F4U help

[Cajunn]

BY dropping the tail hook locks the tail wheel or is there something I don't know about

[Spatula]

The tail hook doesn't automatically go down when you extend the under carriage. Im pretty sure the tail hook doesnt look the tail wheel. Holding full back on the stick does, irrespective of tail hook out or not. Runway landings, no hook.
Carrier landings are a different kettle of fish. I tend to come in a bit hotter and make sure i come down onto the deck moderately hard (nice and positive like) with hook out and if she don't catch, i power up and go round. Too slow on your approach (eg like a runway landing slow), you wont have the airspeed to lift off and go around.

[Delirium]

F4u's were called "Ensign eliminators"

This was mostly do the snaproll/stall the F4U would enter at low speed... the F4U in AH has little to none of this characteristic, unfortunately. Don't take my word for it tho;

Ok, I like the F4U very much, but it is entirely too stable at low speeds. More so than the F6F, which set the standard for carrier fighter stability around the boat.  You can fly it down to 60 mph, nose high and cob the power with not a hint of instability. Historically, it's wrong, period. I've discussed this with a gentleman who flew the F4U-4 and F4U-5. When I described the low-speed handling behavior he wrote back and said, "if I had attempted what you described, I wouldn't be here to discuss it with you."

In a discussion with a local FG-1D owner, he described low speed, high power handling as "like a fat girl on a surfboard."

As far as I can remember, the F4U was always good with flaps out. After the drag model update it went from just good to absolutely ridiculous. Ditto for the 109s to lesser degree.

There was a warbird pilot who owned an F4U and flew AH...I was talking to him and he'd just sold his F4U. I asked him why and he said he was scared every time he flew it. He called it totally unforgiving of any error on takeoff or landing....

All the people that I know that fly the Corsair say keep it fast.  Don't screw around low and slow, and don't you dare stall it.

(yes, I am having a quiet night at work tonight. I am guessing Bodhi is talking about real F4U pilots given his profession, if this is in error, I apologize)

[FentFV]

For landing the Corsairs, I've found that I can prevent rolling by pulsing the wheel brakes, not holding them down -- kinda like an anti-lock brake.  I prefer to land them on a carrier -- as mentioned, come in verry slow with tailhook extended (Shift-G) and gear down.  If you're slow enough with nose up, you can get a nice smooth landing.  If you don't destroy your prop, you can even re-arm and re-up.

For jabo runs off a carrier, a prefer the Hellcat (F6F) - it seems to be better at taking a beating than the Corsair and it's not a bad little dogfighter, either.

[Cajunn]

Thanks for all the help guys, I'm now training with mtnman and everything is going very well....so thanks again!

Cajunn