Warbird Information Exchange

And here is a photo of the latest Mustang to fly in Europe, Biltema's Cavalier P-51D N405HC. The plane first flew on Thursday, and made its maiden display in Vesterås, Sweden on Saturday May 26 where the photo is shot. Congrats to the owners for getting another airworthy P-51 in Scandinavia.


T J
P.S. Scott, if you want the photo for the registry, go ahead!

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Make my day, punk!

Cavalier Mustang II...but who's counting, eh?

Here's another nice caption of N405HC @ ESOW on 26.5.07:

http://www.g-kraft.com/bilder_visa.php?id=5744

Nice looking 'Stang. I wonder though why in the course of restoring it to fly they didn't return the vertical stab to the shorter version?

Because Heber wanted it that way. As Randy mentioned earlier, it is a Cavalier Mustang II and Heber liked the way Cavalier did things, so it was left alone. I don't personally recall ever hearing any talk of shortening the vertical stab, but I was just a greasy mechanic on the shop floor. It may have been discussed, but I doubt it.

Gary

There is a difference of opinion between Mustang pilots as to if the Cavalier tail made any noticeable difference in the airplane's stability.

Some say it makes no difference at all, and there are others who swear by it.

I think the fact that several recent TF-51 conversions have gone with the tall tail means that there is something to it, perhaps if only with the longer canopy.

That is gorgeous! What group is that representing?

...and their new Spitfire arrived this afternoon.

PeterA

VERY nice Spitfire!!

I was wondering if the taller tail on the 'stang made some different in stability.

The whole thing actually started with some tests North American was doing with taller tails on a couple different Mustangs. The idea was improved stability and making it a more solid gun platform. NACA got ahold of two of the modified Mustangs after the war and used them for various other tests. The design came to Cavalier when they purchased one of the NACA airplanes as part of their 'stocks' and the Cavalier founder loved the idea of the tall tail (not only the performance aspect, but the look of it, too).

Ever since then the tail has been associated with Cavalier conversions, but it is really an NAA design, inherited by NACA, and used by Cavalier.

Thanks for the info Randy.

What is the general concensus of the Mustang pilots on here? Does the taller tail make it more stable? And which do you prefer?

Randy, I thought that the tall tail used by Cavalier was based on the tall tail first used on the H model ?

http://home.insightbb.com/~p51h/p51h.htm

No one knows? That's a first...

The 'Biltema' organisation based in Ängelholm, Sweden.

PeterA

Negative...they are actually two distinctly different designs. Different size and different shape.

The easiest way to tell the difference is to look at the placement of the rudder counter-balance weight and the rudder trim tab. On the NAA/NACA/Cavalier tail, the bottom of the weight is roughly in line with the top of the rudder trim tab. On the P-51H tail, the weight is about a foot above the top of the trim tab.