I know this is a Beech Forum but given the broad range of interests here thought I'd post. We have acquired the rights to the Stewart 51. I am just curious to see if there is an interest in these aircraft. We are in the infantcy stage of gearing up to produce the kits again. What say all?

What's is a Stewart 51, Bill?

75% scale P-51, V-8 powered, all metal aircraft. I will try to imbed a video.
http://youtu.be/VhFraPV340I[YouTube][/YouTube]

I believe it's a replica of the P51 Mustang.

If you have more info, please post!

Neat plane. I visited the "factory" back in 1997 and met the owner. They were building the wings in Slovak back then. I did not buy one because I did not like the engine options. I don't have much faith in V8 car engine conversions. Neat airplane other than that. I know it would not be "correct" but I think the only sensible option is to have a turbine up front.

Looks like a fun airplane, but not for the intermediate pilot. Like a staggerwing or a luscombe..., A potential ground looper! Which engine is used? hi tech, 4 valves per cylinder. injected V8 aluminum ford, GM, chrysler. empty/gross weight, fuel capacity?

Is it direct or geared? Me thinks it would have to be geared?

So cool!
Tell us lots more.

Lots of stuff on google, http://www.seas.ucla.edu/~osmith/s51/

The developer, Jim Stewart, was a close friend of of one of my friends.
When my son was flying the airshows I would announce for him. I would also announce for the S51 somtimes. I knew their test and airshow pilot pretty well. It is a very detailed project and has everything the original P51 has, just scaled down. Of all the kits sold, only a small number were ever completed. The weak link was the detail to complete them and geared engine. In general geared auto engines have been a problem in the past. They even suffered from harmonics in some airplanes that broke components. Their show plane suffered a forced landing when oil fitting fractured. I know of at least one with a Walter turbine engine.
It is a great project and maybe with increased knowledge about gearing it can be a great business. The business went under due to stuff other than engineering like so many others in aviation history.

We had one on our field for a time. The owner was a relatively new taildragger pilot. He operated the plane without incident and with few mechanical problems. He flew at least a couple of times a week, if not more. It is quite an airplane for a homebuilt.

Robert

There is a guy at my airport building one of these with a turbine engine.... He also has a motorcycle with a turbine as well.... I think he may have a pretty good amount of spare time....

Need to make a correction. Montgomery Aviation does not have the rights to produce these aircraft. An entity very close to the company does. They are working hard to get these planes going again. I can put anybody that has interest in touch with the new principal of the company.