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Build the F4U-1A Corsair Park Flyer: Part 2

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Build the F4U-1A Corsair Park Flyer Part 2; image of model plane on runway.

Add this reader-selected project to your hangar

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Navy aircraft model on pavement under clear blue sky.
01. The plans and short kit from Manzano Laser Works include a detailed tail wheel and arrester hook.
 
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Vintage propeller plane on airstrip, clear blue sky, rocky landscape backdrop.
02. The folding wing is a nice scale feature for the model. Templates were added to the ribs at the fold points to add to the authenticity of the full-scale Corsair. Several scale features are available from Rabid Models, including the wing folding parts, retracts, scale propeller hub, and wheels.
 
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Vintage gray aircraft on tarmac under clear blue sky.
03. The Screaming Meanie is ready for the next sortie.
 

 

The Chance Vought F4U Corsair is one of the classic American fighter aircraft of World War II. Not only did it serve with distinction with American forces but also the U.K. and its Commonwealths. Some Japanese pilots considered it the best American fighter aircraft that they faced.

The F4U also served with the U.S. Navy in the Korean conflict, scoring air-to-air victories against both piston and jet adversaries. During the "Football War," Honduran Corsairs bested P-51s and other F4U Corsairs flown by El Salvadorian pilots. The Corsair also has had a lengthy career in air racing post-WW II.

In last month’s article about the park flyer Corsair model, the construction of the retract folding wing was discussed. This month’s article will cover building the fuselage and covering and finishing the model.

Construction on the fuselage starts with preparing the various subassemblies. Glue parts F4A/F4B, F7A/F7B, F12/F12A, HMP (making two sets), and F15. Be sure to utilize the etch/markings to make a left and a right set. Round the forward edge of F3 according to the etch/markings under the #1 stringer before gluing to F4.

The vertical and horizontal flying surfaces are from 3/32-inch sheet balsa, with cutouts for cross-grained stringers to prevent warping. Add the cross-grained stringers and mark/cut the slots for the hinges according to the plans. (CA hinges that were cut to size were used.) Add the .047-inch U-shaped wire to connect the elevator halves. Round the exterior surfaces. (Rabid Models offers tools to assist with this and for installing CA hinges.) Do not glue in the hinges at this time.

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Airplane model frame assembly steps on a white blueprint background.
The fuselage construction over the keel.
 
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Model airplane wooden structure in progress, showing frames and supports.
Construction of the hatch and canopy framing.
 

Using the keel plans, pin K1 through K5 in place. Add the vertical/horizontal stringers in place (marked in gray on the plans). Note that not all are 3/32 in. sq. Add V1 and, when satisfied with its fit and alignment, glue all of the keel parts/stringers in place. With a 150- to 220-grit sanding block, lightly sand the top surface of the keel structure to level out the surface and remove any excess glue.

Starting at the rear of the fuselage, glue the left side former halves of F12 to F14 over the keel stringers, ensuring that all are 90° to the board. Add the HMP assembly into the notches in F12 to F13 and add F11. Next, add F8, F3, and F4. Add the center (#5) 3/32-inch stringer to the length of the fuselage, extending forward of F1 and ending at F13.

Ensure that this stringer is true and add the other formers using the center stringer for alignment. With the F4A/F4B and F7A/F7B assemblies in place, wet the outside edge of WS with Windex and allow time for it to increase pliability then glue it in place. Take extra time to ensure that F1 is aligned and true before gluing it and CR3 in place.

Use the template on the plans to make the lower and upper hatch rails from 3/32-inch balsa. Glue the lower hatch rail in place. Add the remaining stringers except the top two between CR3 and F6. Add tape around the lower hatch rail and HMR to protect the fuselage while contouring them with a block plane then a sanding block.

The SMRs can be added according to the plans (note the notch for servo-mounting clearance). Lightly sand the left fuselage half before removing it from the board. Glue the right-side formers in place, making sure that they are 90° to the keel (note the orientation of F1A). Add the stringers; now is also a good time to mount the two 4.3-gram servos (rudder and elevator).

 

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Blueprint and model of a blue airplane wing with a white star and bar insignia.
The aileron LE and aileron bay were covered with separate templates. The aileron was pinned in place before the bottom of the wing was covered.
 
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Wooden aircraft parts on grids; includes wing and tail sections in various stages of assembly.
Assembly of the horizontal and vertical stabilizers. A slot-cutting tool (available from Rabid Models) was used to make the CA hinge cutouts.
 

