Question about the Vintage Wings of Canada Corsair

Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:16 am

I kniow this a/c was supposed to be restored as closely as possible to factory specification...did that include the R-2800? Was a Corsair relevant P&W installed in that airframe? I know a lot of Corsairs fly with later engines...was just curious abou this one. Thanks

Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:59 am

I think it's an early one. It has a 3-bladed prop, after all. I don't fly it (I fly some of the others there), but I don't recall any ADI (water-methanol) around the hangar.

Mike Hennigar posts here occasionally. He's a photographer. Perhaps you could ask him to take a close-up of the engine data-plate. I won't be there until Nov 6.

Dave

Mon Oct 26, 2009 11:09 am

Dave Hadfield wrote:I think it's an early one. It has a 3-bladed prop, after all. I don't fly it (I fly some of the others there), but I don't recall any ADI (water-methanol) around the hangar.

Mike Hennigar posts here occasionally. He's a photographer. Perhaps you could ask him to take a close-up of the engine data-plate. I won't be there until Nov 6.

Dave

Some have -79 (A-26) with downdraft carb and small accessory section.
At least 1 has a CB16 or later version of R-2800 installed with original Prop.
Rich

Mon Oct 26, 2009 12:45 pm

This is a quote from an article by Warbirds International-January/February 2004, on the aircraft, shortly after its restoration was completed:

"Ray Anderson built up the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial, creating an engine just as it was when installed in the Corsair at the Goodyear Factory. Ray also spent considerable time determining the exact paint specifications used on the engine."

There isn't any other mention about the engine within the article other than this.

Mon Oct 26, 2009 12:53 pm

I'm pretty sure it's a R-2800-8W, which would be correct for this particular corsair variant.

Cheers,
Richard

Mon Oct 26, 2009 4:17 pm

Thanks for the replies. Is there a large difference in power ouput between the -2800 variants? I had heard that the later engines were easier to maintain or easier to start?...something like that, can't remember exactly. It's awesome that the restorers went to that level of authenticity with the FG-1D. I like the scheme now, but man that plane was beautiful when it was in the factory-fresh markings...

Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:46 pm

FutureCorsairOwner wrote:Thanks for the replies. Is there a large difference in power ouput between the -2800 variants? I had heard that the later engines were easier to maintain or easier to start?...something like that, can't remember exactly. It's awesome that the restorers went to that level of authenticity with the FG-1D. I like the scheme now, but man that plane was beautiful when it was in the factory-fresh markings...

VWoC haven't changed the markings at all, except to put on few taped-on additional symbols (to change the American Star to a PTO FAA insignia, and add an X to the tail). It's still as beautiful as when it rolled off John Lane's assembly line...

I don't think that the later variants were better than the -8's actually. More power perhaps, but I know the -18 and -32 variants (as used on -4 and -5 corsairs) were real pigs at times.

Cheers,
Richard