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Vought F4U Corsair

April 13, 2024

"F3A" redirects here. For the car transmission, see Mazda F3A transmission.

The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contracts were given to Goodyear, whose Corsairs were designated FG, and Brewster, designated F3A.

F4U/FG/F3A Corsair
A restored F4U-4 Corsair in Korean War-era U.S. Marine Corps markings
Role Carrier-based fighter-bomber
National origin United States
Manufacturer Chance Vought
Built by Goodyear
Brewster
First flight 29 May 1940
Introduction 28 December 1942
Retired
  • 1953 (United States)
  • 1979 (Honduras)
Primary users United States Navy
Produced 1942–1953[1]
Number built 12,571[2]
Variants Goodyear F2G Corsair

The Corsair was designed and operated as a carrier-based aircraft, and entered service in large numbers with the U.S. Navy in late 1944 and early 1945. It quickly became one of the most capable carrier-based fighter-bombers of World War II.[3] Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II and its naval aviators achieved an 11:1 kill ratio.[4][5] Early problems with carrier landings and logistics led to it being eclipsed as the dominant carrier-based fighter by the Grumman F6F Hellcat, powered by the same Double Wasp engine first flown on the Corsair's initial prototype in 1940.[6] Instead, the Corsair's early deployment was to land-based squadrons of the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy.

The Corsair served almost exclusively as a fighter-bomber throughout the Korean War and during the French colonial wars in Indochina and Algeria.[7] In addition to its use by the U.S. and British, the Corsair was also used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, French Naval Aviation, and other air forces until the 1960s.

From the first prototype delivery to the U.S. Navy in 1940, to final delivery in 1953 to the French, 12,571 F4U Corsairs were manufactured[2] in 16 separate models. Its 1942–1953 production run was the longest of any U.S. piston-engined fighter.[8][9][10]

Development edit

In February 1938, the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics published two requests for proposal for twin-engined and single-engined fighters. For the single-engined fighter, the Navy requested the maximum obtainable speed, and a minimum stalling speed not higher than 70 miles per hour (110 km/h). A range of 1,000 miles (1,600 km) was specified.[11] The fighter had to carry four guns, or three with increased ammunition. Provision had to be made for antiaircraft bombs to be carried in the wing. These small bombs would, according to thinking in the 1930s, be dropped on enemy aircraft formations.

 
The XF4U-1 prototype in 1940/41, showing its more forward cockpit location

In June 1938, the U.S. Navy signed a contract with Vought for a prototype bearing the factory designation V-166B,[6] the XF4U-1, BuNo 1443. The Corsair design team was led by Rex Beisel. After mock-up inspection in February 1939, construction of the XF4U-1 powered by an XR-2800-4 prototype of the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp twin-row, 18-cylinder radial engine, rated at 1,805 hp (1,346 kW) went ahead quickly, as the very first airframe ever designed from the start to have a Double Wasp engine fitted for flight.[6] When the prototype was completed, it had the biggest and most powerful engine, largest propeller, and probably the largest wing on any naval fighter to date.[12] The first flight of the XF4U-1 was made on 29 May 1940, with Lyman A. Bullard, Jr. at the controls. The maiden flight proceeded normally until a hurried landing was made when the elevator trim tabs failed because of flutter.[13][14]

On 1 October 1940, the XF4U-1 became the first single-engined U.S. fighter to fly faster than 400 mph (640 km/h) by flying at an average ground speed of 405 mph (652 km/h) from Stratford to Hartford.[15] The USAAC's twin engine Lockheed P-38 Lightning had flown over 400 mph in January–February 1939.[16] The XF4U-1 also had an excellent rate of climb, although testing revealed some requirements would have to be rewritten. In full-power dive tests, speeds up to 550 mph (890 km/h) were achieved, but not without damage to the control surfaces and access panels, and in one case, an engine failure.[17] The spin recovery standards also had to be relaxed, as recovery from the required two-turn spin proved impossible without resorting to an antispin chute.[16] The problems clearly meant delays in getting the design into production.

Reports coming back from the war in Europe indicated an armament of two .30 in (7.62 mm) synchronized engine cowling-mount machine guns, and two .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns (one in each outer wing panel) was insufficient. The U.S. Navy's November 1940 production proposals specified heavier armament.[18] The increased armament comprised three .50 caliber machine guns mounted in each wing panel. This improvement greatly increased the ability of the Corsair to shoot down enemy aircraft.

Formal U.S. Navy acceptance trials for the XF4U-1 began in February 1941. The Navy entered into a letter of intent on 3 March 1941, received Vought's production proposal on 2 April, and awarded Vought a contract for 584 F4U-1 fighters, which were given the name "Corsair" – inherited from the firm's late-1920s Vought O2U naval biplane scout, which first bore the name – on 30 June of the same year. The first production F4U-1 performed its initial flight a year later, on 24 June 1942.[19][20] It was a remarkable achievement for Vought; compared to land-based counterparts, carrier aircraft are "overbuilt" and heavier, to withstand the extreme stress of deck landings.

Design edit

 
2,000 hp (1,500 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-8 in a Goodyear FG-1 Corsair

Engine considerations edit

The F4U incorporated the largest engine available at the time, the 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) 18-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial. To extract as much power as possible, a relatively large Hamilton Standard Hydromatic three-blade propeller of 13 feet 4 inches (4.06 m) was used.

Landing gear and wings edit

 
Landing gear on an F4U-4 Corsair.

To accommodate a folding wing, the designers considered retracting the main landing gear rearward, but for the chord of wing that was chosen, making the landing gear struts long enough to provide ground clearance for the large propeller was difficult. Their solution was an inverted gull wing, which considerably shortened the required length of the struts.[21] The anhedral of the wing's inboard section also permitted the wing and fuselage to meet at the optimum angle for minimizing drag, without using wing-root fairings.[21] The bent wing was heavier and more difficult to construct, however, offsetting these benefits.

The Corsair's aerodynamics were an advance over those of contemporary naval fighters. The F4U was the first U.S. Navy aircraft to feature landing gear that retracted into a fully enclosed wheel well. The landing gear oleo struts—each with its own strut door enclosing it when retracted—rotated through 90° during retraction, with the wheel atop the lower end of the strut when retracted. A pair of rectangular doors enclosed each wheel well, leaving a streamlined wing.[22] This swiveling, aft-retracting landing gear design was common to the Curtiss P-40 (and its predecessor, the P-36), as adopted for the F4U Corsair's main gear and its erstwhile Pacific War counterpart, the Grumman F6F Hellcat. The oil coolers were mounted in the heavily anhedraled inboard section of the wings, alongside the supercharger air intakes, and used openings in the leading edges of the wings, rather than protruding scoops. The large fuselage panels were made of aluminum[23] and were attached to the frames with the newly developed technique of spot welding, thus mostly eliminating the use of rivets. While employing this new technology, the Corsair was also the last American-produced fighter aircraft to feature fabric as the skinning for the top and bottom of each outer wing, aft of the main spar and armament bays, and for the ailerons, elevators, and rudder. The elevators were also constructed from plywood.[24] The Corsair, even with its streamlining and high-speed abilities, could fly slowly enough for carrier landings with full flap deployment of 50°.

Technical issues edit

In part because of its advances in technology and a top speed greater than existing Navy aircraft, numerous technical problems had to be solved before the Corsair entered service. Carrier suitability was a major development issue, prompting changes to the main landing gear, tail wheel, and tailhook. Early F4U-1s had difficulty recovering from developed spins, since the inverted gull wing's shape interfered with elevator authority. It was also found that the Corsair's left wing could stall and drop rapidly and without warning during slow carrier landings.[25] In addition, if the throttle were suddenly advanced (for example, during an aborted landing) the left wing could stall and drop so quickly that the fighter could flip over with the rapid increase in power.[26] These potentially lethal characteristics were later solved through the addition of a small, 6 in (150 mm)-long stall strip to the leading edge of the outer right wing, just outboard of the gun ports. This allowed the right wing to stall at the same time as the left.[27]

 
An early F4U-1 showing the "birdcage" canopy with rearwards production cockpit location.

Other problems were encountered during early carrier trials. The combination of an aft cockpit and the Corsair's long nose made landings hazardous for newly trained pilots because of the lack of visibility due to said features. During landing approaches, it was found that oil from the opened hydraulically-powered cowl flaps could spatter onto the windscreen, severely reducing visibility, and the undercarriage oleo struts had bad rebound characteristics on landing, allowing the aircraft to bounce down the carrier deck.[27] The first problem was solved by locking the top cowl flaps in front of the windscreen down permanently, then replacing them with a fixed panel. The undercarriage bounce took more time to solve, but eventually a "bleed valve" incorporated in the legs allowed the hydraulic pressure to be released gradually as the aircraft landed. The Corsair was not considered fit for carrier use until the wing stall problems and the deck bounce could be solved.

Meanwhile, the more docile and simpler-to-build F6F Hellcat had begun entering service in its intended carrier-based use. The Navy wanted to standardize on one type of carrier fighter, and the Hellcat, while slower than the Corsair, was considered simpler to land on a carrier by an inexperienced pilot and proved to be successful almost immediately after introduction. The Navy's decision to choose the Hellcat meant that the Corsair was released to the U.S. Marine Corps. With no initial requirement for carrier landings, the Marine Corps deployed the Corsair to devastating effect from land bases. Corsair deployment aboard U.S. carriers was delayed until late 1944, by which time the last of the carrier landing problems, relating to the Corsair's long nose, had been tackled by the British.[N 1]

Design modifications edit

Production F4U-1s featured several major modifications from the XF4U-1. A change of armament to six wing-mounted .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns (three in each outer wing panel) and their ammunition (400 rounds for the inner pair, 375 rounds for the outer)[29] meant the location of the wing fuel tanks had to be changed. In order to keep the fuel tank close to the center of gravity, the only available position was in the forward fuselage, ahead of the cockpit. Accordingly, as a 237 US gal (897 L) self-sealing fuel tank replaced the fuselage mounted armament, the cockpit had to be moved back by 32 in (810 mm) and the fuselage lengthened.[21] Later on, different variants of the F4U were given different armaments. While most Corsair variants had the standard armament of six .50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns, some models (like the F4U-1C) were equipped with four 20 millimeter M2 cannons for its main weapon. While these cannons were more powerful than the standard machine guns, they were not favored over the standard loadout. Only 200 models of this particular Corsair model were produced, out of the total 12,571. Other variants were capable of carrying mission specific weapons such as rockets and bombs. The F4U was able to carry up to a total of eight rockets, or four under each wing. It was able to carry up to four thousand pounds of explosive ordnance. This helped the Corsair take on a fighter bomber role, giving it a more versatile role as a ground support aircraft as well as a fighter.[30] In addition, 150 lb (68 kg) of armor plate was installed, along with a 1.5 in (38 mm) bullet-proof windscreen which was set internally, behind the curved Plexiglas windscreen. The canopy could be jettisoned in an emergency, and half-elliptical planform transparent panels, much like those of certain models of the Curtiss P-40, were inset into the sides of the fuselage's turtledeck structure behind the pilot's headrest, providing the pilot with a limited rear view over his shoulders. A rectangular Plexiglas panel was inset into the lower center section to allow the pilot to see directly beneath the aircraft and assist with deck landings.[N 2] The engine used was the more powerful R-2800-8 (B series) Double Wasp which produced 2,000 hp (1,500 kW). On the wings the flaps were changed to a NACA slotted type and the ailerons were increased in span to increase the roll rate, with a consequent reduction in flap span. IFF transponder equipment was fitted in the rear fuselage. These changes increased the Corsair's weight by several hundred pounds.[31]

Performance edit

The performance of the Corsair was superior to most of its contemporaries. The F4U-1 was considerably faster than the Grumman F6F Hellcat and only 13 mph (21 km/h) slower than the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.[32][33][34] All three were powered by the R-2800. But whereas the P-47 achieved its highest speed at 30,020 feet (9,150 m) with the help of an intercooled turbocharger,[35] the F4U-1 reached its maximum speed at 19,900 ft (6,100 m)[36] using a mechanically supercharged engine.[37]

Operational history edit

World War II edit

U.S. service edit

Navy testing and release to the U.S. Marine Corps edit

The U.S. Navy received its first production F4U-1 on 31 July 1942, though getting it into service proved difficult. The framed "birdcage" style canopy provided inadequate visibility for deck taxiing, and the long "hose nose" and nose-up attitude of the Corsair made it difficult to see straight ahead. The enormous torque of the Double Wasp engine also made it a handful for inexperienced pilots if they were forced to bolter. Early Navy pilots called the F4U the "hog", "hosenose", or "bent-wing widow maker".[38]

Carrier qualification trials on the training carrier USS Wolverine and escort carriers USS Core and USS Charger in 1942 found that, despite visibility issues and control sensitivity, the Corsair was "...an excellent carrier type and very easy to land aboard. It is no different than any other airplane."[39] Two Navy units, VF-12 (October 1942) and later VF-17 (April 1943) were equipped with the F4U. By April 1943, VF-12 had successfully completed deck landing qualification.[40]

At the time, the U.S. Navy also had the Grumman F6F Hellcat, which did not have the performance of the F4U, but was a better deck landing aircraft. The Corsair was declared "ready for combat" at the end of 1942, though qualified to operate only from land bases until the last of the carrier qualification issues were worked out.[41] VF-17 went aboard the USS Bunker Hill in late 1943, and the Chief of Naval Operations wanted to equip four air groups with Corsairs by the end of 1943. The Commander, Air Forces, Pacific had a different opinion, stating that "In order to simplify spares problems and also to insure flexibility in carrier operations present practice in the Pacific is to assign all Corsairs to Marines and to equip FightRons [fighter squadrons] on medium and light carriers with Hellcats."[42] VF-12 soon abandoned its aircraft to the Marines. VF-17 kept its Corsairs, but was removed from its carrier, USS Bunker Hill, due to perceived difficulties in supplying parts at sea.[43]

The Marines needed a better fighter than the F4F Wildcat. For them, it was not as important that the F4U could be recovered aboard a carrier, as they usually flew from land bases. Growing pains aside, Marine Corps squadrons readily took to the radical new fighter.

Marine Corps combat edit
 
Vought F4U-1A Corsair, BuNo 17883, of Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, the commander of VMF-214, Vella Lavella end of 1943
 
Early F4U-1s of VF-17

From February 1943 onward, the F4U operated from Guadalcanal and ultimately other bases in the Solomon Islands. A dozen USMC F4U-1s of VMF-124, commanded by Major William E. Gise, arrived at Henderson Field (code name "Cactus") on 12 February. The first recorded combat engagement was on 14 February 1943, when Corsairs of VMF-124 under Major Gise assisted P-40s and P-38s in escorting a formation of Consolidated B-24 Liberators on a raid against a Japanese aerodrome at Kahili. Japanese fighters contested the raid and the Americans got the worst of it, with four P-38s, two P-40s, two Corsairs, and two Liberators lost. No more than four Japanese Zeros were destroyed. A Corsair was responsible for one of the kills, albeit due to a midair collision. The fiasco was referred to as the "Saint Valentine's Day Massacre".[44][45] Despite the debut, the Marines quickly learned how to make better use of the aircraft and started demonstrating its superiority over Japanese fighters. By May, the Corsair units were getting the upper hand, and VMF-124 had produced the first Corsair ace, Second Lieutenant Kenneth A. Walsh, who would rack up a total of 21 kills during the war.[46] He remembered:

I learned quickly that altitude was paramount. Whoever had altitude dictated the terms of the battle, and there was nothing a Zero pilot could do to change that — we had him. The F4U could outperform a Zero in every aspect except slow speed manoeuvrability and slow speed rate of climb. Therefore you avoided getting slow when combating a Zero. It took time but eventually we developed tactics and deployed them very effectively... There were times, however, that I tangled with a Zero at slow speed, one on one. In these instances I considered myself fortunate to survive a battle. Of my 21 victories, 17 were against Zeros, and I lost five aircraft in combat. I was shot down three times and I crashed one that ploughed into the line back at base and wiped out another F4U.[47]

VMF-113 was activated on 1 January 1943 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro as part of Marine Base Defense Air Group 41. They were soon given their full complement of 24 F4U Corsairs. On 26 March 1944, while escorting four B-25 bombers on a raid over Ponape, they recorded their first enemy kills, downing eight Japanese aircraft. In April of that year, VMF-113 was tasked with providing air support for the landings at Ujelang. Since the assault was unopposed, the squadron quickly returned to striking Japanese targets in the Marshall Islands for the remainder of 1944.

Corsairs were flown by the "Black Sheep" Squadron (VMF-214, led by Marine Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington) in an area of the Solomon Islands called "The Slot". Boyington was credited with 22 kills in F4Us (of 28 total, including six in an AVG P-40, although his score with the AVG has been disputed).[48] Other noted Corsair pilots of the period included VMF-124's Kenneth Walsh, James E. Swett, Archie Donahue, and Bill "Casey" Case; VMF-215's Robert M. Hanson and Donald Aldrich; and VF-17's Tommy Blackburn, Roger Hedrick, and Ira Kepford. Nightfighter versions equipped Navy and Marine units afloat and ashore.

