Posts: 202
Joined: 9/29/2005 From: Virginia Beach,
VA, USA Status: offline
Two previous attempts to fly this plane ended with the plane flipping over onto the tail while taxiing at full speed (trying to take off). My attempt to correct this was to add elevator while taxiing......BAD idea on a Warbird!! She leaped up almost vertically and rolled immediately to the left before smashing into the ground nose first. Live and learn. She was badly mauled and I should have no business trying to rebuild her....but what the hey! I rebuilt a TF P-40 after a dead stick and high speed stall straight into the ground. Still flies okay. The corsair was crashed and fixed before by someone else, and this has really made the rebuild challenging. At least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
< Message edited by andernamen -- 11/1/2007 10:18:05 PM >
Posts: 3201
Joined: 2/8/2002 From: Leander,
TX, USA Status: offline
I think we all go thru this at some point. Just like driving a clutch. Just use the elelvator to balance it while rolling. I find I have more trouble with this when I switch from easy flying sport planes back to warbirds. Takes a few times to remember. Edwin
Posts: 515
Joined: 10/28/2003 From: North Little Rock,
AR, USA Status: offline
Sounds to me that throttle management is needed on the ground! Anytime that I moving my taildraggers (all my warbirds included) under their own power, I always hold hold full up elevator. On some of my planes, I have to hold hi-rate up elevator to keep the tail on the ground during a fast taxi. You might want to increase the size of the mains or bend them forward a little to help taxing. Hopefully your rebuild goes well.
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Posts: 189
Joined: 7/20/2007 From: BouldercombeQueensland, AUSTRALIA Status: offline
The trick is in releasing Up elevator at the right time and amount during your take off roll. As Edwin pointed out, very similar to learning to use a clutch properly. What I use: Taxi and position for take off using full up. Start the take off roll with full up for no more than the first few feet By the time the plane reach's half take off speed you should have neutral elevator and the tail should be raised off the ground Use elevator to control nose attitude for a normal take off.
It's getting the timing right of when and how much to release the elevator that takes the practise.
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Posts: 202
Joined: 9/29/2005 From: Virginia Beach,
VA, USA Status: offline
Actually, attempting to take off would be more accurate than taxiing. I'm just so worried about having enough speed to avoid tip stall that I like a long take off run. While making the long take off run is when I kept flipping over.
< Message edited by andernamen -- 11/1/2007 10:15:36 PM >
Posts: 3201
Joined: 2/8/2002 From: Leander,
TX, USA Status: offline
Then its mostly a balancing problem. By all means keep it on the ground until you have enough speed. I always like a little more to make sure it DOESNT tip stall. Whatever you do, dont firewall the throttle to take off. Sounds like you just need practice. I added weight to a Super Sportster 60 to practice long take off rolls. Not quite the same, but helped a little. Edwin
Posts: 3201
Joined: 2/8/2002 From: Leander,
TX, USA Status: offline
I like to setup my corsairs with minimal elevator throw, All the rudder I can get, and ailerons setup by the recommendations in the manual. All of the corsairs I've flown were real pitch sensitive. It wouldnt be a bad idea to setup hi/lo rates on all your flight controls and start off with hi rates on ailerons and rudder, and low rates on elevator. This is generally true for all of my warbirds come to think of it. Edwin
Posts: 28
Joined: 6/5/2002 From: Pensacola,
FL, USA Status: offline
Are you flying on the taxiway at Fentress or out on the grass strips in Chesapeake? maybe your runway is giving you issues. Low rates would be a nice thing to use so you don't over input.
Posts: 202
Joined: 9/29/2005 From: Virginia Beach,
VA, USA Status: offline
I've flown this plane at Fentress, but prefer grass due to my crappy landings. Asphalt is hard on cowlings and props. My club has a nice grass field. I wish I could say it was the field's fault, but have to chalk this one up to my own inexperience. I'm using low rates for take-off's, but I've discovered on warbirds, they don't really need much elevator. I had the stick back only slightly when she went vertical.
Posts: 611
Joined: 5/2/2007 From: Granbury,
TX, USA Status: offline
My Sundowner is balanced correctly and flys great. (well the two times i flew it) but it also wants to pivot over onto the nose. It is very light in the rear. I have to hold full elev. Taxiing around. Once you get it to half throttle it is better but if you were to hit just a small snag on the grass field I fly off of it noses over QUICK. So when it lands you also have to get it down and then back on the elev. to keep it from nosing over. Scares me bad. That is why in almost a yr. of having it it has flown twice. I am a scardy cat meooooooooow.
Posts: 202
Joined: 9/29/2005 From: Virginia Beach,
VA, USA Status: offline
The firewall is on and the wing saddle is finally done. At first the wing saddles were not level (twisted) and caused the wings to be out of alignment with the elevators. I had to do some shimming to get it right. It was a pain, but in the end, I'm happy with the result. I re-sheeted portions of the top and bottom of the wing. Now the only thing left to do is the covering and putting the engine on. I stole the engine from the corsair and put it in my P-40 (Saito 1.20), so now th4e corsair will have a Super Tigre .90. I don't plan to re-cover the whole airplane, just the damaged portions. It won't look that great, but this is going to be flyer, not a beauty "hangar" queen.
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