In talking with several W.A.R. Drivers about flying the W.A.R. birds everyone has said they are a "blast" to fly. They are very aerobatic, capable of basic aerobatics. They have a very fast roll rate and are very responsive. It soon became evident that anyone who wants to fly W.A.R. aircraft should have time in a dual Pitts. The FW-190 and the P-47 Thunderbolt are straigthforward to fly and land. The following points concern flying the W.A.R. Corsair.
It seems WAR Corsair drivers will have to forego the "NAVY" landing for the "Airforce" landing. >grin< It eats up more runway but it is a LOT easier on props.
Mark Barry says of his W.A.R. Corsair;
1. No real quirks on takeoff. You push the nose over at 40 mph. and rotate at about 75 + mph. But I did several high speed taxi runs before getting it airborne. That proved to be very useful when I flew it for the first time. Highly recommended!
2. Stalls are quite interesting in the 1/2 scale F4-U Corsair. Because f the placementof the vertical stabilizer and that long tail cone at the end, the plane stalls tail first for a second then will drop the left wing and will try to go inverted, depending if you are doing a power on stall or not. I do not recommend spins but we have done loops and rolls in it. The rudder is VERY sensitive for rolls! Stalls are around 65-70 mph.
3. Landings can be quite exciting and you need to really be AHEAD of the plane. I DO NOT recommend 3 point landings, nor will anyone-else who flies the F4-U. Wheel landings are the only type of landing you should do in this plane .... PERIOD !
OTHER COMMENTS: keep in mind that every W.A.R. 1/2 scale F4-U built has had an accident, either on the ground or in the air. It takes an above average pilot to fly one of these 1/2 scales (and a thin person) I would recommend getting Pitts time or even a Swift.
Robert Chubaty has been flying his W.A.R. Corsair for about 11 yrs and writes about his W.A.R. Corsair :
"It flies really well but is a handful during take offs in a crosswind, you have to pay attention. You have to be on the ball for crosswinds from the left. The dihydral in the outer wing panels keeps one wing from flying long after the downwind wing is raring to go; and the smallish rudder will keep you on your toes but in normal conditions it is easy to take off and land. I have landed in a 90 degree wind at 20 mph. and once it was down it was solid. WHEEL LANDINGS ONLY !! 3 pointers are too exciting !!!"
Robert also says " Because of a faulty prop. I had to shut down the engine and make a deadstick landing. I landed hard in a plowed field and folded the gear up and slid to a stop in less than 100 ft. If you're going to crack up a plane then this is ideal 'cause it is tough and was back in the air in a couple of months." He also says, " When you climb out of this plane after a flight you know that you have done something that not many people will ever experience with production aircraft."
Pete Johnson has a W.A.R. Corsair and adds to Robert Chubaty's comments:
I agree with him on the ground handling and control during takeoff. It's not the problem many people talk about. I agree with him on the strength of the structure.
There you have 3 opinions directed at the W.A.R. Corsair. Like the original, you have to pay attention and give her the respect she is due. If you do that, you have a flyable, fun aircraft that will be talked about everywhere you go.
All comments about the flying characteristics of the various W.A.R. models will be eagerly accepted and a great help to new W.A.R. builders.