Add the lower hatch rail and F13As to both sides and contour to the fuselage. Add the 1/16-inch balsa cross-decking between F4 and F8. Place magic tape on the rear face of F5, the lower hatch rail, and the forward face of F8. This will help prevent the hatch parts from being glued to the fuselage.

Add the 1/8 × 3/32-inch round magnets into the applicable formers, noting the polarity. Set F5A, F8A, and the upper hatch rails in place, add the remaining stringers, and then glue when you are satisfied with the fit.

Blend the hatch rails to contour the fuselage. Remove the tape, cut the hatch free, and sand as needed. Add the crosspieces between F6 and F8A and in front of F8A, according to the plans. Tape the rear face of F6 and forward face of F8. Add the hatch back onto the fuselage and glue C1 and the C2s in place. (Do not remove the center precut section of C1 at this time.)

Tack-glue C3 and C4 to the tape and the precut section of C1. These will be used when you make the canopy and removed later. Add CR1 and CR2 to both sides and contour them to match the plans. If you are adding the steerable tail wheel, remove the precut section in K2 and K3.

Add the 3/32-inch square brass tubing and test-fit .047 wire following the plans. Cut out the section of the rudder (V2) for the horn and .047 wire. Use 1/32-inch plywood or plastic on either side to box in the wire. Turn the fuselage over and add the WMP1/1A and WMP3/3A parts.

Before covering it, sand the model overall to smooth out any rough spots and glue bumps. Paint the interior of the cowling and the area between F2 and F4 a dark gray then paint the cockpit, hatch area, and wheel wells Interior Green. Paint the wing’s leading edge (LE) intake interiors blue on top and white on the bottom, and add the cardstock insert and detail.

 

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Model airplane assembly steps with blue and white markings on a grid background.
The fuselage was covered in seven panels. The stars and bars were added after the templates had been shrunk.
 
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Model airplane wing assembly, black with white star insignia.
The pins were removed from the ailerons before the top panel was covered. When the aileron was cut free, the tissue overhang was glued down.
 

Test-fit the horizontal stabilizer and make sure it is 90° to the vertical stabilizer. Adjust it as needed. Test-fit the wing and make sure that it’s true before drilling 1/16-inch holes and mounting it with four screws. Remove the wing and mount the receiver according to the plans. Run all of the servo extensions and test-fit the wing to ensure that all of the wires are contained. Test-fit the 1/32 wire elevator and rudder pushrods into the applicable holes in the formers. Box in their exit points with scrap.

The model can be covered with film or silkspan, but there are printable tissue templates available for download on www.ModelAviation.com that really add to the scale authenticity. The tissue that was used on the model is crepe exam-table paper and can be purchased online. There are several videos on my YouTube channel that show the process of how to print on the tissue (see "Sources"). The process is also outlined in the construction/covering notes.

The downloads include both tissue and paper templates for additional details. The builder can add to their level of preference. The model also features a template to make the canopy from flat, 3-mil clear sheet. (A report cover can also be used).

 

If you are covering the model in the printed tissue templates, start by adding the aileron bay and aileron LE first. When they are dry, recut the hinge slots and rehinge/mount the aileron. Pin the ailerons in place because they will be covered then later cut free.

Cut out the bottom wing panel 5 template and dry-fit it in place. There are tick marks on each end that align with stringer #2. Trim the template as needed. Use a glue stick (one that starts out purple, and then dries clear is best) to attach the template to the panel. Apply the glue stick around the LE and trailing edge, the full aileron bottom and wingtip, the stringers around the wing servos (wing fold and aileron), and the bottom of W10.

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Model spaceship assembly with gray paper patterns and structural details.
The center section of the wing bottom was covered first with unprinted tissue. This was shrunk and covered with the printed templates. The cardstock details were added. The wing was then mounted to the fuselage and the belly pan was built in place.
 
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Model airplane fuselage assembly on grid mat, with template and frame.
The rear underside of the hatch tissue template is shown attached to a printed paper template. The canopy framing was painted Interior Green to match.
 

Align the tick marks with the #2 stringer in W10 and W15 then gently pull taut at the center of the template, front and back, and smooth out the rest. Make sure to lightly burnish the tissue (a popsicle stick works well) to the frame, including the #5 stringer in the aileron bay and the aileron LE.

