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

[davegee]

Hi Rex: looks like you're coming down the home stretch!

You may want to have different settings for your plane, but I'll give you what I have on mine, and have been flying it this way for the past over 2 years with success. I think I probably have about 40-50 flights on it right now.

For Aileron: for Low, Med, and High rates for all control surfaces: I use 40%, expo 20%. medium 60%, expo 20%, and High 65%, expo 20% I use Low to Med for Aileron in flight
For Elevator: Low42%, expo 20%, Med 60%, expo 20%, and High 70%, expo 20% Usually keep the Elevator in Low for the whole flight. Elevator pretty sensitive on Corsairs
For Rudder Low, 76%, expo 20%, Med 85%, expo 20%, and High 100%, expo 20% I keep the Rudder in High throughout the flight.

For CG, I just put a mark on the point where it is 100mm aft of the leading edge at the root of the wing/fuselage joining point. I use the finger method with the gear down and the airplane upside down. I know there are all schools of thought gear up, gear down, airplane upside down, right side up, etc., but that's how I do mine, anyway.

I think if you use these settings, you should at least get a fairly stable airplane on your first flight, with hopefully no "spectacular" deviations! You'll have to trim everything out, of course. I like using flight modes so I can easily retrim as necessary for gear up, gear down, flaps up, flaps down, etc.

You're right, the exhaust on the Corsair is very dark, almost a black, as you have done on yours. Some trail back to various lengths towards the tail, but I see nothing inaccurate for how you did yours. My main goal is to start out heavier near the exhausts, and then slowly lighten up so it is a progressively fainter stain until it disappears altogether.

Since the prop is pretty long on this plane, it is possible to get a prop strike if you get too high a tail attitude during the takeoff roll or the rollout on landing. Landing with some power works well with these birds, and I still have a bit of power in until I "hunt" for the touchdown on the mains to nail the landing without bouncing. After that, power back to idle and slowly let the tail come down and then full up elevator to keep it stuck until it stops.

I think you'll love this airplane. There are very few structural differences between the earlier and later models, so you should be able to fly any Corsair that Flightline makes in this scale if you haven't changed things like motors, or other weights that will cause a different CG.

Good luck with it once you are ready to fly it! Be sure to take lots of pics at the field. In natural light it should look even better than with indoor lighting. If you have any other questions, let me know. 😀😀😀

Cheers

Davegee

[jetfool]

Davegee

Exactly what I was looking for. I will set everything as you suggest. On flaps I can use a proportional switch or put it on a three-position switch. Which would you recommend?
That large prop does look intimidating, and I will be careful on takeoff and plan to wheel land with power until touchdown.
I have a MR RC Sound with 2 transducers, and it is very loud in the house. I have been synchronizing the throttle and idle sounds just like a real P&W taxing, the throttle curve to full power sounds great also and I think the illusion during flying will be fantastic. I plan on many, many taxi tests before maiden flight. We have a fairly large lake near us with a sandy beach and I hope to take a video of it taxing on the beach with water background.
I did purchase spare retracts and prop blades if anything should happen.
This has been an incredible journey. since X-MAS and hope to continue on with flying this summer. Horizon Hobby has their electric fest this summer, they are only about 1 1/2 hr drive so I'm planning to go and enjoy the event with my Corsair and the FW-190 that is in the repaint process.

Brst Regards, Rex

[davegee]

Davegee

Exactly what I was looking for. I will set everything as you suggest. On flaps I can use a proportional switch or put it on a three-position switch. Which would you recommend?
That large prop does look intimidating, and I will be careful on takeoff and plan to wheel land with power until touchdown.
I have a MR RC Sound with 2 transducers, and it is very loud in the house. I have been synchronizing the throttle and idle sounds just like a real P&W taxing, the throttle curve to full power sounds great also and I think the illusion during flying will be fantastic. I plan on many, many taxi tests before maiden flight. We have a fairly large lake near us with a sandy beach and I hope to take a video of it taxing on the beach with water background.
I did purchase spare retracts and prop blades if anything should happen.
This has been an incredible journey. since X-MAS and hope to continue on with flying this summer. Horizon Hobby has their electric fest this summer, they are only about 1 1/2 hr drive so I'm planning to go and enjoy the event with my Corsair and the FW-190 that is in the repaint process.

