder how UV light & age will affect it as opposed to an aluminium airframe?
It'll last as long as any other aircraft. Keep up with maintenance and replace things as they wear out/break and it'll keep flying as long as you have the money. The fiber in carbon fiber comes from fiberglass and that stuff lasts a lifetime.
It's the resin that is mostly effected by UV radiation, and that can easily be mitigated with paint. If you want bare carbon fiber, there are clear coat options that block UV as well.
@RedFall1 Fiberglass is made from very fine fibres of glass whereas Carbon Fibre is made from pure carbon! This makes them slightly different! Carbon fibre is way stronger than glass fibre!
We have SW-51 Mustangs with Rotax 915iS (141 hp) and the new Rotax 916iS (160 hp). We are also looking into the new Edge Performance 918Ti (180 hp): Remember, this Mustang weighs only 16% of the Original P-51 (at 70% of the size), so we are already getting close the the Original´s power to weight ratio, while featuring the most modern, fuel efficient and bullet proof aircraft engine in the GA market today.
It´s the new turbocharged, FADEC-controlled BRP-Rotax 916iS. The engine is modern design, aviation certified and extremely reliable, runs on both MOGAS and AVGAS. A comparison with Rotax engines from the 90s is like comparing Day and Night. We are seeing climb rates above 2000 ft per min (Kris above flew the Mustang with Rotax 915iS) and max. cruise speed of 180 KTAS.
the aircraft in the video use a Rotax 915 141hp (according what is written on the side)...Not forgott that a Rotax engine alllow much better performance/efficiency per hp because lightweight, much lower gas consumption (= need less gas weight for the same range) , use more efficient propellers and is supercharged (maintain of power up to ~4000m)
But much trickier (and more dangerous) to fly. The 109 killed hundreds of rookie pilots on takeoff and landing (although the K model was one of the safest ones due to the enlarged rudder).
Because things don't scale up the way most people think they do. "It's a 70% scale, why not just go up to 100%?" Well, a real P51 (full scale) weighs 9 times as much, has 9 times the horsepower and 3 times the cylinders. The cost and time to build would be much, much! greater.
Id definitely pay $320k for one of these. Do we have to build the kit ourselves? Or can we have it ordered fully built for us with the specs we want etc?
For those who do not want to build the Kit on their own, we offer a Ready-to-Fly version including a streamlined build assist service in our factory, enabling you to complete the required 51% assembly contribution in about 2 weeks. Most customers choose that route.
Are there any plans for a 100% scale version with an actual Rolls-Royce Merlin engine? I admit its cool, but even the Mooney M20 (top speed 242 knots and typical cruise speed 175 knots) flies faster.
The real P-51 had terrible handling characteristics when the fuel tanks were full due to weight distribution. I wonder if this replica has the same problem?
Square Cube law comes into effect here 70% in length, width and height, 0.7^3 = 0.343 (34% of the overall mass if using the same materials), the rest of the weight is taken care of with composite structure.
if anyone is wondering, it's $225k for the kit which doesn't include engine, prop, wiring, or avionics. after all that, it ends up around $320k for a completed aircraft
Pretty crazy when you consider how much (very rich) people will pay for hyper cars, mansions, vacations, yachts and casinos... All of which I'd spurn for one of these!
Considering the $2 million+ cost of a P-51D, that's not a bad price.
@@way2sh0rt07grad From their website: "Rotax916iS and MT-4 blade propeller has a cruise speed of approx. 180 kTAS in FL150. The fuel burn is approx. 7.5 USGph in ECO cruise." P51 burns 65gph at cruise.
A rotax doesn't sound like a merlin though. Nothing you can do about that.
Surprisingly, this is still cheaper than the cost of a real Mustang adjusting for inflation. At least according to Google
I saw a used one on FB marketplace for $125K a few months ago….
George Morse out of California built 2/3 scale p-51s called prowlers. There's still a few around. He was first and best using a aluminum Oldsmobile block with fuel injection and duel distributors. Very cool.🛩️ George passed away about ten years ago. We lost a true gentleman.
