We don’t have any in-flight video of the Mustang, but we do have footage of an even smaller 1.2 gram plane has been flying lately. The retracts use heat-sensitive Nitinol “muscle wire” along with a bellcrank system to make sure the landing gear is up and locked after takeoff, and comes down again before a landing. We’re not sure if the signals to these actuators is straight PWM or if is varying the frequency, but the system works. The flight surfaces use magnetic actuators, consisting of a tiny neodymium magnet surrounded by a coil of magnet wire. However, there are no closed loop servos involved. That’s Wright, we did say retracts, as in retractable landing gear on a 3 gram model.Īll the Mustang’s flight surfaces feature fully proportional control. The Mustang is an 8 channel affair, with elevator, throttle, rudder, ailerons, flaps, navigation lights, working retracts, and flashing cannon lights. Weighing in at a mere 3 grams, P-51D mustang model certainly puts him into that group. While the P-51’s 11.6 cm wingspan may not make it the smallest plane in the world, its many functions make it incredible. The smallest models however, are still built by an elite group of modelers. Today, you can pick them up for around $20 USD at the local mall. In the early 2000’s, a palm-sized plane or helicopter was the dream of many an R/C enthusiast. Commercial R/C aircraft have been getting smaller and smaller with each passing year.

P 51 flight control system