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The P-51 Mustang has long been at the top of most pilot’s list of planes they’d like to own and fly, but with an average price of well over $2 million, plus expensive ongoing maintenance and insurance, only a few can afford to live that dream.
Enter the new ScaleWings SW-51 from Germany, a 70% Mustang replica that debuted in the U.S. in the spring as a static display at SUN ‘n FUN and first flew for the public at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2022.
Yes, there have been other scale Mustang replicas on the market for years, but none approaches the authenticity of the ScaleWings aircraft. Made from molded carbon fiber composite, the finished plane looks like an authentic aluminum-skinned Mustang that magically shrunk.
In addition to its perfect true-to-scale lines, there are more than 100,000 hand-formed representations of flush rivets and screws that give the look and feel of a real Mustang, even under close scrutiny.
“Perfect” is the word that keeps cropping up in descriptions of the plane, which was designed by Hans Schwoeller, formerly an RC model developer. He spent countless hours constructing the molds, which recreate every panel line, fairing, and rivet in perfect 70% scale.
The attention to detail is amazing. Even the screw head slots are not all turned the same way.
Originally produced as a proof-of-concept aircraft in 2013, the SW-51 first flew in 2014 in Europe. The project accelerated in 2016, when young entrepreneur Christian von Kessel became involved in the company, which has benefited from new capital.
Although the company’s headquarters are near Munich, production is handled at a factory in Krosno, Poland, known as Europe’s “Aviation Valley,” where 30 employees are busy cranking out kits, as well as ready-to-fly aircraft certified as “Experimental Exhibition.”
Included in the highly-prefabricated Quick Build Kit, currently base priced at $186,000, are the fuselage, wing and tail structures, plus two seats and the electrically-driven retractable landing gear. The engine, prop, and avionics are extra.
In its base configuration, a ready-to-fly SW-51 Mustang is currently priced at $320,000.
The kit complies with the 51% rule required for amateur-built aircraft in the U.S. and five were reported sold during AirVenture 2022. Two of those aircraft will be completed in Krosno and certified as Experimental Exhibition in the U.S.
The SW-51 demo plane that flew at Oshkosh, called “Yellow Jacket,” is powered by a 141-hp Rotax 915iS turbocharged engine and an adjustable four-blade MT composite propeller.
The Rotax engine appears to be an ideal match for the SW-51, although it can handle larger powerplants, according to company officials.
When ScaleWings demo pilot Antanas Marciukaitis made several high speed passes at AirVenture during the Monday afternoon airshow, the plane’s look and sound was very satisfying to Mustang fans. In other words, just what you would hope for from a scaled-down P-51.
Two days after AirVenture, its new owner piloted the aircraft 1,313 nm from Oshkosh to Florida in one day, a demonstration of the reliability of the engine and prop configuration.
The two-seat fighter replica has a roomy 22.8 inch wide tandem cockpit with dual controls that can accommodate a wide range of pilot heights.
To make the plane more forgiving and easier to fly, the airfoil used in the SW-51 has been modified from the original, company officials noted. The plane stalls below 45 knots and max true air speed at low altitudes is around 150 knots. A top speed of 185 knots is expected at 15,000 feet and Vne is 216 knots.
Empty weight is around 1,200 pounds, with a current max gross weight of 1,850 pounds. The plane is stressed for +6g and -4g, although the wing was tested to plus and minus 12g during static tests, company officials reported.
A ballistic parachute from Galaxy GRS is available as an option.
Although von Kessel describes the kit as “frustration free,” builder assistance is provided by Titan Aircraft of Austinburg, Ohio. Right Rudder Aviation of Inverness, Florida, is expected to follow soon.
For more information: ScaleWings.com.
Tom Snow, a 2,100-hour commercially-rated pilot from Chattanooga, Tennessee, owns an A36 Beechcraft Bonanza and a Searey amphibian.
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How did they get the “polished aluminum” look? Anything special about that paint?
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