I've seen Mr Morse's work at the Auburn Airshow.
Imagine grabbing a coffee, sitting in your lounge and being able to get the impressions of a guy of Kris Caldwell's calibre on a plane of this calibre! Thank you SW - marvellous stuff and cheers from Sydney - Dave
Thank You Dave! Much appreciated
Anyone who says money cannot buy happiness clearly doesn't know where to shop!
In a sense that statement (can't buy happiness) is true. That said, with one of these birds you can fly around and look for it though. LOL
I've never heard this before. That's funny 😂
Bruh i rather be depressed in this flying beauty than at my 50m apartment @@stephenschroeder6567
@stephenschroeder6567 David Lee Roth had a funny saying, "Money can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you a boat big enough to pull right up along side it" 😉
Wife keeps buying losing lottery tickets, but I know what I'm buying when she get's it right.
We truly live in a golden age of civilian aircraft. Warbirds like the P-51 and PBY Catalina are making comebacks with amazing modern systems and amenities. Hundreds of models of bush planes you can have shipped to your house. As a man that has loved aviation my whole life, some day I am going to own the SW 51 and explore the US with it and maybe even the world.
Thank you. You are describing the same spirit that drives us!
We absolutely do NOT live in a golden age of civil aircraft. The accessibility and price for aircraft is basically zero compared to the past and IN the past there used to be way more companies producing aircraft.
Sir do you by chance ride motorcycles?
@@WalrusWinking You are absolutely correct, lawyers and insurance killed general aviation for all but the rich.
Keep going dude, the record for most types of aircraft flown is 487 by Eric Brown of the Royal Navy fleet air arm, the man was a legend. See if you can top it 👌
And he was a capable enough pilot to die of old age.
Gorgeous fighter plane! One of my favorites behind the F4U Corsair. I also love the FW-190 Focke Wulf fighter design next to the P-51 for the cleanest meanest designs to come out of those years.
Love the Wolf Dora, probably best looking from WW2.
if I could change one thing, I would have learned how to fly. I think getting out there in something like this plane would just be THE BEST.
It’s suuuuper sketch especially on takeoff you have to balance the tail or it flips
You have also to be able to afford it. I can’t 🙁
It’s never too late!
It is NEVER too late to learn how to fly. The only thing that stops you from it is you.
@@KCJbomberFTWthis is why tail wheel endorsements exist. 👍
I just hope that by the time I get the money together, they will still be for sale.
what a great plane
Yeah I will have the money sometime next Neverary! Lol
Amazing plane - what a beauty! Please let us hear the engine next time!
Talk about a guy who found his dream job.
Saw this plane at OSH 22 and it was without a doubt the coolest plane at the show IMHO. The rivets designed into the molds made for such a beautiful airplane.
Oh man, what a gorgeous aircraft!
Fantastique video, beautiful shots
Nice Job ! Finally a fighter replica for civilian. Now a fw190 replica plz !
The P-47 Thunderbolt, aka the Jug. Is the real beast of the American aircraft over Europe during WWll.
That is fantastic and the camera under the nose what a very good idea
Wow! That's cool! So glad people can buy one of these! :)
Scales so nicely. P51 is probably my favorite looking airplane of all time and this pays glorious homage at an approachable cost.
Please continue to manufacture these! I’m in the process of saving for one! ✈
Definitely a dream plane for me. I’m also excited to see in a few years someone put a Turbotech, Heron, or TurbAero turboprop on it when those companies come to fruition
Beautiful plane and nice surprise to hear Ben Böhmer in an aviation video!
Such a nice review Chris. Thank you.
"one of those airplanes you can just pull out of your hangar".. yes, I'm sure we can all relate
In an interview on Dogfights (history channel), a WW2 Mustang pilot said while most warbirds had to be muscled in engagements, the P-51 only required a light touch to maneuver. Lines up with this pilot's impression.
So, in a way, the Mustang “wants” to fight :)
want one!
Be fun as hell to fly.
