recomended warbird?

[wrongroad]

G'day chomlee,
If it came down down to a FMS 1400mm P-51 or the Corsair, I would recommend you to go the Mustang route and then, once you have mastered the Mustang get the F4U.
Speaking from my personal experience [and flygirl may well beg to differ:D] the Mustang has better overall flying characters.
Each machine has its failings.
However, I find the Mustang is much easier to handle on the ground then the Corsair and is easier to get in the air then the F4U.
The Corsair loops better in MHO but is not so easy to roll in a straight line. You need much more input on all the sticks to get the roll nice for the Corsair.
The Corsair is much more sensitive to CG change then the Mustang with a 5 to 10 millimetre change making for dramatic changes in the handling of the Corsair.
I have three Mustangs and all needed 146 grams in the nose to get the nominated CG.
I have had the ballast in the Mustangs come adrift and lodge all the way back in the fuselage [forty grams] and I did not detect any changes to the way the model handled. We all heard the very loud clunk as the ballast went back during a loop [mag wheel balance weights] and I stopped stunting and flew carefully for a couple of circuits wondering and looking for a problem.
When I finally found the lead, the CG worked out to be 130mm from the leading edge..twenty millimetres rearward. Do that with the Corsair and you will have a tiger by the tail!! Trust me on this one. A change of five millimetres rearward turns the F4U into a snappy unhappy model.
By the way, FMS have the CG wrong for the V3. 110mm was and is correct for the V2. The V3 is a totally different model and the right CG is 90/95 millimetres. I have one of each V number.
All FMS models float when landing [try the Zero on for size:p] so I put a bit of nose down trim for landing.
I would recommend the P-51 over the F4U for your first foray into the machines.
I personally think that the FMS P-51 is superior to the FMS Trojan as a first warbird model.
I can speak only for the FMS 1400mm range and I would go in order of best to worst first birds, remembering that ALL the FMS machines fly nicely. This is based off my hanger and what I have flown.
P-51, T-28, Zero [maybe in front of the Trojan], F4U V3, F4U V2, FW190, P-38 and last is the Bf109. The 109 is NOT a first choice warbird. Absolutely fantastic in the air but a super duper handful on the ground.
I could give you a run down on all the models that I have but it will be a very long post over a couple of days.:D But I will do it if you would like me to.
Regards and respect
Daryl

[chomlee]

Wrongroad, thank you very much for the input. Given some thought from the various inputs I decided to go with the best bang for the buck and go for the dynam warbirds. From what I have seen, the fms mustangs are considered the best but I think I will go with the cheaper route this time and the best of the dynam bunch is the corsair. I have flown a mini corsair so I am somewhat used to it. Up to this point I have been flying allot of my own homebuilt planes. This will be a nice upgrade. FYI here is a video on my homebuilt yesterday. Check out my homebuilt flight https://youtu.be/KYcAsBmbaCg

[Flygirl]

Check out my homebuilt flight https://youtu.be/KYcAsBmbaCg

That worked well Chom!!

Daryl, no prob on the FMS vs Dynam... :)

[Flygirl]

Flygirl, how did you like flying the corsair vs your FMS p51?

Well, I only got to fly the Corsair once and I flew my FMS Mustang about 10 times before I got hit with radio interference and totaled it so I don't have a whole lot to go on. The P-51 probably tracked a bit better in axial rolls but the Corsair turned sharper at slower speeds which fit the area I was flying in (small athletic field). It kind of depends on what you are looking for I guess. It did float better than the P-51 did and given the small area that helped with landings. I also had problems with the P-51 retracts (plastic) breaking on the clumpy grass field but I understand there is a fix for that by adding all metal FMS retracts which Motion carries now.

[chomlee]

Lauren, that answers my question completely. Our field is not the biggest and one of my favorite things is to cruise around fast when I am high up and do passes but also to cruise around slow and keep it within our field. What I was looking for was if you were to tell me the difference was night and day between the 2, I might consider the extra money but since it sounds like the difference is not that substantial and the plane might even for my needs more regardless of the cost benefit, it sounds like the dynam corsair is the way to go.

[chomlee]

Corsair ordered. Thank you everyone for your advise all of which was great advise which is why it is so valuable to have forums like this.

[rtwatkins]

Having done a lot of the FliteTest planes myself, the only words of warning I'd give would be that I wouldn't consider their mini warbirds (the mini mustang & the mini corsair) an equivalent to ANY of the warbirds listed on this thread. The flitetest planes are WONDERFUL learning tools, but you have to remember that their flight envelope and design are way WAY different then scale planes.... the under camber tips on their planes are a perfect example.

If you walk into a more scale warbird thinking it's going to handle like the flitetest planes, you'll be having a hurt of a time for sure.

For example, lets take characteristics of every corsair I've seen so far:
ever driven a forklift going 80? that's the equivalent of heaver tail-drag models on the ground :P

P-Factor, most single engine planes have it to some degree... but the corsair seems to have the lion's share of all the planes I've flown. You REALLY have to ease the throttle in and stay on top of the rudder/tailwheel to keep it true on the runway. It will also be your bane if you throttle in too hard for a wave off on approach, I've seen people roll a corsair on it's back just from p-factor from a slow decent.... what followed wasn't pretty.