One particularly unusual kill was scored by Marine Lieutenant R. R. Klingman of VMF-312 (the "Checkerboards") over Okinawa. Klingman was in pursuit of a Japanese twin-engine aircraft at high altitude when his guns jammed due to the gun lubrication thickening from the extreme cold. He flew up and chopped off the enemy's tail with the big propeller of the Corsair. Despite missing five inches (130 mm) off the end of his propeller blades, he managed to land safely after this aerial ramming attack. He was awarded the Navy Cross.[49]

At war's end, Corsairs were ashore on Okinawa, combating the kamikaze, and also were flying from fleet and escort carriers. VMF-312, VMF-323, VMF-224, and a handful of others met with success in the Battle of Okinawa.[50]

Field modifications for land-based Corsairs edit

Since Corsairs were being operated from shore bases, while still awaiting approval for U.S. carrier operations, 965 FG-1As were built as "land planes" without their hydraulic wing folding mechanisms, hoping to improve performance by reducing aircraft weight, with the added benefit of minimizing complexity.[51][52] (These Corsairs’ wings could still be manually folded.[53])

A second option was to remove the folding mechanism in the field using a kit, which could be done for Vought and Brewster Corsairs as well. On 6 December 1943, the Bureau of Aeronautics issued guidance on weight-reduction measures for the F4U-1, FG-1, and F3A. Corsair squadrons operating from land bases were authorized to remove catapult hooks, arresting hooks, and associated equipment, which eliminated 48 pounds of unnecessary weight.[51] While there are no data to indicate to what extent these modifications were incorporated, there are numerous photos in evidence of Corsairs, of various manufacturers and models, on islands in the Pacific without tailhooks installed.[54]

 
A Corsair fires its rockets at a Japanese stronghold on Okinawa
Fighter-bomber edit

Corsairs also served well as fighter-bombers in the Central Pacific and the Philippines. By early 1944, Marine pilots were beginning to exploit the type's considerable capabilities in the close-support role in amphibious landings. Charles Lindbergh flew Corsairs with the Marines as a civilian technical advisor for United Aircraft Corporation in order to determine how best to increase the Corsair's payload and range in the attack role and to help evaluate future viability of single- versus twin-engine fighter design for Vought.[55] Lindbergh managed to get the F4U into the air with 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg) of bombs, with a 2,000 pounds (910 kg) bomb on the centerline and a 1,000 pounds (450 kg) bomb under each wing.[56] In the course of such experiments, he performed strikes on Japanese positions during the battle for the Marshall Islands.[55]

By the beginning of 1945, the Corsair was a full-blown "mudfighter", performing strikes with high-explosive bombs, napalm tanks, and HVARs. It proved versatile, able to operate everything from Bat glide bombs to 11.75 in (298 mm) Tiny Tim rockets.[57] The aircraft was a prominent participant in the fighting for the Palaus, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Navy service edit

In November 1943, while operating as a shore-based unit in the Solomon Islands, VF-17 reinstalled the tail hooks so its F4Us could land and refuel while providing top cover over the task force participating in the carrier raid on Rabaul. The squadron's pilots landed, refueled, and took off from their former home, Bunker Hill and USS Essex on 11 November 1943.[58]

Twelve USMC F4U-1s arrived at Henderson Field (Guadalcanal) on 12 February 1943. The U.S. Navy did not get into combat with the type until September 1943. The work done by the Royal Navy's FAA meant those models qualified the type for U.S. carrier operations first. The U.S. Navy finally accepted the F4U for shipboard operations in April 1944, after the longer oleo strut was fitted, which eliminated the tendency to bounce.[59] The first US Corsair unit to be based effectively on a carrier was the pioneer USMC squadron VMF-124, which joined Essex in December 1944. They were accompanied by VMF-213. The increasing need for fighter protection against kamikaze attacks resulted in more Corsair units being moved to carriers.[60]

Sortie, kill and loss figures edit

U.S. figures compiled at the end of the war indicate that the F4U and FG flew 64,051 operational sorties for the U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy through the conflict (44% of total fighter sorties), with only 9,581 sorties (15%) flown from carrier decks.[61] F4U and FG pilots claimed 2,140 air combat victories against 189 losses to enemy aircraft, for an overall kill ratio of over 11:1.[62] While this gave the Corsair the lowest loss rate of any fighter of the Pacific War, this was due in part to operational circumstances; it primarily faced air-to-air combat in the Solomon Islands and Rabaul campaigns (as well as at Leyte and for kamikaze interception), but as operations shifted north and its mission shifted to ground attack the aircraft saw less exposure to enemy aircraft, while other fighter types were exposed to more air combat.[63] Against the best Japanese opponents, the aircraft claimed a 12:1 kill ratio against the Mitsubishi A6M Zero and 6:1 against the Nakajima Ki-84, Kawanishi N1K-J, and Mitsubishi J2M combined during the last year of the war.[64] The Corsair bore the brunt of U.S. fighter-bomber missions, delivering 15,621 short tons (14,171 metric tons) of bombs during the war (70% of total bombs dropped by U.S. fighters during the war).[62]

Corsair losses in World War II were as follows:

  • Aerial combat: 189
  • Enemy ground and shipboard anti-aircraft fire: 349
  • Operational losses during combat missions: 230
  • Operational losses during non-combat flights: 692
  • Destroyed aboard ships or on the ground: 164[62]

Royal Navy edit

Enhancement for carrier suitability edit
 
FAA Corsair Is at NAS Quonset Point, 1943.

In the early days of World War II, Royal Navy fighter requirements had been based on cumbersome two-seat designs, such as the fighter/dive-bomber Blackburn Skua (and its turreted derivative the Blackburn Roc) and the fighter/reconnaissance Fairey Fulmar, since it was expected that they would encounter only long-range bombers or flying boats and that navigation over featureless seas required the assistance of a radio operator/navigator.[N 3] The Royal Navy hurriedly adopted higher-performance single-seat aircraft such as the Hawker Sea Hurricane and the less robust Supermarine Seafire alongside, but neither aircraft had sufficient range to operate at a distance from a carrier task force. The Corsair was welcomed as a more robust and versatile alternative.[65]

In November 1943, the Royal Navy received its first batch of 95 Vought F4U-1s, which were given the designation "Corsair [Mark] I". The first squadrons were assembled and trained on the U.S. East Coast and then shipped across the Atlantic. The Royal Navy put the Corsair into carrier operations immediately. They found its landing characteristics dangerous, suffering a number of fatal crashes, but considered the Corsair to be the best option they had.

In Royal Navy service, because of the limited hangar deck height in several classes of British carrier, many Corsairs had their outer wings "clipped" by 8 in (200 mm) to clear the deckhead.[66] The change in span brought about the added benefit of improving the sink rate, reducing the F4U's propensity to "float" in the final stages of landing.[66]

The Royal Navy developed a number of modifications to the Corsair that made carrier landings more practical. Among these were a bulged canopy (similar to the Malcolm Hood), raising the pilot's seat 7 in (180 mm),[67] and wiring shut the cowl flaps across the top of the engine compartment, diverting oil and hydraulic fluid spray around the sides of the fuselage.[22] The curved approach used with the Seafire was also adopted for landing Corsairs, ensuring the flight deck was kept in sight as long as possible.[68][69]

Deployment edit

The Royal Navy initially received 95 "birdcage" F4U-1s from Vought which were designated Corsair Mk I in Fleet Air Arm service.[70] Next from Vought came 510 "blown-canopy" F4U-1A/-1Ds, which were designated Corsair Mk II (the final 150 equivalent to the F4U-1D, but not separately designated in British use).[71] 430 Brewster Corsairs (334 F3A-1 and 96 F3A-1D), more than half of Brewster's total production, were delivered to Britain as the Corsair Mk III.[72] 857 Goodyear Corsairs (400 FG-1/-1A and 457 FG-1D) were delivered and designated Corsair Mk IV.[73] The Mk IIs and Mk IVs were the only versions to be used in combat.[74]

The Royal Navy cleared the F4U for carrier operations well before the U.S. Navy and showed that the Corsair Mk II could be operated with reasonable success even from escort carriers. It was not without problems; one was excessive wear of the arrester wires, due both to the weight of the Corsair and the understandable tendency of the pilots to stay well above the stalling speed. A total of 2,012 Corsairs were supplied to the United Kingdom.[75]

Fleet Air Arm (FAA) units were created and equipped in the United States, at Quonset Point or Brunswick and then shipped to war theaters aboard escort carriers. The first FAA Corsair unit was 1830 NAS, created on the first of June 1943, and soon operating from HMS Illustrious. At the end of the war, 18 FAA squadrons were operating the Corsair. British Corsairs served both in Europe and in the Pacific. The first, and also most important, European operations were the series of attacks (Operation Tungsten) in April, July, and August 1944 on the German battleship Tirpitz, for which Corsairs from HMS Victorious and HMS Formidable provided fighter cover.[76] It appears the Corsairs did not encounter aerial opposition on these raids.[citation needed]

From April 1944, Corsairs from the British Pacific Fleet took part in several major air raids in South East Asia beginning with Operation Cockpit, an attack on Japanese targets at Sabang island, in the Dutch East Indies.[77]

In July and August 1945, Corsair naval squadrons 1834, 1836, 1841, and 1842 took part in a series of strikes on the Japanese mainland, near Tokyo. These squadrons operated from Victorious and Formidable.[78] On 9 August 1945, days before the end of the war, Corsairs from Formidable attacked Shiogama harbor on the northeast coast of Japan. Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve pilot, Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray, of 1841 Squadron was hit by flak but pressed home his attack on the Japanese destroyer escort Amakusa, sinking it with a 1,000 lb (450 kg) bomb but crashing into the sea. He was posthumously awarded Canada's last Victoria Cross, becoming the second fighter pilot of the war to earn a Victoria Cross as well as the final Canadian casualty of World War II.[79] [N 4]

 
1831 NAS Corsair aboard HMS Glory, off Rabaul, 1945, with added "bars" based on their 28 June 1943 adoption by the U.S. Navy

FAA Corsairs originally fought in a camouflage scheme with a Dark Slate Grey/Extra Dark Sea Grey disruptive pattern on top and Sky undersides, but were later painted overall dark blue.[citation needed] As it had become imperative for all Allied aircraft in the Pacific Theater of World War II to abandon all use of any "red devices" in their national insignia — to prevent any chance of misidentification with Japanese military aircraft, all of which bore the circular, all-red Hinomaru insignia (nicknamed a "meatball" by Allied aircrew[citation needed]) that is still in use to this day, the United States removed all areas of red color (specifically removing the red center to the roundel) and removed any sort of national fin/rudder markings, which at that time had seven horizontal red stripes, from the American national aircraft insignia scheme by 6 May 1942. The British did likewise, starting with a simple paintover with white paint, of their "Type C" roundel's red center, at about the time the U.S. Navy removed the red-center from their roundel. Later, a shade of slate gray center color replaced the white color on the earlier roundel. When the Americans starting using the added white bars to either side of their blue/white star roundel on 28 June 1943; SEAC British Corsairs, most all of which still used the earlier blue/white Type C roundel with the red center removed, added similar white bars to either side of their blue-white roundels to emulate the Americans.[citation needed]

In all, out of 18 carrier-based squadrons, eight saw combat, flying intensive ground attack/interdiction operations and claiming 47.5 aircraft shot down.[80]

At the end of World War II, under the terms of the Lend-Lease agreement, the aircraft had to be paid for or to be returned to the U.S. As the UK did not have the means to pay for them, the Royal Navy Corsairs were pushed overboard into the sea in Moreton Bay off Brisbane, Australia.[81][better source needed]

Royal New Zealand Air Force edit

Equipped with obsolete Curtiss P-40s, Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) squadrons in the South Pacific performed impressively, in particular in the air-to-air role. The American government accordingly decided to give New Zealand early access to the Corsair, especially as it was not initially being used from carriers. Some 424 Corsairs equipped 13 RNZAF squadrons, including No. 14 Squadron RNZAF and No. 15 Squadron RNZAF, replacing Douglas SBD Dauntlesses as well as P-40s.[82] Most of the F4U-1s[N 5] were assembled by Unit 60 with a further batch assembled and flown at RNZAF Station Hobsonville. In total there were 336 F4U-1s and 41 F4U-1Ds used by the RNZAF during the Second World War. Sixty FG-1Ds arrived late in the war.[83]

 
RNZAF Corsairs with a Royal Australian Air Force CAC Boomerang on Bougainville, 1945.

The first deliveries of lend-lease Corsairs began in March 1944 with the arrival of 30 F4U-1s at the RNZAF Base Depot Workshops (Unit 60) on the island of Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides. From April, these workshops became responsible for assembling all Corsairs for the RNZAF units operating the aircraft in the South West Pacific; and a Test and Despatch flight was set up to test the aircraft after assembly. By June 1944, 100 Corsairs had been assembled and test flown.[82] The first squadrons to use the Corsair were 20 and 21 Squadrons on Espiritu Santo, operational in May 1944. The organization of the RNZAF in the Pacific and New Zealand meant that only the pilots and a small staff belonged to each squadron (the maximum strength on a squadron was 27 pilots): squadrons were assigned to several Servicing Units (SUs, composed of 5–6 officers, 57 NCOs, 212 airmen) which carried out aircraft maintenance and operated from fixed locations:[84] hence F4U-1 NZ5313 was first used by 20 Squadron/1 SU on Guadalcanal in May 1944; 20 Squadron was then relocated to 2 SU on Bougainville in November.[85] In all there were ten front line SUs plus another three based in New Zealand. Because each of the SUs painted its aircraft with distinctive markings[86] and the aircraft themselves could be repainted in several different color schemes, the RNZAF Corsairs were far less uniform in appearance than their American and FAA contemporaries.[87] By late 1944, the F4U had equipped all ten Pacific-based fighter squadrons of the RNZAF.[83]

By the time the Corsairs arrived, there were very few Japanese aircraft left in New Zealand's allocated sectors of the Southern Pacific, and despite the RNZAF squadrons extending their operations to more northern islands, they were primarily used for close support of American, Australian, and New Zealand soldiers fighting the Japanese. At the end of 1945, all Corsair squadrons but one (No. 14) were disbanded. That last squadron was based in Japan, until the Corsair was retired from service in 1947.[88]

No. 14 Squadron was given new FG-1Ds and in March 1946 transferred to Iwakuni, Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force.[89] Only one airworthy example of the 437 aircraft procured survives: FG-1D NZ5648/ZK-COR, owned by the Old Stick and Rudder Company at Masterton, New Zealand.[90]

Captured Corsairs edit

On 18 July 1944, a British Corsair (serial JT404) of 1841 Naval Air Squadron, was involved in anti-submarine patrol from HMS Formidable as it returned to Scapa Flow after the Operation Mascot attack on the German battleship Tirpitz. It flew in company with a Fairey Barracuda. Due to technical problems the Corsair made an emergency landing in a field on Hamarøy north of Bodø, Norway. The pilot, Lt Mattholie, was taken prisoner and the aircraft captured undamaged. Luftwaffe interrogators[citation needed] failed to get the pilot to explain how to fold the wings so as to transport the aircraft to Narvik. The Corsair was ferried by boat for further investigation. Later the Corsair was taken to Germany and listed as one of the captured enemy aircraft (Beuteflugzeug) based at Erprobungsstelle Rechlin, the central German military aviation test facility and the equivalent of the Royal Aircraft Establishment, for 1944 under repair. This was probably the only Corsair captured by the Germans.[91]

In 1945, U.S. forces captured an F4U Corsair near the Kasumigaura flight school. The Japanese had repaired it, covering damaged parts on the wing with fabric and using spare parts from crashed F4Us. It seems Japan captured two force-landed Corsairs fairly late in the war and may have tested one in flight.[N 6][92]

Korean War edit

 
A United States Navy F4U-5NL Corsair equipped with the air intercept radar (right wing) and a 154-gallon drop tank in the Geneseo Airshow, on 9 July 2006

During the Korean War, the Corsair was used mostly in the close-support role. The AU-1 Corsair was developed from the F4U-5 and was a ground-attack version which normally operated at low altitudes: as a consequence the Pratt & Whitney R-2800-83W engine used a single-stage, manually controlled supercharger, rather than the two-stage automatic supercharger of the -5.[93] The versions of the Corsair used in Korea from 1950 to 1953 were the AU-1, F4U-4B, -4P, and -5N and -5NL.[94] There were dogfights between F4Us and Soviet-built Yakovlev Yak-9 fighters early in the war, but when the enemy introduced the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, the Corsair was outmatched. On 10 September 1952, a MiG-15 made the mistake of getting into a turning contest with a Corsair piloted by Marine Captain Jesse G. Folmar, with Folmar shooting the MiG down with his four 20 mm cannon. In turn, four MiG-15s shot down Folmar minutes later; Folmar bailed out and was quickly rescued with little injury.[95]

F4U-5N and -5NL Corsair night fighters were used to attack enemy supply lines, including truck convoys and trains, as well as interdicting night attack aircraft such as the Polikarpov Po-2 "Bedcheck Charlies", which were used to harass United Nations forces at night. The F4Us often operated with the help of C-47 'flare ships' which dropped hundreds of 1,000,000 candlepower magnesium flares to illuminate the targets.[96] For many operations detachments of U.S. Navy F4U-5Ns were posted to shore bases. The leader of one such unit, Lieutenant Guy Bordelon of VC-3 Det D (Detachment D), off USS Princeton, became the Navy's only ace in the war, in addition to being the only American ace in Korea that used a piston engined aircraft.[97] Bordelon, nicknamed "Lucky Pierre", was credited with three Lavochkin La-9s or La-11s and two Yakovlev Yak-18s between 29 June and 16/17 July 1952.[98] Navy and Marine Corsairs were credited with a total of 12 enemy aircraft.