Trim the wingtip as needed. Set the panel aside to dry while repositioning WOJ in place under the wing (weight the wing so that it dries with the WOJ in place). When they are dry, remove the pins holding the ailerons in place in wing panel 5. Repeat the same process to add the top tissue templates to the panel and reset on the board weighted with WOJ in place. When the glue is dry, shrink the top of the panel (again weighted in place over the WOJ and on the board) with a fine water mist and allow it to air dry.

After the top has been shrunk, proceed to shrink the bottom of the panel. Using a fresh blade, cut the aileron free by trimming against the rear of the #5 stringer. This will leave a tissue overhang on the aileron. When it is removed from the wing, glue down the overhang on the aileron. Trim out the bottom tissue around the wing’s actuating servo and the slot for the pushrod. Use canopy glue and the cardstock templates to close in this section of the wing.

The bottom center sections of the wing are off-white, so I recommend covering bottom wing panels 2 through 4 with unprinted, white exam-table paper (or tissue) before adding the printed templates, increasing the color opacity. Add bottom wing panel 4, and then 3. (Only the rear-most section is needed if you are building the retract version.) The top wing panel 4 templates can be added. Cut out the wheel-well liner templates and fold and glue them in place.

 

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Model airplane construction steps on a grid surface, showing templates and assembly stages.
The paper templates for the flat sheet canopy were printed, folded, and glued, and then the glass sections were cut out. These were then glued to 3-mil clear sheet before being cut out along the exterior lines. The canopy sections were glued in place with canopy glue.
 
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Papercraft airplane cockpit model assembly and templates.
The cockpit details were mostly printed on standard paper and cardstock. The instrument panel depth was created by a multiple-size hole punch and clear sheet. The cockpit sides were made from several templates and balsa support underneath.
 

Cut a strip of standard paper the width of wing panel 3 and the length from the front of the panel to just past the retract servo cutout. Test the retracts again to ensure that they are operating properly before gluing the paper in place. This will allow a surface on which the top tissue template can adhere. Reconnect wing panel 5 to 4 and screw CHW in place. Feed the servo leads from wing panel 5 through to wing panel 1.

Secure the leads, but make sure that there is enough excess near W9 and W10 to allow for the wing fold. Add the bottom and top templates for panel 2, and then, finally, the top template for wing panel 3. Make the main gear door from the cardstock template and trim it to fit before gluing it to the forward face of the trunnion. Cut out and glue the wheel-well covers to the wing with canopy glue.

Cover the horizontal stabilizer and elevators (bottom then top) and the rudder (right then left). The fuselage is covered in seven main sections, right side then left, alternating moving forward. It’s best to dry-fit each template and trim as needed before gluing.

Add tissue template 7, right side first. Use the cutout for the horizontal stabilizer and the centerline stringer tick marks for alignment. Trim the rear-most part of the template to fit F15. Insert the 3/32-inch square brass tubing back in place before adding the left-side template 7.

 

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Model aircraft cockpit with green interior, number 042 on fuselage.
This shows the completed cockpit. The seat/control stick is held in place with magnets, and the instrument panel is glued to the hatch. The side panels can also be made to be removable for easy battery access.
 
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Model aircraft taking off from a runway.
Home from another successful flight. Landings are straightforward for the model, and it settles in nicely on approach. Photo by Ben Song.
 

Add the vertical templates. These will slightly overlap at the top of template 7. Add templates 6, 5, and 4 next using the tick marks and color lines to finalize alignment. Add templates 3 then 2 (template 2 ends at the forward edge of F4). Panel 1 goes from F2 to the cowling; there are dashed lines that need to be cut to allow the template to wrap around the curves of the cowling.

Before attaching the template, apply glue around the edge of F2 and the surface of the cowling rings.

Apply the tissue to F2 to approximately the midpoint of CR3. Starting at the bottom of the cowling, gently peel back the tabs, apply glue, and then wrap them over and into the cowling, burnishing them down and moving upward and on to the next one.

Shrink the fuselage tissue before adding the stars and bars and lower cowling detail templates. Paint the tail wheel and arrester hook details. Bend the .047-inch wire 90° to fit into the slot on the rudder before installing them to the fuselage and vertical stabilizer. Bend the wire to create the axle and add the tail wheel and details.

Cover the sub-fin (V3) before gluing it in place. Make the cowling flaps using the paper templates. Cut scraps of 1/16-inch balsa into 3/32-inch squares and glue them to the stringers, even with F3. Paint them the same dark gray. Glue the cowling flaps onto F2 and the scraps.

The covering for the hatch template has an additional step. Using the tick marks for alignment, glue the tissue template to the paper template so that the hatch and paper colors are on opposite sides. Trim along the tissue template and glue the covering to the hatch.

