ParkZone
An iconic Pacific fighter in a micro size package!
By Jim Wiggin PHOTOGRAPHY: JIM WIGGIN & FRANK FANELLI
drum beat and shrill sound of a hand cranked air raid siren, finally giving way to music announcing to everyone that it was time to watch the Black Sheep Squadron. Officially known as Baa Baa Black Sheep,
A
the show was a serialized and weekly tele- vised representation of a famous WWII Ma- rine Squadron. The sight of Richard Conrad portraying Major Gregory Boyington and jumping into the cockpit of his F4U Corsair, then tangling with the dreaded “Zekes” left a lasting impression in my young mind. Even at that age, I had no interest in talk-
ing mice or heroes with supernatural pow- ers. My heroes flew with wings of aluminum and guts. The highlight for me was to watch those massive blades start in motion as the starter whined and the 18-cylinder engine came to life. The sound of that Corsair in its epic battle against the Zero was forever im- printed on my brain. The original Corsair was designed and
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nyone my age or older probably re- members a Tuesday night when the stillness of the television waves was broken by a steady
built in February of 1938 based on a two- part design request from the U.S. Navy Bu- reau of Aeronautics. One of those requests was for a single engine fighter with a high rate of speed but with a stalling speed no higher than 70 mph. The range was speci- fied to be 1,000 miles and carry four guns as well as hard points on the wing to allow ad- dition of small bombs. By June of 1938, the U.S. Navy had signed a contract with Vought to build a prototype. In February of 1939, the XF4U-1 prototype with its proto- type Pratt & Whitney double row, 18-cylin- der radial engine progressed into what would become the iconic Whistling Death of the Pacific. The combat Corsair that we all know and love started full production in De- cember of 1942 and lasted until 1953. It is interesting to note that the Corsair was used in 1969 by both El Salvador and Hon- duras in the last air battle to use piston pow- ered aircraft in the 1969 Football (Soccer) War. Today, many Corsairs survive around the world on display in museums, airports and in the air, a true testament to the air- craft’s design.
AT A GLANCE Type:
Construction: Wing span: Wing area: Airfoil: Length: Weight:
Wing loading: Motor:
Battery: Radio:
Manufacturer:
R/C micro sport scale foam
15.9 inches 48.7 sq. in.
undercambered 12.8 inches 41.8 grams
86 grams/sq.oz.
8.5 mm coreless brushed 150 mAh 1S 3.7V 4-channel
(Spektrum DX-8 used in review) ParkZone
Dist. by: Horizon Hobby 4105 Fieldstone Road, Champaign, IL 61822 217-352-1913
www.horizonhobby.com FEBRUARY 2012
CORSAIR F4U
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