More generally, Corsairs performed attacks with cannons, napalm tanks, various iron bombs, and unguided rockets. The 5 inch HVAR was a reliable standby; sturdy Soviet-built armor proved resistant to the HVAR's punch, which led to a new 6.5 in (17 cm) shaped charge antitank warhead being developed. The result was called the "Anti-Tank Aircraft Rocket (ATAR)." The 11 in (28 cm) "Tiny Tim" was also used in combat, with two under the belly.[99]

Lieutenant Thomas J. Hudner, Jr., flying an F4U-4 of VF-32 off USS Leyte, was awarded the Medal of Honor for crash landing his Corsair in an attempt to rescue his squadron mate, Ensign Jesse L. Brown, whose aircraft had been forced down by antiaircraft fire near Changjin. Brown, who did not survive the incident, was the U.S. Navy's first African American naval aviator.[100][101][102]

Aéronavale edit

 
Early F4U-7 Corsair in flight in black and white with the former flashes of the French Naval Aviation
Main article: Aéronavale

After the war, the French Navy had an urgent requirement for a powerful carrier-borne close-air support aircraft to operate from the French Navy's four aircraft carriers that it acquired in the late 1940s (Two former U.S. Navy and two Royal Navy carriers were transferred). Secondhand US Navy Douglas SBD Dauntless dive-bombers of Flotille 3F and 4F were used to attack enemy targets and support ground forces in the First Indochina War. Former US Grumman F6F-5 Hellcats and Curtiss SB2C Helldivers were also used for close air support. A new and more capable aircraft was needed.[citation needed]

First Indochina War edit

The last production Corsair was the 'F4U-7, which was built specifically for the French naval air arm, the Aéronavale. The XF4U-7 prototype did its test flight on 2 July 1952 with a total of 94 F4U-7s built for the French Navy's Aéronavale (79 in 1952, 15 in 1953), with the last of the batch, the final Corsair built, rolled out on 31 January 1953.[1] The F4U-7s were actually purchased by the U.S. Navy and passed on to the Aéronavale through the U.S. Military Assistance Program (MAP). The French Navy used its F4U-7s during the second half of the First Indochina War in the 1950s (12.F, 14.F, 15.F Flotillas),[1] where they were supplemented by at least 25 ex-USMC AU-1s passed on to the French in 1954, after the end of the Korean War.[103]

On 15 January 1953, Flotille 14F, based at Karouba Air Base near Bizerte in Tunisia, became the first Aéronavale unit to receive the F4U-7 Corsair. Flotille 14F pilots arrived at Da Nang, Vietnam on 17 April 1954, but without their aircraft. The next day, the carrier USS Saipan delivered 25 war-weary ground attack ex-USMC AU-1 Corsairs[104] (flown by VMA-212 at the end of the Korean War) to Tourane Air Base. During three months operating over Vietnam (including in support of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu), the Corsairs flew 959 combat sorties totaling 1,335 flight hours. They dropped some 700 tons of bombs and fired more than 300 rockets and 70,000 20 mm rounds. Six aircraft were damaged and two shot down by Viet Minh.[citation needed]

In September 1954, F4U-7 Corsairs were loaded aboard Dixmude and brought back to France in November. The surviving Ex-USMC AU-1s were taken to the Philippines and returned to the U.S. Navy. In 1956, Flotille 15F returned to South Vietnam, equipped with F4U-7 Corsairs.[105]

Suez Crisis edit

The 14.F and 15.F Flotillas also took part in the Anglo-French-Israeli seizure of the Suez Canal in October 1956, code-named Operation Musketeer. The Corsairs were painted with yellow and black recognition stripes for this operation. They were tasked with destroying Egyptian Navy ships at Alexandria but the presence of U.S. Navy ships prevented the successful completion of the mission. On 3 November 16 F4U-7s attacked airfields in the Delta, with one Corsair shot down by anti-aircraft fire. Two more Corsairs were damaged when landing back on the carriers. The Corsairs engaged in Operation Musketeer dropped a total of 25 tons of bombs, and fired more than 500 rockets and 16,000 20mm rounds.[106]

Algerian War edit

As soon as they disembarked from the carriers that took part in Operation Musketeer, at the end of 1956, all three Corsair Flotillas moved to Telergma and Oran airfields in Algeria from where they provided CAS and helicopter escort. They were joined by the new "Flottille 17F", established at Hyères in April 1958.[105]

French F4U-7 Corsairs (with some borrowed AU-1s) of the 12F, 14F, 15F, and 17F Flotillas conducted missions during the Algerian War between 1955 and 1962. Between February and March 1958, several strikes and CAS missions were launched from Bois Belleau, the only carrier involved in the Algeria War.[1]

 
Former Argentine F4U-5NL in Aeronavale 14.F flotilla colors in 2006

Tunisia edit

France recognized Tunisian independence and sovereignty in 1956 but continued to station military forces at Bizerte and planned to extend the airbase. In 1961, Tunisia asked France to evacuate the base. Tunisia imposed a blockade on the base on 17 July, hoping to force its evacuation. This resulted in a battle between militiamen and the French military which lasted three days. French paratroopers, escorted by Corsairs of the 12F and 17F Flotillas, were dropped to reinforce the base and the Aéronavale launched air strikes on Tunisian troops and vehicles between 19–21 July, carrying out more than 150 sorties. Three Corsairs were damaged by ground fire.[105]

French experiments edit

In early 1959, the Aéronavale experimented with the Vietnam War-era SS.11 wire-guided anti-tank missile on F4U-7 Corsairs.[107] The 12.F pilots trained for this experimental program were required to manually pilot the missile at approximatively two kilometers from the target on low altitude with a joystick using the right hand while keeping track of a flare on its tail, and piloting the aircraft using the left hand;[107] an exercise that could be very tricky in a single-seat aircraft under combat conditions. Despite reportedly effective results during the tests, this armament was not used with Corsairs during the ongoing Algerian War.[107]

The Aéronavale used 163 Corsairs (94 F4U-7s and 69 AU-1s), the last of them used by the Cuers-based 14.F Flotilla were out of service by September 1964,[1] with some surviving for museum display or as civilian warbirds. By the early 1960s, two new modern aircraft carriers, Clemenceau and Foch, had entered service with the French Navy and with them a new generation of jet-powered combat aircraft.[89]

"Football War" edit

 
Honduran Air Force Vought F4U-5NL No. FAH-609 Corsair flown by Cap. Fernando Soto when he shot down three Salvadoran Air Force planes.

Corsairs flew their final combat missions in 1969 during the "Football War" between Honduras and El Salvador, in service with both air forces. The conflict was allegedly triggered, though not really caused, by a disagreement over a soccer (association football) match. Captain Fernando Soto of the Honduran Air Force shot down three Salvadoran Air Force aircraft on 17 July 1969. In the morning he shot down a Cavalier Mustang, killing the pilot. In the afternoon, he shot down two FG-1s; the pilot of the second aircraft may have bailed out, but the third exploded in the air, killing the pilot. These combats were the last ones among propeller-driven aircraft in the world and also making Soto the only pilot credited with three kills in an American continental war. El Salvador did not shoot down any Honduran aircraft.[108] At the outset of the Football War, El Salvador enlisted the assistance of several American pilots with P-51 and F4U experience. Bob Love (a Korean war ace), Chuck Lyford, Ben Hall, and Lynn Garrison are believed to have flown combat missions, but it has never been confirmed. Lynn Garrison had purchased F4U-7 133693 from the French MAAG office when he retired from French naval service in 1964. It was registered N693M and was later destroyed in a 1987 crash in San Diego, California.[109]

Legacy edit

The Corsair entered service in 1942. Although designed as a carrier fighter, initial operation from carrier decks proved to be troublesome. Its low-speed handling was tricky due to the left wing stalling before the right wing. This factor, together with poor visibility over the long nose (leading to one of its nicknames, "The Hose Nose"), made landing a Corsair on a carrier a difficult task. For these reasons, most Corsairs initially went to Marine Corps squadrons which operated off land-based runways, with some early Goodyear-built examples (designated FG-1A) being built with fixed wings[N 7].[75] The USMC aviators welcomed the Corsair with open arms as its performance was far superior to the contemporary Brewster F2A Buffalo and Grumman F4F-3 and -4 Wildcat.

Moreover, the Corsair was able to outperform the primary Japanese fighter, the A6M Zero. While the Zero could outturn the F4U at low speed, the Corsair was faster and could outclimb and outdive the A6M.[110]

This performance advantage, combined with the ability to take severe punishment, meant a pilot could place an enemy aircraft in the killing zone of the F4U's six .50 (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns and keep him there long enough to inflict major damage. The 2,300 rounds carried by the Corsair gave just under 30 seconds of fire from each gun.

 
Corsair on display at the National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Beginning in 1943, the Fleet Air Arm also received Corsairs and flew them successfully from Royal Navy carriers in combat with the British Pacific Fleet and in Norway.[111] These were clipped-wing Corsairs, the wingtips shortened 8 in (20 cm) to clear the lower overhead height of RN carriers. FAA also developed a curving landing approach to overcome the F4U's deficiencies.[112]

 
Underside of a Corsair

Infantrymen nicknamed the Corsair "The Sweetheart of the Marianas" and "The Angel of Okinawa" for its roles in these campaigns. Among Navy and Marine aviators, the aircraft was nicknamed "Ensign Eliminator" and "Bent-Wing Eliminator" because it required many more hours of flight training to master than other Navy carrier-borne aircraft. It was also called simply "U-bird" or "Bent Wing Bird".[2] Although Allied World War II sources frequently make the claim that the Japanese called the Corsair the "Whistling Death", Japanese sources do not support this, and it was mainly known as the Sikorsky.[113]

The Corsair has been named the official aircraft of Connecticut due to its multiple connections to Connecticut businesses including airframe manufacturer Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft, engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney and propeller manufacturer Hamilton Standard.[114]

Variants edit

 
An early F4U-1 in flight.

During World War II, Corsair production expanded beyond Vought to include Brewster and Goodyear models. Allied forces flying the aircraft in World War II included the Fleet Air Arm and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Eventually, more than 12,500 F4Us would be built, comprising 16 separate variants.[9]

F4U-1 (called Corsair Mk I by the Fleet Air Arm[115]):

The first production version of the Corsair with the distinctive "birdcage" canopy and low seating position.[N 8] The differences over the XF4U-1 were as follows:

  • Six .50 in (12.7 mm) Browning AN/M2 machine guns were fitted in the outer wing panels, displacing fuel tanks.
  • An enlarged 237 US gal (900 L) fuel tank was fitted ahead of the cockpit, in place of the fuselage armament. The cockpit was moved back by 32 in (810 mm).
  • The fuselage was lengthened by 1 ft 5 in (0.43 m).
  • The more powerful R-2800-8 Double Wasp was fitted.
  • 150 pounds (68 kg) of armor plate was fitted to the cockpit and a 1.5 in (38 mm) thick bullet-resistant glass panel was fitted behind the curved windscreen.
  • IFF transponder equipment was fitted.
  • Curved transparent panels were incorporated into the fuselage behind the pilot's headrest.
  • The flaps were changed from deflector type to NACA slotted.
  • The span of the ailerons was increased while that of the flaps was decreased.
  • One 62 US gal (230 L) auxiliary fuel cell (not a self-sealing type) was installed in each wing leading edge, just outboard of the guns.

The Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm received 95 Vought F4U-1s. These were all early "birdcage" Corsairs.[70] Vought also built a single F4U-1 two-seat trainer; the Navy showed no interest.[116]

F4U-1A (called Corsair Mk II by the Fleet Air Arm[71]):

 
An F4U-1A in Fleet Air Arm service

Mid-to-late production Corsairs incorporated a new, taller, wider canopy with only two frames — very close to what the Malcolm hood did for British fighter aircraft — along with a simplified windscreen; the new canopy design allowed the semi-elliptical turtledeck "flank" windows to be omitted. The designation F4U-1A to differentiate these Corsairs from earlier "birdcage" variants was allowed to be used internally by manufacturers.[117] The pilot's seat was raised 7 in (180 mm) which, combined with the new canopy and a 6 in (150 mm) lengthening of the tailwheel strut, allowed the pilot better visibility over the long nose. In addition to these changes, the bombing window under the cockpit was omitted. These Corsairs introduced a 6 in (150 mm)-long stall strip just outboard of the gun ports on the right wing leading edge and improved undercarriage oleo struts which eliminated bouncing on landing, making these the first truly "carrier capable" F4Us.

Three hundred and sixty F4U-1As were delivered to the Fleet Air Arm. In British service, they were modified with "clipped" wings (8 in (200 mm) was cut off each wingtip) for use on British aircraft carriers,[115] although the Royal Navy had been successfully operating the Corsair Mk I since 1 June 1943 when 1830 Naval Air Squadron was commissioned and assigned to HMS Illustrious.[118] F4U-1s in many USMC squadrons had their arrester hooks removed.[N 9] Additionally, an experimental R-2800-8W engine with water injection was fitted on one of the late F4U-1As. After satisfactory results, many F4U-1As were fitted with the new powerplant. The aircraft carried 237 US gal (900 L) in the main fuel tank, located in front of the cockpit, as well as an unarmored, non-self-sealing 62 US gal (230 L) fuel tank in each wing. This version of the Corsair was the first to be able to carry a drop tank under the center-section. With drop tanks fitted, the fighter had a maximum ferry range of just over 1,500 mi (2,400 km).

 
F3A-1

F3A-1 and F3A-1D (called Corsair Mk III by the Fleet Air Arm[73]):

This was the designation for Brewster-built F4U-1. Labor troubles delayed production, and the Navy ordered the company's contract terminated; they folded soon after.[119] Poor quality wing fittings meant that these aircraft were red-lined for speed and prohibited from aerobatics after several lost their wings.[citation needed] None of the Brewster-built Corsairs reached front line units. 430 Brewster Corsairs (334 F3A-1 and 96 F3A-1D), more than half of Brewster's total production, were delivered to the Fleet Air Arm.

FG-1A and FG-1D (called Corsair Mk IV by the Fleet Air Arm):

This was the designation for Corsairs that were license-built by Goodyear, to the same specifications as Vought's Corsairs.[120] The first Goodyear built FG-1 flew in February 1943[121] and Goodyear began delivery of FG-1 Corsairs in April 1943.[53] The company continued production until the end of the war and delivered 4,007 FG-1 series Corsairs, including sixty FG-1Ds to the RNZAF[121] and 857 (400 FG-1 and FG-1A, and 457 FG-1D) to the Royal Navy as Corsair Mk IVs.[122][123]

F4U-1B: This was an unofficial post-war designation used to identify F4U-1s modified for Fleet Air Arm use.[31]

F4U-1C:

The prototype F4U-1C, appeared in August 1943 and was based on an F4U-1. A total of 200 of this variant were built from July to November 1944; all were based on the F4U-1D and were built in parallel with that variant.[82] Intended for ground-attack as well as fighter missions, the F4U-1C was similar to the F4U-1D but its six machine guns were replaced by four 20 mm (0.79 in) AN/M2 cannons with 231 rounds of ammunition per gun.[124] The F4U-1C was introduced to combat during 1945, most notably in the Okinawa campaign. The firepower of 20 mm was highly appreciated.[125][126][127] It was believed that the 20 mm cannon was more effective for all types of combat work than the .50 caliber machine gun.[128] However, despite the superior firepower, many navy pilots preferred .50 caliber machine guns in air combat due to jam and freezing problems of the 20mm cannons.[129] These problems were reduced as the ordnance crews gained experience until the performance of the guns compared favorably with the .50 caliber,[128] but freezing problems remained at 25,000 to 30,000 ft (7,600 to 9,100 m) until gun heaters were installed.[129][130]

 
A Goodyear-built FG-1D, with the later single-piece "blown" canopy used by the F4U-1D.

F4U-1D (called Corsair Mk II by the Fleet Air Arm):

This variant was introduced in April 1944, and was built in parallel with the F4U-1C. It had the new R-2800-8W Double Wasp engine equipped with water injection. This change gave the aircraft up to 250 hp (190 kW) more power, which, in turn, increased performance. Speed was increased from 417 mph (671 km/h) to 425 mph (684 km/h). Due to the U.S. Navy's need for fighter-bombers, it had a payload of rockets (double the -1A's) carried on permanent launching rails, as well as twin pylons for bombs or drop tanks. These modifications caused extra drag, but the additional fuel carried by the two drop tanks would still allow the aircraft to fly relatively long missions despite heavy, un-aerodynamic loads. A single piece "blown" clear-view canopy was adopted as standard equipment for the -1D model, and all later F4U production aircraft. 150 F4U-1D were delivered to the Fleet Air Arm.

F4U-1P: A rare photo reconnaissance variant.[131]

 
F4U-2s aboard USS Intrepid. The radome on the right outer wing is just visible.

XF4U-2: Special night fighter variant, equipped with two auxiliary fuel tanks.[132]

F4U-2: Experimental conversion of the F4U-1 Corsair into a carrier-borne nightfighter, armed with five .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns (the outboard, right gun was deleted), and fitted with Airborne Intercept (AI) radar set in a radome placed outboard on the starboard wing. Since Vought was preoccupied with more important projects, only 32 were converted from existing F4U-1s by the Naval Aircraft Factory and another two by front line units.[133][134] The type saw combat with VF(N)-101 aboard USS Enterprise and USS Intrepid in early 1944, VF(N)-75 in the Solomon Islands, and VMF(N)-532 on Tarawa.

 
An XF4U-3 in 1946.

