Tomcat_104

My Feedback: (42)

Hey Gibbs,

Winter will be here before you know it and that big ole Corsair will start looking better then. I think you'd be amazed at how many people are watching you and just not building with you or talking......................................... for now!

David

Corsair Brotherhood #3

NCIS

David and shanghai_fool,

I will be building and posting everytime I am not flying. It is just the best time here in Wisconsin to start to fly and that is what I love second to building. But Tis the Season to fly and soon it will be a Winter Wonderland here and then I will feel much more motivated to build. I wish more builders or others reading and following my threads would just speak up enough so I don't have to go to page 3 to find my threads to post some progress. I figured you, shanghai_fool, and Bob were watching. Anyway thanks for the reply. Oh by the way shanghai_fool please feel free to post anything you want. I am interested very much in your build also. There is room for both of us and more right here on this thread for posting progress on all our builds.

Barry

NCIS

shanghai_fool,

I thought I was on the 1/8 scale thread. But the same goes there too.

Barry

NCIS

Divorced,

I haven't been able to start on my Big Bird Build because I'm being thrown out of my house. I am buying a new house and will set up a nice work shop there. I am still staying with my ex until the closing on my house. We are still business partners so at least it's not a nasty divorce. My Mother in Law moved in with us about a year ago, BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!. Anyway she has been stabbing me in the back every time it's turned. Well she finally got her way and convinced my ex to divorce me. Aren't M-I-L's great. I will be closing on my new house at the end of November but have started to pack up my RC gear and kits so I'm ready to role. I will finally be able to hang all my planes up in every room of the house. No more keeping them hanging on the walls in my work shop where they get all dusty from sanding. I plan to start this build within the first half of December. It will be nice having my kids over but not the M-I-L. Anyway thats what has been going on.

Gibbs

propwashed

My Feedback: (13)

Wow, What a thread! Sorry to hear of your current situation. I've read your entire thread hoping to see you get to the build on the big bird. I do have a suggestion for your build. I noticed quite a few pages back you were contemplating building the 1/8th prior to the 1/4. If your just building the 1/8 for practice and not for bragging rights, then just use your TF manual as somewhat of a guide and get going on the 1/4 you will (as you know)spend allot of time and $$$ on the small one as well. The large one will build (frame up) quick. it's the details and head scratching that will slow the build down. Figuring out all the functions you want to the model to display and building those in as you go is really the bulk of it. I hope you get to begin/and complete this sweet bird once your settled. Good Luck!

NCIS

propwashed,

I have basically got most of the 1/8 done. I am considering just what you said. I really want to get this Big Corsair framed up and get on with my modifications. I would already be done with the small one if I wasn't practicing techniques on it. I have almost all the mods on it done and they went well. The rest of the mods on that one wouldn't apply to the large one anyway. I am going to keep the 1/8 scale build active and if I get stumpted on the 1/4 scale mod wise, I'll relax and just work on the small one a couple days. Then it will probably come to me and I will know what I really wanted to do on the big one. Does any of this make any sense?[&:] Anyway as soon as the new work tables are built you will see some building going on fast. I still have to order the Seirra Retracts from Darrell so he will have time to make them.

Gibbs

NCIS

Everyone interested,

I'm about a month away from completing my Son's 1/8 scale Top Flite GE F4U-1A Corsair and then I'll start the Big Bird. I also have a 1/3 scale Balsa USA Sop With Pup that I gave to an expert builder that is a good friend of mine to build for me while I star on this long project. The build of my 1/4 scale F4U-1A Corsair. It will take a long time because I intend to make every modification I can thin of. I'll start a regular Build Thread when I get started. I just thought I'd let you know I haven't given up on this project. This will be the new paint scheme flown by Lt. Ira Kepford in the South Pacific. I like this scheme better. It will be a duplicate of my sones Corsair.

Gibbs

redr00ster

I like the new paint scheme. hope to see pictures of your 1/4 scale corsair soon. Im just unpacking my don smith kit from prescioncutkits. hopeing for any advise along the way . thanks rooster

Michael's

Hi Barry Michael here..I cut a kit at 180"ws back a few years built by a great builder Don Becker out of Noblesville Indiana.aiam presently building one right now at 120"ws.I used to cut kits for the late Jim Miester Dinos dad some years back.Jeff Quesenberry had one at 150"ws and had engine failure and crashed it.Since that build at 180"ws theres not been that plane cut as big as that.Andreas at Blazing Wings could tell you about the kit though I hate to see him get any recognition as he screwed Don Becker out of 2,000.00 just to get the plane.I think Don Becker passed away but maybe not you could inquire on here and maybe he will answer you back if hes around.

