CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

1/2 A Corsair

Need to begin work on a plan for a 1/2A Corsair. Most of the plans and kits that I have come across little resemble the lines of the real one. The Sterling Model looks OK, but is heavy with wood, and is too expensive for the average Joe now. The Royal moreover resembles a sleek bent wing trainer. Guillows and other rubber designs need too much beefing up to survive our 45 degree landings.

Have been looking at the RCM Corsair of about 1977 vintage and was going to incorporate this as a starting point, as it apparently flies. It just resembles a Corsair, and I would like to bring back some of the proportion to it. It has quite a bit of "Bent" to the wings too. I have not communicated with anyone who had flown this design.

I would like to use the Norvel .061 but will go up to a .074 should the performance lack any.

Does anyone have a better suggestion as to starting point for a Elev, Ailer, & motor controlled small one? Also what is a good substitute for a wood cowling? I had used the bottom from a plastic mustard jar many years ago. What would be appropriate now for the Corsair?


Wm.

SST

My Feedback: (2)

What about the ACE kit? At least it comes with the cowl & canopy, and you can probably modify the formers to give a better fuselage cross-section. I found with my simple Staggerwing that the fuselage wood ( lite ply [:'(] ) is a bit too heavy, and just used the kit as a pattern to build a lighter version anyway. And as for do-it-yourself cowls, you might try going to the dollar store and checking out the toilet brushes. They come with a round, cup-shaped holder that is at least the right size for the cowl of the Staggerwing, and though somewhat on the heavy side, is extremely tough, and given the light weight of the Norvel .074, helps balance the plane with it's short nose, since it was designed with an OS .10 in mind. BTW, the Norvel fits inside without having to hack out a hole for the muffler. Just open enough of a hole for your glow driver to get to the plug, add a short piece of silicone tube to exit the exhaust out the side and you're there.

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

I have a Sterling Corsair kit also. You hit the nail on the head with that one. I nearly passed out when I opened the box! It does a good job of resembling the original though. Maybe a rethink of the innards? Corsairs are difficult to replicate. Good luck with the project!

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

I would use the GUILLOWS model for reference, then sell the kit. The fuselage could then be built from 3/32" balsa sheet. I would go with a wingspan of 28-30". There's no REASON why it couldn't come in at 14 ozs or less with 2 channels, there are only EXCUSES why it couldn't .

av8rsodt

My Feedback: (23)

I have always thought that Jim Ryan's Speed 400 designs would make great 1/2A's. He has a corsair, hellcat, p-47, fw-190, among many others. I have most of the construction articles and pics that I will try and post later today.

I am sure the design may need some mods, but they would be minor. He designs great looking models with a solid simple construction methods.

Brian

groundsman

Check out RCM June 1977
RCM Has the plan for a 1/2 A Corsair. See if this works for you.


http://www.rcmmagazine.com/e/env/000...m=plans:PL-690

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

Groundman.... You need to read paragraph two above.


Wm.

EASYTIGER

My Feedback: (119)

A company called GS models made a nice 1/2a Zero and Corsair around 1979, all wood. If you can find one...
I suggest that you check out Sig for a generic cowl, preferably a metal one.
I agree that the Gullows kit is a great place to start...very scale, and you get the canopy and cowl and LOTS of plastic details. Throw out all the parts, and start with a more RC oriented structure. If it's not really scale, it's not happening, you know?

ClemenTang

Marutaka has a very scale one. Dunno if it's still available or not. It's a no-BS "real kit". Alum cowl, compound curves planking for the wing as well as the fuse (then you need to iron that film into the compound curve on the top of the wing). It's even more work than building the Guillows tho.

Clement

EASYTIGER

My Feedback: (119)

The Marutaka kit IS the Royal kit he mentions in the first post.
Surprised to hear him say it is not scale, I have built the 109, Zero, and Spit from the same series, they are pretty scale. But I have not built the Corsair.

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

The 1/2A Royal/Maru kit I have hands on is a good 20 years old. The fuselage is overly streamlined and stretched. They were selling them at the Pasadena (AMA) show for $22 each back then, which was high, and explaining to purchasers to build light. If you consume all the parts in the box, it has to come out only one way. It was also appologetically referred to as the then new Sport Scale.


Wm.

EASYTIGER

My Feedback: (119)

No experience with the Corsair, but yes, the others are very much sport scale, at best. And the weight is an issue, for sure. I was just looking at a Royal Tony I built and never flew, it really is so far off scale as to be less than interesting...it's a 1976 kit and it shows. But the guillows...it's pretty accurate! The sterling one is not bad, either, but,again, the weight...

eroc144

My Feedback: (1)

FWIW, I'm building the Ace Simple Corsair right now and am fairly impressed. Granted, it's not an EXACT replica (body is straight balsa sides vs round, etc) but it's a good kit and is building fast, and it seems to be pretty light so far. I'll be dropping a Norvel .074 into it so I'm relatively confident that weight won't be an issue. Based on posts on other forums on this site, I'm half-tempted to try fiberglassing it - I know there are some who say I'll have a great paper weight when I'm done, but there are lots of others who say that a FG finish, done correctly, does not add pounds and pounds. I'll let you know how it turns out.

EG

EASYTIGER

My Feedback: (119)

Friend of mine has one. DO NOT glass it. Do not. You will make it into a brick. With the 074, it will really zip, my friends has an 061. Do tissue or monokote and light paint. You will ruin all that is nice about the plane if you are overweight.

rrragmanliam

My Feedback: (1)

Eroc,

EASYTIGER has it exactly right. If you glass it weight WILL be an issue. The ace simple kits arn't exactly light to begin with in fact a prudent builder will look for ways to take weight out. If you glass it you will be sory.


Rrragman

CoosBayLumber

My Feedback: (1)

Well, the plan I have been thinking of copying from is the RCM version of 1977. However, it has an AWFULL lot of dihedral into it. Was thinking of cutting out a few degrees of this, but still not getting down towards the prototype angles though.

How are the 1/2A designs for stability?


Wm.

EASYTIGER

My Feedback: (119)

No problems, just like larger models. You aren't thinking of rudder-elevator, are you? Different story. A warbird should be aileron-elevator, and you can have the wing flat if you want, or as much dihedral as you want.