XF4U-3: Experimental aircraft built to hold different engines in order to test the Corsair's performance with a variety of power plants. This variant never entered service. Goodyear also contributed a number of airframes, designated FG-3, to the project. A single sub-variant XF4U-3B with minor modifications was also produced[135] for the FAA.[132]

XF4U-4: New engine and cowling.[132]

F4U-4: The last variant to see action during World War II. Deliveries to the U.S. Navy of the F4U-4 began in early 1945. It had the 2,100 hp (1,600 kW) dual-stage-supercharged -18W engine. When the cylinders were injected with the water/alcohol mixture, power was boosted to 2,450 hp (1,830 kW). The aircraft required an air scoop under the nose and the unarmored wing fuel tanks of 62 US gal (230 L) capacities were removed for better maneuverability at the expense of maximum range. The propeller was changed to a four blade type. Maximum speed was increased to 448 miles per hour (721 km/h) and climb rate to over 4,500 feet per minute (1,400 m/min) as opposed to the 2,900 feet per minute (880 m/min) of the F4U-1A.[136] The "4-Hog" retained the original armament and had all the external load (i.e., drop tanks, bombs) capabilities of the F4U-1D. Vought also tested the two F4U-4Xs (BuNos 49763 and 50301, prototypes for the new R2800) with fixed wingtip tanks (the Navy showed no interest) and an Aeroproducts six-blade contraprop (not accepted for production).[137]

 
An F4U-4 of VF-1b on board USS Midway, 1947–1948.

F4U-4B: 300 F4U-4s ordered with alternate gun armament of four 20 millimetres (0.79 in) AN/M3 cannon.[138]

F4U-4E and F4U-4N: Developed late in WWII, these nightfighters featured radar radomes projecting from the right wingtip. The -4E was fitted with the APS-4 search radar, while the -4N was fitted with the APS-6 type. In addition, these aircraft were often refitted with four 20 mm M2 cannons similar to the F4U-1C. Though these variants would not see combat during WWII, the nightfighter variants would see great use during the Korean war.[139]

F4U-4K: Experimental radio-controlled target drone variant (1 unit built).[132][140]

F4U-4P: F4U-4 equivalent to the -1P, a rare photo reconnaissance variant.[131]

XF4U-5: New engine cowling, other extensive changes.[132]

 
A VMF(N)-513 F4U-5N at Wonsan during the Korean War, 1950.

F4U-5: A 1945 design modification of the F4U-4, first flown on 21 December 1945, was intended to increase the F4U-4 Corsair's overall performance and incorporate many Corsair pilots' suggestions. It featured a more powerful Pratt and Whitney R-2800-32(E) engine with a two-stage supercharger,[141] rated at a maximum of 2,760 hp (2,060 kW). Other improvements included automatic blower controls, cowl flaps, intercooler doors, and oil cooler for the engine, spring tabs for the elevators and rudder, a completely modernized cockpit, a completely retractable tail wheel, and heated cannon bays and pitot head. The cowling was lowered two degrees to help with forward visibility, but perhaps most striking as the first variant to feature all-metal wings (223 units produced).[142][143] Maximum speed was 408 knots (470 mph) and max rate of climb at sea level 4,850 feet per minute.[144]

F4U-5N: Radar equipped version (214 units produced)

F4U-5NL: Winterized version (72 units produced,[145] 29 modified from F4U-5Ns (101 total)). Fitted with rubber de-icing boots on the leading edge of the wings and tail.[146]

F4U-5P: Long-range photo-reconnaissance version (30 units produced)

 
A factory-fresh AU-1, 1952.

F4U-6: Re-designated AU-1, this was a ground-attack version produced for the U.S. Marine Corps.

F4U-7 : AU-1 airframe with -18w engine developed for the French Navy.

FG-1E: Goodyear FG-1 with radar equipment.[132]

FG-1K: Goodyear FG-1 as drone.[132]

FG-3: Turbosupercharger version converted from FG-1D.

FG-4: Goodyear F4U-4, never delivered.[132]

AU-1: U.S. Marines attack variant with extra armor to protect the pilot and fuel tank, and the oil coolers relocated inboard to reduce vulnerability to ground fire. The supercharger was simplified as the design was intended for low-altitude operation. Extra racks were also fitted. Fully loaded for combat the AU-1 weighed 20% more than a fully loaded F4U-4, and was capable of carrying 8,200 lb (3,700 kg) of bombs. The AU-1 had a maximum speed of 238 miles per hour (383 km/h) at 9,500 ft (2,900 m), when loaded with 4,600 lb (2,100 kg) of bombs and a 150-US-gallon (570 L) drop-tank. When loaded with ten HVAR rockets and two 150-gallon drop-tanks, maximum speed was 298 mph (480 km/h) at 19,700 ft (6,000 m). When not carrying external loads, maximum speed was 389 mph (626 km/h) at 14,000 ft (4,300 m). First produced in 1952 and used in Korea, and retired in 1957. Re-designated from F4U-6.[147][148][149]

Super Corsair variants edit

Main article: Goodyear F2G Corsair

In March 1944, Pratt & Whitney requested an F4U-1 Corsair from Vought Aircraft for evaluation of their new P&W R-4360, Wasp Major 4-row 28-cylinder "corncob" radial engine. The F2G-1 and F2G-2 were significantly different aircraft. F2G-1 featured a manual folding wing and 14 ft (4.3 m) propeller, while the F2G-2 had hydraulic operated folding wings, 13 ft (4.0 m) propeller, and carrier arresting hook for carrier use.[150] There were five pre-production XF2G-1s: BuNo 14691, 14692, 14693 (Race 94), 14694 (Race 18), and 14695. There were ten production F2Gs: Five F2G-1s BuNo 88454 (Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington), 88455, 88456, 88457 (Race 84), and 88458 (Race 57) and five F2G-2s BuNo 88459, 88460, 88461, 88462, and 88463 (Race 74). Five F2Gs were sold as surplus and went on to racing success after the war (indicated by the "Race" number after the BuNo), winning the Thompson trophy races in 1947 and 1949. The only surviving F2G-1s are BuNos 88454 and 88458 (Race 57). The only surviving F2G-2 was BuNo 88463 (Race 74). It was destroyed in a crash September 2012 after having a full restoration completed in July 2011.[150]

Operators edit

 
Argentine F9F Cougar and F4U Corsairs, 1960s
 
FAH-609 of the Honduran Air Force
 
Corsair FG-1D (Goodyear built F4U-1D) in the Royal New Zealand Air Force markings
 
Insignia of the defunct American squadron VMF-113
  Argentina
  El Salvador
  France
  Honduras
  New Zealand
  United Kingdom
  • The Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm[155] operated 2,012 Corsairs of all types during World War II, including 95 Corsair Is (F4U-1), 510 Corsair IIs (F4U-1A), 430 Corsair IIIs (F3A-1D), and 977 Corsair IVs (FG-1D)[156]
  United States

Surviving aircraft edit

Main article: List of surviving Vought F4U Corsairs

According to the FAA there are 45 privately owned F4Us in the U.S.[157]

Specifications (F4U-4) edit

 
3-view line drawing of the F4U-1 variant

Data from F4U-4 Detail Specification;[158] F4U-4 Airplane Characteristics and Performance[159]

General characteristics

  • Crew: One
  • Length: 33 ft 8 in (10.26 m)
  • Wingspan: 41 ft 0 in (12.50 m)
  • Height: 14 ft 9 in (4.50 m)
  • Wing area: 314 sq ft (29.17 m2)
  • Empty weight: 9,205 lb (4,238 kg)
  • Gross weight: 14,670 lb (6,654 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 14,533 lb (6,592 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-18W radial engine, 2,380 hp (1,770 kW)
  • Propellers: 3-bladed

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 446 mph (717 km/h, 385 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 215 mph (346 km/h, 187 kn)
  • Stall speed: 89 mph (143 km/h, 77 kn)
  • Range: 1,005 mi (1,617 km, 873 nmi)
  • Combat range: 328 mi (528 km, 285 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 41,500 ft (12,600 m)
  • Rate of climb: 4,360 ft/min (22.1 m/s)

Armament

  • Guns: 6 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns 375-400 rounds per gun
  • Rockets: 8 × 5 in (12.7 cm) high velocity aircraft rockets and/or
  • Bombs: 4,000 lb (1,800 kg)

Notable appearances in media edit

Main article: F4U Corsair in fiction

See also edit

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ A landing technique using a curving approach that kept the LSO (landing signal officer) in view while coming aboard was developed by the Royal Navy and was adopted by the U.S. Navy.[28]
  2. ^ F2A Buffalos and F4F Wildcats used similar glazed panels. Prior to the F4U-4, Corsair cockpits did not have a complete floor.
  3. ^ There were also some Sea Gladiator biplane fighters in use
  4. ^ Although P/O Andrew Mynarski's Victoria Cross was actually awarded in 1946, it commemorated an action in 1944.
  5. ^ Although these are often call F4U-1As, apparently this was not an official wartime designation but was one applied postwar to indicate that there were production line modifications. The same comment applies to the -1B.[31]
  6. ^ A photograph exists of an F4U-1 being examined on the ground by Japanese airmen.
  7. ^ The wings were not actually "fixed". The hydraulic wing folding hardware was simply not installed. The wings could still be manually folded.
  8. ^ A later version of this canopy incorporated a small rear view mirror in a transparent blister.
  9. ^ Although F4Us operated by the Marines were seldom seen with folded wings it did not mean that this facility was deactivated; the only version of the Corsair built without folding wings were some of those manufactured by Goodyear.

Citations edit

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  19. ^ Musciano 1979, pp. 40–41 (dates).
  20. ^ Tillman 1996, p. 17 (number of aircraft in first order).
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  69. ^ Leone, Dario (20 August 2020). "Here's how the Royal Navy fixed the F4U shortcomings for which the US Navy deemed the Corsair unsuitable for aircraft carrier operations". theaviationgeekclub.com. The Aviation Geek Club. Retrieved 15 July 2023. We made the Corsair available to the Royal Navy who had been flying Seafires (another long nosed aircraft) and simply adapted the Seafire landing pattern to the Corsair. Problem solved.
  70. ^ a b March 1998, p.237.
  71. ^ a b March 1998, p.237-238.
  72. ^ March 1998, p.239.
  73. ^ a b March 1998, p. 239.
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  79. ^ , Veterans Affairs Canada, archived from the original on 29 October 2010, retrieved 5 August 2010
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  81. ^ "Tony Nye's Recollections of the Archerfield Quarry". www.ozatwar.com. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
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  83. ^ a b Russell 1984, pp. 48–87.
  84. ^ Russell 1984, pp. 32–33.
  85. ^ Russell 1984, p. 49.
  86. ^ Russell 1984, pp. 40–45.
  87. ^ Russell 1984, pp. 90–104.
  88. ^ Tillman 1979, pp. 103–105.
  89. ^ a b Tillman 1979, p. 192.
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  93. ^ Kinzey 1998, p. 65.
  94. ^ Thompson 2004, p. 118.
  95. ^ Thompson 2009, pp. 62–64, 74, 94.
  96. ^ Thompson 2009, pp. 77–80.
  97. ^ Tillman 1979, pp. 174–175.
  98. ^ Thompson 2009, pp. 66, 85–86, 90.
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  100. ^ Thompson 2009, pp. 28, 67, 90.
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Bibliography edit

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  • Dean, Francis H. America's Hundred Thousand. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1997. ISBN 0-7643-0072-5.
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  • Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "Chance Vought F4U Corsair". WW2 Aircraft Fact Files: U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Fighters. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1976, pp. 16–29. ISBN 0-356-08222-9.
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  • Sullivan, Jim. F4U Corsair in action. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1977. ISBN 0-89747-028-1.
  • Sullivan, Jim. F4U Corsair in action. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, 2010. ISBN 978-0-89747-623-2.
  • Swanborough, Gordon and Peter M. Bowers. United States Navy Aircraft since 1911. London: Putnam, Second edition, 1976. ISBN 0-370-10054-9.
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  • Wilson, Randy. "From Bent-winged Bird to Whistling Death." The Dispatch. Midland, Texas: Confederate Air Force, 1996.

Further reading edit

  • Núñez Padin, Jorge Felix. Bahía Blanca, Argentina: Fuerzas Aeronavales, 2009. ISBN 978-987-20557-9-0.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vought F4U Corsair.
  • VBF-85 Historical web site; F4U-1D, F4U-1C, FG-1D
  • AviationHistory: Vought F4U Corsair
  • WWII Aircraft performance: Includes a large collection of official test data for F4U & FG series Retrieved: 20 February 2009.
  • "Flying the Vought F4U "Corsair" Fighter (1944)" on YouTube
  • Vought F4U Corsair
Survivor links
  • Brewster F3A Corsair on display 12 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  • Warbird Registry — listings of existing Corsairs
  • "Old aviator gets buzz out seeing classic corsair (photo, New Zealand)". Stuff/Fairfax. 2023.
  • Hi-res spherical panoramas inside the cockpit, access panels, tail wheel and arrestor hook bays of the Collings Foundation's F4U-5NL[permanent dead link]; click area to be viewed

