Ztrex

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Top Flite F4U Corsair Gold Edition.
I have been reading a lot of the post here and believe that I will likely get the best advice for building this plane!
I have started all basic framing and am looking for help and tips as I go.
I will be posting in progress photos!
I welcome all suggestions and hope to address issues as they come up.
Like proper engine size!
Coverings!
Incidence!
Prop size!
Mechanical connections!
and on and on!

Anybody interested in helping me?

Rocketman612

My Feedback: (85)

Ztrex,
Great to see another bent wing take form. I started mine late Jan,03 and am close to covering with glass. During that time CorsairJock, Juice and Shupack have had great threads about the TF Corsair. Dionysusbacchus has the Mother of all Corsair threads with his Royal project that can help also. Do a search of their threads. There are other good contributors out there so don't anyone get slighted if not named but most of the info and dialog centered around these fellas for me at least and I've incorporated alot of their ideas into my Corsair. Work hard to keep it light. Good luck, Pete

Juice

There can never be too many Corsair construction threads. There are many people here who can answer any question you may have.

What options are you going to do? Are you going to do a scale job, or a sport job? And the big question... Which retracts are you going to use?

Mine finished but not flown yet. I'm too chicken to fly it... I mean, I'm waiting until spring to fly it.

Juice

DMehalko

My Feedback: (42)

Hey, glad to see another top flite going together.

Haven't built the corsair but just started the Sea Fury and it looks to be a great (heavy) kit.

Let me know how yours goes.
I'm planning on a Satio 120 and CJM retracts.

David

Ztrex

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the replies.

Pete- When you say glass are you talking Fiberglass and how much weight does that add as opposed to other coverings. How light does the plane need to be and how much of a factor is the engine vs weight?

Juice- My plan is a scale job and currently I won't be doing the retracts cause I figured that the first few landings might be too rough and my understanding is that retracts can't take a lot of abuse. Also I will be landing on a grass field for now. I was hoping to build for retracts and install at a later date. Can this be done?

David- Whats a Sea Fury? Excuse my Ignorance! I fell in love with the corsair so many years ago and built a static model then but now that I finally got rid of my old lady I'm letting it all hang out and finally building a plane that will fly.


Bob

Ztrex

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the replies.

Pete- When you say glass are you talking Fiberglass and how much weight does that add as opposed to other coverings. How light does the plane need to be and how much of a factor is the engine vs weight?

Juice- My plan is a scale job and currently I won't be doing the retracts cause I figured that the first few landings might be too rough and my understanding is that retracts can't take a lot of abuse. Also I will be landing on a grass field for now. I was hoping to build for retracts and install at a later date. Can this be done?

David- Whats a Sea Fury? Excuse my Ignorance! I fell in love with the corsair so many years ago and built a static model then but now that I finally got rid of my old lady I'm letting it all hang out and finally building a plane that will fly.


Bob

Rocketman612

My Feedback: (85)

Bob,
I'm covering the plane with 0.5 oz fiberglass cloth with Lacquer based polyurethane instead of film covering like Monokote or Ultracote. This type of covering allows the plane to be painted and weathered for a better scale look. The finish also holds up better to "Hanger Rash". Fiberglassing can be done with Polyurethane or Epoxy and there are pros and cons to both. Paint may be Latex but then it needs to be fuelproofed with a clearcoat. There are fuelproof paints too. Lots of info just run some searches here and on rcwarbirds.com and rcscalebuilder.com

As for weight lighter is better. The wing loading of warbirds is higher than on sport planes so they fly different and you will need to change your flying style accordingly. The rcwarbird site has some info on warbird flying. If you can keep your Corsair to 10lb or less you will have a winner. That should be easier with no retracts and their supporting equipment.

I'm putting an RCV90 in mine. Plan on turning a MAS 20x12 prop trimmed to 19x12. Should look great. Lots of people using 60 size 2 strokes and 90 size 4 strokes with good performance. Decide on how you want to fly Scale or Speed. I don't recommend going larger but thats me.

Hope this sheds some light. Pete

Ztrex

Hi again all.

Has anyone evry used the material Flite Metal for their warbirds?

If so how was it?

Mick Georgin

Thought I'd let let you guys know that the TF giant scale Corsair will get started soon. As soon as the Patriot is finished) Gonna have a fiberglas covering, paint, G-62, Flaps, retracts, retracting tail wheel and..... folding wings. Some project huh? Bought the plans from Bob Holman- very nice guy!! Check-out Earl Aunes Corsair with folding wings, very nicely done!!!

I just finished the TF giant scale P-51 which I'm going to try and upload.

Thanks,
Mick Georgin
Morehead City, NC (where we can fly almost year round)

voyager_663rd

A good thread for me to follow as I'm just starting the TF too.

Flak

My Feedback: (1)

Hey Mick,

Your Mustang looks great! I hope the Corsair looks even better.
I'm thinking about drawing up my own Bent Wing plans at some point in the next couple of years, so I'll have a F4U that 'ol Corsair Jock himself will drool over in envy... He's quite the scale detail fanatic when it comes to Boyington's mistress.

I had a TF .60 size Corsair that was a great flyer until I gunned the living daylights out of the ST .90 on take off, causing the battery to dislodge in her innards. The battery, (a heavy 6 volt) slid to the rear changing the CG enough so that when she dead sticked at 50 FT. in the air at the P.O.N.R. end of the runway she tip stalled and went in as I was full nose down and...oh well. She had just finished quite a one warbird air show with some great strafing runs at full throttle five feet off the runway deck. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch, and everyone saw her demise. Here's to "Dark Angel" may she R.I.P.

Good luck on your Bent Wing Warrior.

