F4U-1D Corsair (oz6633)

About this Plan

F4U-1D Corsair. Sport-scale RC model for 1/2A power. Wingspan 34-4/8 in, wing area 200 sq in. For .049 - .10 engines.

Quote: "This three channel, Half-A Stand-Off Scale F4U-1D Corsair is one of the best models of its kind you will ever build. It's a show stopper in the air and on the ground. For flight performance you can expect smooth maneuverability, speed, and complete realism. In short, this Corsair is simply a great flying machine.

The F4U Corsair, conceived in 1938, was one of the best Marine Corps fighters during World War II. Because of its distinctive inverted gull wing, it has been one of the most interesting projects I've ever undertaken. Anyone who watches NBC's Baa Baa Black Sheep is aware of the Corsairs increasing popularity. 1/2A scale RC's is also booming in popu-larity and the two make a great combina-tion. Its flight characteristics are smooth and flowing, which is rare for a scale model. The Corsair is a real show-stopper on the field, so let's get flying.

Fuselage: Check all the local hobby shops in the area for lightweight (contest) balsa and scarf up on all the 3/32 you can afford. You can never have too much balsa! I also keep a healthy stock of Hot Stuff, too. There's nothing like running out of something at 12:30 in the morning, if you know what I mean!

Anyway, start by making two sides, Hot Stuffing F9 together, and Hot Stuffing in all the bulkheads. Use micro-balloons as needed. You will need to wet the outside of the fuselage sheeting to get it to curve. The bottom of bulkheads F-6 through F-9 are cut off so you can build on a flat board.

Add the NyRod control linkage for the rudder and elevator at this time. Finish sheeting the top of the fuselage, add the bottom to bulkheads F-6 through F-9. Glue on the rudder, elevator, and all the tail blocks. Add the canopy floor and back and front plastic pieces. I mounted a 3 channel brick between F-3 and F-4 with the battery pack in front of F-3. Reinforce F-1 with 3/4 in wide glass tape around the edges inside the body. You might want to put a small fuel tank up here so fuel proof it if necessary.

The cowl is made by sheeting around C-2 and C-3, adding C-1, then cutting C-2 to match C-1. Sand the entire cowl front well and drill C-3 so that two nylon 4-40's can hold it on the firewall. Add all the other pieces I've forgotten at this time.

Wing: The wing is built in three pieces, left, right, and center sections. Make the outer part of the left panel first, then elevate it and build the inner left panel on to it. Do the same for the right panel. Elevate both wing tips and, carefully, build the center section, making sure all the panels have the same incidence. Bend two landing gear wires and attach them with the normal screws and metal plate. Add the front piece to the gear leg wire. Drill and mount the hold-down bolts and dowels in place.

Note that there is sheeting only on the inner and center section bottoms. I used the metal-plastic type NyRod cable for the aileron controls and it worked great (nothing else seemed as simple).

Covering: I covered the wing with the iron on silkspan stuff made by Coverite and just put a lot of Aero Gloss filler coat on the body and empennage. I painted the whole mess with white and 'Corsair' blue dope. The decals are made with MonoKote trim sheet. As for the fogged edges on the body - cut a piece of cardboard with whatever curves you want and hold away from the body about 1/4 in, and spray away. It looks much better than a 'hard' line.

Flying: Here's the fun part! Balance the aircraft so the CG is about 1-3/4 in back from the constant chord part of the wing. Do not try to fly with a tail heavy condition. This aircraft is sensitive to the correct balance point. Make sure you have right thrust and down thrust in your engine. You will need to silver solder a wire to the tip of the glow head and attach another to a mounting screw for engine starting (at least I did with a Tee Dee .049 fully cowled). Cut a small 1/2 x 1 inch hole in the bottom of the cowl to allow air and fuel to escape. Center all of your control surfaces and you're ready - almost. You will need to silver solder the head from an Allen head bolt to the end of the needle valve. This, and a small hole in the cowl will allow you to tune the engine with the cowl on. Just use one of those Du-Bro long reach type Allen head screwdrivers.

Once the engine is properly tuned to maximum power (6x3 prop), push smoothly into the wind. The Corsair is not real stable pitch-wise until you have some ground speed so don't just let it go, or else! Lift off gently and allow it to accelerate to a good quick pace. Keep it close to the runway at all times because its glide requires a steep approach. There is a lot of drag in this Corsair so try not to slow it down with a gentle descent. Overall, this Corsair is a great flyer. Good luck and good flying."

Hi Steve - Here is George Caldwell's Corsair from RCM magazine issue 06-77.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 06/03/2017: added article, thanks to RFJ.

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