Corsair Speed 400

UPDATE:  Plans and construction notes for the F4U Corsair are available for $15 including shipping, and vacuum-formed canopies are available for $10.  You can order by mail or click here for fast, convenient on-line ordering.  This design appeared in the January 2000 issue of Model Aviation.

CNC-cut foam wing cores are available from FlyingFoam.com.  E-mail them for price and availability. 

Scale:  1/16
Span: 30.5"
Length: 23"
Wing Area: 170 SQ IN
Weight RTF: 18 OZ

F4U-1A Front View

My laterst Corsair is finished in the colors of the F4U-1A flown by ENS Fred Streig while he was serving with VF-17, the "Jolly Rogers" in early 1944.  The airframe is covered with fiberglass and painted with Model Master paints.  Power as shown is a Mega 16/15/6 motor, Castle Creations Phoenix 25 controller and 8 X IB-1400 NiMH cells.

F4U-1 Front View

The prototype Corsair was finished in the colors of the F4U-1 flown by Marine LT Ken Walsh when he became the first Corsair ace in May of 1943. The airframe was covered with fiberglass and painted with Floquil Military paints.  All markings were painted with an airbrush using artist's frisket masks.  The powerplant is a stock 6V Speed 400 motor on eight NiMH cells. All-up weight is 17.6 ounces.  

F4U-1 aft view
 

 Additional Corsair Photos
Click for additional photos

The carefully-engineered Corsair Speed 400 is designed from the ground up to make it possible to build a light and simple version of this complex airframe. The fuselage is built over an internal disposable crutch, and the trademark inverted gull wing uses special joiner pieces to produce the characteristic bent look and avoid the "broken wing" appearance of most sport scale Corsairs. Overall, it's an easy to build warbird of balsa and foam construction. 

I recommend the following flight hardware:

Brushed Power:  6V Speed 400 motor, Graupner #1328 prop adapter, Graupner 6 X 4 prop, 20 amp BEC speed controller, 8-cell NiMH battery pack, micro radio gear.

Brushless Power:  1500Kv 100-watt brushless system, APC 7 X 5E prop, 8-cell NiMH battery pack, micro radio gear.

Ryan Aircraft

6941 Rob Vern Drive
Cincinnati, OH  45239
Ph:  (513) 729-3323
Fax:  (513) 729-3432
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