April 13, 2024
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F3A redirects here For the car transmission see Mazda F3A transmission The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought the Corsair was soon in great demand additional production contracts were given to Goodyear whose Corsairs were designated FG and Brewster designated F3A F4U FG F3A CorsairA restored F4U 4 Corsair in Korean War era U S Marine Corps markingsRole Carrier based fighter bomberNational origin United StatesManufacturer Chance VoughtBuilt by Goodyear BrewsterFirst flight 29 May 1940Introduction 28 December 1942Retired 1953 United States 1979 Honduras Primary users United States NavyUnited States Marine Corps Royal Navy Royal New Zealand Air ForceProduced 1942 1953 1 Number built 12 571 2 Variants Goodyear F2G CorsairThe Corsair was designed and operated as a carrier based aircraft and entered service in large numbers with the U S Navy in late 1944 and early 1945 It quickly became one of the most capable carrier based fighter bombers of World War II 3 Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II and its naval aviators achieved an 11 1 kill ratio 4 5 Early problems with carrier landings and logistics led to it being eclipsed as the dominant carrier based fighter by the Grumman F6F Hellcat powered by the same Double Wasp engine first flown on the Corsair s initial prototype in 1940 6 Instead the Corsair s early deployment was to land based squadrons of the U S Marine Corps and U S Navy The Corsair served almost exclusively as a fighter bomber throughout the Korean War and during the French colonial wars in Indochina and Algeria 7 In addition to its use by the U S and British the Corsair was also used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force French Naval Aviation and other air forces until the 1960s From the first prototype delivery to the U S Navy in 1940 to final delivery in 1953 to the French 12 571 F4U Corsairs were manufactured 2 in 16 separate models Its 1942 1953 production run was the longest of any U S piston engined fighter 8 9 10 Contents 1 Development 2 Design 2 1 Engine considerations 2 2 Landing gear and wings 2 3 Technical issues 2 4 Design modifications 2 5 Performance 3 Operational history 3 1 World War II 3 1 1 U S service 3 1 1 1 Navy testing and release to the U S Marine Corps 3 1 1 2 Marine Corps combat 3 1 1 3 Field modifications for land based Corsairs 3 1 1 4 Fighter bomber 3 1 1 5 Navy service 3 1 1 6 Sortie kill and loss figures 3 1 2 Royal Navy 3 1 2 1 Enhancement for carrier suitability 3 1 2 2 Deployment 3 1 3 Royal New Zealand Air Force 3 1 4 Captured Corsairs 3 2 Korean War 3 3 Aeronavale 3 3 1 First Indochina War 3 3 2 Suez Crisis 3 3 3 Algerian War 3 3 4 Tunisia 3 3 5 French experiments 3 4 Football War 3 5 Legacy 4 Variants 4 1 Super Corsair variants 5 Operators 6 Surviving aircraft 7 Specifications F4U 4 8 Notable appearances in media 9 See also 10 References 10 1 Notes 10 2 Citations 10 3 Bibliography 11 Further reading 12 External linksDevelopment editIn February 1938 the U S Navy Bureau of Aeronautics published two requests for proposal for twin engined and single engined fighters For the single engined fighter the Navy requested the maximum obtainable speed and a minimum stalling speed not higher than 70 miles per hour 110 km h A range of 1 000 miles 1 600 km was specified 11 The fighter had to carry four guns or three with increased ammunition Provision had to be made for antiaircraft bombs to be carried in the wing These small bombs would according to thinking in the 1930s be dropped on enemy aircraft formations nbsp The XF4U 1 prototype in 1940 41 showing its more forward cockpit locationIn June 1938 the U S Navy signed a contract with Vought for a prototype bearing the factory designation V 166B 6 the XF4U 1 BuNo 1443 The Corsair design team was led by Rex Beisel After mock up inspection in February 1939 construction of the XF4U 1 powered by an XR 2800 4 prototype of the Pratt amp Whitney R 2800 Double Wasp twin row 18 cylinder radial engine rated at 1 805 hp 1 346 kW went ahead quickly as the very first airframe ever designed from the start to have a Double Wasp engine fitted for flight 6 When the prototype was completed it had the biggest and most powerful engine largest propeller and probably the largest wing on any naval fighter to date 12 The first flight of the XF4U 1 was made on 29 May 1940 with Lyman A Bullard Jr at the controls The maiden flight proceeded normally until a hurried landing was made when the elevator trim tabs failed because of flutter 13 14 On 1 October 1940 the XF4U 1 became the first single engined U S fighter to fly faster than 400 mph 640 km h by flying at an average ground speed of 405 mph 652 km h from Stratford to Hartford 15 The USAAC s twin engine Lockheed P 38 Lightning had flown over 400 mph in January February 1939 16 The XF4U 1 also had an excellent rate of climb although testing revealed some requirements would have to be rewritten In full power dive tests speeds up to 550 mph 890 km h were achieved but not without damage to the control surfaces and access panels and in one case an engine failure 17 The spin recovery standards also had to be relaxed as recovery from the required two turn spin proved impossible without resorting to an antispin chute 16 The problems clearly meant delays in getting the design into production Reports coming back from the war in Europe indicated an armament of two 30 in 7 62 mm synchronized engine cowling mount machine guns and two 50 in 12 7 mm machine guns one in each outer wing panel was insufficient The U S Navy s November 1940 production proposals specified heavier armament 18 The increased armament comprised three 50 caliber machine guns mounted in each wing panel This improvement greatly increased the ability of the Corsair to shoot down enemy aircraft Formal U S Navy acceptance trials for the XF4U 1 began in February 1941 The Navy entered into a letter of intent on 3 March 1941 received Vought s production proposal on 2 April and awarded Vought a contract for 584 F4U 1 fighters which were given the name Corsair inherited from the firm s late 1920s Vought O2U naval biplane scout which first bore the name on 30 June of the same year The first production F4U 1 performed its initial flight a year later on 24 June 1942 19 20 It was a remarkable achievement for Vought compared to land based counterparts carrier aircraft are overbuilt and heavier to withstand the extreme stress of deck landings Design edit nbsp 2 000 hp 1 500 kW Pratt amp Whitney R 2800 8 in a Goodyear FG 1 CorsairEngine considerations edit The F4U incorporated the largest engine available at the time the 2 000 hp 1 500 kW 18 cylinder Pratt amp Whitney R 2800 Double Wasp radial To extract as much power as possible a relatively large Hamilton Standard Hydromatic three blade propeller of 13 feet 4 inches 4 06 m was used Landing gear and wings edit nbsp Landing gear on an F4U 4 Corsair To accommodate a folding wing the designers considered retracting the main landing gear rearward but for the chord of wing that was chosen making the landing gear struts long enough to provide ground clearance for the large propeller was difficult Their solution was an inverted gull wing which considerably shortened the required length of the struts 21 The anhedral of the wing s inboard section also permitted the wing and fuselage to meet at the optimum angle for minimizing drag without using wing root fairings 21 The bent wing was heavier and more difficult to construct however offsetting these benefits The Corsair s aerodynamics were an advance over those of contemporary naval fighters The F4U was the first U S Navy aircraft to feature landing gear that retracted into a fully enclosed wheel well The landing gear oleo struts each with its own strut door enclosing it when retracted rotated through 90 during retraction with the wheel atop the lower end of the strut when retracted A pair of rectangular doors enclosed each wheel well leaving a streamlined wing 22 This swiveling aft retracting landing gear design was common to the Curtiss P 40 and its predecessor the P 36 as adopted for the F4U Corsair s main gear and its erstwhile Pacific War counterpart the Grumman F6F Hellcat The oil coolers were mounted in the heavily anhedraled inboard section of the wings alongside the supercharger air intakes and used openings in the leading edges of the wings rather than protruding scoops The large fuselage panels were made of aluminum 23 and were attached to the frames with the newly developed technique of spot welding thus mostly eliminating the use of rivets While employing this new technology the Corsair was also the last American produced fighter aircraft to feature fabric as the skinning for the top and bottom of each outer wing aft of the main spar and armament bays and for the ailerons elevators and rudder The elevators were also constructed from plywood 24 The Corsair even with its streamlining and high speed abilities could fly slowly enough for carrier landings with full flap deployment of 50 Technical issues edit In part because of its advances in technology and a top speed greater than existing Navy aircraft numerous technical problems had to be solved before the Corsair entered service Carrier suitability was a major development issue prompting changes to the main landing gear tail wheel and tailhook Early F4U 1s had difficulty recovering from developed spins since the inverted gull wing s shape interfered with elevator authority It was also found that the Corsair s left wing could stall and drop rapidly and without warning during slow carrier landings 25 In addition if the throttle were suddenly advanced for example during an aborted landing the left wing could stall and drop so quickly that the fighter could flip over with the rapid increase in power 26 These potentially lethal characteristics were later solved through the addition of a small 6 in 150 mm long stall strip to the leading edge of the outer right wing just outboard of the gun ports This allowed the right wing to stall at the same time as the left 27 nbsp An early F4U 1 showing the birdcage canopy with rearwards production cockpit location Other problems were encountered during early carrier trials The combination of an aft cockpit and the Corsair s long nose made landings hazardous for newly trained pilots because of the lack of visibility due to said features During landing approaches it was found that oil from the opened hydraulically powered cowl flaps could spatter onto the windscreen severely reducing visibility and the undercarriage oleo struts had bad rebound characteristics on landing allowing the aircraft to bounce down the carrier deck 27 The first problem was solved by locking the top cowl flaps in front of the windscreen down permanently then replacing them with a fixed panel The undercarriage bounce took more time to solve but eventually a bleed valve incorporated in the legs allowed the hydraulic pressure to be released gradually as the aircraft landed The Corsair was not considered fit for carrier use until the wing stall problems and the deck bounce could be solved Meanwhile the more docile and simpler to build F6F Hellcat had begun entering service in its intended carrier based use The Navy wanted to standardize on one type of carrier fighter and the Hellcat while slower than the Corsair was considered simpler to land on a carrier by an inexperienced pilot and proved to be successful almost immediately after introduction The Navy s decision to choose the Hellcat meant that the Corsair was released to the U S Marine Corps With no initial requirement for carrier landings the Marine Corps deployed the Corsair to devastating effect from land bases Corsair deployment aboard U S carriers was delayed until late 1944 by which time the last of the carrier landing problems relating to the Corsair s long nose had been tackled by the British N 1 Design modifications edit Production F4U 1s featured several major modifications from the XF4U 1 A change of armament to six wing mounted 50 in 12 7 mm M2 Browning machine guns three in each outer wing panel and their ammunition 400 rounds for the inner pair 375 rounds for the outer 29 meant the location of the wing fuel tanks had to be changed In order to keep the fuel tank close to the center of gravity the only available position was in the forward fuselage ahead of the cockpit Accordingly as a 237 US gal 897 L self sealing fuel tank replaced the fuselage mounted armament the cockpit had to be moved back by 32 in 810 mm and the fuselage lengthened 21 Later on different variants of the F4U were given different armaments While most Corsair variants had the standard armament of six 50 caliber M2 Browning machine guns some models like the F4U 1C were equipped with four 20 millimeter M2 cannons for its main weapon While these cannons were more powerful than the standard machine guns they were not favored over the standard loadout Only 200 models of this particular Corsair model were produced out of the total 12 571 Other variants were capable of carrying mission specific weapons such as rockets and bombs The F4U was able to carry up to a total of eight rockets or four under each wing It was able to carry up to four thousand pounds of explosive ordnance This helped the Corsair take on a fighter bomber role giving it a more versatile role as a ground support aircraft as well as a fighter 30 In addition 150 lb 68 kg of armor plate was installed along with a 1 5 in 38 mm bullet proof windscreen which was set internally behind the curved Plexiglas windscreen The canopy could be jettisoned in an emergency and half elliptical planform transparent panels much like those of certain models of the Curtiss P 40 were inset into the sides of the fuselage s turtledeck structure behind the pilot s headrest providing the pilot with a limited rear view over his shoulders A rectangular Plexiglas panel was inset into the lower center section to allow the pilot to see directly beneath the aircraft and assist with deck landings N 2 The engine used was the more powerful R 2800 8 B series Double Wasp which produced 2 000 hp 1 500 kW On the wings the flaps were changed to a NACA slotted type and the ailerons were increased in span to increase the roll rate with a consequent reduction in flap span IFF transponder equipment was fitted in the rear fuselage These changes increased the Corsair s weight by several hundred pounds 31 Performance edit The performance of the Corsair was superior to most of its contemporaries The F4U 1 was considerably faster than the Grumman F6F Hellcat and only 13 mph 21 km h slower than the Republic P 47 Thunderbolt 32 33 34 All three were powered by the R 2800 But whereas the P 47 achieved its highest speed at 30 020 feet 9 150 m with the help of an intercooled turbocharger 35 the F4U 1 reached its maximum speed at 19 900 ft 6 100 m 36 using a mechanically supercharged engine 37 Operational history editWorld War II edit U S service edit Navy testing and release to the U S Marine Corps edit The U S Navy received its first production F4U 1 on 31 July 1942 though getting it into service proved difficult The framed birdcage style canopy provided inadequate visibility for deck taxiing and the long hose nose and nose up attitude of the Corsair made it difficult to see straight ahead The enormous torque of the Double Wasp engine also made it a handful for inexperienced pilots if they were forced to bolter Early Navy pilots called the F4U the hog hosenose or bent wing widow maker 38 Carrier qualification trials on the training carrier USS Wolverine and escort carriers USS Core and USS Charger in 1942 found that despite visibility issues and control sensitivity the Corsair was an excellent carrier type and very easy to land aboard It is no different than any other airplane 39 Two Navy units VF 12 October 1942 and later VF 17 April 1943 were equipped with the F4U By April 1943 VF 12 had successfully completed deck landing qualification 40 At the time the U S Navy also had the Grumman F6F Hellcat which did not have the performance of the F4U but was a better deck landing aircraft The Corsair was declared ready for combat at the end of 1942 though qualified to operate only from land bases until the last of the carrier qualification issues were worked out 41 VF 17 went aboard the USS Bunker Hill in late 1943 and the Chief of Naval Operations wanted to equip four air groups with Corsairs by the end of 1943 The Commander Air Forces Pacific had a different opinion stating that In order to simplify spares problems and also to insure flexibility in carrier operations present practice in the Pacific is to assign all Corsairs to Marines and to equip FightRons fighter squadrons on medium and light carriers with Hellcats 42 VF 12 soon abandoned its aircraft to the Marines VF 17 kept its Corsairs but was removed from its carrier USS Bunker Hill due to perceived difficulties in supplying parts at sea 43 The Marines needed a better fighter than the F4F Wildcat For them it was not as important that the F4U could be recovered aboard a carrier as they usually flew from land bases Growing pains aside Marine Corps squadrons readily took to the radical new fighter Marine Corps combat edit nbsp Vought F4U 1A Corsair BuNo 17883 of Gregory Pappy Boyington the commander of VMF 214 Vella Lavella end of 1943 nbsp Early F4U 1s of VF 17From February 1943 onward the F4U operated from Guadalcanal and ultimately other bases in the Solomon Islands A dozen USMC F4U 1s of VMF 124 commanded by Major William E Gise arrived at Henderson Field code name Cactus on 12 February The first recorded combat engagement was on 14 February 1943 when Corsairs of VMF 124 under Major Gise assisted P 40s and P 38s in escorting a formation of Consolidated B 24 Liberators on a raid against a Japanese aerodrome at Kahili Japanese fighters contested the raid and the Americans got the worst of it with four P 38s two P 40s two Corsairs and two Liberators lost No more than four Japanese Zeros were destroyed A Corsair was responsible for one of the kills albeit due to a midair collision The fiasco was referred to as the Saint Valentine s Day Massacre 44 45 Despite the debut the Marines quickly learned how to make better use of the aircraft and started demonstrating its superiority over Japanese fighters By May the Corsair units were getting the upper hand and VMF 124 had produced the first Corsair ace Second Lieutenant Kenneth A Walsh who would rack up a total of 21 kills during the war 46 He remembered I learned quickly that altitude was paramount Whoever had altitude dictated the terms of the battle and there was nothing a Zero pilot could do to change that we had him The F4U could outperform a Zero in every aspect except slow speed manoeuvrability and slow speed rate of climb Therefore you avoided getting slow when combating a Zero It took time but eventually we developed tactics and deployed them very effectively There were times however that I tangled with a Zero at slow speed one on one In these instances I considered myself fortunate to survive a battle Of my 21 victories 17 were against Zeros and I lost five aircraft in combat I was shot down three times and I crashed one that ploughed into the line back at base and wiped out another F4U 47 VMF 113 was activated on 1 January 1943 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro as part of Marine Base Defense Air Group 41 They were soon given their full complement of 24 F4U Corsairs On 26 March 1944 while escorting four B 25 bombers on a raid over Ponape they recorded their first enemy kills downing eight Japanese aircraft In April of that year VMF 113 was tasked with providing air support for the landings at Ujelang Since the assault was unopposed the squadron quickly returned to striking Japanese targets in the Marshall Islands for the remainder of 1944 Corsairs were flown by