Brst Regards, Rex

A Hearty congratulations is in order for you! Toi think this is not quite the middle of March and you have accomplished all this in that short time! And I always like to say, all this experience we get on each new project, we can bank that. You will build future projects with this knowledge base of what you have accomplished in the past. Even the things that don't go well, but you have to figure out why they didn't and find a new solution to success, are good stepping stones for all of us modelers, or really any challenge we take up. I think in the end, we're all better people for it, whatever we put our minds to do and accomplish.


Regarding the flap switch, that's totally up to you, of course. But me being a full-scale pilot for my entire working career, I like to keep things simple like what I learned while flying full sized airplanes. For flaps, I always use a three-position switch: flaps up, flaps mid, and landing flaps. I keep it simple that way so it doesn't confuse me in the heat of battle flying these things, especially when something suddenly goes wrong. For my Spitfire, I still use the same type switch logic, but just use the full up and full down positions like the real ones did, no intermediate position use.

I like the idea of you taking the plane out to the beach for some cool shots with your camera. If you can get ones that are down low to the ground from various angles, I find that you get the most realistic looking pictures that sometimes can keep people guessing as to whether it is a model or the real thing!

Also a great idea to take it and your FW up to the Electric Fest this summer. They will love both your planes! I wouldn't mind taking a couple of planes up to an electric fun fly. We have some meets in Montana and Wyoming within reasonable traveling distance from where I live, would like to take one in, if I can find the time.

We're all wishing the best for you and your beautiful Corsair for its maiden. Hopefully, you'll find it to be one of your best flyers from the get-go!

Davegee

[Elbee]

Guys-n-Dolls, Found a reference picture for 'weathering' my Corsair. Less is more, right? Gonna take awhile, I think. Best, LB

[jetfool]

Elbee,
I have faith that you can accomplish this well. LOL

Going to talk to the 3-d teacher today. Best Regards, Rex

[Elbee]

jetfool and davegee Gentlemen, I am adding the 'formation and comm' lights to the Corsair wings, so I need to tap into your collective knowledge base and ask, are these lights 'colored bulbs' or 'colored lenses'? I believe the NAV lights are 'colored bulbs', hence my question. Thanks in advance. Best, LB

[jetfool]

Elbee,
Hope this will answer some of your questions. Rex

[Elbee]

Elbee,Hope this will answer some of your questions. Rex

Rex, thanks for the quick response. The pictures are great and show these as both colored lenses and colored bulbs. That is what I was thinking, though the pictures look like an actual restoration or a kit of some type. You know, if we don't know, who would? Best, LB

[davegee]

jetfool and davegee Gentlemen, I am adding the 'formation and comm' lights to the Corsair wings, so I need to tap into your collective knowledge base and ask, are these lights 'colored bulbs' or 'colored lenses'? I believe the NAV lights are 'colored bulbs', hence my question. Thanks in advance. Best, LB

Hi Elbee: Certainly, from those pics and what I have seen on actual Corsairs in the past, the position lights for the left and right wingtips need to be colored red and blue, as they shine behind clear lenses. There should also be a clear tail light on the very back part of the fuselage.

Just to recap: For the three recognition lights on the bottom of the right wing should be from forward to aft, Red, Green, and Amber. I'm pretty sure those light bulbs were clear, but behind the colored lenses made it appear to be those colors when the lights were on. The middle green light when the light is off, the lens looks more blue color, than green. But when the light is turned on, it is a greenish color. I don't know if you can find a plastic to cut the lens that looks like that, that would be cool, but might be hard to find, or more trouble than you want to go through.

The two round, blue formation lights on the top of the outer wings the lenses were blue, of course, but I suspect that the light bulbs were clear underneath.

In front of the upper right wing's blue formation light lens there is a teardrop clear light that we have also talked about.

There is one more light on the fuselage that I don't know if we've accounted for, or not. It is another teardrop shaped lens, blue in color, that is a formation light on the dorsal spine of the fuselage, about half way between the back of the canopy and the start of the vertical fin on the tail. It is called a "section light" in the book, but I don't know what that means.

And of course, we have the retractable landing light on the bottom of the outer left wing panels.

