Warbird Information Exchange

Can someone tell me what sort of fuel mileage an F4U-4 (P&W 2800) might get? My brother and I were trying to figure out, given an annual fuel budget of X dollars, how often you could fly an F4U-4 warbird versus a Cessna 172. As a guesstimate, I figured 4 annual trips in the Corsair at a duration of about 2 hours each, would equate to about 24 annual trips of the same duration in the Cessna. But now I'm thinking the disparity may be even greater?

Any help or insight appreciated. Great site, btw!


Fred B.

I'd be interested to know the specifics for a single R-2800-engined plane, too.

Two R2800's on a PV-2 drink 600 gph at takeoff power, and around 170 gph at cruise, autolean. We flight plan a gallon per mile, and that works well as a rule of thumb.

I'd expect that a single-engine R2800 aircraft, like a Corsair, wouldn't necessarily cut those figures completely in half. But then again, maybe it would.

You can't justify it by miles/gallon, but the satisfaction factor is what sells it!

For instance, when you fly a 172, you grin, when you fly a Corsair, the smile stays on for a week.

_________________
If God had wanted man to fly behind a flat motor, Pratt Whitney would've built one.

Having just paid for a Corsair to attend a show, I can help a little.
This Corsair operator figured a rate of 80 gallons/hour for the airplane.

Cruising to and from shows can be a little more economical then the actually show fuel usage, but usually they're only flying about 20 minutes each performance. We figured 20 minutes flight time during each show at 100 gallons/ hour.
This gave us a comfortable margin for budgeting.

Don't forget the oil!
Oil is about $100.00 for 5 gallons and a Corsair LIKES oil!
Jerry

_________________
"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Any R2800 is going to distribute the oil. I used to be alarmed about it, until I saw historical photos that showed the exact same distribution patterns.

Eighty gal/hr at cruise sounds reasonable for planning. Our 170 gal/hr figure is for two engines with a little fudge factor built in on the conservative side. A corsair's single engine has a lot less airplane to drag around, too.

Bringing the power up to do high performance things will increase the consumption like crazy, but like Jerry sez, it's only for a little while. And that's why the people come to the shows, isn't it?

If you know what HP requirement would be it can be calculated pretty close. I'd make a guess of 80 to 100 gallons per hour.
Maybe 1/2 gallon a mile at cruise.

if you have to ask...you can't afford one.

_________________
EVERYTHING that CAN fly should be ALLOWED to FLY!
IWO JIMA'S best narative..."GOD ISN'T HERE"
http://www.amazon.com/God-Isnt-Here-Ame ... 0976154706


P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.

S: Took hammer away from midget.

Oh, I know I can't afford one. Either one, for that matter. But as a fan it's still immense fun to ponder. And I really appreciate all the helpful replies!

Using 80 gal/hour as a typical baseline for the Corsair, and 8 gal/hour for the Cessna 172, it looks like you could fly ten times as often in the Cessna on a given budget, eh? And even more I guess, when you included the cost of oil (not to mention insurance, maintenance, storage, etc.).

I can certainly appreciate the "smiles stays for a week" aspect. That's what started the whole conversation between my brother and I. I said I'd rather fly four times a year in a Corsair, than 24 times a year in a 172.

Unfortunately, I don't believe there are any two-seat F4U-4s (my favorite warbird), so my chances of riding in one are pretty non-existent unless I hit the lotto

Anyway, thanks guys! Info is much appreciated!


Fred B.

Here you go if your not a fat dude.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pP6212YaFs

There are many 2 seat Corsairs out there. Your chances of getting a ride are pretty high, provided you have the cash. They are not cheap at all!

The Pilots Operating Instructions I have for the FG-1D I am restoring and will be flying calls for Max Cruise 2150rpm, 34" manifold, normal blower, mixture control in Auto lean, Fuel flow at 83gph.(thats for a -8 engine) Now the big variable is altitude for Indicated airspeed, so your going to get anywhere from 180k to 240k. It would probably be safe to figure around 240k at a descent altitude and civilian weight. So figure around 4 miles per minute. You can come up with all kinds of numbers from there.

As a side note, my T-28(R-1820) is very predictable. I flight plan for a gallon a minute and 3 miles a minute. My Shaden is never off by more than 3 to 5 gallons, whether Im going 60 miles or 400. However when doing formation flying that all goes out the window. It takes another credit card for formation flying.
I can count on 3mpg for the T-28. Makes the SNJ and C310 seem cheap!
Chuck
www.cwahl.com

Just checked the UK CAA Airworthiness Approval Note for the former OFMC FG-1D G-BXUL, now based in New Zealand.

Here's the part on fuel consumption:

Fuel

Total contents - 235 US galls
Cruise 2000 ft - 70 US galls/hr (30" 2100)
6 min display - 20 US galls
Min D/W - 70 US galls (reserve tank ON)

I haven't got my copy of the UK Pliots Notes for the Corsair handy at present to check the fuel consumption figures, but I'll dig them out later.

Cheers

Paul

Thanks Chuck, Paul and others!

I do remember now reading about restored Corsairs with small jump seats behind the cockpit. And I know there are some Mustang T-51s with full rear controls. I'm currently 5'10", 185, so if I don't get fatter too fast I guess my dream of a Corsair ride might still be feasible.

And certainly more feasible than my other aviation dream; F-14 take-off and landing on a carrier.

(I won't even mention the F-22 Raptor... <grin>)

The information ya'll have provided has been very welcomed. Previously I had only the overall range of the aircraft to go by, and no confirmed info on internal fuel capacity for the F4U-4.

And while I love all Corsairs, the F4U-4 is far and away my favorite model. Saw one up close at Pima last year, though I've yet to catch one at an airshow.

One more question (especially for you experienced guys):

Let's say you were flying a P-51D from a private airstrip in eastern Oregon to a small, public airstrip in the Willamette Valley (near Portland)... 305 highway miles. Any suggestion as to ideal cruise altitude and true (cruise) airspeed for such a flight plan? The tallest object you might encounter would be Mt. Hood, of course, at 11,249' above sea level. I know there's also a commercial jet corridor the runs (roughly) up the Columbia River Gorge, so the ideal altitude may need to take this into account.

This question spawns from a short story I'm writing (fictional). I'd like to make sure I have my information at least reasonably correct though. The story currently portrays an estimated 220 mile, mostly direct route at a cruise elevation of 28,000' and about 380 mph true airspeed. Does this sound reasonable? Flight duration would be, what, about 40 minutes in the air?


Fred B.

Start this as a new thread with a clear title, and I'm sure one or two of the Mustang drivers will be along with chapter & verse for you.

Cheers,

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 4:35 pm Post subject:

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And while I love all Corsairs, the F4U-4 is far and away my favorite model. Saw one up close at Pima last year, though I've yet to catch one at an airshow


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