Mick Georgin

Thanks for your comments!! I do enjoy building but when you travel as much as I do, it's hard to find time. I'm a Salesman and sell wood veneer products to the Furniture manufacturers. I sometimes take parts with me on the road and work on them in the hotel room. If you ever check in and find balsa dust or see someone with a big wing, it's probably me.

The P-51 is covered with glass cloth and all colors are painted with Rustoleum. I'll enclose another shot of the cockpit area. By the way, I think they've pulled the TF 1/6 scale Corsair kit already. I'd like to see them make a Giant scale Spitfire someday.
Have a great weekend
Mick Georgin

crash pad

HI guys. I have started my gold edition corsair a few months ago.I have the wing framed up the tail surfaces built and the upper fuselage just built and sanded.I am going with separate servos for the ailerons and separate servos for the flaps and one for the retracts.I plan on glassing and painting I havent decidedon the engine yet but I know I will probably be at the upper end on weight.I will be nice to be building along with others at the same phases.I havent decided how scale to go yet Some of the guys building are incredible.I have been so impressed by what I have read and seen. Corsairjock and you other guys building the threads I would love to see the finished products in person.Anyway I will keep in touch with this thread and forward any Ideas and thoughts and hopefully learn from others as well. later guys

gary9648

My Feedback: (1)

Just to give you some motivation, here is a photo of my Top Flight Giant Corsair.
Took one year to build and finish.

jhedemark

hey, new to this site and just wanted to say hello to all fellow
tf f4u builders and all other rc buffs as well. i am currently building
a tf corsair w/ an evolution .61 for power using a jr 662 radio
and no retracts as of yet(due to first few landings) ive got the fuse skinned
and thwing built , working on flaps(functional) should be ready for
paint by spring, will upload some pics, got any tips for cowel flap
mod? none on the provided one?

DMehalko

My Feedback: (42)

Ya, this is not a very well known Warbird but was the last production aircraft of WWII. Never saw combat in WWII but a lot in the Korean War. It was a carrier based airplane for the RAF and later, the Canadian Royal Air Force.

David

ganu

fine looking bird there, gary.

crash pad

Great looking corsair Gary.I have just finished with the skin on the fuselage.I keep second guessing if I should go with a retractable tailwheel.If so what which tailwheel will fit in the gold edition and are there instructions for the mods.Also does anyone make a more scale looking cowl or are most using the cowl supplied. Mike

DMehalko

My Feedback: (42)

Here's a pic of a full scale sea fury, and gook luck with the corsair!

CorsairJock

My Feedback: (90)

DMehalko(DM): you posted that same pic in another thread, and claimed it is a Top Flite Sea Fury. I KNEW it wasn't.

DMehalko

My Feedback: (42)

I know, I wa really bored that day and was trying to be funny be guess not.

David

Balsa Master

just finished the center section on my TF F4U figured id look ar RCU while the wood glue dried. im sticking a magnum 1.08 on it with century jet retracts and a robart tail retract (figure its more scale and helps ad non dead weight to tail) gonna move electronics to rear as far as possible to help balance engine. plane build great but is a brick. the wing is all ply and hard balsa. im also looking at a fiberglass finish or, since i have it already, a CF finish (yea yea, its overkill I DONT CARE ) also doing mine for scale. u have to use retracts, to do otherwise would be just plain wrong. (all the other corsairs will make fun of it and it will feel sad and not fly well then it could get really depressed and crash) ill have pics up later today or tomorrow. spend the extra time to use woodglue its a lot stronger. and get a syringe to limit how much you use. esp if your going to use and engine like me and pete.


have ne of you who have built it noticed that most of the pieces dont line up right with the plans? or am i just out of it.

mostly, the main spar and LE/TE oh the sanding i have to do[:'(]

kram51

My Feedback: (3)

I've been building mine for the last month or so and outside of waiting on the retracts it's been coming along nicely. I haven't found any pieces that don't line up correctly on mine. Sometimes it's the plans that shrink/expand as the wood is all die cut and you have to figure that my kit most likely came from the same die's as yours.
You must be some kind of pilot to want to build such a heavy airplane! [X(]
I've built several TF birds and haven't had a single one over 10 pounds. Most have been in the low to mid 9 pound range. No glass on any of them but the Corsair I may glass though I'm still undecided . They've all had retracts, flaps and all but one a full cockpit with pilot figure. "Scale" does not have to mean overweight! Building a plane to survive a crash guarantees one thing . . . it WILL crash!

All the Best!!!

Mark

Peter_OZ

My Feedback: (1)

ZTrex,

a friend of mind down here in Oz has the TF Gold edition corsair - the small one not the GS. He went full hog, retracts, flaps, working undercarriage doors, etc etc and he glassed it as well. Hiss all up weight was close to 13Lbs which is way to heavy. The glass wasnt the problem it was all his little goodies inside as he had separate air rams for each door.

anyway it takes off great, flies quite well but is really tricky to land due to the really high wing loading.

my 2 bobs worth

cheers
Peter

Balsa Master

has he never heard of a bell crank??

oh, got the left tip done xept for sanding and sheeting but cant do till i install my light circuit and retracts (circuit weight is next to 0)

my TF spitfire came out light even with retracts, its just this kit, its build like a brick. ive never seen balsa that hard. im aiming for 11 pounds or under. if i hit 13 its going on ropes fro mmy ceiling for life

since tomorrow is a day off, maybe il lget the other half done and start the fus. plan on ordering the CMJ retract tomorrow as well.

btw, i took all pictures just need to download to comp and post.

i was debating the gear doors but felt that for the weight it wouldent be worth it. ill do it on a biger version.

the unsheeted center and left tip with no electronics only the bell crank asembly weighs 13.8oz.... that sound about right?