Official FlightLine F4U-1A Corsair 1600mm (63") Wingspan

[Elbee]

Haven't been able to fly for over a month due to crazy windy/rainy weather, including a couple hurricanes, so I've been spending time on other important duties (although what could be more important that RC building/flying ). Finally going out tomorrow with a couple of my regular buddies as the winds are finally at or below 10mph. Now if I can just steal my CO's Apprentice so I can "re-learn" how to fly, I'll be good! Is it "push forward" to go up, or will that result in a lawn dart?

Up, because you were inverted.

[jetfool]

My Birdcage arrives tomorrow and I 'm excited as a new virgin waiting to be converted , then my wife informs me I can't open it till X-mas, WHAT! Says its the rules ( our 40th yr of marriage ) Said I had plenty of planes to work on till then (she is correct) So I will gather my paints , weathering supplies, ect and practice weathering my BH Wildcat. This site is great with info and humor and I will begin my Corsair assembly Dec 25. I will have all my 3-D printing done by the High School Robotics Class and be ready to delve into this. Until then Happy Thanksgiving Rex

[jetfool]

Thinking about ordering the sound system. Does anyone using this can recommend it and the best mounting position. Do I need an extra speaker? Thinking of ordering an extra set of retracts also, are you guys just ordering the mechanics or the complete retracts. Thanks . Rex

[Evan D]

I have the older Mr RC Sound in a Spitfire and FW190. Mount the transducer on thin foam for best sound, careful about CG. On mine I have only one transducer and it's just right but a lot of people like the volume from two.

[jetfool]

Thank you for the info

[Hugh Wiedman]

Thinking about ordering the sound system. Does anyone using this can recommend it and the best mounting position. Do I need an extra speaker? Thinking of ordering an extra set of retracts also, are you guys just ordering the mechanics or the complete retracts. Thanks . Rex

I've got the Mr. RC Sound, Aspire board and 2 transducers. It sounds good. Recommend you also put heat sinks on the transducers, as the P&W Double Wasp selection creates the most heat. I also installed some copper 45 degree water line angles to act as hood scoops to bring cool air directly over the transducers. I've put those in 8 aircraft with the sound system, but you probably don't need them up north, as it gets brutally hot here in the summer and those transducers get so hot after 10 minutes it could melt electric wires, so be careful not to let any wires/battery cables come into contact while flying.

Model Sounds also has a nice system from what I've heard for foam but never tried those. I do have their twin 4" speakers in a FW 190 and the sound is incredible, especially compared to these transducers, but the Corsair may not be large enough to get that system in without some major surgery and they are considerable heavier. They need open holes cut where the speakers are for the sound to get out.

Photos of the system location and the hood scoops:

[Jackcannon]

Sorry if this has been covered already, but is there a good option for a motor upgrade that doesn’t require a bigger ESC and can still swing the stock prop.

[Hugh Wiedman]

Sorry if this has been covered already, but is there a good option for a motor upgrade that doesn’t require a bigger ESC and can still swing the stock prop.

IMO, the stock motor with the 3 blade prop has more than enough power so I'm not sure if you need to upgrade this motor. Takes off on thick grass in a short distance and cruises nicely at 50-60% throttle. Vertical is unlimited and I wouldn't know what to do with more power, unless you're into "hair on fire" speed. With the stock setup and an SMC 6200, while doing lots of vertical and other maneuvers, I still get over 10 minutes of flight time. What more do you want? This Corsair is not like the underpowered 1700mm FMS V1-50 Corsair. And this is coming from a guy who upgraded ALL of his EDF fans from the stock versions, so an aircraft that is underpowered is of no use to me!

[Elbee]

IMO, the stock motor with the 3 blade prop has more than enough power so I'm not sure if you need to upgrade this motor....an aircraft that is underpowered is of no use to me!

