ScaleWings Brings SW-51 Mustang Back to SUN ’n FUN

ScaleWings is using SUN ’n FUN 2026 to show how far its SW-51 Mustang program has come since its first U.S. appearance at the show in 2022. Speaking with AVweb, CEO Christian von Kessel said the company’s first display at Lakeland was a mock-up parked well away from the main exhibit areas.

“Four years ago at Sun ’n Fun was the very first time that we showcased a Mustang in the United States,” he said. “It was a mock-up of the plane. Had no engine, no avionics, and it was way out there behind Paradise City.”

That early display, von Kessel said, helped open the door to a larger U.S. introduction for ScaleWings later that year at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, where the company flew the airplane in the main airshow and booked early sales. Now, he said, the company has sold 62 aircraft and delivered 40, including four in the first quarter of 2026.

“We have a three-week cycle,” von Kessel said. “We’re targeting to make 16 this year.”

The German-owned company manufactures the aircraft in Krosno, Poland, through a build-assist process for the experimental amateur-built market, where customers travel to the factory to complete required assembly work before shipment.

Program Origins

Von Kessel said the idea for the airplane began with one of the company’s founders, who had been building large-scale World War II radio-controlled models before the concept moved into full-scale aircraft.

“One of our founders had this incredible know-how, how to make World War II models,” von Kessel said. “He was specialized in making World War II models.”

He said the decision to build a Mustang came after a simple market test.

“And then it was an online survey; we asked, ‘What’s the most popular warbird of all time?’ It’s the most iconic. The P-51 won that poll by a big margin. That’s why we started with that.”

The Final Product

The resulting airplane is a two-seat, composite aircraft styled after the North American P-51 Mustang but equipped with current production systems, including a Rotax 916 iS Turbo engine, Garmin avionics and optional ballistic recovery equipment. Company literature lists a 950-foot takeoff distance, 2,300-FPM climb rate, 180-KTAS cruise speed and 1,000-NM maximum range.

Despite using a 160-hp Rotax 916iS rather than a large-displacement warbird engine, von Kessel said the airplane’s relatively low weight plays a major role in its performance, benefiting from a favorable power-to-weight balance. In company materials, ScaleWings lists a 650-pound useful load.

Von Kessel said ScaleWings also worked to make the airplane more forgiving than the wartime fighter in low-speed handling, while keeping the shape and presentation that draw attention at the show.

What’s Next

As more aircraft enter service, von Kessel said the company is focused on beginning to build out an owners network centered on training, shared operations and group flying. He said those efforts are expected to expand as more airplanes are delivered in the U.S. and abroad.

“What I’m already envisioning and seeing is these local chapters, basically, Mustang chapters, where people get together,” he said. “Because that’s when the journey really starts… flying Mustangs in formation—you can’t beat that.”