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

[Aros]

You would think they could make a blue pill for that too!!

[downwindleg]

I know this shows my age but I like the old smilies better except having more aircraft pictures.

[Aros]

Yeah I liked the old smilies too but the decision was made to swap them with these that show up better on mobile devices which a lot of folks use.

Damn kids get off my lawn (with your smarty pants phones)!

[Spirit Of "76"]

Aros, did you spend any time on or around the SR?

[downwindleg]

Yeah I liked the old smilies too but the decision was made to swap them with these that show up better on mobile devices which a lot of folks use.

Damn kids get off my lawn (with your smarty pants phones)!

STOP HONKING!!!!....CAN'T YOU SEE I'M ON THE PHONE???

[OV10]

Looking for the mounting bolt hole spacing on the prop shaft

[Hugh Wiedman]

It's official, I now absolutely love this plane. After flying for over 6 years and about 500 flights, it finally dawned on me that my take-off and landing skills sucked. I've spent the last 2 months and about 50 flights with warbirds and jets putting into practice what posters like xviper, LB, Aros and many of you had recommended to me (along with other experts at the field and even from the guys at Extreme Flight recommended) and I think I've finally got it. Up till a couple months ago, I've always flown at Markham Park on an asphalt runway, but 2 months ago switched to AMPS field out in the Everglades which is grass. That presented new problems on take-off (only for the warbirds) but landing was much softer. Haven't had to replace a main retract or nose gear since moving to grass and implementing the techniques everyone was kind enough to offer me. When I first flew the Corsair 5 months ago, I hated it and had to quite often replace retracts, no longer, at least for the last 50 flights.

For those of you out there like me, here are a few things that really helped me out. The principals are the same on grass or asphalt, just on grass the take-off really needs to be controlled so you don't "mow the lawn" or lift off too soon and stall. On taking off, I keep up elevator at the initial taxi and have to use a little right rudder to keep straight (tail dragging warbirds), then after it gets moving and around 25% throttle, I let the tail come up (relaxing the up elevator) until I get in a slightly nose down attitude (not too far to rake the prop) and slowly accelerate with that nose down attitude till I have quite a bit of speed then apply slight up elevator and it lifts off nice and smooth (especially the Corsair which has a tendency to get airborne too soon at level attitude threatening a stall).

On landing, it's important to keep enough speed up so you don't drop like a rock and stall. I have my timer set to shut off and voice alert that it is off at specific throttle levels for each plane and I use that for the approach, bringing the plane down with a level attitude till about ankle height off the runway. There it picks up a little ground force lift and I slowly reduce throttle while maintaining a level attitude till the mains touch (on tail draggers) then drop the throttle while giving slight up elevator to bring the tail down. This gives me perfect 2 point landings with no bounce (and no having to replace the retracts). For the jets, same attitude but as I reduce the throttle while about 6" off the runway, give it enough up elevator to get it into a high alpha as it sets down, thus saving the nose gear retracts and pins. Taking off and landing I do in low rates with at least 25-35% expo (so my movements aren't too radical).

What really helped was using the timer to let me know where I was on the throttle, instead of having to guess or have it too fast or too slow. I found the "sweet" spot for each plane which I am listing below, but don't use that as gospel, because my planes may have different CG's than yours and mine may be heavier, as I have the sound system in all my warbirds, robart wheels, 5 coats of spar urethane and with my Corsair, a huge pilot with moving head that have added extra weight. I fly my Corsair with a 5000mah Admiral, all the forward (with all six factory weights and another 5 ounces of lead in the nose) and still get 7 minutes of flight. My CG is at 105mm with the gear up and 97mm with the gear down, and for me, it flies just like I like it. I do use take-off and landing flaps on all the planes I fly that have them.

