Author Topic: What is the trick to takeoff/landing a corsair?  (Read 613 times)

Offline monkeylove

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What is the trick to takeoff/landing a corsair?
« on: September 06, 2010, 01:22:03 PM »
I can not even takeoff without auto-take off.  I seem to be confused by what inputs are required.  In real life I have landed cessnas never a tail dragger.  been so long i dont remember the rules except for fly the airplane all the way to park.  but no matter what i do i cant do this in the FAU series.  Please help,  how can i fight if i cant even get off ground, let alone land?

Offline Jayhawk

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Re: What is the trick to takeoff/landing a corsair?
« Reply #1 on: September 06, 2010, 01:25:14 PM »
What seems to be the problem with it?  Use subtle yaw control to stay as strait as your can, at first don't worry if you veer off the runway a little bit.  Remember that pulling back on the stick locks the tail wheel in place, this can be helpful for getting rolling.
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Offline ImADot

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Re: What is the trick to takeoff/landing a corsair?
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2010, 02:02:19 PM »
A couple of things to keep in mind:

For takeoff :
Throttle up slowly; you'll see which way you need to push the rudder to stay straight. Until you get used to the feel, use F3 view (and F8 to scroll you view) to make it easier to see where you're going.

For landing: 
Get slow, use flaps and ride the stall buzzer at touchdown.  Use gentle rudder and brakes to control yourself until stopped.
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Offline Muzzy

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Re: What is the trick to takeoff/landing a corsair?
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2010, 02:02:35 PM »
A notch or 2 of flaps, especially if you're heavy, or taking off from a CV.


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Offline Soulyss

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Re: What is the trick to takeoff/landing a corsair?
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2010, 02:13:49 PM »
You can also hold the joystick full back to lock the tail wheel until you reach two wheel speed on take off, or after the tail settles on landing.
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Offline Ghastly

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Re: What is the trick to takeoff/landing a corsair?
« Reply #5 on: September 06, 2010, 02:20:40 PM »
monkeylove, you almost have to have rudders to take off in the F4U's.  Do you?

(The easy way)
If so, then what you do is pull the stick back just a tiny bit to lock the tailwheel.  Throttle up smoothly to about 60%, and while rolling out, use right rudder to keep your aircraft going straight down the runway.  It's very important to add and subtract right rudder smoothly and in small amounts. Don't oversteer, or you'll ground loop.  Don't understeer, or you'll veer off the runway to the left.  As you reach about 70 mph, open the throttle the rest of the way, and at about 100 mph, relax the slight back pressure you've been holding.  Fly it off the runway, and be prepared for the aircraft to roll left as it lifts.

After a while, you'll be able to open the throttle full and add WEP as soon the engine starts, throw 2 notches of flaps out as you hit rotation at about 90 or so and be airborne in a few hundred feet, but for now, the above procedure should make take-off's manageable.  

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Offline Ghastly

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Re: What is the trick to takeoff/landing a corsair?
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2010, 02:24:27 PM »
Landing.  Use 2 notches of flaps for landings, and maintain 100 mph on the approach.  As you flare reduce power and it'll settle right in.  Again, like take off, it's very important that you use rudder to keep it straight until you can brake it to a stop.  Brake carefully and smoothly, or it will ground loop. 
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Offline SPKmes

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Re: What is the trick to takeoff/landing a corsair?
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2010, 02:28:45 PM »
Unless you are trying to take off on a turning CV auto should work...You may need to check and calibrate your stick in windows and AH (There could be a little spiking happening)...if you are using auto take off and have a twisty stick keep your hands off the stick till at least the tail wheel is up.....You may find it helpful (if you use a twisty stick) to add some dampening to the rudder and/or adjust the scale of it so it is a little less responsive.

Check your stick first....

And for landing...as has been said...to time the lock back...I find that just as the plane starts on it's turn you can pull back on the stick with out the thing trying to take off again.
« Last Edit: September 06, 2010, 02:30:47 PM by SPKmes »

Offline SIK1

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Re: What is the trick to takeoff/landing a corsair?
« Reply #8 on: September 06, 2010, 04:28:53 PM »
When taking off in the corsair remember to ease the throttle forward, as you do gently apply right rudder. The rudder on the F4U's is big, real big. (A lot of rudder input in just about any phase of flight can cause problems.) Stick should be neutral or real close, when the plane is fast enough it will pretty much lift off on it's own, unless you like nose down trim like I do then slight back pressure to get it off the ground.

Landings are actually easier once you get use to it. Just like in real aircraft use the throttle for altitude and the stick for attitude you want to be configure for the landing in a three point attitude at about 100mph. I like too use full flaps for all my landings unless of course they are damaged. Crossing the threshold at about 85-90mph and 20ft with a decent rate <1,000fpm. When you are about 10-15 ft off the RW chop power and pull the stick back. Keep the back pressure on the stick through touch down and roll out, this locks the tail wheel. If you get a big bounce, release back pressure on stick, and keep the wings level. As the plane starts to settle again apply gentle back pressure on the stick, and a small addition of power if your sink rate is excessive. A word of caution, if you gob on the power at this point you will most likely bend your plane.

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Offline monkeylove

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Re: What is the trick to takeoff/landing a corsair?
« Reply #9 on: September 06, 2010, 05:47:19 PM »
Thank you all.
 knowing the tailwheel locks helps alot.

Rudder issues i am working on, I use saitek x45 throttle rudder wing seems very sensitive going to try adding dead zone next time up. 

thanks all   very frustrating knowing that this is a game but i have flown for real, and i cant even take off in a game



Offline Muzzy

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Re: What is the trick to takeoff/landing a corsair?
« Reply #10 on: September 06, 2010, 09:33:30 PM »
Remember that these birds are modeled pretty accurately and the corsair is known as the "ensign eliminator" for a reason.  It's probably just as tricky, if not more so, in real life.


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