Highspeed stalls... every version of the corsair I've seen so far does this quite easily; and the result becomes a highspeed spin which, if you don't know what to do to recover, turns into a hole auger decent enough to start putting down fence posts :P

approach speed... from what flygirl is saying it sounds like the dynam might be an exception on this, but every corsair I've seen is very deceptive on a good approach speed for landing. I've got the 55" FMS, and though it may look like a nice clean approach.. if you don't have a good handle on your airspeed it will give you no warning before dropping a wing.

All this being said, corsair's are wonderful planes.... they are just a very much love/hate relationship with their pilots :P It could be very possible that the dynam is a different beast, but I think many would agree that a corsair isn't recommended as a first warbird.

At the end of the day, however, it's your call and you know your abilities better then anyone on a form can decide. performance, aerobatics planes are a plus... so you're at least not a green pilot ;)

[OV10]

Well, I only got to fly the Corsair once and I flew my FMS Mustang about 10 times before I got hit with radio interference and totaled it so I don't have a whole lot to go on. The P-51 probably tracked a bit better in axial rolls but the Corsair turned sharper at slower speeds which fit the area I was flying in (small athletic field). It kind of depends on what you are looking for I guess. It did float better than the P-51 did and given the small area that helped with landings. I also had problems with the P-51 retracts (plastic) breaking on the clumpy grass field but I understand there is a fix for that by adding all metal FMS retracts which Motion carries now.

Hello Lauren,
Just wanted to clear up some misinformation that has left you with an incorrect understanding. FMS doesn't make an all metal etract for the 1400 size birds. They do make an all metal one for the 1700 sized P-51 and P-47 as an upgrade over the supplied stock etract.

http://www.motionrc.com/fms-designed-all-metal-servoless-e-retract-for-1700mm-planes/

The only present fix for the FMS 1400 sized etract is the metal side plate upgrade by Small Parts CNC which I brought to the Squawk's attention the middle of last year.

http://smallpartscnc.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=193

They also make them for the rotating 90 degree one used on the FMS 1400 Corsair

http://smallpartscnc.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=20_115_190_191&product_id=199

Small Parts CNC has revamped my who fleet of 1400 sized warbirds and the initial upfront cost has out weighed the constant repair of the weaker plastic side plates and frustration.
Bets regards,

[rtwatkins]

+1 OV10, Small Parts CNC has been a wonderful upgrade.... haven't had to buy a retract since.

[OV10]

All this being said, corsair's are wonderful planes.... they are just a very much love/hate relationship with their pilots :P It could be very possible that the dynam is a different beast, but I think many would agree that a corsair isn't recommended as a first warbird.

At the end of the day, however, it's your call and you know your abilities better then anyone on a form can decide. performance, aerobatics planes are a plus... so you're at least not a green pilot ;)

RT,
Absolutely concur with your analogy, the Dynam Corsair is DEFINATELY NOT the same handling characteristics as the FMS Corsair. As you indicated it is a different beast however the beast is the FMS and the Dynam being the docile kitten.
Chomlee,
Comparing a Dynam Corsair to an FMS line of warbirds like the P-51 or the less tolerant Corsair is just apples n oranges. The Dynam line of warbirds for the most part are new warbird pilot tolerant due to smaller size and weight. You should be good to go with your choice on the Dynam Corsair since as RT mentioned your not a green pilot!
Best regards,

[Flygirl]

Hello Lauren,
Just wanted to clear up some misinformation that has left you with an incorrect understanding. FMS doesn't make an all metal etract for the 1400 size birds. They do make an all metal one for the 1700 sized P-51 and P-47 as an upgrade over the supplied stock etract.

http://www.motionrc.com/fms-designed-all-metal-servoless-e-retract-for-1700mm-planes/

The only present fix for the FMS 1400 sized etract is the metal side plate upgrade by Small Parts CNC which I brought to the Squawk's attention the middle of last year.

http://smallpartscnc.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=193

They also make them for the rotating 90 degree one used on the FMS 1400 Corsair

http://smallpartscnc.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=20_115_190_191&product_id=199

Small Parts CNC has revamped my who fleet of 1400 sized warbirds and the initial upfront cost has out weighed the constant repair of the weaker plastic side plates and frustration.
Bets regards,

Damn metric system..... LOL!!!! Thanks Charlie!

[chomlee]

Comparing a Dynam Corsair to an FMS line of warbirds like the P-51 or the less tolerant Corsair is just apples n oranges. The Dynam line of warbirds for the most part are new warbird pilot tolerant due to smaller size and weight. You should be good to go with your choice on the Dynam Corsair since as RT mentioned your not a green pilot!

Reading this and other posts just confirms I made the right choice. I already have 1 Dynamn that I love so this will just be another great one to my fleet.

Thanks again for your help.

Tom

[Mizer67]

I'm late to the party, but I'd say of the choices, the FMS T-28 1400mm would be the best out of the box if you're not used to tail draggers. You get all the latest goodies in a package that incorporates a lot of customer feedback to correct prior deficiencies, albeit at a higher than average cost.

