WIX Archives
Scale Warbirds - Corsair
Posted by Rob Mears on Mon Mar 25, 2002 02:07:28 AM
In reply top If you were a hard nosed businessman posted by Paul McMillan on Sun Mar 24, 2002 06:49:22 AM
The one project idea that continually comes back to me is the construction of an all-metal, 70% scale Corsair kitplane.
This kit would be done in the same spirit as the Stewart S-51, with the blueprints literally being scaled versions of the original plans, It would of course be of all-metal, butt-jointed, tac-welded, monocoque construction as per the original. The massive sixteen-foot wide, ultra complex main spar would be closer to eleven feet in diameter, and would be a far simpler design - most likely being fashioned from a single piece of extruded aluminum. This simplistic approach alone would take care of the most troublesome factor of the Corsairs construction, and make a robust yet simple foundation for the rest of the kit. The major components could be farmed out to Romanian workshops to keep initial costs down (in the same spirit as the S-51 of course). The center section would show up at your door basically complete, with the majority of homebuilding's "51% rule" being tied up in the fabric work, electrics, control surfaces, etc. I'd preferably like to see the vast majority of the tac welding on the fuselage completed before the kit was sent out to the buyer, so it 'looked' like a plane when you received it.
As a note, I like the "Corsair 82" that is currently under construction, but that kit is going to be a BIG plane, the propeller will be far too small for the design, and it's fiberglass. All of those factors are enough to kind of kill the realism of the kit - for me personally anyway. I'd like a plane you could spot from 100 feet away and have trouble telling it from the real thing - something a novice could walk up to and say "I didn't know the Corsair was this small" ;)
A supercharged Russian M-14P 450hp powerplant would be the prime motivating force for the kit, and it's a perfect 70% scale diameter - cheap too! :) That power to weight ratio should offer over a comfortable 200 mph cruise. The airfoil could be redesigned to cut down on the sizable area on the wing's leading edge - a major source of drag with the original F4U design. The majority of that 'octopus' of a hydraulic system that made the Corsair such a formidable mechanical challenge would be unnecessary, and could be deleted. An optional electric folding wing package for the die hard nostalgists could be ordered seperately. Otherwise the folding wing could be "pinned" in place, leaving the kit builder the option to add the automated mechanism in the future,
The cockpit size would probably be the only visual clue that the plane was in fact a scale version of the original. The Corsair's cockpit area is HUGE compared to the likes of the P-51 and most other fighters of that era, so any increase in size would be to help facilitate the ingress/egress of the back seater.
The essential trick for the marketability of this plane would be implementing a second seat (and preferably a second set of controls) in a way that doesn't detract from the external lines of the plane. No one wants to spend time & money on a plane like this then fly it alone! Also, no co-pilot want's to be "pigeon-holed" up inside that cave of a rear fuselage. The Corsair's design doesn't lend itself well to accomodating a second body. I believe custom fabricated plexiglass, tinted to the precise color of the plane's fuselage paint would be acceptable as a replacement for the metal skin area behind the pilot. I personally would prefer to offer a 2-place "F2G" option for those who wanted a comfortable dual-control version of the plane, but the fact is that so few people would identify with that design as a 'true' Corsair that there wouldn't be enough demand.
The resulting aircraft could really be a warbird lovers dream for those who don't have the means to pay $1M+ for the real thing. Parts availability would be a non-concern as well. Operating costs with the small, 9-cylinder M-14P is minimal in comparison to the R-2800, and is well within the affordability range of the average Bonanza pilot.
In the end you'd have an unlimited supply of "Corsairs" for the general aviation pilot to enjoy at around a $200K - 225K investment. It doesn't take the place of the real thing of course, but it WOULD put the dream of owning & flying a Corsair within the reach of the average Joe. Depending on the popularity of the kit, you might see the likes of a flight of 60 or 70 Corsairs overhead. Future restrictions on part of the government concerning vintage warplanes would be a non-concern, and I personally think it would be great to see what the individual owners could do to personalize their aircraft.
Even if you could only turn a negligible profit, being the one who put Corsair ownership within every man's reach would be a great accomplishment in my mind. (Plus I could use whatever profit I cleared to have one built for myself :)
In the end if this concept worked, you could tap into the same all-metal fuselage / M-14P radial concept to produce P-47's, Bearcat's, etc. In my opinion that little Russian radial engine has been completely overlooked for building a niche in the scale warbird market.
Rob