That's all I can think of, for now. You may have already accounted for all of these lights, just wanted to chime in in case you hadn't thought of one that you would like to add to your model.

I would think the designers would have tried to have clear lights, of the same type as much as possible, and have colored lenses to emit the color that they desired. That is with the exception of the left and right wing position lights which HAD to be red and green since they were under clear lenses. At the far end of the supply line om the Pacific, I doubt they would want to have to search for a whole bunch of different colored lights when a simple colored lens would give the desired effect. Just my two cents' worth!

I think either Rex or I can produce any photo documentation from our books if you need it for any of the lights you are going to be putting on your plane.

Cheers

Dave

[Elbee]

davegee you are confirming my thoughts and those of Rex ( jetfool ). I will take all under advisement and carry-on. Thanks gentlemen. Best, LB

[skirmishcampaigns]

Guys

I just got a used Birdcage 1.6m Corsair but it needs some touch ups. Does anyone know of an existing paint that matches? Maybe Tamiya or Vallejo?

thanks
Scott

[jetfool]

Scott,
Take it to Home Depot and let them scan the paint, I just took my stab/ elevator in for them to scan before I assembled it. They can match the paint almost perfectly and sell you a pint sample for around 5-6 $. It will last you painting 3-4 models. I get the satin finish. Thin it with windshield washer if spray painting or right out of can if brushing. Use a fine, soft hair brush from Walmart in the arts supplies section. hope this helps Rex

[skirmishcampaigns]

thanks Rex - was trying to avoid the Home Depot route and wondering if anyone made a match already in a spreycan.

Scott,
Take it to Home Depot and let them scan the paint, I just took my stab/ elevator in for them to scan before I assembled it. They can match the paint almost perfectly and sell you a pint sample for around 5-6 $. It will last you painting 3-4 models. I get the satin finish. Thin it with windshield washer if spray painting or right out of can if brushing. Use a fine, soft hair brush from Walmart in the arts supplies section. hope this helps Rex

[davegee]

thanks Rex - was trying to avoid the Home Depot route and wondering if anyone made a match already in a spreycan.

Do you have an airbrush? If so, for such a small piece as a cockpit window frame, you can thin down the HD paint with windshield washer fluid (I get the cheap stuff, no anti ice additives,etc.) about in a 50/50 mix, and spray on your cockpit after you have taped it off. You'd need to experiment to be sure it isn't too thick or thin, but an a airbrush is a good tool to have in your hobby locker, and many are not very expensive at all. A very good investment, and then you can have or mix the exact color you need. Spray paints like Tamiya are great, but often times they won't have the exact color you need and it will be noticeable.

Just a thought.

Davegee

[skirmishcampaigns]

Thanks Guys - much appreciated. Rex broke me and I went to HD and the paint match is near perfect.

[jetfool]

Davegee,
I set up my controls per your settings. On my flaps they are #1- up, #2- 22degrees down, #3- 45degrees full flap. Trying to slow the servo movement down on my futaba 7C, don't think I can. Are you programing any ele. when flaps lower? Seems like a lot of throw on the ailerons. Is this correct? I try to be smooth with my control inputs when flying.

Best Regards, Rex

[jetfool]

Guys,
Need your help. I had the motor and all servos working, then I started setting up my settings. Now when I plug battery in to the esc my servos all work but the motor just dings and twitches a step forward and a step backwards. Do I need to re-bind? I did unplug the throttle connection to put my flaps on a different channel and now no motor except the dinging. I am re- charging the battery because I played with it setting up the control surfaces. Thanks in advance.

Best Regards, Rex

[Grossman56]

You didn't inadvertently lower your trim on the throttle? And your throttle is still plugged into channel one and not the bind plug?
Just off the top of my head.

Grossman56

[jetfool]

Grossman56,
Everything is connected properly. I think when I unplugged the throttle /esc wire it must not be binded. Tomorrow, I will try it again and re-bind it. It just beeps at me all the time.LOL I will figure it out eventually. I'm an ole fart learning new tricks. Rex

[skirmishcampaigns]

Guys - thanks for your help as I work to get this bird in the air!

I have an AS3X reciever I am going to put in it - where do you all mount yours? Do I have to move the servo bus?