Seal all of the tissue of the model with Krylon Crystal Clear spray. It’s best done outside in sunlight because that will help shrink the tissue as it dries. Add one or two light dusting coats before adding two to three heavier ones.

The builder can use a commercial canopy, but there are templates to make one from paper and flat, 3-mil clear sheet. The canopy frames are printed on standard paper, trimmed along the outside boxes, folded, and then glued to create the outside framing (blue), and an interior (green).

Cut out the glass sections, and then glue the template (green side down) onto the clear sheet. (I used spray adhesive on the back of the template.) Trim the forward and main canopy along the blue outlines. Tape the top canopy section over the top canopy cutting guide. Using a new blade, cut the segments according to the paper guide before trimming the top canopy template along the outside perimeter.

 

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Vintage fighter plane with star emblem, flying against a clear blue sky.
The park flyer Corsair has a large presence in the air. The retracts help create the feel of the full-scale aircraft. Photo by Ben Song.
 

Gently roll the top canopy section over a dowel or marker. Starting at the rear-most section, glue the top canopy template to F8A and C2 using canopy glue. Do not glue to C4 because this is just a form guide. Allow it to fully dry and trim any overhang under C2. Repeat this process for each section of the top canopy template moving forward (there will be some overlap).

Trim any overhang under C2 once it is dry. Glue the main canopy template (left side first) so that the arched section is even with the top of C2, and the forward edge is about halfway onto C1. The template will overhang behind F8A and below the hatch rail. Repeat the same steps for the right side. If the top rear of the main canopy template is too far above F8A, cut and glue it with an overlap.

Glue the front windscreen template in place, taking care not to glue it to C3. When it is fully dry, use a small hacksaw to cut the middle section of C1 free, remove the central crosspiece, C3, and C4. Touch up the cut section with Interior Green.

Remount the wing to the fuselage and connect and test all of the servos to the receiver. The belly pan can be built in place over the bottom of wing panel 1. The belly pan can be glued to the wing or made removeable and held in place with magnets or pins as on the prototype.

There is a detailed cockpit and profile pilot available in the downloads on www.ModelAviation.com. Follow the instructions in the construction/covering notes. These templates will add a lot of scale fidelity with hardly any weight gain.

Connect all of the control surfaces. The model was initially flown with the following throws: rudder, +/-3/8 inch; elevator, +/- 3/8 to 1/2 inch; and ailerons +/- 3/8 inch. The prototype uses an EMAX CF2822 1200 Kv BL motor spinning a three-blade 9.5 × 7 propeller (a Flightline B-24 propeller was used).

The ESC is a 15- to 18-amp unit, and the battery is a 1,100 mAh 3S. Balance the model according to the plans. The prototype’s battery needed to be as far forward as possible. A small, 1/16-inch plywood tray was used to allow it to be slightly behind F4.

Flying

Choose a low-wind day for the maiden flight. Perform your standard new model checks before flying, including adding the wing-secure screws into WLP2. Gently apply the power and the model will fly itself off the ground. Retract the landing gear and trim as needed. The model has plenty of power and can be flown at roughly 1/2 to 2/3 power for nice, scalelike speeds. Rolls and Hammerheads are a breeze.

The model really is sharp when it does flybys. The bent wing gives it a distinctive look. When you are ready to land, extend the gear and gradually reduce the power. Adjust the power as needed to allow the model to settle into a steady descent. After the wheels touch, cut the throttle to idle and keep the model straight with the rudder.

The park flyer Corsair is a fun project and allows a modeler several options for how they want to build and finish it. Give it a try; I think you’ll find it a rewarding project.

build the f4u 1a corsair park flyer

SOURCES:

Manzano Laser Works

www.manzanolaser.com

Park Flyer Fun Scale Chance Vought F4U-1A Corsair Build Thread

RCGroups.com

bit.ly/4eysvy1

Fun Scale Models F4U-1A Corsair

YouTube Playlist of Videos

bit.ly/4hWiGg8

FSM Printing on Tissue Ki27 Nate

bit.ly/49GN0I9

Fun Scale Models Printed Tissue Techniques Part 2

bit.ly/3OhBWr3

Fun Scale Models YouTube Channel

bit.ly/4eFfqD4

Summary

Build a scale model of the F4U Corsair with detailed features and templates for an authentic experience.

Comments

Submitted by marco travaglia (not verified) on

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hello congratulations on the project. I would like to know where you placed the receiver?

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