I got 16 flights in this morning, 4 each with the Corsair, 1700mm P-51, my redesigned Stinger 90 and my F4 (which I like to fly at 195mm CG). The throttle setting for voice alert is different on each plane, the ones I use for approach and leveling off 6" off the runway are as follows:

Spitfire: 25%
1700mm P-51: 35%
1600mm Corsair: 40%
Stinger 90: 25%
F-4: 35%
Extreme Flight 60": 10%
1400mm FMS Corsair: 25%
2000mm B-24: 25%

Yours may be different, depending on weight, battery, etc., plus on my warbirds, I use the sound system (and program it so it turns on as the prop starts to spin and off with the throttle cut switch-another long story which I'll spare you) and after plugging in the battery to initialize the ESC, I increase the throttle trim so the prop just starts spinning very slowly with the throttle all the way down. Extreme Flight recommend this to me as they claim it gives you better throttle response at the low end. I found that in many of my planes, the prop doesn't start until the 3rd ratchet click (each ESC seems to be different).

I know most of you definitely have the landing and taking off routine down, but for me the above was a ah ha moment, which make flying every plane in my hanger now a true joy (instead of hating many of them and spending more time repairing them than flying them). Once I stopped blaming the plane and started blaming the crappy pilot that flew them, it's been a great experience. Now I don't have to worry about crapping my pants every time I get ready for a landing.

Sorry if this post go too long and boring.

[Aros]

Good stuff Hugh! Glad you are mastering the art of the jet/warbird! It's incredibly rewarding when you put good practice into play every outing. Of course, there are numerous variables that can effect a flight in this hobby but that's part of the fun. Took my Corsair out for a couple sorties on my lunch break and she's just a joy to fly AND land. Helps when the weather cooperates of course. Nothing beats a dirty Corsair on approach! Both landings were non-bounce greasers. One a 3 pointer and the other a nice 2 point roll out. FUN!

[Hugh Wiedman]

Good stuff Aros, and BTW, I'm with you on maximum deflection of the landing flaps with this bird. Sure makes it look nefarious when coming in, like some nasty eagle honing in on it's prey. I even painted the underside of the flaps alternating red/white with the blue which really makes them stick out when landing. Loved your video from above!

[Aros]

Good stuff Aros, and BTW, I'm with you on maximum deflection of the landing flaps with this bird. Sure makes it look nefarious when coming in, like some nasty eagle honing in on it's prey.

SO true! Mean SOB! Love love love.

[OV10]

Looking for the mounting bolt hole spacing on the prop shaft

HELP..........ANYBODY

[Hardway]

I read this wrong! I thought this was for the bronco motors bro! Is this for the factory F4U motor? If so, I will get you the data! Let me know....

[OV10]

I read this wrong! I thought this was for the bronco motors bro! Is this for the factory F4U motor? If so, I will get you the data! Let me know....

right O bro, that's why I'm asking in the F4U thread Am working on another power mod

[Hugh Wiedman]

Got the Corsair up again today for another 4 flights, this is by far the best flying warbird I have (although the Spitfire and my 1700mm P-51 are close 2nds). Flight Line definitely got the right power plant in this one, plenty of speed and climbs forever. Still using the 5000mah battery, although I was going to use the 6000, but I get 8 minutes with the 5000 so who's complaining. It cruises fine at 50-60% throttle and has a nice glide slope for landing at 40% throttle. Haven't had to repair a thing on the last 20 flights (most notably the retracts) since I've been using the Aros full flap landing configuration and keeping it at 40% throttle till the mains just touch. I get some nice ground effect lift with full flaps from about 6"-1 foot off the ground. Acts like its on a feather pillow! The double wasp sound system really makes it with this Corsair-plenty of space to amplify it. What a sweet bird, especially since most people say the Corsair is a little touchy to fly. Mine is extremely stable and as long as I keep the nose down slightly on take-off, it doesn't lift off too early and I can get a smooth climb instead of an almost stall.

Also got 4 flights in each with my F4 Blue Angel, the Stinger 90 and some 3D work with my Slick 60. An outstanding day, and although we have 200 members in our club, I had the field to myself for some reason. Guess they all heard I was going and they didn't want to leave their life in my hands.

