ScaleWings, German manufacturer of light-sport P-51 homage/recreations didn’t just show up with a booth exhibit this year,instead they kicked things up a notch by putting their newest, shiniest little Mustang through its aerobatic paces at one of Sun ‘n Fun’s daily airshows.
Their newest production SW-51 represents the best that ScaleWings can offer, a glossy, bespoke paint scheme in homage to the US Air Force Thunderbirds, and a 160-horsepower turbocharged Rotax 916iS engine to match. That gives it one of the best power-to-weight ratios of any ScaleWings Mustang made so far, though there’s still some more headroom to use on the model. Weight on an SW-51, thanks to its liberal use of carbon fiber, is quite low, with an empty weight about 1,300 lbs empty.All together, that makes for a nice little dancing partner for some light aerobatics.
It’s good to see the imitation quarterhorse get to run and play with its forebears, if only for a little while. While ScaleWings’ Thunderbird didn’t get a chance to fly wing-to-wing with a genuine, full-scale WWII article, it took to the skies among a long list of similarly equipped aircraft strutting their stuff. After giving the crowds a full demonstration, ScaleWings brought the Thunderbird back to their booth to park next to “Double-O-Seven”, the 7th production aircraft, at their booth. It’s almost a little unlucky for them to have so many genuine P-51 Mustangs so close by - if it weren’t for a perfect 1:1 aircraft only a few feet away, one can easily forget that the SW-51 is just a modern interpretation in a smaller, more affordable scale.
“As the winter frost begins to thaw and the skies beckon once more, aviation enthusiasts from across the globe eagerly anticipate the arrival of spring and one event in particular, SUN ‘n FUN in Lakeland, Florida,” said ScaleWings CEO Christian von Kessel and CTO Simon Schell. “This annual gathering serves as a vibrant celebration of all things aviation, drawing people together to share their passion, exchange stories, and indulge in a bit of aviation retail therapy. For those who have spent the long winter months grounded, SUN ‘n FUN is a much-anticipated opportunity to spread their wings once again.”
FMI: www.scalewings.com
