Historical F4U Corsair

F4U Corsair
Role	Homebuilt aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Historical Aircraft Corporation
Status	Production completed
Developed from	Chance-Vought F4U Corsair

The Historical F4U Corsair is an American homebuilt aircraft that was designed and produced by the Historical Aircraft Corporation of Nucla, Colorado. The aircraft is a 60% scale replica of the original Chance-Vought F4U Corsair and when it was available was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.^[1]

Design and development

The aircraft features a cantilever low gull wing, a single-seat enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, retractable conventional landing gear and a single engine in tractor configuration.^[1]

The aircraft is made from welded steel tubing covered in a shell of polyurethane foam and fiberglass. Its 24.80 ft (7.6 m) span wing, mounts flaps and has a wing area of 127.5 sq ft (11.85 m²). The cockpit width is 21 in (53 cm). The standard engine used is the 230 hp (172 kW) Ford Motor Company V-6 automotive conversion powerplant.^[1]

The aircraft has a typical empty weight of 1,405 lb (637 kg) and a gross weight of 2,004 lb (909 kg), giving a useful load of 599 lb (272 kg). With full fuel of 45 U.S. gallons (170 L; 37 imp gal) the payload for pilot and baggage is 329 lb (149 kg).^[1]

The aircraft has fairly lengthy runway requirements with a standard day sea level take-off distance of 1,200 ft (366 m) and a landing distance of 1,500 ft (457 m).^[1]

The kit included prefabricated assemblies, the engine and scale fixed pitch propeller, instruments and avionics. The manufacturer estimated the construction time from the supplied kit as 2000 hours.^[1]

Specifications (F4U)

Data from AeroCrafter^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: one
• Length: 21.20 ft (6.46 m)
• Wingspan: 24.80 ft (7.56 m)
• Wing area: 127.5 sq ft (11.85 m²)
• Empty weight: 1,405 lb (637 kg)
• Gross weight: 2,004 lb (909 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 45 U.S. gallons (170 L; 37 imp gal)
• Powerplant: 1 × Ford Motor Company V-6 four stroke automotive conversion powerplant, 230 hp (170 kW)
• Propellers: 4-bladed fixed pitch composite

Performance

• Maximum speed: 256 mph (412 km/h; 222 kn)
• Cruise speed: 225 mph (196 kn; 362 km/h)
• Stall speed: 55 mph (48 kn; 89 km/h) flaps and gear down
• Range: 650 mi (565 nmi; 1,046 km)
• Service ceiling: 26,250 ft (8,001 m)
• Rate of climb: 2,235 ft/min (11.35 m/s)
• Wing loading: 15.72 lb/sq ft (76.8 kg/m²)

References

1. Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition, page 176. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998. ISBN 0-9636409-4-1