So... tell me, how does the F4U feel?

[Stumpwiz 2]

OK got me the Corsair woo hoo. now gotta change my nick to pappy... :Peace:

 

Some nice F4U shots here: http://weaselzippers.us/2012/05/31/happy-anniversary-100-years-of-marine-corps-aviation/

[enamel 4]

Picked this up over the weekend, I figure I need at least one of these warbirds in my hangar. This one was the most interesting to me.

 

It is the most challenging plane I have for sure, to say the plane is unstable at low speeds is an understatement. It will flip you on your head so fast if you do something it doesn't like. Slow the plane down and try to bank too fast and it will stall out and start rolling uncontrollably towards the ground at a rapid pace. Very hard to recover, you need lots of altitude.

 

It does fly very nice at low speeds with the flaps full and landing gear out, but most of my landings turned to crashes unless I put it down on a larger runway. Never did get it down on a dirt strip.

 

The one big thing it is missing is checklists, which I imagine is the same for all basic models. I really do miss these for my approach and landing. I will have to see if I can dig up the procedures.

 

The performance seems like what I was expecting, was able to get to 36k ft without issue, collect the glider cache, and hit mach 1. Dives are as described, at 500 kts you need tons and tons of space to recover from the dive. I was expecting more aerobatic capabilities tho, rolls are slow and loops are not possible. I guess I was sort of expecting something like the RV with a bigger motor, but clearly this is a much different plane than everything else in my hangar.

 

Overall a nice addition and something different to hold me over till AK.

[RoboRay 126]

I was expecting more aerobatic capabilities tho, rolls are slow and loops are not possible.

 

What control method are you using? Mouse, I hope?

[enamel 4]

What control method are you using? Mouse, I hope?

 

Xbox gamepad. Rolls seems to be an odd thing, sometimes it feels like the plane will roll quickly, but a lot of the time rolls feel slow to me. Now I don't have any other warbirds to compare it to, so I might be unfairly comparing it to the RV.

 

Loops are a no go so far for me. The plane goes into a climb, then stalls out and immediately flops over inverted and goes into "scary roll/stall" mode.

[RoboRay 126]

I don't know how well the gamepad really works.

 

The F4U was certainly capable of doing loops and it's roll-rate was supposedly exceptional (of course, I've never been up in one).

 

I haven't heard anyone else complaining about slow rolls or the inability to do loops with it. Do you have a joystick to try?

[enamel 4]

I don't, but I could borrow one from a friend. Probably not super soon, but in the next few weeks.

[Oracle427 45]

What speed are you entering the loops at?

 

You should relax pressure on the stick a little as you get close to inverted, to much pressure will cause a stall at the low speed at the top of the loop.

 

Obviously, keep full power in. how high are you when you try to do a loop?

[enamel 4]

What speed are you entering the loops at?

 

I was trying between 150-200 kts.

 

You should relax pressure on the stick a little as you get close to inverted, to much pressure will cause a stall at the low speed at the top of the loop.

 

You know, this is probably my problem, and I noticed the plane will also stall with too much pressure when banking. Didn't think about that, and will try this tonight. Thanks for this tip.

 

Obviously, keep full power in. how high are you when you try to do a loop?

 

2000-5000 ft.

[RoboRay 126]

If you don't ease off on the elevator as you approach the top of the loop, your loop also won't be round. As the plane slows, the turn-radius will tighten up and you get more of an egg-shaped elliptical loop than a circular one. Reducing your elevator input as you come over the top keeps the turn-radius opened up.

 

Rather than thinking of the loop as a single maneuver, treat it more like two half-loops, momentarily almost (but not quite) leveling off inverted at the top of the loop.

[EastCoastGuy 0]

I was trying between 150-200 kts.

 

You know, this is probably my problem, and I noticed the plane will also stall with too much pressure when banking. Didn't think about that, and will try this tonight. Thanks for this tip.

 

2000-5000 ft.

 

No stick yet, so when I want to get aggressive with the Corsair I use the keyboard. I assume it's the gamepad that's giving you grief, 'cause the Corsair will loop fine with the keyboard, though a little sloppy. I don't have any of the other warbirds, but from friends' feedback it seems it's sluggish compared to the Mustang, but it rolls much faster than the Zero.

[enamel 4]

Thanks for the info. Do you run with any stability assists on? Thinking about trying that as well.

[EastCoastGuy 0]

Thanks for the info. Do you run with any stability assists on? Thinking about trying that as well.

 

I flip flop between having the stability assistance on & off -- though I'm usually lazy and have it on.

 

I notice with the stability assistance off, it's easy to pull up too hard on the elevator, go into a high-speed stall and snap roll right into an inverted spin.

[enamel 4]

I notice with the stability assistance off, it's easy to pull up too hard on the elevator, go into a high-speed stall and snap roll right into an inverted spin.

 

That is exactly what is happening to me. I will give it a try with gently caressing instead of hamfisting her into a loop.

[enamel 4]

This was it exactly. Loops without issue if you are gentle on your inputs. The roll rate is also fine, in fact the plane is a dream to fly as long as you can ease off on giving it lots of input. It definitely has the most dynamic and challenging flight model of all the planes in my hangar (in my unqualified opinion).

 

I also took a peek at the pilots handbook and found lots of neat stuff in there. Such as the flaps can be used at any setting up to 200 kts, and they are designed to be used at 20° in a turn if smaller turn radii are needed. The front wheels can be deployed in a dive as a dive brake (the rear should stay retracted, but flight doesn't model this).

[Robert Dunn 2 0]

I don't, but I could borrow one from a friend. Probably not super soon, but in the next few weeks.

 

You've got a friend in Cottage Lake (Reintree) who has an MS Sidewinder USB he'd be most pleased to lend you. Also other gameport based Thrustmaster and Sidewinder FCS's you are welcome to have if you want to futz with the gameport configurations. RSDunn at yahoo or PM me here. Delivery is available or come see me.

 

Bob