F4U single drop tank offset

[Bodhi]

I remember being on VOX with Bodhi one day. He got going (as he usually does) and asks: "what did you do today?" I told him I went to work and had a pretty uneventful day. He replied: "well, I installed a windshield on a Corsair today". I felt like a lame arse after that.

 

Windscreen!  I also frugged up and broke one as I recall too.

[Seanaldinho]

I'm not wondering about game aspects at all.  I'm wondering WHY.  If the previous picture is a radar pod, it's still weight on the left side of the airframe, which supports the concept of a single side left droptank.  But the question is why?

Its just a matter of whichever side you hook it up on it does not matter which side. So maybe when HT was modelling it he saw more pictures with a single tank on the left then on the right. Or he just picked the left.

(BTW the radar pod would be the big white thing in the wing...)

[TequilaChaser]

But why not design it to release the other tank first so that the remaining tank helps to stabilize the aircraft instead of making the heavy wing heavier?  At least I think that that is what Mk84 is asking.

just by looking at the pictures of the real life F4U-5, it is clear to see that the hardmounts for the drop tanks or 1k Bombs  is so close to centerline that it pobably would be null or close to it regarding weight distribution / trimming for weight balance or what have you....  my view anyways

regarding heavier wings,  I don't think you are thinking the wings in the later models have fuel cells............ only the F4U-1 & -1A  are the heavy wings relating to fuel...... the torque issue was there from the beginning ........ because they wanted that big arse WASP radial engine 

Bodhi is one lucky fella to have a job like his

   <--- Big & Blue ...... love em

cheers

TC

[MK-84]

just by looking at the pictures of the real life F4U-5, it is clear to see that the hardmounts for the drop tanks or 1k Bombs  is so close to centerline that it pobably would be null or close to it regarding weight distribution / trimming for weight balance or what have you....  my view anyways

regarding heavier wings,  I don't think you are thinking the wings in the later models have fuel cells............ only the F4U-1 & -1A  are the heavy wings relating to fuel...... the torque issue was there from the beginning ........ because they wanted that big arse WASP radial engine 

Bodhi is one lucky fella to have a job like his

   <--- Big & Blue ...... love em

cheers

TC

It is not close enough to the centerline for there not to be a very specific reason as to use a single tank on the left side.  I am asking in terms "the reason why" beyond AH assuming that AH is modeling that load out correctly.

Again, because this keeps coming up,  I understand in our game it makes little difference.  I get that.  Moving on...Why is it on the left?

[Widewing]

The weight of the tank (6.84 lbs/gal * 150gallons = 1026lbs)? About the same as a 1000lb bomb.

100/130 avgas weighs 6.029 lbs per gallon, or just over 904 lbs per 150 gallons.

[Seanaldinho]

It is not close enough to the centerline for there not to be a very specific reason as to use a single tank on the left side.  I am asking in terms "the reason why" beyond AH assuming that AH is modeling that load out correctly.

Again, because this keeps coming up,  I understand in our game it makes little difference.  I get that.  Moving on...Why is it on the left?

Maybe HT saw more pictures with it on the left then on the right. The point is why bother? They may have flipped a coin for all we know.

[TequilaChaser]

No, I mean you can select a single droptank in the hanger, but it hangs offset to the left instead of on the right which I would have thought would make more sense.

ok, MK-84, if you don't mind Sir, why do you think that it would make more sense for it to be on the right when selecting a single Drop Tank in the Hangar for the F4U-1C, -1D and -4  F4U planes ?

since none of these planes have fuel cells in their wings...... 


TC

[Chalenge]

Easy answer: because when you carry a bomb and a drop tank at the same time you will likely drop the tank first. Maybe its easier to code it once?

If you look on the cover of "in detail & scale" for the F4U (Part 2) all of the planes on the carrier deck have one tank and they are on the right wing. I believe they are F4U-4s. Same thing on pg 37 (F4U-4s).

[MAINER]

Dunno...(This is an F4u-5, the funny pod is radar, I think
(Image removed from quote.)

That plane (An F4U-5NE) came to the museum I work at. I got to sit in it!  The NE stands for night fighter all weather. That model had de-icing boots on the wings.

[bj229r]

That plane (An F4U-5NE) came to the museum I work at. I got to sit in it!  The NE stands for night fighter all weather. That model had de-icing boots on the wings.

VERY COOL!

[USAF2010]

Perhaps they were thinking along the line of taking one drop tank and a 1000lb bomb.....

.... in theory, the drop tank would be dropped first, then later the bomb, leaving the heavier weight on the right side of the A/C.

Once they did this, maybe they just left it as is for when selecting just one to make coding/modeling easier?

Just a thought....

-INCOMING

[MK-84]

Perhaps they were thinking along the line of taking one drop tank and a 1000lb bomb.....

.... in theory, the drop tank would be dropped first, then later the bomb, leaving the heavier weight on the right side of the A/C.

Once they did this, maybe they just left it as is for when selecting just one to make coding/modeling easier?

Just a thought....

-INCOMING

Thats kinda the answer I was looking for. Was hoping someone had data or something to show why.  Again this is a question out of curiousity, not trying to prove or disprove a thing.

[mtnman]

So, looking through one of my F4U books (and to stir the pot)...

Motorbooks International Warbird History.  F4U Corsair, Combat, Development, and Racing History (Nicholas Veronico, with John and Donna Campbell).

In the photos in the book, in every case where a radar pod has been mounted (on the starboard wing) the drop tank was mounted on the port side.  This would almost seem logical, if they were making some effort to balance the ship?

However...

In the rest of the photos, the single tank is mounted on the starboard side!

They're either mounted in pairs, as singles on the center point (including on planes that are identified as F4U-1D's!) or as singles on the starboard point.

I see photos of F4U-4's with a single tank mounted on the right (and NONE with the single mounted on the left).

This includes photos with a DT mounted on the right, with a 500# bomb on the left...  Again, this would seem logical if the intent was to drop the bomb, but bring the DT back to reuse it...

Now, I wouldn't want to jump to the assumption that it was more common to mount it on the right than the left, but based on the photos in this book, it was common, at  least, to do so.  And the practice occurred during WWII, as well as after with the use of the later-model F4U's.

I've also looked at the photos closely, making sure they hadn't just been printed in reverse...  The difference between these photos, and the ones that I generally see when I do a Google search for images is that these are older photos..

Here's one that's in my book-

http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/worldwariiaircraft/ig/American-WWII-Fighters/F4U-Corsair.htm

And another-

http://phoenixv.hubpages.com/hub/F4U-Corsair

[MK-84]

ok, MK-84, if you don't mind Sir, why do you think that it would make more sense for it to be on the right when selecting a single Drop Tank in the Hangar for the F4U-1C, -1D and -4  F4U planes ?

since none of these planes have fuel cells in their wings...... 


TC

I not sure I understand how not having fuel cells in the wings relates?

But the torque of the aircraft will want to pull the plane to the left.  Since the droptank is offset to the left as well this would only exasperate the tendency to roll left.  Putting the tank on the right side would help to balance the effects of torque. 

Basically it seems that the aircraft would be better balanced with a single tank on the right as opposed to on the left.  I am working with the assumption that our game models correctly this particular loadout.  So the question remains as to why this seemingly odd arrangement.