David Jackson

My Feedback: (15)

Hey Michael,

I believe Barry, NCIS, died a couple of years ago.

n1169g

My Feedback: (1)

Just so you all know Kitcutters now has the short kit ready for sale I have the 1st one.
Gary

n1169g

My Feedback: (1)

I don't know if this is the place to start a build log for the Don Smith 120" Corsair but I am sure someone will tell me. I am Gary Sorensen and I have been flying RC sense the late 70's
In the early years most built from plans or kits. I can't tell you how many planes I built but in the 80's my first wife told me I was spending too much. In 1996 I was taking flying lessons in a 152 Cessna and some how I found out about Oshkosh. That year I went and then decided I could build a real airplane. It looked just like building a model to me. On the 2 year going to Oshkosh I arranged to test fly some of the factory planes. I flew a 3 different company planes and decided on a Lancair ES and if you google n1169g you will find I did it. I had to sell it in 2003 do to loss of income. I built that plane in 4 years and did it all myself. As for models I have spent more than 150K over the years on them. I am a flight ip instructor, leader-education, leader-flight,turbine-fixed, and contest director with AMA. I am now 68 and want to build this Corsair to maybe be the last plane I build. I have no intentions on making it a contest entrant. I just like big planes.
Let me start I have the plans and I was able to get KitCutters cut a short kit. So now I am the test builder for the short kit and the plans that Don Smith made.
I am starting with the center section of the wing as it will be the hardest to do.
I have epoxied the 3 wing braces together I use West epoxy with fast hardener. I know this epoxy and I have the best results with it.

wing braces
I then put the wing ribs in there slots but not glued.
I come to find I had to make some slots longer as they were not cut enough. By the way I am in touch with Kitcutters and tell them things I would change.
I also found there is no passage way for wiring or air lines. I will be doing that shortly . I looked at this for a long time and decided that the wing spars will need to be pre bent or it will be very hard to put in place without putting stress in the wing.
I took the wing brace ant traced the shape on a piece of 3/4" ply and took a 1" pvc pipe and caped the bottom and put 2 of the 3/8" X 1/4" spars in side with hot water and let soak for 1 hour the clamped on the top of the brace. I will do the same on the bottom and on the top and bottom of the rear brace.


Then I looked at the plans and noticed the main spar does not go all the way to the end so for the last three ribs it just has the top and bottom wing spar and 1/32 ply to the back of the spar.
In this section has the wing tube. To me that's not right the spar should go to the end. When I traced the rib on the plywood I extended it out to the end of the wing at rib 12 I know I will have to slot the 10 ,11,12 ribs to fit
I want to have a strong plane and just did not seem right to be weak in the area for the wing tube.







I sill work full time so I will be doing more later.

fw190

My Feedback: (37)

You should start a new build thread. Anyways I really want to see how you would tackle building a 1/4 scale Corsair being 68 years old. I am 56 and it was a bear building a 1/4 scale P51 at 50+lbs, maybe I am just small and weak, so I hope to learn from you.

n1169g

My Feedback: (1)

I do not know where a build thread should be?
Gary

n1169g

My Feedback: (1)

Today I had a little time to work on wing. I made lighting holes in the ribs and a 3/4" hole near the back for a path for servo wiring . I found thin wall hose at Lowes to use for conduit. As you can see I made a 1/8" ply extension to the main spar this will take it to the end of the wing like I suggested earlier. I CA the ribs starting at the center on the main spar and worked my way out. I did it with the wing sitting on top of the front spar to keep it straight. the wing as it is shaped putting it over the plan's won't work. It came out well rib #5 needs some adjustment I believe it is a mistake in the rib drawing. I will let Kitcutters know to correct. Also rib 6 and 7 need to have the wheel wells cut in. the plans only show it on rib 7 but the wing drawing shows it in 6 also. I am glad I pre bent the spars. they did not stay full shaped but it was easy to put in place than if I didn't . I did install the main bottom spar.
Now I am as far as I can go on the wing till I get the wing pole that I ordered and the retracts that I ordered from Carf. I want the tube in place before I glue the rest of the ribs in.

David Jackson

My Feedback: (15)

There is quite a bit of info on the Don Smith 1/4 scale Corsair in the following thread, 1/4 Scale F4u-1A Don Smith Plans Build This thread was started 02-16-2008 by NCIS, Unfortunately, the pictures showing modifications made to the model are no longer visible in this thread. However, you might find some useful information to aid in your build. On a personal note, (age 60) I found building this model (sport scale) to be very time consuming, but it flew extremely well. Good luck with your build.

n1169g

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks Dave it is a great challenge.
Gary

n1169g

My Feedback: (1)

Sense I am waiting on the wing pole to get here I am making the left wing panel today. The attached photos show you how I have done it so far today. The brown glue is west epoxy with fast hardener.
I did use 1/8" light ply for the web's I did not have any 1





/32 ply here. Remember to put the grain up and down. remember to apply glue to both sides for the best results. The slots for the wing spar are good and snug fit again thanks to Kitcutters for the great job.
I also added a 3/8 sq balsa to the leading edge to give it more support to the ribs.

jchorak

My Feedback: (9)

You are in the correct forum, at the top of the rc warbirds and warplanes forum click on start new thread.
JC