Gosh that plane is beautiful
Man, I remember looking up at my ceiling at night. My dad had used fishing line to hang my models of a P51B Mustang chasing a Stuka. Of course I also had a Corsair engaging a Zero on the other side of the room. 👍
Same, I had f15 and a mig in the 3rd corner.
Amazing!! Almost makes you think we need to bring these type of aircraft back for military service since they can fly low slow, super cheap and easy to maintain.
I’ll take a P-47N.
You wouldn't, but nice joke anyway.
Me, Too! One Of My Favorites But What Would You Use For An Engine?
Oh yeah, Jug all day all nite.
A truly ascended comment
@@thewatcher5271Verner Scarlett radial engine. Should work, if the replica was intended for a rotax.
This is awesome! A smaller p-51? what?! thats such a cool idea. I want to fly one, i've been flying a p-51 in a simulator for awhile now it would be amaing to try the real thing.
That's a great point, with cameras for taxi and view I wonder if tail dragger designs will become more popular.
I got to see these at Sun N Fun this year. Cool little planes!
Okay, hear me out. P38 lightning replica. I feel like you guys could pull it off!
I'd LOVE to own one of those SW-51. It would be a blast to fly for sure.
Cannot wait to see someone throw a V8 or V12 in one of these! Would be so damn epic!!!
Hey could you made a replica of the me 262 with modern radars like you did with the sw 51?
This guy is awesome experienced.
Beautiful plane 😍
Beautiful bird. The P51 is my all-time favorite prop plane (along with the P38).
Hard to even tell in the video that the SW51 is a scale replica.
Selling my condo and getting this!🎉
The comment section of any post is merely the way in which to open the can of worms. Take the good with the bad or the in between. Folks salivate over eye candy in every venue. Collect more of that 6th sense like a blind man and life will be much more rewarding. The wants always overshadow the needs. Once the instant or accumulated self gratification is met, imagination goes stagnant, until......a new attraction takes its place. Thank you for gifting us this nice piece of workmanship.
A very fine looking aircraft......
Cleatus McFarland needs one of these.
Absolutely amazing........
I applauded this company thinking ways to make things "affordable" for pilot enthusiasts with some deep pockets.
Man i hope that i could afford one when i get older
Over 180 different planes you've flown? What a lucky duck! I have (technically) two and I'm pretty proud of that. Two Piper warriors and a Piper Arrow. I know, both PA-28's, but different names, so I'm counting it. 😁
Nice! PA-28 airframes are the best time builders and cruisers! I have over 960hrs in the PA-28. Cherokee and Arrow to be specific.
@@flyboy8364 That's awesome! I only have 3 hours, but that's because I was hit with a permanent disability many moons ago. Now I am a full-time armchair pilot. 😉 Thank goodness for Flight Sim and X-Plane.
@@Viking8888 I'm so sorry to hear that! Sims are definitely the next best thing. Especially in VR you really can't get much closer to the real thing, MSFS2020 and DCS are so close to realism, I forget I'm in VR sometimes 😆
@@flyboy8364 Thanks! I have a Quest 2, but my PC is lacking in the GPU department. I can either have a beautiful slide show or Awful looking, but smooth visuals! 😜 I've been saving for many years to get a really good GPU, but new ones are on the horizon so I'll wait a little longer and stick with flat screen until then.
Wow fun!
Another Hobo making waves online. Former SHWFOTS AO myself. Would love to build one of these.
I want. I can't for many reasons but... I want.
Nice!
Air Adventure 2023 the only option was $600K+ builder assist in Poland. They can't do builder assist and kits for home builders at the same time.
Call sign “Fungus”
There’s a fungus among us!
Who’s that guy? A fungi!
I suspect modern style p51 could still be useful for military use if it was fitting with modern sensors and modern smart missiles. Combine it with ground vehicles with drones it could really expand the capabilities of light ground forces.