the Black Sheep Squadron VMF 214 led by Marine Major Gregory Pappy Boyington in an area of the Solomon Islands called The Slot Boyington was credited with 22 kills in F4Us of 28 total including six in an AVG P 40 although his score with the AVG has been disputed 48 Other noted Corsair pilots of the period included VMF 124 s Kenneth Walsh James E Swett Archie Donahue and Bill Casey Case VMF 215 s Robert M Hanson and Donald Aldrich and VF 17 s Tommy Blackburn Roger Hedrick and Ira Kepford Nightfighter versions equipped Navy and Marine units afloat and ashore One particularly unusual kill was scored by Marine Lieutenant R R Klingman of VMF 312 the Checkerboards over Okinawa Klingman was in pursuit of a Japanese twin engine aircraft at high altitude when his guns jammed due to the gun lubrication thickening from the extreme cold He flew up and chopped off the enemy s tail with the big propeller of the Corsair Despite missing five inches 130 mm off the end of his propeller blades he managed to land safely after this aerial ramming attack He was awarded the Navy Cross 49 At war s end Corsairs were ashore on Okinawa combating the kamikaze and also were flying from fleet and escort carriers VMF 312 VMF 323 VMF 224 and a handful of others met with success in the Battle of Okinawa 50 Field modifications for land based Corsairs edit Since Corsairs were being operated from shore bases while still awaiting approval for U S carrier operations 965 FG 1As were built as land planes without their hydraulic wing folding mechanisms hoping to improve performance by reducing aircraft weight with the added benefit of minimizing complexity 51 52 These Corsairs wings could still be manually folded 53 A second option was to remove the folding mechanism in the field using a kit which could be done for Vought and Brewster Corsairs as well On 6 December 1943 the Bureau of Aeronautics issued guidance on weight reduction measures for the F4U 1 FG 1 and F3A Corsair squadrons operating from land bases were authorized to remove catapult hooks arresting hooks and associated equipment which eliminated 48 pounds of unnecessary weight 51 While there are no data to indicate to what extent these modifications were incorporated there are numerous photos in evidence of Corsairs of various manufacturers and models on islands in the Pacific without tailhooks installed 54 nbsp A Corsair fires its rockets at a Japanese stronghold on OkinawaFighter bomber edit Corsairs also served well as fighter bombers in the Central Pacific and the Philippines By early 1944 Marine pilots were beginning to exploit the type s considerable capabilities in the close support role in amphibious landings Charles Lindbergh flew Corsairs with the Marines as a civilian technical advisor for United Aircraft Corporation in order to determine how best to increase the Corsair s payload and range in the attack role and to help evaluate future viability of single versus twin engine fighter design for Vought 55 Lindbergh managed to get the F4U into the air with 4 000 pounds 1 800 kg of bombs with a 2 000 pounds 910 kg bomb on the centerline and a 1 000 pounds 450 kg bomb under each wing 56 In the course of such experiments he performed strikes on Japanese positions during the battle for the Marshall Islands 55 By the beginning of 1945 the Corsair was a full blown mudfighter performing strikes with high explosive bombs napalm tanks and HVARs It proved versatile able to operate everything from Bat glide bombs to 11 75 in 298 mm Tiny Tim rockets 57 The aircraft was a prominent participant in the fighting for the Palaus Iwo Jima and Okinawa Navy service edit In November 1943 while operating as a shore based unit in the Solomon Islands VF 17 reinstalled the tail hooks so its F4Us could land and refuel while providing top cover over the task force participating in the carrier raid on Rabaul The squadron s pilots landed refueled and took off from their former home Bunker Hill and USS Essex on 11 November 1943 58 Twelve USMC F4U 1s arrived at Henderson Field Guadalcanal on 12 February 1943 The U S Navy did not get into combat with the type until September 1943 The work done by the Royal Navy s FAA meant those models qualified the type for U S carrier operations first The U S Navy finally accepted the F4U for shipboard operations in April 1944 after the longer oleo strut was fitted which eliminated the tendency to bounce 59 The first US Corsair unit to be based effectively on a carrier was the pioneer USMC squadron VMF 124 which joined Essex in December 1944 They were accompanied by VMF 213 The increasing need for fighter protection against kamikaze attacks resulted in more Corsair units being moved to carriers 60 Sortie kill and loss figures edit U S figures compiled at the end of the war indicate that the F4U and FG flew 64 051 operational sorties for the U S Marines and U S Navy through the conflict 44 of total fighter sorties with only 9 581 sorties 15 flown from carrier decks 61 F4U and FG pilots claimed 2 140 air combat victories against 189 losses to enemy aircraft for an overall kill ratio of over 11 1 62 While this gave the Corsair the lowest loss rate of any fighter of the Pacific War this was due in part to operational circumstances it primarily faced air to air combat in the Solomon Islands and Rabaul campaigns as well as at Leyte and for kamikaze interception but as operations shifted north and its mission shifted to ground attack the aircraft saw less exposure to enemy aircraft while other fighter types were exposed to more air combat 63 Against the best Japanese opponents the aircraft claimed a 12 1 kill ratio against the Mitsubishi A6M Zero and 6 1 against the Nakajima Ki 84 Kawanishi N1K J and Mitsubishi J2M combined during the last year of the war 64 The Corsair bore the brunt of U S fighter bomber missions delivering 15 621 short tons 14 171 metric tons of bombs during the war 70 of total bombs dropped by U S fighters during the war 62 Corsair losses in World War II were as follows Aerial combat 189 Enemy ground and shipboard anti aircraft fire 349 Operational losses during combat missions 230 Operational losses during non combat flights 692 Destroyed aboard ships or on the ground 164 62 Royal Navy edit Enhancement for carrier suitability edit nbsp FAA Corsair Is at NAS Quonset Point 1943 In the early days of World War II Royal Navy fighter requirements had been based on cumbersome two seat designs such as the fighter dive bomber Blackburn Skua and its turreted derivative the Blackburn Roc and the fighter reconnaissance Fairey Fulmar since it was expected that they would encounter only long range bombers or flying boats and that navigation over featureless seas required the assistance of a radio operator navigator N 3 The Royal Navy hurriedly adopted higher performance single seat aircraft such as the Hawker Sea Hurricane and the less robust Supermarine Seafire alongside but neither aircraft had sufficient range to operate at a distance from a carrier task force The Corsair was welcomed as a more robust and versatile alternative 65 In November 1943 the Royal Navy received its first batch of 95 Vought F4U 1s which were given the designation Corsair Mark I The first squadrons were assembled and trained on the U S East Coast and then shipped across the Atlantic The Royal Navy put the Corsair into carrier operations immediately They found its landing characteristics dangerous suffering a number of fatal crashes but considered the Corsair to be the best option they had In Royal Navy service because of the limited hangar deck height in several classes of British carrier many Corsairs had their outer wings clipped by 8 in 200 mm to clear the deckhead 66 The change in span brought about the added benefit of improving the sink rate reducing the F4U s propensity to float in the final stages of landing 66 The Royal Navy developed a number of modifications to the Corsair that made carrier landings more practical Among these were a bulged canopy similar to the Malcolm Hood raising the pilot s seat 7 in 180 mm 67 and wiring shut the cowl flaps across the top of the engine compartment diverting oil and hydraulic fluid spray around the sides of the fuselage 22 The curved approach used with the Seafire was also adopted for landing Corsairs ensuring the flight deck was kept in sight as long as possible 68 69 Deployment edit The Royal Navy initially received 95 birdcage F4U 1s from Vought which were designated Corsair Mk I in Fleet Air Arm service 70 Next from Vought came 510 blown canopy F4U 1A 1Ds which were designated Corsair Mk II the final 150 equivalent to the F4U 1D but not separately designated in British use 71 430 Brewster Corsairs 334 F3A 1 and 96 F3A 1D more than half of Brewster s total production were delivered to Britain as the Corsair Mk III 72 857 Goodyear Corsairs 400 FG 1 1A and 457 FG 1D were delivered and designated Corsair Mk IV 73 The Mk IIs and Mk IVs were the only versions to be used in combat 74 The Royal Navy cleared the F4U for carrier operations well before the U S Navy and showed that the Corsair Mk II could be operated with reasonable success even from escort carriers It was not without problems one was excessive wear of the arrester wires due both to the weight of the Corsair and the understandable tendency of the pilots to stay well above the stalling speed A total of 2 012 Corsairs were supplied to the United Kingdom 75 Fleet Air Arm FAA units were created and equipped in the United States at Quonset Point or Brunswick and then shipped to war theaters aboard escort carriers The first FAA Corsair unit was 1830 NAS created on the first of June 1943 and soon operating from HMS Illustrious At the end of the war 18 FAA squadrons were operating the Corsair British Corsairs served both in Europe and in the Pacific The first and also most important European operations were the series of attacks Operation Tungsten in April July and August 1944 on the German battleship Tirpitz for which Corsairs from HMS Victorious and HMS Formidable provided fighter cover 76 It appears the Corsairs did not encounter aerial opposition on these raids citation needed From April 1944 Corsairs from the British Pacific Fleet took part in several major air raids in South East Asia beginning with Operation Cockpit an attack on Japanese targets at Sabang island in the Dutch East Indies 77 In July and August 1945 Corsair naval squadrons 1834 1836 1841 and 1842 took part in a series of strikes on the Japanese mainland near Tokyo These squadrons operated from Victorious and Formidable 78 On 9 August 1945 days before the end of the war Corsairs from Formidable attacked Shiogama harbor on the northeast coast of Japan Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve pilot Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray of 1841 Squadron was hit by flak but pressed home his attack on the Japanese destroyer escort Amakusa sinking it with a 1 000 lb 450 kg bomb but crashing into the sea He was posthumously awarded Canada s last Victoria Cross becoming the second fighter pilot of the war to earn a Victoria Cross as well as the final Canadian casualty of World War II 79 N 4 nbsp 1831 NAS Corsair aboard HMS Glory off Rabaul 1945 with added bars based on their 28 June 1943 adoption by the U S NavyFAA Corsairs originally fought in a camouflage scheme with a Dark Slate Grey Extra Dark Sea Grey disruptive pattern on top and Sky undersides but were later painted overall dark blue citation needed As it had become imperative for all Allied aircraft in the Pacific Theater of World War II to abandon all use of any red devices in their national insignia to prevent any chance of misidentification with Japanese military aircraft all of which bore the circular all red Hinomaru insignia nicknamed a meatball by Allied aircrew citation needed that is still in use to this day the United States removed all areas of red color specifically removing the red center to the roundel and removed any sort of national fin rudder markings which at that time had seven horizontal red stripes from the American national aircraft insignia scheme by 6 May 1942 The British did likewise starting with a simple paintover with white paint of their Type C roundel s red center at about the time the U S Navy removed the red center from their roundel Later a shade of slate gray center color replaced the white color on the earlier roundel When the Americans starting using the added white bars to either side of their blue white star roundel on 28 June 1943 SEAC British Corsairs most all of which still used the earlier blue white Type C roundel with the red center removed added similar white bars to either side of their blue white roundels to emulate the Americans citation needed In all out of 18 carrier based squadrons eight saw combat flying intensive ground attack interdiction operations and claiming 47 5 aircraft shot down 80 At the end of World War II under the terms of the Lend Lease agreement the aircraft had to be paid for or to be returned to the U S As the UK did not have the means to pay for them the Royal Navy Corsairs were pushed overboard into the sea in Moreton Bay off Brisbane Australia 81 better source needed Royal New Zealand Air Force edit Equipped with obsolete Curtiss P 40s Royal New Zealand Air Force RNZAF squadrons in the South Pacific performed impressively in particular in the air to air role The American government accordingly decided to give New Zealand early access to the Corsair especially as it was not initially being used from carriers Some 424 Corsairs equipped 13 RNZAF squadrons including No 14 Squadron RNZAF and No 15 Squadron RNZAF replacing Douglas SBD Dauntlesses as well as P 40s 82 Most of the F4U 1s N 5 were assembled by Unit 60 with a further batch assembled and flown at RNZAF Station Hobsonville In total there were 336 F4U 1s and 41 F4U 1Ds used by the RNZAF during the Second World War Sixty FG 1Ds arrived late in the war 83 nbsp RNZAF Corsairs with a Royal Australian Air Force CAC Boomerang on Bougainville 1945 The first deliveries of lend lease Corsairs began in March 1944 with the arrival of 30 F4U 1s at the RNZAF Base Depot Workshops Unit 60 on the island of Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides From April these workshops became responsible for assembling all Corsairs for the RNZAF units operating the aircraft in the South West Pacific and a Test and Despatch flight was set up to test the aircraft after assembly By June 1944 100 Corsairs had been assembled and test flown 82 The first squadrons to use the Corsair were 20 and 21 Squadrons on Espiritu Santo operational in May 1944 The organization of the RNZAF in the Pacific and New Zealand meant that only the pilots and a small staff belonged to each squadron the maximum strength on a squadron was 27 pilots squadrons were assigned to several Servicing Units SUs composed of 5 6 officers 57 NCOs 212 airmen which carried out aircraft maintenance and operated from fixed locations 84 hence F4U 1 NZ5313 was first used by 20 Squadron 1 SU on Guadalcanal in May 1944 20 Squadron was then relocated to 2 SU on Bougainville in November 85 In all there were ten front line SUs plus another three based in New Zealand Because each of the SUs painted its aircraft with distinctive markings 86 and the aircraft themselves could be repainted in several different color schemes the RNZAF Corsairs were far less uniform in appearance than their American and FAA contemporaries 87 By late 1944 the F4U had equipped all ten Pacific based fighter squadrons of the RNZAF 83 By the time the Corsairs arrived there were very few Japanese aircraft left in New Zealand s allocated sectors of the Southern Pacific and despite the RNZAF squadrons extending their operations to more northern islands they were primarily used for close support of American Australian and New Zealand soldiers fighting the Japanese At the end of 1945 all Corsair squadrons but one No 14 were disbanded That last squadron was based in Japan until the Corsair was retired from service in 1947 88 No 14 Squadron was given new FG 1Ds and in March 1946 transferred to Iwakuni Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force 89 Only one airworthy example of the 437 aircraft procured survives FG 1D NZ5648 ZK COR owned by the Old Stick and Rudder Company at Masterton New Zealand 90 Captured Corsairs edit On 18 July 1944 a British Corsair serial JT404 of 1841 Naval Air Squadron was involved in anti submarine patrol from HMS Formidable as it returned to Scapa Flow after the Operation Mascot attack on the German battleship Tirpitz It flew in company with a Fairey Barracuda Due to technical problems the Corsair made an emergency landing in a field on Hamaroy north of Bodo Norway The pilot Lt Mattholie was taken prisoner and the aircraft captured undamaged Luftwaffe interrogators citation needed failed to get the pilot to explain how to fold the wings so as to transport the aircraft to Narvik The Corsair was ferried by boat for further investigation Later the Corsair was taken to Germany and listed as one of the captured enemy aircraft Beuteflugzeug based at Erprobungsstelle Rechlin the central German military aviation test facility and the equivalent of the Royal Aircraft Establishment for 1944 under repair This was probably the only Corsair captured by the Germans 91 In 1945 U S forces captured an F4U Corsair near the Kasumigaura flight school The Japanese had repaired it covering damaged parts on the wing with fabric and using spare parts from crashed F4Us It seems Japan captured two force landed Corsairs fairly late in the war and may have tested one in flight N 6 92 Korean War edit nbsp A United States Navy F4U 5NL Corsair equipped with the air intercept radar right wing and a 154 gallon drop tank in the Geneseo Airshow on 9 July 2006During the Korean War the Corsair was used mostly in the close support role The AU 1 Corsair was developed from the F4U 5 and was a ground attack version which normally operated at low altitudes as a consequence the Pratt amp Whitney R 2800 83W engine used a single stage manually controlled supercharger rather than the two stage automatic supercharger of the 5 93 The versions of the Corsair used in Korea from 1950 to 1953 were the AU 1 F4U 4B 4P and 5N and 5NL 94 There were dogfights between F4Us and Soviet built Yakovlev Yak 9 fighters early in the war but when the enemy introduced the Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 15 the Corsair was outmatched On 10 September 1952 a MiG 15 made the mistake of getting into a turning contest with a Corsair piloted by Marine Captain Jesse G Folmar with Folmar shooting the MiG down with his four 20 mm cannon In turn four MiG 15s shot down Folmar minutes later Folmar bailed out and was quickly rescued with little injury 95 F4U 5N and 5NL Corsair night fighters were used to attack enemy supply lines including truck convoys and trains as well as interdicting night attack aircraft such as the Polikarpov Po 2 Bedcheck Charlies which were used to harass United Nations forces at night The F4Us often operated with the help of C 47 flare ships which dropped hundreds of 1 000 000 candlepower magnesium flares to illuminate the targets 96 For many operations detachments of U S Navy F4U 5Ns were posted to shore bases The leader of one such unit Lieutenant Guy Bordelon of VC 3 Det D Detachment D off USS Princeton became the Navy s only ace in the war in addition to being the only American ace in Korea that used a piston engined aircraft 97 Bordelon nicknamed Lucky Pierre was credited with three Lavochkin La 9s or La 11s and two Yakovlev Yak 18s between 29 June and 16 17 July 1952 98 Navy and Marine Corsairs were credited with a total of 12 enemy aircraft More generally Corsairs performed attacks with cannons napalm tanks various iron bombs and unguided rockets The 5 inch HVAR was a reliable standby sturdy Soviet built armor proved resistant to the HVAR s punch which led