Hugh, Great lookin' livery, Sir. Question: did you or anyone you are aware, mount the FMS 4-Blade Prop and hub assembly on the FL 1600mm Corsair? I bought it way back then, though I was going to modify mine to a F4U-4. Just wondering if there is any noticeable difference. Best, LB

[jetfool]

Hey Elbee,
On your P&W conversion did you just remove the OEM motor and replace with your version or is there more work involved? Do you provide the 3-d files for others of this? Day dreaming and listing things I'd like to do to mine when Santa gives the go ahead to open the box. I like your exhausts you did also. Has anyone added the inner features on the main gear doors , I have not seen this in any post or maybe not enough room between wheel and inner door. Went out and bought some weathering supplies today, Think I will try the salt fading feature on my Wildcat prop tonight for practice. Its a 3 - blade scale version. Best Regards, Rex

[Elbee]

Hey Elbee, On your P&W conversion did you just remove the OEM motor...Best Regards, Rex

Hey Rex, the model of the P&W I bought from 3DLabs Prints (3DGang). I do not have any rights to resell or post their designs. These guys design scale models specifically to be 3D printed. I had to scale the print to 77%+/- as I recall and printed it in 3 separate pieces. I cut out the OEM P&W by scoring the plastic and fatigue bending it after cutting each cylinder from another. Sanded the inner flange and 'presto-chango' I had a cowl ring. I designed a backing part to cover the 3/8"-1/2" of foam I removed to make space for the dummy P&W. I will add some pictures in a new post for your consideration. Best, Steve

[Elbee]

PW Mod Resized.zip

jetfool Rex, these are a few photos of the 3DP P&W parts and finished result. Any questions/comments just let me know. I will help where I am able. Best, Steve

[jetfool]

Elbee,
Thank you. Man, your engine looks real and really fills the inside of the cowl. I will consider contacting them about printing one out after I see what the plane looks like. I'm already buying more things for this than I intended. Would your cowl flaps fit the fuselage without a lot of surgery? Not intending to be functional but like the looks over the closed flaps. Tired of working a year or longer on my 1/5, 1/4 scale birds and always have more $$ in them before they are ready to fly. I like to do details and this plane looks like a great canvas to do Rex

[Elbee]

Elbee,
Thank you. Man, your engine looks real and really fills the inside of the cowl. I will consider contacting them about printing one out after I see what the plane looks like. I'm already buying more things for this than I intended. Would your cowl flaps fit the fuselage without a lot of surgery? Not intending to be functional but like the looks over the closed flaps. Tired of working a year or longer on my 1/5, 1/4 scale birds and always have more $$ in them before they are ready to fly. I like to do details and this plane looks like a great canvas to do Rex

Rex, thank you for the compliment, I just build 'em how I see 'em which isn't always super scale, but I like it. The cowl flaps mount on a ring via an old guitar string of all things.

Hugh Wiedman used Evergreen Scale Model ABS sheet, I believe to do open cowl flaps.

As for 3D printing I would look at 3D printing services offered by Chris Wolfe aka TheRCGeek. His work is amazing. Check out his website sometime.

I could alter the Cowl Flap design to simply glue into the fuselage, but I couldn't post anything very soon. Let me know when you start your build after the Holidays and we'll see how I can assist.

I hear you about finishing long builds. Life has put me in the 'start/stop then start/stop then..." over the last year and it gets difficult to stay focused on completion of even the smallest things.
I have recently done a complete hanger clean and reorganization, and now I don't remember where anything is.

