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Mustang whistle

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scrollF4

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Since growing up in South Texas with the CAF, I have forever loved the signature gun port whistle from a passing P-51. Now, I would LOVE to find a way for my 7A KELLI GIRL to whistle as well.

Has anyone found a way to get an RV-7A (or any RV) to emulate a Mustang’s whistle? This will be my next mod to KELLI GIRL.

https://youtu.be/h5fjKEXXPQ8
 
First step, reinforce and lengthen your airframe as necessary.
Second step, fabricate and install a taller landing gear.
Third step, buy and install one of those awesome Merlin engine combo in the front of your beloved RV.

Now go and enjoy that whistle ;)
 
big battery

First step, reinforce and lengthen your airframe as necessary.
Second step, fabricate and install a taller landing gear.
Third step, buy and install one of those awesome Merlin engine combo in the front of your beloved RV.

Now go and enjoy that whistle ;)
Sounds easy! I guess I'll need to move my big battery to the back to balance things.
 
What causes the sound?

Certain airspeed?

Orientation of the plane to you?

Is it airframe or engine(supercharger?)



You also need it to sound like a Merlin............
 
Cheapest option: Get a really good recording of the sound you want to emulate. Then buy a Monster sound system, and install it in your RV.

Play the recording for every fly-by! ;)
 
Whistling source

I'm guessing the whistling over the gun ports is the same principle as if you blow over the opening of a beer bottle. More beer in bottle = higher pitch. Less beer in bottle = lower pitch. Now just need to replicate that into something that will attach to one of the RV wing tie down points. I'm sure a 3D printer wizard could do something!
 
I'm guessing the whistling over the gun ports is the same principle as if you blow over the opening of a beer bottle. More beer in bottle = higher pitch. Less beer in bottle = lower pitch. Now just need to replicate that into something that will attach to one of the RV wing tie down points. I'm sure a 3D printer wizard could do something!

Now we’re onto something. I was thinking of trying to attach a tube or tube-like whistle to one of the fuselage steps, but the tie-down makes sense.
 
Inside the P-51, the air inlet moans at high alpha, shortly before it nibbles you !

Played with the tune on Crazy Horse some time ago - huge fun :D
 
The P-51 gun whistle is a myth. Any Mustang that whistles in a dive is easily fixed by adjusting the gear doors.

Though the ports may(?) moan at high alfa, I can't see how you would get into a high alpha high speed pass.

Brandon
 
Deer thing

Why not mount a pair of those deer things in the tiedown hole. They are supposed to make a noise at speed. Probably can’t hear them at 60mph but maybe they come alive at 180?
 
It was the Corsair that got the nickname "Whistling Death". It's most definitely not a myth. The whistle at high dive speeds came from a few factors on the Corsair, the gun ports, and the slots on the leading edges for things like coolers.

There's a number of videos on youtube where Corsair pilots demonstrate the whistle, and I've heard it at many airshows. It's quite haunting. Heres a good video of the whistle: https://youtu.be/IBUKiKvl29Q?t=111

Now the iconic "dive bomber" sound that we know of mostly, was from the Junkers Stuka "Jericho Trumpet" which was a turbine driven noise maker that was intentionally mounted on the Junkers as a sort of fear factor weapon. The pilot could turn the Jericho Trumpet on and off from the cockpit when he wanted to....make an impression.
 
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CubedRoot
"Now the iconic "dive bomber" sound that we know of mostly, was from the Junkers Stuka "Jericho Trumpet" which was a turbine driven noise maker that was intentionally mounted on the Junkers as a sort of fear factor weapon. The pilot could turn the Jericho Trumpet on and off from the cockpit when he wanted to....make an impression."

We played with the idea of doing this at Reno on 'Race 57', but thought better to not irritate the local citizenry with our antics. Plus we didn't need any additional things hanging from the plane that hindered max speed.
We did get a bit of whine off the supercharger though...
 
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CubedRoot
"Now the iconic "dive bomber" sound that we know of mostly, was from the Junkers Stuka "Jericho Trumpet" which was a turbine driven noise maker that was intentionally mounted on the Junkers as a sort of fear factor weapon. The pilot could turn the Jericho Trumpet on and off from the cockpit when he wanted to....make an impression."

We played with the idea of doing this at Reno on 'Race 57', but thought better to not irritate the local citizenry with our antics. Plus we didn't need any additional things hanging from the plane that hindered max speed.

Yeap. Drag is one of the reasons Junkers pulled them from the Stukas. Those things looked pretty draggy just to make some noise.
 
Funny but what I hear in the video sounded like a combination of the compressor and the wine of the gears in the prop drive. Many just be me but I’ve herd it meny times at Reno. And yes I do love the sound of a wound up Merlin.
 
I was wondering how long it would be before this turned into the RV equivalent of prime v. no prime or the Cobra round tube frame v. square tube frame debate.

There are a bazillion opinions on what makes the howl (gun ports, radiator inlet, blower etc etc etc)
Personally, I lean towards the radiator because I have heard a clean wing mustang with no gun ports make the noise. Definitely not the blower as the sound is variable based on G and Alpha. Always a fun debate though.

Sid, can you experiment with shapes mounted on a car? Once you have something it seems simple enough to mount it to the tie down ports.
 
I know that our smooth wing, former race Mustang had a whistle until we adjusted gear doors. I know our other Mustang, one of the most original in the world including working guns at one time, has never whistled. I know of a few other Mustang whistles that were fixed with gear door rigging. Some guys just leave it. It's just a known problem with the Mustang.

If someone wants their plane to whistle like an out of rig Mustang I'm all for it. Just don't tell people thats how Mustangs sound.

Brandon
 
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