to a new 6 5 in 17 cm shaped charge antitank warhead being developed The result was called the Anti Tank Aircraft Rocket ATAR The 11 in 28 cm Tiny Tim was also used in combat with two under the belly 99 Lieutenant Thomas J Hudner Jr flying an F4U 4 of VF 32 off USS Leyte was awarded the Medal of Honor for crash landing his Corsair in an attempt to rescue his squadron mate Ensign Jesse L Brown whose aircraft had been forced down by antiaircraft fire near Changjin Brown who did not survive the incident was the U S Navy s first African American naval aviator 100 101 102 Aeronavale edit nbsp Early F4U 7 Corsair in flight in black and white with the former flashes of the French Naval AviationMain article Aeronavale After the war the French Navy had an urgent requirement for a powerful carrier borne close air support aircraft to operate from the French Navy s four aircraft carriers that it acquired in the late 1940s Two former U S Navy and two Royal Navy carriers were transferred Secondhand US Navy Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers of Flotille 3F and 4F were used to attack enemy targets and support ground forces in the First Indochina War Former US Grumman F6F 5 Hellcats and Curtiss SB2C Helldivers were also used for close air support A new and more capable aircraft was needed citation needed First Indochina War edit The last production Corsair was the F4U 7 which was built specifically for the French naval air arm the Aeronavale The XF4U 7 prototype did its test flight on 2 July 1952 with a total of 94 F4U 7s built for the French Navy s Aeronavale 79 in 1952 15 in 1953 with the last of the batch the final Corsair built rolled out on 31 January 1953 1 The F4U 7s were actually purchased by the U S Navy and passed on to the Aeronavale through the U S Military Assistance Program MAP The French Navy used its F4U 7s during the second half of the First Indochina War in the 1950s 12 F 14 F 15 F Flotillas 1 where they were supplemented by at least 25 ex USMC AU 1s passed on to the French in 1954 after the end of the Korean War 103 On 15 January 1953 Flotille 14F based at Karouba Air Base near Bizerte in Tunisia became the first Aeronavale unit to receive the F4U 7 Corsair Flotille 14F pilots arrived at Da Nang Vietnam on 17 April 1954 but without their aircraft The next day the carrier USS Saipan delivered 25 war weary ground attack ex USMC AU 1 Corsairs 104 flown by VMA 212 at the end of the Korean War to Tourane Air Base During three months operating over Vietnam including in support of the Battle of Dien Bien Phu the Corsairs flew 959 combat sorties totaling 1 335 flight hours They dropped some 700 tons of bombs and fired more than 300 rockets and 70 000 20 mm rounds Six aircraft were damaged and two shot down by Viet Minh citation needed In September 1954 F4U 7 Corsairs were loaded aboard Dixmude and brought back to France in November The surviving Ex USMC AU 1s were taken to the Philippines and returned to the U S Navy In 1956 Flotille 15F returned to South Vietnam equipped with F4U 7 Corsairs 105 Suez Crisis edit The 14 F and 15 F Flotillas also took part in the Anglo French Israeli seizure of the Suez Canal in October 1956 code named Operation Musketeer The Corsairs were painted with yellow and black recognition stripes for this operation They were tasked with destroying Egyptian Navy ships at Alexandria but the presence of U S Navy ships prevented the successful completion of the mission On 3 November 16 F4U 7s attacked airfields in the Delta with one Corsair shot down by anti aircraft fire Two more Corsairs were damaged when landing back on the carriers The Corsairs engaged in Operation Musketeer dropped a total of 25 tons of bombs and fired more than 500 rockets and 16 000 20mm rounds 106 Algerian War edit As soon as they disembarked from the carriers that took part in Operation Musketeer at the end of 1956 all three Corsair Flotillas moved to Telergma and Oran airfields in Algeria from where they provided CAS and helicopter escort They were joined by the new Flottille 17F established at Hyeres in April 1958 105 French F4U 7 Corsairs with some borrowed AU 1s of the 12F 14F 15F and 17F Flotillas conducted missions during the Algerian War between 1955 and 1962 Between February and March 1958 several strikes and CAS missions were launched from Bois Belleau the only carrier involved in the Algeria War 1 nbsp Former Argentine F4U 5NL in Aeronavale 14 F flotilla colors in 2006Tunisia edit France recognized Tunisian independence and sovereignty in 1956 but continued to station military forces at Bizerte and planned to extend the airbase In 1961 Tunisia asked France to evacuate the base Tunisia imposed a blockade on the base on 17 July hoping to force its evacuation This resulted in a battle between militiamen and the French military which lasted three days French paratroopers escorted by Corsairs of the 12F and 17F Flotillas were dropped to reinforce the base and the Aeronavale launched air strikes on Tunisian troops and vehicles between 19 21 July carrying out more than 150 sorties Three Corsairs were damaged by ground fire 105 French experiments edit In early 1959 the Aeronavale experimented with the Vietnam War era SS 11 wire guided anti tank missile on F4U 7 Corsairs 107 The 12 F pilots trained for this experimental program were required to manually pilot the missile at approximatively two kilometers from the target on low altitude with a joystick using the right hand while keeping track of a flare on its tail and piloting the aircraft using the left hand 107 an exercise that could be very tricky in a single seat aircraft under combat conditions Despite reportedly effective results during the tests this armament was not used with Corsairs during the ongoing Algerian War 107 The Aeronavale used 163 Corsairs 94 F4U 7s and 69 AU 1s the last of them used by the Cuers based 14 F Flotilla were out of service by September 1964 1 with some surviving for museum display or as civilian warbirds By the early 1960s two new modern aircraft carriers Clemenceau and Foch had entered service with the French Navy and with them a new generation of jet powered combat aircraft 89 Football War edit nbsp Honduran Air Force Vought F4U 5NL No FAH 609 Corsair flown by Cap Fernando Soto when he shot down three Salvadoran Air Force planes Corsairs flew their final combat missions in 1969 during the Football War between Honduras and El Salvador in service with both air forces The conflict was allegedly triggered though not really caused by a disagreement over a soccer association football match Captain Fernando Soto of the Honduran Air Force shot down three Salvadoran Air Force aircraft on 17 July 1969 In the morning he shot down a Cavalier Mustang killing the pilot In the afternoon he shot down two FG 1s the pilot of the second aircraft may have bailed out but the third exploded in the air killing the pilot These combats were the last ones among propeller driven aircraft in the world and also making Soto the only pilot credited with three kills in an American continental war El Salvador did not shoot down any Honduran aircraft 108 At the outset of the Football War El Salvador enlisted the assistance of several American pilots with P 51 and F4U experience Bob Love a Korean war ace Chuck Lyford Ben Hall and Lynn Garrison are believed to have flown combat missions but it has never been confirmed Lynn Garrison had purchased F4U 7 133693 from the French MAAG office when he retired from French naval service in 1964 It was registered N693M and was later destroyed in a 1987 crash in San Diego California 109 Legacy edit The Corsair entered service in 1942 Although designed as a carrier fighter initial operation from carrier decks proved to be troublesome Its low speed handling was tricky due to the left wing stalling before the right wing This factor together with poor visibility over the long nose leading to one of its nicknames The Hose Nose made landing a Corsair on a carrier a difficult task For these reasons most Corsairs initially went to Marine Corps squadrons which operated off land based runways with some early Goodyear built examples designated FG 1A being built with fixed wings N 7 75 The USMC aviators welcomed the Corsair with open arms as its performance was far superior to the contemporary Brewster F2A Buffalo and Grumman F4F 3 and 4 Wildcat Moreover the Corsair was able to outperform the primary Japanese fighter the A6M Zero While the Zero could outturn the F4U at low speed the Corsair was faster and could outclimb and outdive the A6M 110 This performance advantage combined with the ability to take severe punishment meant a pilot could place an enemy aircraft in the killing zone of the F4U s six 50 12 7 mm M2 Browning machine guns and keep him there long enough to inflict major damage The 2 300 rounds carried by the Corsair gave just under 30 seconds of fire from each gun nbsp Corsair on display at the National Air and Space Museum Steven F Udvar Hazy CenterBeginning in 1943 the Fleet Air Arm also received Corsairs and flew them successfully from Royal Navy carriers in combat with the British Pacific Fleet and in Norway 111 These were clipped wing Corsairs the wingtips shortened 8 in 20 cm to clear the lower overhead height of RN carriers FAA also developed a curving landing approach to overcome the F4U s deficiencies 112 nbsp Underside of a CorsairInfantrymen nicknamed the Corsair The Sweetheart of the Marianas and The Angel of Okinawa for its roles in these campaigns Among Navy and Marine aviators the aircraft was nicknamed Ensign Eliminator and Bent Wing Eliminator because it required many more hours of flight training to master than other Navy carrier borne aircraft It was also called simply U bird or Bent Wing Bird 2 Although Allied World War II sources frequently make the claim that the Japanese called the Corsair the Whistling Death Japanese sources do not support this and it was mainly known as the Sikorsky 113 The Corsair has been named the official aircraft of Connecticut due to its multiple connections to Connecticut businesses including airframe manufacturer Vought Sikorsky Aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt amp Whitney and propeller manufacturer Hamilton Standard 114 Variants edit nbsp An early F4U 1 in flight During World War II Corsair production expanded beyond Vought to include Brewster and Goodyear models Allied forces flying the aircraft in World War II included the Fleet Air Arm and the Royal New Zealand Air Force Eventually more than 12 500 F4Us would be built comprising 16 separate variants 9 F4U 1 called Corsair Mk I by the Fleet Air Arm 115 The first production version of the Corsair with the distinctive birdcage canopy and low seating position N 8 The differences over the XF4U 1 were as follows Six 50 in 12 7 mm Browning AN M2 machine guns were fitted in the outer wing panels displacing fuel tanks An enlarged 237 US gal 900 L fuel tank was fitted ahead of the cockpit in place of the fuselage armament The cockpit was moved back by 32 in 810 mm The fuselage was lengthened by 1 ft 5 in 0 43 m The more powerful R 2800 8 Double Wasp was fitted 150 pounds 68 kg of armor plate was fitted to the cockpit and a 1 5 in 38 mm thick bullet resistant glass panel was fitted behind the curved windscreen IFF transponder equipment was fitted Curved transparent panels were incorporated into the fuselage behind the pilot s headrest The flaps were changed from deflector type to NACA slotted The span of the ailerons was increased while that of the flaps was decreased One 62 US gal 230 L auxiliary fuel cell not a self sealing type was installed in each wing leading edge just outboard of the guns The Royal Navy s Fleet Air Arm received 95 Vought F4U 1s These were all early birdcage Corsairs 70 Vought also built a single F4U 1 two seat trainer the Navy showed no interest 116 F4U 1A called Corsair Mk II by the Fleet Air Arm 71 nbsp An F4U 1A in Fleet Air Arm serviceMid to late production Corsairs incorporated a new taller wider canopy with only two frames very close to what the Malcolm hood did for British fighter aircraft along with a simplified windscreen the new canopy design allowed the semi elliptical turtledeck flank windows to be omitted The designation F4U 1A to differentiate these Corsairs from earlier birdcage variants was allowed to be used internally by manufacturers 117 The pilot s seat was raised 7 in 180 mm which combined with the new canopy and a 6 in 150 mm lengthening of the tailwheel strut allowed the pilot better visibility over the long nose In addition to these changes the bombing window under the cockpit was omitted These Corsairs introduced a 6 in 150 mm long stall strip just outboard of the gun ports on the right wing leading edge and improved undercarriage oleo struts which eliminated bouncing on landing making these the first truly carrier capable F4Us Three hundred and sixty F4U 1As were delivered to the Fleet Air Arm In British service they were modified with clipped wings 8 in 200 mm was cut off each wingtip for use on British aircraft carriers 115 although the Royal Navy had been successfully operating the Corsair Mk I since 1 June 1943 when 1830 Naval Air Squadron was commissioned and assigned to HMS Illustrious 118 F4U 1s in many USMC squadrons had their arrester hooks removed N 9 Additionally an experimental R 2800 8W engine with water injection was fitted on one of the late F4U 1As After satisfactory results many F4U 1As were fitted with the new powerplant The aircraft carried 237 US gal 900 L in the main fuel tank located in front of the cockpit as well as an unarmored non self sealing 62 US gal 230 L fuel tank in each wing This version of the Corsair was the first to be able to carry a drop tank under the center section With drop tanks fitted the fighter had a maximum ferry range of just over 1 500 mi 2 400 km nbsp F3A 1F3A 1 and F3A 1D called Corsair Mk III by the Fleet Air Arm 73 This was the designation for Brewster built F4U 1 Labor troubles delayed production and the Navy ordered the company s contract terminated they folded soon after 119 Poor quality wing fittings meant that these aircraft were red lined for speed and prohibited from aerobatics after several lost their wings citation needed None of the Brewster built Corsairs reached front line units 430 Brewster Corsairs 334 F3A 1 and 96 F3A 1D more than half of Brewster s total production were delivered to the Fleet Air Arm FG 1A and FG 1D called Corsair Mk IV by the Fleet Air Arm This was the designation for Corsairs that were license built by Goodyear to the same specifications as Vought s Corsairs 120 The first Goodyear built FG 1 flew in February 1943 121 and Goodyear began delivery of FG 1 Corsairs in April 1943 53 The company continued production until the end of the war and delivered 4 007 FG 1 series Corsairs including sixty FG 1Ds to the RNZAF 121 and 857 400 FG 1 and FG 1A and 457 FG 1D to the Royal Navy as Corsair Mk IVs 122 123 F4U 1B This was an unofficial post war designation used to identify F4U 1s modified for Fleet Air Arm use 31 F4U 1C The prototype F4U 1C appeared in August 1943 and was based on an F4U 1 A total of 200 of this variant were built from July to November 1944 all were based on the F4U 1D and were built in parallel with that variant 82 Intended for ground attack as well as fighter missions the F4U 1C was similar to the F4U 1D but its six machine guns were replaced by four 20 mm 0 79 in AN M2 cannons with 231 rounds of ammunition per gun 124 The F4U 1C was introduced to combat during 1945 most notably in the Okinawa campaign The firepower of 20 mm was highly appreciated 125 126 127 It was believed that the 20 mm cannon was more effective for all types of combat work than the 50 caliber machine gun 128 However despite the superior firepower many navy pilots preferred 50 caliber machine guns in air combat due to jam and freezing problems of the 20mm cannons 129 These problems were reduced as the ordnance crews gained experience until the performance of the guns compared favorably with the 50 caliber 128 but freezing problems remained at 25 000 to 30 000 ft 7 600 to 9 100 m until gun heaters were installed 129 130 nbsp A Goodyear built FG 1D with the later single piece blown canopy used by the F4U 1D F4U 1D called Corsair Mk II by the Fleet Air Arm This variant was introduced in April 1944 and was built in parallel with the F4U 1C It had the new R 2800 8W Double Wasp engine equipped with water injection This change gave the aircraft up to 250 hp 190 kW more power which in turn increased performance Speed was increased from 417 mph 671 km h to 425 mph 684 km h Due to the U S Navy s need for fighter bombers it had a payload of rockets double the 1A s carried on permanent launching rails as well as twin pylons for bombs or drop tanks These modifications caused extra drag but the additional fuel carried by the two drop tanks would still allow the aircraft to fly relatively long missions despite heavy un aerodynamic loads A single piece blown clear view canopy was adopted as standard equipment for the 1D model and all later F4U production aircraft 150 F4U 1D were delivered to the Fleet Air Arm F4U 1P A rare photo reconnaissance variant 131 nbsp F4U 2s aboard USS Intrepid The radome on the right outer wing is just visible XF4U 2 Special night fighter variant equipped with two auxiliary fuel tanks 132 F4U 2 Experimental conversion of the F4U 1 Corsair into a carrier borne nightfighter armed with five 50 in 12 7 mm machine guns the outboard right gun was deleted and fitted with Airborne Intercept AI radar set in a radome placed outboard on the starboard wing Since Vought was preoccupied with more important projects only 32 were converted from existing F4U 1s by the Naval Aircraft Factory and another two by front line units 133 134 The type saw combat with VF N 101 aboard USS Enterprise and USS Intrepid in early 1944 VF N 75 in the Solomon Islands and VMF N 532 on Tarawa nbsp An XF4U 3 in 1946 XF4U 3 Experimental aircraft built to hold different engines in order to test the Corsair s performance with a variety of power plants This variant never entered service Goodyear also contributed a number of airframes designated FG 3 to the project A single sub variant XF4U 3B with minor modifications was also produced 135 for the FAA 132 XF4U 4 New engine and cowling 132 F4U 4 The last variant to see action during World War II Deliveries to the U S Navy of the F4U 4 began in early 1945 It had the 2 100 hp 1 600 kW dual stage supercharged 18W engine When the cylinders were injected with the water alcohol mixture power was boosted to 2 450 hp 1 830 kW The aircraft required an air scoop under the nose and the unarmored wing fuel tanks of 62 US gal 230 L capacities were removed for better maneuverability at the expense of maximum range The propeller was changed to a four blade type Maximum speed was increased to 448 miles per hour 721 km h and climb rate to over 4 500 feet per minute 1 400 m min as opposed to the 2 900 feet per minute 880 m min of the F4U 1A 136 The 4 Hog retained the original armament and had all the external load i e drop tanks bombs capabilities of the F4U 1D Vought also tested the two F4U 4Xs BuNos 49763 and 50301 prototypes for the new R2800 with fixed wingtip tanks the Navy showed no interest and an Aeroproducts six blade contraprop not accepted for production 137 nbsp An F4U 4 of VF 1b on board USS Midway 1947 1948 F4U 4B 300 F4U 4s ordered with alternate gun armament of four 20 millimetres 0 79 in AN M3 cannon 138 F4U 4E and F4U 4N Developed late in WWII these nightfighters featured radar radomes projecting from the right wingtip The 4E was fitted with the APS 4 search radar while the 4N was fitted with the APS 6 type In addition these aircraft were often refitted with four 20 mm M2 cannons similar to the F4U 1C Though these variants would not see combat during WWII the nightfighter variants would see great use during