I’ve wanted to build one of these for a while, but I just can’t get past having the dummy exhaust and not having a real v12. I’ve already spoken to a professional engine builder about this and they ca build a v12 that can cope with extreme g-force and running inverted. Would a Toyota 1GZ-FE fit in the airframe? They have factory redundancy for each bank so if one side stops the other still works, and with the builders modifications it would have significantly higher power output from factory and much higher reliability as they replace a lot of the internals with stronger parts. Just curious to see if it can be done because unfortunately I’m just slightly short on being able to build this myself by about half a million dollars
Why the 70% scale? What is behind that? Thanks for the video.
Sweet!!
can this take add-on fuel tanks?
Still the most beautiful fighter ever made!
P-40 looks cooler.
@@TheRedStateBlue no way dude!
@@BYGRACE80 yes way. the Curtiss P-40 is the best looking prop fighter ever made. the P-51 is just a slightly upgraded P-40 that had the intake moved back on the fuselage to accommodate a stronger engine.
@@TheRedStateBlue No way!
Is it possible to flip throttle for right hand operation?
I can think of a lot more thrilling aviation toys than a rotax powered P51 scale model.
Nice 😎
just wondering did Ben Böhmer give you guys permission to use his song? if so i would love to see if i could as well. Love his music and this song!
Did you notice the rudder looks like it is tilted 1 degree right? Maybe I'm slant eyed? LOL 🤣
Yes, looks like it is. Probably to counter the torque of the engine and / or the prop.
If y'all made a variant of this to the forthcoming MOSAIC LSA specifications, they would absolutely sell like hotcakes. The only specification you'd need to conform to is the clean stall speed -- you might even get by just by adding vortex generators.
Thank you for this excellent comment. The SW-51, in its current design, already matches the new MOSAIC LSA specifications with a Vs1 (clean stall speed) of 54 KCAS. This is without vortex generations, i.e. no penalty of top speed.
@@scalewingsaircraft this is fantastic news!
We need a full scale version :)
Can I order this with 50 Cal. guns in the wings as an option. If so how much?
Put neutral that flys forward nowadays with a jet engine for reverse thrust
Dammit I want one😢
Did they let you keep the plane?
I would like to know the story behind the callsign Fungus.
I bet he dosent want to tell us that 😂
I'm not even a pilot and I want one.
Since it is a 70% scale replica, I'm curious as to what type of engine it has, & how similar it's performance is, to the 100% actual P-51s from the days of yore.
Gorgeous aircraft, & a nice concise review here!
If its 16% of the weight this thing blows it out of the water
@@lililililililili8667 I think he said 60%.
It couldn't possibly have a 27 litre Merlin V12 though. It wouldn't fit...
@@fobbitoperator3620 it is 70% of the size and 16% of the weight of an Original P-51 due to the all-carbon design
@@scalewingsaircraft That is an amazing feat of engineering & manufacturing. Also, quite an expensive build, yet seemingly worth every penny for performance gains.
Imagine they shoehorned a Gen4 supercharged Coyote in that bird, fitted to a 6 blade modern prop. That thing would would FLY!!!
We're talking half the speed of a P-51D, half the service ceiling, and 2/3 the rate of climb. However, turn rate will obviously be far better than a P-51D due to lower speed and much lower wing loading.
Do you need an endorsement or type rating to fly this?
I wonder about the longevity of the aircraft. I know nothing about carbon Fibre so I wonder how UV light & age will affect it as opposed to an aluminium airframe?
It'll last as long as any other aircraft. Keep up with maintenance and replace things as they wear out/break and it'll keep flying as long as you have the money. The fiber in carbon fiber comes from fiberglass and that stuff lasts a lifetime.
If it's kept in a hangar, it will never be a problem. If you buy a plane like that and don't keep it in a hangar, you're just dumb with your money.
It's the resin that is mostly effected by UV radiation, and that can easily be mitigated with paint. If you want bare carbon fiber, there are clear coat options that block UV as well.
@RedFall1 Fiberglass is made from very fine fibres of glass whereas Carbon Fibre is made from pure carbon! This makes them slightly different! Carbon fibre is way stronger than glass fibre!
@@jamesbernsen3516 very true!
My dream
Just out of curiosity, why is it only 70% scale?
Price, running costs, safety, accessibility.
I'm in need of your prayers and support. Please keep me in your thoughts as I navigate my health journey.
I am still waiting for someone to manufacturer a 3/4 scale Merlin engine for these types of aircraft.
Very Nice 👍 How much Power?
141hp, and with the turbo, the Rotax 915 can reach 8000m altitude...
We have SW-51 Mustangs with Rotax 915iS (141 hp) and the new Rotax 916iS (160 hp). We are also looking into the new Edge Performance 918Ti (180 hp): Remember, this Mustang weighs only 16% of the Original P-51 (at 70% of the size), so we are already getting close the the Original´s power to weight ratio, while featuring the most modern, fuel efficient and bullet proof aircraft engine in the GA market today.
Hope this can be converted into a v8 , 600 hp or v12 like the thunder mustang
What’s the power plant?
I think the original SW was a chevy LS. But he did say Rotax.
Weed Eater motor with the foam air removed (rumor... may be wrong)
It´s the new turbocharged, FADEC-controlled BRP-Rotax 916iS. The engine is modern design, aviation certified and extremely reliable, runs on both MOGAS and AVGAS. A comparison with Rotax engines from the 90s is like comparing Day and Night. We are seeing climb rates above 2000 ft per min (Kris above flew the Mustang with Rotax 915iS) and max. cruise speed of 180 KTAS.
@@scalewingsaircraft Has this engine been used in other aircraft? Wondering about maintenance costs or down time for any issues.
the aircraft in the video use a Rotax 915 141hp (according what is written on the side)...Not forgott that a Rotax engine alllow much better performance/efficiency per hp because lightweight, much lower gas consumption (= need less gas weight for the same range) , use more efficient propellers and is supercharged (maintain of power up to ~4000m)
WHY isn't he making UA-cam video reviews of these planes he flies ???
Imagine a wee pt6 out the front….
Its no 109. A 109K4 scale would be awesome.
But much trickier (and more dangerous) to fly. The 109 killed hundreds of rookie pilots on takeoff and landing (although the K model was one of the safest ones due to the enlarged rudder).
_"...plant it on deck..."_ lol that's a carrier pilot, er naval aviator, for ya!
Dream goals!
okay...a scaled P51...me likey
I want to know the story of how he got the call sign Fungus.
Is there a reason they dont build full scale?
Because things don't scale up the way most people think they do. "It's a 70% scale, why not just go up to 100%?" Well, a real P51 (full scale) weighs 9 times as much, has 9 times the horsepower and 3 times the cylinders. The cost and time to build would be much, much! greater.
If you could somehow cram 850hp in that thing (vs the original w/1000hp) you'd be cooking with fire for sure.
Id pay for a Spitfire version
Id definitely pay $320k for one of these. Do we have to build the kit ourselves? Or can we have it ordered fully built for us with the specs we want etc?
For those who do not want to build the Kit on their own, we offer a Ready-to-Fly version including a streamlined build assist service in our factory, enabling you to complete the required 51% assembly contribution in about 2 weeks. Most customers choose that route.
Are there any plans for a 100% scale version with an actual Rolls-Royce Merlin engine?
I admit its cool, but even the Mooney M20 (top speed 242 knots and typical cruise speed 175 knots) flies faster.
The real P-51 had terrible handling characteristics when the fuel tanks were full due to weight distribution. I wonder if this replica has the same problem?
I flew a Swift once, as close as I will get.
neat
This plane is only twice as heavy as the 6 Browning M2 machine guns mounted on the original P-51.
why such small propeller?
Because the weight is only 16% of a P-51D, and because high altitude flight (over 15,000 ft) is not needed.
16% of the weight??? did i get this right? even 60% is an improvement.
16% is correct
Square Cube law comes into effect here
70% in length, width and height, 0.7^3 = 0.343 (34% of the overall mass if using the same materials), the rest of the weight is taken care of with composite structure.
@scalewingsaircraft WOW! I believe you, yet I am in disbelief! That is amazing, i can imagine the performance improvement is significant!