Does anyone know anything about the Thunder Mustang?

It looks like it has great performance (300 knots on 25 GPH at 10,000 feet), great visibility (bubble canopy), and great looks (Its a P-51), but I have the following questions:

1. What is the reliability and maintainability of that Falconer V12 motor and reduction gear drive?

(a) All that performance is no good if I have an engine out at low altitude.

(b) Turboprop speed on a piston budget is no good if the power plant proves unreliable and expensive to maintain.

2. What are the handling characteristics and safety of the airframe?

(a) I have never flown a real P-51 Mustang, but have read that they are a handful and can be dangerous.

(b) Are there any stall characteristics, torque problems, or other safety issues to be concerned about?

3. What is the reliability and maintainability of the airframe?

(a) What is going to break, how expensive is it, and where do you get parts?

4. How well (or poorly) do they fly, and how much fun are they to fly?

5. Any other issues that anyone is aware of with the Thunder Mustang?

On the one hand, it looks like it would be a exciting to fly, and 300 knots on 25 GPH from a normally aspirated piston plane is fantastic, but the reliability, maintainability, and safety of my Bonanza V35B are known and proven.

Thoughts?

I have no first-hand experience with them. I have about a 1000 hrs in regular mustangs, and have followed many of the "3/4 scale"...my impression....and it's just that, an impression...is that they have had more engine problems than the regular mustangs...(which have had their fair share).


I really hope someone with first-hand experience chimes in. The thunder mustang sure looks good.


stan

There were around 37 kits made. Dunno if any more ended up being made from tooling or parts.
Estimate 1/4 have been lost or damaged so far. IIRC 3 were lost in 2013 , 1 fatal.
A couple have had Walter Turboprops installed.
Original company went away, lost one on a demo flight with a perspective customer in the back seat when they flew into a mountain covered in clouds.

Like most of this type you would probably need a very high desire to want one and have a mechanical ability to deal with it. Probably a small group that has good knowledge to maintain/operate them. Those mentors would be crucial.

I have watched this market very closely over the years. My observations are that the engine is hard presssed to make it to 100 hours before they are getting pulled for a new one at $85-$100k a pop.

The one in New Zealand seems to be the anomaly as it is listed with over 400 hours on the engine but they have basically rebuilt it multiple times on the airframe. They also fly it regularly and have outstanding maintenance available and used often.

I think I would plan on treating it just like a Merlin with their 25 hour inspections.

The parts would be available through the new group that owns the rights to it.

They redesigned the reduction gear a couple years ago to offer more oil flow onto the gears and redesigned a couple other trouble spots. You can check those out at thundermustang.com

They sure do look like a hoot to fly though.

This accident occurred right over the hill from us.
Top overhaul at 200 hrs

"Shredded blue shop towels in oil pan".

http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2014/10/f ... -2014.html

On the Merlin I change oil every 25 hrs and inspect the Filter Screens.
Every 50 I pull Cam Racks to check torque on the nuts securing the Heads and Banks and look over the Cam Rack Parts.
Every 25 I Adjust Valve Lash.

Wonder what the Falconer needs or what can be done to it Mx wise?

The big question is how much high performance tailwheel time do you have?

I don't know anything concrete, but I would carefully investigate the accident record. Make sure you understand and are comfortable with what you find.

My good friend Tommy Rose was an early investor in the Company. He had the second one built if my memory serves me correctly. He raced it at Reno during the short time he owned it. He then purchased a Quester that he lost his life in at Reno, 2002 when the tail failed at high speed. I don't believe his heirs every recovered any of his $$$ invested in the Company. John Parker probably knows more about the Thunder Mustang than anyone else. Been racing them at Reno for many years. If I was looking I'd contact him before buying.
Ron

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I took over care of a 53 Hatteras Sportfish in my prior life as a boat captain. It was owned by a wealthy gentleman from Mexico. It limped to S.FL from Cozumel at 11 kts. Any faster and the port engine would overheat. Upon arrival in FL, it fell under my care. Job was to fix it up and take it back to MX. Reason for overheating? Shop rags wrapped around one of the Tstats. My guess is they had the plumbing opened up for some service, stuffed rags in the pipe to keep things from falling in there, then did not get them all out upon reassembly....

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John is on his 2nd TM.
On Blue Thunder #1 He had an engine problem and ended up off the runway. A hot brake caught the grass on fire and burned up his 1st one.
There is a video I posted on Crash Talk of his emergency landing in Blue Thunder #2 after his engine blew up on takeoff this past Sept during qualifying. He ended up running off the end of the runway this time but no extra damage. He did a great job handling the emergency and getting back on the runway.