Best, Steve

[jetfool]

Elbee,
I know what you mean about about stopping and starting on projects. As to the Cowl I won't be in any hurry and I will get in touch after the new year. I have been in contact with Chris Wolfe earlier this fall about my JHH A-7 I bought from his dad at Toledo years ago. Chris designed an outstanding Cockpit with 3-D parts for his award- winning A-7 and said he could supply one for me. So I'm aware of his work. I have 30-40 scale kits I have bought thru the years and going to gather them up and take to a swap meet this winter . Traveled for work in my younger days and I would stop at every Hobby Shop I could find and usually buy a scale kit that they couldn't sell (most people didn't want to put the time in them) I miss those hobby shop days. Rex

[Elbee]

Elbee,
I know what you mean about about stopping and starting on projects. As to the Cowl I won't be in any hurry and I will get in touch after the new year. I have been in contact with Chris Wolfe earlier this fall about my JHH A-7 I bought from his dad at Toledo years ago. Chris designed an outstanding Cockpit with 3-D parts for his award- winning A-7 and said he could supply one for me. So I'm aware of his work. I have 30-40 scale kits I have bought thru the years and going to gather them up and take to a swap meet this winter . Traveled for work in my younger days and I would stop at every Hobby Shop I could find and usually buy a scale kit that they couldn't sell (most people didn't want to put the time in them) I miss those hobby shop days. Rex

Rex, Hah, that's a great story. I worked part-time at a local hobby shop for over 8 years and I always loved the guys that came in from OoT from time to time. As for those kits that nobody wanted, I bought a few of those while working there figured, yeah someday. Most were the Royal line of scale kits. A challenge even then to keep those straight on the building board. Some you started in mid-air. Yeppers, those were the days Amigo. Best, Steve

[jetfool]

Elbee ,
we may have met back thin. I worked for a company that sold pelleting equipment for all the feed mills . Every year I stopped at all the Ralston plants in Kansas, Nebraska, Co. and all the other states in the west. Great country ! I was single then and it was a great life. Back in the early 80's. Rex

[Elbee]

Rex, possibly, circa 1981-89, Finley's on the eastside of ICT. Small shop filled with RC Stuff. Great days actually. Best, LB

[Pappy 883]

Hugh, Great lookin' livery, Sir. Question: did you or anyone you are aware, mount the FMS 4-Blade Prop and hub assembly on the FL 1600mm Corsair? I bought it way back then, though I was going to modify mine to a F4U-4. Just wondering if there is any noticeable difference. Best, LB

Hi Elbee,
I did the 4-blade conversion on both of my Fliteline Corsairs just because I was kit bashing the into the F4U-5N and the F2G. The initial result was less thrust with more amp draw. Even with the upgraded 390KV motor
So, what I wound up doing was using the bigger upgraded 360KV motor (RC Informer) that was used in the 1700mm FMS Corsair. The motor mount holes had to be redone, but at least the prop shaft fit, both of the shaft dia. are 10mm but, on the stock FL you have to file off the hex base to accept the 4-blade hub.

The 4-blade prop is very hard to come by so beware. ........joe h

[Coconut]

Elbee, I remember Finley's on Central and Edgemoor. Are they still around? There was a hobby store in Derby, too. I know Hobbytown USA is still around.

[Elbee]

Yes, Finley's is still there, though Jim's grandson, Ryan, runs it with Alma, Jim's wife. Ryan mostly does reloading and shooting supplies, but there's still some hobby stuff. Nothing like when Jim was alive. At least it is still there. Hobbytown is the go to, sadly, but at least there's some places to get hobby supplies. Best, Steve

[Hugh Wiedman]

Hugh, Great lookin' livery, Sir. Question: did you or anyone you are aware, mount the FMS 4-Blade Prop and hub assembly on the FL 1600mm Corsair? I bought it way back then, though I was going to modify mine to a F4U-4. Just wondering if there is any noticeable difference. Best, LB

I have not tried the FMS 4-blade prop and haven't heard of anyone trying it.
Regarding the cowl flaps, I used the .060 Polystyrene from Mid West Products (available from HH also in .040 thickness), then just cut into the foam to "inlay" the two pieces in. It wasn't until I glued the pieces in and painted them to match the fuselage that I came to the conclusion that I should have made them just a bit longer (front to back) so they would stick out more, but too late to change them. A rather crude solution, no where near the LB Operating flaps, but better than nuttin!

[Elbee]

Yeah, but she's lookin' very nice indeed. Sir. Best, Steve