[prestonowtm]

Got the Corsair up again today for another 4 flights, this is by far the best flying warbird I have (although the Spitfire and my 1700mm P-51 are close 2nds). Flight Line definitely got the right power plant in this one, plenty of speed and climbs forever. Still using the 5000mah battery, although I was going to use the 6000, but I get 8 minutes with the 5000 so who's complaining. It cruises fine at 50-60% throttle and has a nice glide slope for landing at 40% throttle. Haven't had to repair a thing on the last 20 flights (most notably the retracts) since I've been using the Aros full flap landing configuration and keeping it at 40% throttle till the mains just touch. I get some nice ground effect lift with full flaps from about 6"-1 foot off the ground. Acts like its on a feather pillow! The double wasp sound system really makes it with this Corsair-plenty of space to amplify it. What a sweet bird, especially since most people say the Corsair is a little touchy to fly. Mine is extremely stable and as long as I keep the nose down slightly on take-off, it doesn't lift off too early and I can get a smooth climb instead of an almost stall.

Also got 4 flights in each with my F4 Blue Angel, the Stinger 90 and some 3D work with my Slick 60. An outstanding day, and although we have 200 members in our club, I had the field to myself for some reason. Guess they all heard I was going and they didn't want to leave their life in my hands.

What elevator do you have plugged in for full flaps...?

[Aros]

Love your reports Hugh, keep 'em coming!

[Hugh Wiedman]

What elevator do you have plugged in for full flaps...?

I only have an extra 2% up elevator programmed into the Flap System for the landing flaps, and no extra on the take-off flaps (I like to make sure the nose stays just below level on take-off to avoid premature lift off and a stall-as this baby sometimes acts like a hornet stung it in the ass). Seems my Corsair's pitch is barely affected by the position of the flaps (although my FMS Corsair is similar). Don't assume though that it will be the same for yours. My Corsair is quite a bit heavier than the stock with the sound system, extra large pilot with a servo for the head, the robart wheels and 5 coats of spar urethane. I also have to use all 6 factory supplied weights along with another 3 ounces of lead in the nose and even with that, it's balanced at 98mm with the gear down and 107 with them up, clearly a little more tail heavy than most people fly. For me, this is the perfect flying configuration as it flies rock steady with no ballooning.

As I've mention before, as well as many others have, you really should set your transmitter up (if you haven't already) to allow you to individually trim the elevator in flight for each flap position. This way, if you guess wrong on how much extra elevator is needed for each flap position in the Flap System menu, you can easily correct it in the air with your normal trim buttons. I do this for ailerons as well and I almost have to add or subtract at least 1 click of elevator or aileron trim on each flap position for each new flight of the day (depending on heat, humidity, wind, etc.), and sometimes on each flight. Just go to the Trim Setup menu on the 2nd set of menus and change the Elevator line to F Mode (from the default of Common). Do the same with Aileron if you wish, no need to do it with Rudder. Then go to F Mode Setup menu and select the Flight Mode Switch you have associated with the Flaps. For me this makes flying so much easier and especially with a maiden, you can quickly get the plane flying level no matter how it was configured on the ground. When I did my F4 Blue Angel, I used the same setup as my camo F4, but for the BA it was way off on both take-off and landing flaps, and I ended up correcting in flight some 20 clicks. Only took a minute to have it dialed in for each configuration so I wasn't forced to clean my shorts out after the flight (there's enough other issues for that).

[Hugh Wiedman]

And Obviously your elevator trim is dependent on throttle/speed setting. I like to set trim for normal level flying with the Corsair at 60-65% throttle, my standard cruising speed with this plane. For take-off flaps, I like it slightly nose down attitude at 50% throttle (which allows me to lift off at a time and speed of my choosing), and for landing flaps, I trim the elevator for level flying at 40% throttle, giving me a slow decent rate to the strip at my control. Using the trim Setup menu with Flight modes makes it simple to configure the attitude to your preference on the first flight.

[Hardway]

right O bro, that's why I'm asking in the F4U thread Am working on another power mod

Here is the data you requested... The pattern is four bolt. The on-center to on-center is 17mm all the way around. The mounting holes are 4mm. So from the center of the prop shaft to the mounting holes are all symmetrical (17mm) according to Flightline. I will measure one for real when I can find the dang extra ones... I have been down with bad gout so I am no very mobile at the moment Bro!!

[paladin]

my son took some pic's: