Mustang!
NOTE - This page is still under construction, but I wanted to publish early to get something available
I have always maintained a love affair (albiet one sided) with the North American P51 Mustang. Although no expert, I have read claims that it is considered the premier US WW2 fighter aircraft in the European theater. And some maintain it is the greatest single engine propeller powered aircraft ever developed.
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Whether or not that is true, I started building scale model mustangs when I was a wee lad. Eventually I ventured into RC aircraft and so it was one of my favorite to build and fly. My first Giant Scale version was a PICA models kit (no longer available) which never made it into the air, but was a valuable learning experience​​
This is an image of the actual 3D model generated in SolidWorks. The canopy is still under construction (which explains the visible lines or sketches), but see below for the internal parts which are all or mostly complete
About the Aircraft -
The Pica Kit aircraft I started with was balsa construction at 1/5 scale (89" wingspan). Original landing gear retraction system was pneumatic, requiring an air pump in the pits to recharge the air bottle. Engine was 25cc two stroke air cooled, so much of the air scoop/radiator door assembly was fake or just painted on. The propeller was two-blade wood of 24" diameter (looks like a toy). And typical for most RC aircraft that I have ever had/built/worked on, the control surfaces (flaps/aerlerons/rudder/elevator) were actuated by servos with pushrods and control horns on the outside of the exterior fuse/wing surfaces.
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Not what I considered life-like when viewed up-close
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So in my re-design, I put all that structural stuff under the hood (proverbially, some blow-ups below).
About the Engine -
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At the time I was working on the Pica giant scale model (the mid 1990's) the main motive power for models like this was a large displacement 2 stroke, air cooled single piston engine. Basically a chain saw motor. And because of the high RPMs these motors turn, the propeller was typically small diameter two blade jobbies.
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Which is fine for aeronautical performance, but really crappy for sound realism. Think airborne chainsaw.
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So I started on a design for a working V12 at the appropriate size to work with the scale bird. At the time, running V12s were pretty uncommon (although I think they can be had these days, just that they're expensive). So I got a copy of SolidEdge (now defunct) and taught myself to model in 3D. I had a pretty good head-start as I was a power user for CadKey at work, but that was 2D/3D wireframe and I needed more.
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Fast forward to today (ipsum lorem.....)
Wing center left section shown. On left is part on the build plate, on right is the sliced model with supports ready to export. The file is ready for the large format 3D printer. Anycubic Kobra 2Max build envelope is 42cm x 42cm x 50cm. Pretty useful for big parts. Post processing is no joke, however. Proper build orientation is essential to minimize sliced affect on critical surfaces and internal details.