When you can't afford a Corsair...

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Mon Sep 05, 2011 1:44 am

....go with an RV!

My father and I have spent the last eight years working to get this little beaut off the ground. Test flights coming very soon, finally. :supz:

The markings are that of an F4U-1D that flew combat strikes from the USS Bunker Hill over Okinawa and the Japanese home islands from January - May 1945. This was my Great Uncle Lt. Earl Wendell Langston's squadron. After being shot down, rescued, and Kamikazed during WWII he went on to fly F4U-4's over Korea with VMF-312 "Checkerboarders" and VMF-323 "Death Rattlers".

I always wanted an all-metal 70% scale kit Corsair based around the Russian M-14P radial engine but no enterprising minds have made that one a reality yet. I think the RV-4 is perfectly suited to my limited skills and budget; 160hp, 200mph, 2-place, fully aerobatic...just a fun little would-be warbird trainer.

Now to paint the wings, complete the markings, final assembly, etc...then fun!

The Inspector · **Posted:** Mon Sep 05, 2011 9:22 am

Nice job on a really neat airplane! I like RV's design and performance and often wondered if you could remove the bubble canopy and fabricate a two holer (or single) open pit for really warm and sunny days or a different look.

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 05, 2011 4:34 pm

That's a beautiful paint job. Hope people ask you about the paint job so you can tell 'em about your uncle.

Ryan

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Mon Sep 05, 2011 5:14 pm

Me too Ryan. The paint actually is Federal spec Glossy Sea Blue but the flourescent lighting almost makes it look black in these photos. We put a lot of effort into capturing the right scale and dimension of the squadron markings, and translating them from one airframe type to the other. I've seen too many homebuilts wearing poorly executed military schemes and I wanted to make sure we didn't add to those ranks.

Inspector, I believe there is at least one guy who modified either an RV-3 or RV-4 with open cockpit, but his design was not as attractive as it could have been if I remember correctly. Our next project is a Skybolt that's been retrofitted with a bubble by the previous owner. We're going to take it back to open cockpit for the very reasons you stated. Louisiana gets HOT, and open cockpits just make more sense with a biplane IMO.

The Inspector · **Posted:** Mon Sep 05, 2011 6:33 pm

You'll love the SKYBOLT! Years and years ago a co-worker and his brother built a symetrical wing 'Bolt and it was an absolute blast!!!!

Jerry O'Neill · **Posted:** Mon Sep 05, 2011 9:33 pm

Rob,
That's a sweet looking RV paint scheme!
If we do a 75th Anniversary of the Corsair, you gotta fly it up to CT!
Jerry

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Nice looking airplane! Congrats!

There is a SuperSkybolt renting space in my hangar, and I believe that it is for sale...

Saludos,

Tulio

F3A-1 · **Posted:** Tue Sep 06, 2011 9:09 am

Rob,

That is a GREAT looking little Corsair. You can't go wrong with an RV. I know a couple of retired fighter pilots in my area with Navy blue RVs and they love them. Yours looks better by the way. The flight handling of the Vans designs are absolutely fabulous. The ailerons just scream "roll me".

Pirate Lex

jaybird · **Posted:** Tue Sep 06, 2011 1:20 pm

Big thumbs up. It looks great. The 1st flight will be as exciting as your 1st solo.

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:11 pm

Hey, can anyone tell me what the regulation is for applying an N-number to experimental aircraft? I had always presumed we could mimick the same format seen on many warbirds where three-inch characters are applied under the horizontal stabilizer. I recently read an essay by an EAA author who mentioned that the number had to be displayed where it could be viewed from above and below. I'm not sure why the rules would apply differently between the two aircraft types.

jaybird · **Posted:** Tue Sep 06, 2011 11:44 pm

14 CFR part 45 should cover it.

Here's an A/C that should also help:

http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies ... ntID/99773

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Wed Sep 07, 2011 1:59 am

Excellent Jaybird. It looks like there's a route to obtaining alternate N-number configurations via special request to the FAA. I'll hold out hope that it's a straight forward process. With enough examples of the configuration I'm interested in maybe I can wrangle an exception out of them.

aeroeng · **Posted:** Wed Sep 07, 2011 5:32 am

Super cool paint job & plane.

aeroeng

Invader26 · **Joined:** Wed Aug 11, 2010 7:56 am **Posts:** 843

Real nice indeed. Don't forget to show her to us finished.... :drink3:

WWIIABN · **Joined:** Wed Dec 23, 2009 5:23 pm **Posts:** 27

Great looking RV. Can't wait to see finished/flying photos.

I was in the market for an RV-4 about four years ago. Bought my Swift (O-300 engine) instead. Still want an RV someday though.

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