If you are (used to/want a tail dragger), I still say the 1400mm P-40 edges out the P-51 from FMS by a fair margin in terms of overall flight quality. It's stiffer, has less slop in the controls, the pushrods don't flex and the elevator joiner won't flex under hard loads. Plus, you get the 650kv motor out of the box which on 4S with a strong battery, is about perfect for the plane unless you're looking for an absolute speed demon. which frankly you need a smaller less draggy airframe to really squeeze major speed out of.

The P-51 is lighter, slower and floatier, especially on 4S batteries with the stock 540kv motor. I personally detest planes that don't have a decent sink rate as they take forever to come down. My P-51 has an extra 1.5 pounds on board now and it'll land nicely. I still have no idea why people hate on the plastic retracts, as I've found them to be very reliable even with all the extra weight my plane is carrying.

Of the two, I'd say the FMS P-51 in stock form is the most beginner friendly due to the light wing loading, slow speed and general floatiness as well as a near impossibility to get it to nose over.

[Evoman]

The thing you should focus on first is finding the right warbird for you based on how you like a particular planes flight characteristics. Every warbird fly’s differently according to their intended attack role it was designed for. The main types would be fighter, attack, multi role and bomber.
One of the best ways I have found to get to know these differences and experience them for myself have been by actually flying various warbirds in a flight combat simulator games. One of the best I have found that features WWI – Korean era warbirds is War Thunder. It’ is a free to play game simulator for PC or PS4. The simulator features arcade, realistic and full simulated game modes for ease of use depending on your experience.
It is because of War Thunder that I got into the RC hobby when I discovered they made an RC model of by favorite warbird, the Gruman F6F Hellcat. Which eventually led me to buy the Dynam Hellcat. The plane flies really scale almost like in the simulator with the same flight characteristics I am all too familiar with after countless hours spent flying it in combat.
I recommend to first become familiar with as many war birds as possible in War Thunder. Once you have discovered your favorites then you can narrow down your options by researching which manufacture makes the best RC model of it. In my case I found Dynam made the best Hellcat available.
Below is a sample of someone else favorite warbirds in War thunder. But everyone will have a different list.

[chomlee]

It is because of War Thunder that I got into the RC hobby when I discovered they made an RC model of by favorite warbird, the Gruman F6F Hellcat. Which eventually led me to buy the Dynam Hellcat. The plane flies really scale almost like in the simulator with the same flight characteristics ...........In my case I found Dynam made the best Hellcat available.

Funny you mention that because I was looking at that plane as well and decided if I like the Corsair, the Helcat will be me next one.

[wrongroad]

G'day chomlee,
NEXT ONE??????
Hahahahahahaha, hooked already:p
Mate, it is a good hobby / sport and I enjoy the challenge of getting the landing right.
Have a fantastic flight and mess up the landing, the peanut gallery only the sees the messed up landing.:rolleyes:
Let us know how you go and do not stress like I do over a maiden fright;) [yes, I know F-R-I-G-H-T...I did spell it corerectly:D:D]
Regards and respect
Daryl

[chomlee]

Yes, unfortunately planes to me are like shoes to my wife, i can never have enough. The guys in my club think i am crazy because every week i am bringing a different plane. Easy to do when you make them out of dollar tree foam. I have only been reborn into this hobby 7 months and i have 5 foamies i bought, 5 dollar tree planes, 3 half built dollar tree (flitetest) planes, and now the corsair. It is definitely my weakness. Luckily the corsair will be here Friday, just in time for the long weekend.

[AkumaZeto]

Can not say enough about the Dynam Hellcat.

[wrongroad]

G'day AZ,
I have not seen the Dynam Hellcat but I did own a Dynam Cirrus SR22 [RIP] and it flew nicely if a lot under powered.
It was advertised with a 980kv motor but was loaded with an 850. She could barley waddle over a loop.;)
However, I earned my Bronze Wing solo badge with her and could not fault the handling.
Would you mind giving a short ten page run down on the Hellcat?
Well, a short one will do:D:D
I am soon looking for model number twenty and I want to know more, please.
Another FMS T-28 is on the cards [and to be repainted] but I am open to others as well.
Regards and respect
Daryl

[FLY BOY]

Greetings from the Pacific NW,

May I throw in my 2 cents? Having the full line of Dynam, and FMS warbirds in my hanger. The Dynam F4U Corsair is one of the most easiest planes to take off, fly, and land. No Dynam dont compare in quality vs FMS, but as tail dragging trainers, I believe your choice was a wise one. I have 2 Dynam Corsairs, and I recommend 2 mods right out of the box. My first mod would be put on a set of DAVE BROWN shock absorbing tires. Its the tire of choice for taking off on grass, and helps saves on wear and tear on the retracts. Second, even though it dont look as sexy. An APC 14x12 single blade prop will make this bird come to life with speed and areobatics. What use to be a doggy snap role turns it into a real snap role, and uses less energy and has longer flight times. I can fly wide open for 8 minutes with my admiral 3000 mah 4s pack. Best part, no esc change required. Have fun and happy landings.