the Korean war 139 F4U 4K Experimental radio controlled target drone variant 1 unit built 132 140 F4U 4P F4U 4 equivalent to the 1P a rare photo reconnaissance variant 131 XF4U 5 New engine cowling other extensive changes 132 nbsp A VMF N 513 F4U 5N at Wonsan during the Korean War 1950 F4U 5 A 1945 design modification of the F4U 4 first flown on 21 December 1945 was intended to increase the F4U 4 Corsair s overall performance and incorporate many Corsair pilots suggestions It featured a more powerful Pratt and Whitney R 2800 32 E engine with a two stage supercharger 141 rated at a maximum of 2 760 hp 2 060 kW Other improvements included automatic blower controls cowl flaps intercooler doors and oil cooler for the engine spring tabs for the elevators and rudder a completely modernized cockpit a completely retractable tail wheel and heated cannon bays and pitot head The cowling was lowered two degrees to help with forward visibility but perhaps most striking as the first variant to feature all metal wings 223 units produced 142 143 Maximum speed was 408 knots 470 mph and max rate of climb at sea level 4 850 feet per minute 144 F4U 5N Radar equipped version 214 units produced F4U 5NL Winterized version 72 units produced 145 29 modified from F4U 5Ns 101 total Fitted with rubber de icing boots on the leading edge of the wings and tail 146 F4U 5P Long range photo reconnaissance version 30 units produced nbsp A factory fresh AU 1 1952 F4U 6 Re designated AU 1 this was a ground attack version produced for the U S Marine Corps F4U 7 AU 1 airframe with 18w engine developed for the French Navy FG 1E Goodyear FG 1 with radar equipment 132 FG 1K Goodyear FG 1 as drone 132 FG 3 Turbosupercharger version converted from FG 1D FG 4 Goodyear F4U 4 never delivered 132 AU 1 U S Marines attack variant with extra armor to protect the pilot and fuel tank and the oil coolers relocated inboard to reduce vulnerability to ground fire The supercharger was simplified as the design was intended for low altitude operation Extra racks were also fitted Fully loaded for combat the AU 1 weighed 20 more than a fully loaded F4U 4 and was capable of carrying 8 200 lb 3 700 kg of bombs The AU 1 had a maximum speed of 238 miles per hour 383 km h at 9 500 ft 2 900 m when loaded with 4 600 lb 2 100 kg of bombs and a 150 US gallon 570 L drop tank When loaded with ten HVAR rockets and two 150 gallon drop tanks maximum speed was 298 mph 480 km h at 19 700 ft 6 000 m When not carrying external loads maximum speed was 389 mph 626 km h at 14 000 ft 4 300 m First produced in 1952 and used in Korea and retired in 1957 Re designated from F4U 6 147 148 149 Super Corsair variants edit Main article Goodyear F2G Corsair In March 1944 Pratt amp Whitney requested an F4U 1 Corsair from Vought Aircraft for evaluation of their new P amp W R 4360 Wasp Major 4 row 28 cylinder corncob radial engine The F2G 1 and F2G 2 were significantly different aircraft F2G 1 featured a manual folding wing and 14 ft 4 3 m propeller while the F2G 2 had hydraulic operated folding wings 13 ft 4 0 m propeller and carrier arresting hook for carrier use 150 There were five pre production XF2G 1s BuNo 14691 14692 14693 Race 94 14694 Race 18 and 14695 There were ten production F2Gs Five F2G 1s BuNo 88454 Museum of Flight in Seattle Washington 88455 88456 88457 Race 84 and 88458 Race 57 and five F2G 2s BuNo 88459 88460 88461 88462 and 88463 Race 74 Five F2Gs were sold as surplus and went on to racing success after the war indicated by the Race number after the BuNo winning the Thompson trophy races in 1947 and 1949 The only surviving F2G 1s are BuNos 88454 and 88458 Race 57 The only surviving F2G 2 was BuNo 88463 Race 74 It was destroyed in a crash September 2012 after having a full restoration completed in July 2011 150 Operators edit nbsp Argentine F9F Cougar and F4U Corsairs 1960s nbsp FAH 609 of the Honduran Air Force nbsp Corsair FG 1D Goodyear built F4U 1D in the Royal New Zealand Air Force markings nbsp Insignia of the defunct American squadron VMF 113 nbsp ArgentinaArgentine Navy Naval Aviation operated 26 F4U 5 5N 5NL Corsairs from 1956 to 1968 from ARA Independencia 151 2nd Attack Squadron nbsp El SalvadorAir Force of El Salvador operated 5 F4Us and 20 FG 1Ds from 1957 to 1976 152 Fighting and Bombing Squadron nbsp FranceFrench NavyAeronavale operated 69 AU 1 and 94 F4U 7 from 1954 to 1964 153 Flottille 12F fr 107 Flottille 14F fr 107 Flottille 15F fr 107 Flottille 17F Escadrille 10S Escadrille 57S nbsp HondurasHonduran Air Force operated 19 from 1956 to 1979 154 nbsp New ZealandRoyal New Zealand Air Force operated 368 F4U 1s and 60 FG 1Ds from 1944 to 1949 citation needed No 14 Squadron RNZAF No 15 Squadron RNZAF No 16 Squadron RNZAF No 17 Squadron RNZAF No 18 Squadron RNZAF No 19 Squadron RNZAF No 20 Squadron RNZAF No 21 Squadron RNZAF No 22 Squadron RNZAF No 23 Squadron RNZAF No 24 Squadron RNZAF No 25 Squadron RNZAF No 26 Squadron RNZAF nbsp United KingdomThe Royal Navy s Fleet Air Arm 155 operated 2 012 Corsairs of all types during World War II including 95 Corsair Is F4U 1 510 Corsair IIs F4U 1A 430 Corsair IIIs F3A 1D and 977 Corsair IVs FG 1D 156 700 Naval Air Squadron 703 Naval Air Squadron 706 Naval Air Squadron 715 Naval Air Squadron 716 Naval Air Squadron 718 Naval Air Squadron 719 Naval Air Squadron 721 Naval Air Squadron 723 Naval Air Squadron 731 Naval Air Squadron 732 Naval Air Squadron 736 Naval Air Squadron 738 Naval Air Squadron 748 Naval Air Squadron 757 Naval Air Squadron 759 Naval Air Squadron 760 Naval Air Squadron 767 Naval Air Squadron 768 Naval Air Squadron 771 Naval Air Squadron 778 Naval Air Squadron 787 Naval Air Squadron 791 Naval Air Squadron 794 Naval Air Squadron 797 Naval Air Squadron 885 Naval Air Squadron 1830 Naval Air Squadron 1831 Naval Air Squadron 1833 Naval Air Squadron 1834 Naval Air Squadron 1835 Naval Air Squadron 1836 Naval Air Squadron 1837 Naval Air Squadron 1838 Naval Air Squadron 1841 Naval Air Squadron 1842 Naval Air Squadron 1843 Naval Air Squadron 1845 Naval Air Squadron 1846 Naval Air Squadron 1848 Naval Air Squadron 1849 Naval Air Squadron 1850 Naval Air Squadron 1851 Naval Air Squadron 1852 Naval Air Squadron nbsp United StatesUnited States Navy United States Marine CorpsSurviving aircraft editMain article List of surviving Vought F4U Corsairs According to the FAA there are 45 privately owned F4Us in the U S 157 Specifications F4U 4 edit nbsp 3 view line drawing of the F4U 1 variantData from F4U 4 Detail Specification 158 F4U 4 Airplane Characteristics and Performance 159 General characteristicsCrew One Length 33 ft 8 in 10 26 m Wingspan 41 ft 0 in 12 50 m Height 14 ft 9 in 4 50 m Wing area 314 sq ft 29 17 m2 Empty weight 9 205 lb 4 238 kg Gross weight 14 670 lb 6 654 kg Max takeoff weight 14 533 lb 6 592 kg Powerplant 1 Pratt amp Whitney R 2800 18W radial engine 2 380 hp 1 770 kW Propellers 3 bladedPerformance Maximum speed 446 mph 717 km h 385 kn Cruise speed 215 mph 346 km h 187 kn Stall speed 89 mph 143 km h 77 kn Range 1 005 mi 1 617 km 873 nmi Combat range 328 mi 528 km 285 nmi Service ceiling 41 500 ft 12 600 m Rate of climb 4 360 ft min 22 1 m s Armament Guns 6 0 50 in 12 7 mm M2 Browning machine guns 375 400 rounds per gun Rockets 8 5 in 12 7 cm high velocity aircraft rockets and or Bombs 4 000 lb 1 800 kg Notable appearances in media editMain article F4U Corsair in fictionSee also edit nbsp Aviation portalLTV A 7 Corsair IIRelated development Vought V 326 Goodyear F2G Corsair W A R F4U CorsairAircraft of comparable role configuration and era Focke Wulf Fw 190 Grumman F6F Hellcat Grumman F8F Bearcat Republic P 47 Thunderbolt Hawker Sea Fury Kawanishi N1K Nakajima Ki 84Related lists List of aircraft of World War II List of aircraft of the United States during World War II List of military aircraft of the United StatesReferences editNotes edit A landing technique using a curving approach that kept the LSO landing signal officer in view while coming aboard was developed by the Royal Navy and was adopted by the U S Navy 28 F2A Buffalos and F4F Wildcats used similar glazed panels Prior to the F4U 4 Corsair cockpits did not have a complete floor There were also some Sea Gladiator biplane fighters in use Although P O Andrew Mynarski s Victoria Cross was actually awarded in 1946 it commemorated an action in 1944 Although these are often call F4U 1As apparently this was not an official wartime designation but was one applied postwar to indicate that there were production line modifications The same comment applies to the 1B 31 A photograph exists of an F4U 1 being examined on the ground by Japanese airmen The wings were not actually fixed The hydraulic wing folding hardware was simply not installed The wings could still be manually folded A later version of this canopy incorporated a small rear view mirror in a transparent blister Although F4Us operated by the Marines were seldom seen with folded wings it did not mean that this facility was deactivated the only version of the Corsair built without folding wings were some of those manufactured by Goodyear Citations edit a b c d e Rochotte Leon C Josa Ramon Gannier Alexandre 1999 Les Corsair francais www netmarine net in French Retrieved 12 June 2023 a b c Shettle 2001 p 107 Green 1975 p 137 Jablonski 1979 p 171 Donald 1995 p 246 a b c Gustin Emmanuel Chance Vought F4U Corsair XF4U 1 Genesis F4UCorsair com Archived from the original on 13 July 2013 Retrieved 9 August 2013 Pilot s Manual 1979 Prologue O Leary 1980 p 116 a b Donald 1995 p 244 Wilson 1996 Russell 1984 p 25 Gunston 1980 p 42 Johnsen 1993 p 5 Tillman 1979 p 5 F4U Corsair The Marine s most famous fighting aircraft in World War II aviationshoppe com Archived from the original on 31 January 2016 Retrieved 23 December 2015 a b Veronico et al 1994 p 11 Guyton 1996 pp 100 104 O Leary 1980 pp 101 102 Musciano 1979 pp 40 41 dates Tillman 1996 p 17 number of aircraft in first order a b c Green 1973 p 188 a b Swinhert Earl Vought F4U Corsair The Aviation History Online Museum Retrieved 12 June 2023 Kinzey Bert F4U Corsair In Detail And Scale Part 1 Carrollton Texas Squadron Signal Publications Inc 1998 ISBN 1 888974 08 7 Russell 1984 p 26 Air Ministry 1944 pp 24 25 Brown 1980 pp 86 87 a b O Leary 1980 pp 106 107 O Leary 1980 p 111 O Leary 1980 p 102 Zorro Mario H 15 September 2016 Vought F4U Corsair a b c Russell 1984 p 27 Warbird Alley Vought F4U Corsair www warbirdalley com Retrieved 20 February 2023 Warbird Alley Grumman F6F Hellcat www warbirdalley com Retrieved 20 February 2023 Warbird Alley Republic P 47 Thunderbolt www warbirdalley com Retrieved 20 February 2023 Dean 1997 p 281 Tillman 1979 p 196 Dean 1997 p 509 O Rourke G G Capt USN Of Hosenoses Stoofs and Lefthanded Spads United States Naval Institute Proceedings July 1968 Bell Dana 2014 Aircraft Pictorial 7 F4U 1 Corsair Vol 1 Tucson Classic Warships Publishing p 2 ISBN 9780985714970 Tillman 1979 p 13 O Leary 1980 p 107 Bell p 2 Blackburn 1989 p 83 Styling 1995 pp 6 9 Sherrod 1952 pp 134 135 Sherrod 1952 p 431 Styling 1995 pp 9 10 Styling 1995 pp 31 50 87 93 Story of Bob drummer pilot legend United States Marine Corps Flagship Retrieved 11 October 2019 Sherrod 1952 pp 75 129 a b D Angina 2014 p 22 Bell Dana 2015 Aircraft Pictorial 8 F4U 1 Corsair Vol 2 Tucson Classic Warships Publishing p 3 ISBN 978 0 9857149 9 4 a b Dorr 1991 p 66 Sullivan 2010 p 16 21 a b Charles Lindbergh and the 475th Fighter Group from the book Lightning Strikes charleslindbergh com Retrieved 5 August 2010 Jablonski 1979 Veronico et al pp 59 61 Bowman 2002 p 39 Tillman 1979 pp 15 17 Condon 1998 pp 4 5 Barber 1946 Table 1 a b c Barber 1946 Table 2 Whistling Death The Chance Vought F4U Corsair Archived 25 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine Warfare History Network 16 December 2018 Barber 1946 Table 28 Styling 1995 pp 67 68 a b Styling 1995 p 68 Goebel Greg Vought F4U Corsair www airvectors net Retrieved 20 February 2023 Graff Cory 1 June 2021 How the Navy Tamed the Killer Corsair A little piece of aluminum solved the WW2 fighter s vicious behavior problem Smithsonian Magazine Smithsonian Retrieved 15 July 2023 But it was the British Royal Navy s Fleet Air Arm who came up with the concept that brought Corsairs to sea duty for good The pilots developed a long curving landing approach to keep the carrier s deck in sight until the last moments before touchdown Leone Dario 20 August 2020 Here s how the Royal Navy fixed the F4U shortcomings for which the US Navy deemed the Corsair unsuitable for aircraft carrier operations theaviationgeekclub com The Aviation Geek Club Retrieved 15 July 2023 We made the Corsair available to the Royal Navy who had been flying Seafires another long nosed aircraft and simply adapted the Seafire landing pattern to the Corsair Problem solved a b March 1998 p 237 a b March 1998 p 237 238 March 1998 p 239 a b March 1998 p 239 Styling 1995 p 73 a b Swanborough and Bowers 1976 p 404 Thetford 1978 p 73 J Cox Leonard 18 September 1998 Attack on Sabang Northern Sumatra 1944 Naval Historical Society of Australia Retrieved 20 November 2022 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Thetford 1978 p 74 Lt Robert Hampton Gray Veterans Affairs Canada archived from the original on 29 October 2010 retrieved 5 August 2010 Styling 1995 pp 69 73 Tony Nye s Recollections of the Archerfield Quarry www ozatwar com Retrieved 20 February 2023 a b c Russell 1984 p 28 a b Russell 1984 pp 48 87 Russell 1984 pp 32 33 Russell 1984 p 49 Russell 1984 pp 40 45 Russell 1984 pp 90 104 Tillman 1979 pp 103 105 a b Tillman 1979 p 192 Chance Vought FG 1D Corsair The Old Flying Machine Company Retrieved 21 October 2013 Archived 7 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine Captured Fleet Air Arm Aircraft fleetairarmarchive net Archived from the original on 19 August 2010 Retrieved 1 June 2007 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Prados John 1995 Combined Fleet Decoded The Secret History of American Intelligence and the Japanese Navy in World War II Random House p 429 ISBN 978 0 679 43701 7 Kinzey 1998 p 65 Thompson 2004 p 118 Thompson 2009 pp 62 64 74 94 Thompson 2009 pp 77 80 Tillman 1979 pp 174 175 Thompson 2009 pp 66 85 86 90 Kinzey 1998 p 12 Thompson 2009 pp 28 67 90 Sherman Tana Thomas J Hudner Jr Building blocks for gallantry intrepidity Archived 2 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine Andover Bulletin Volume 95 issue 1 Fall 2001 Department of the Navy Naval Historical Center Retrieved 30 September 2006 Ensign Jesse LeRoy Brown USN 1926 1950 Department of the Navy Naval Historical Center Retrieved 12 June 2023 Tillman 1979 pp 179 182 Tucker Jones Anthony 30 August 2017 Dien Bien Phu Pen and Sword ISBN 978 1 5267 0800 7 a b c Vought Chance F4U 7 AU 1 Corsair www ffaa net Retrieved 11 October 2019 Issue 12 F4U Corsair Aviation Classics 3 October 2016 Retrieved 23 February 2022 a b c d e f Renaud Patrick Charles 2001 Corsair aux portes du desert aerostories free fr Retrieved 20 February 2023 Cooper Tom Coelich March 1 September 2003 Central and Latin America Database El Salvador vs Honduras 1969 The 100 Hour War Air Combat Information Group Archived from the original on 15 February 2008 Retrieved 8 March 2007 Corsair Registry Corsair Bu 133693 Warbird Registry Retrieved 12 June 2023 Styling 1995 Chance Vought F4U Corsair fleetairarmarchive net Archived from the original on 4 April 2007 Retrieved 5 March 2007 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Veronico and Campbell 1994 Sakaida 1998 pp 81 82 Connecticut State Register amp Manual Sites Seals Symbols Archived 14 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine State of Connecticut Retrieved 4 January 2007 a b Goebel Greg 1 March 2019 The Vought F4U Corsair AirVectors v2 0 1 archived from the original on 5 February 2004 Veronico et al 1984 p 21 Bell Vol 2 p 2 March 1998 p 236 Bell Vol 2 p 3 Sullivan 2010 p 8 a b Bowman 2002 p 110 March 1998 p 239 Campbell 2012 p 155 SAC F4U 1D pg 7 10 August 2009 Archived from the original on 10 August 2009 Retrieved 20 February 2023 VMF 311 Aircraft Action Report 7 April 1945 VMF 311 Aircraft Action Report 4 May 1945 VMF 314 Aircraft Action Report 2 June 1945 a b Action Reports of Air Group 84 Kyushu Shikoku Kure Okinawa operations 27 May 1945 a b ACA 1 Aircraft Action Reports CVG 85 12 May 1945 VF 85 Aircraft Action Report 4 May 1945 a b Green 1975 p 149 a b c d e f g h Moran 1978 p 94 F4U 2 Vought Aircraft Industries Archived from the original on 15 March 2007 Retrieved 9 April 2007 Green 1975 pp 145 146 Green 1975 p 146 US Navy performance trials Veronico et al 1984 pp 55 58 http www avialogs com viewer avialogs documentviewer php id 16071 dead link Green 1975 p 150 Vought www aerofiles com Retrieved 14 January 2023 Swanborough and Bowers 1976 p 406 Green 1975 p 152 Swihnart Earl Vought F4U Corsair The Aviation History Online Museum Earl Swihnart Retrieved 11 December 2016 Corsair 5 Chance Vought Aircraft p 10 Archived from the original on 22 December 2017 Retrieved 11 December 2016 Angelucci 1985 p 210 Maloney 1967 p 2 Dorr 2005 p 136 James D Angina Vought F4U Corsair Air Vanguard 7 Oxford Osprey Publishing 2014 ISBN 978 1782006268 Standard Aircraft Characteristics AU 1 Corsair NAVAER 1335C REV 1 49 a b Snelly Adam Goodyear F2G Corsair Status List www airrace com Retrieved 20 February 2023 Nomina General Aeronaves de la Aviacion Naval Argentina a lo largo de su historia in Spanish Archived 27 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine institutoaeronaval org Retrieved 5 October 2010 Historical Listings El Salvador ELS Archived 14 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine World Air Forces Retrieved 28 September 2012 Corsair www netmarine net Retrieved 15 January 2018 Vought F4U Corsair Aeroflight 14 June 2014 Thetford 1991 p 83 sfn error no target CITEREFThetford1991 help Rickard J 24 April 2007 Chance Vought F4U Corsair in British Service History of War Retrieved 12 June 2023 Aircraft Make Model Inquiry Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine FAA Registry Retrieved 6 September 2013 F4U 4 Detail Specification PDF wwiiaircraftperformance org Archived PDF from the original on 16 May 2008 Retrieved 9 May 2017 F4U 4 Corsair Airplane Characteristics amp Performance www avialogs com 1 March 1946 Archived from the original on 23 February 2018 Retrieved 9 May 2017 Bibliography edit Abrams Richard F4U Corsair at War London Ian Allan Ltd 1977 ISBN 0 7110 0766 7 Angelucci Enzo with Peter M Bowers The American Fighter New York Orion Books 1985 ISBN 0 517 56588 9 Barber S B Naval Aviation Combat Statistics World War II OPNAV P 23V No A129 Washington D C Air Branch Office of Naval Intelligence 1946 Bell Dana F4U 1 Corsair Vol 1 Aircraft Pictorial No 7 Tucson Classic Warships Publishing 2014 ISBN 978 0 9857149 7 0 Blackburn Tom The Jolly Rogers New York Orion Books 1989 ISBN 0 517 57075 0 Bowman Martin W Vought F4U Corsair Marlborough UK The Crowood Press Ltd 2002 ISBN 1 86126 492 5 Campbell Douglas E BuNos Disposition of World War II USN USMC USCG Aircraft Listed by Bureau Number 2012 ISBN 978 1 105 42071 9 Condon John Pomeroy Corsairs and Flattops Marine Carrier Warfare 1944 1945 Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press 1998 ISBN 1 55750 127 0 D Angina James Vought F4U Corsair Oxford UK Osprey Publishing 2014 ISBN 978 1 78200 626 8 Dean Francis H America s Hundred Thousand Atglen Pennsylvania Schiffer Publishing Ltd 1997 ISBN 0 7643 0072 5 Donald David ed American Warplanes of World War II London Aerospace Publishing 1995 ISBN 1 874023 72 7 Dorr Robert F Marine Air The History of the Flying Leathernecks in Words and Photos New York Berkley Publishing Group 2005 ISBN 978 0 425 21364 3 Drendel Lou U S Navy Carrier Fighters of World War II Carrollton Texas Squadron Signal Publications Inc 1987 ISBN 0 89747 194 6 Green William Famous Fighters of the Second World War Garden City New York Doubleday amp Company 1975 ISBN 0 385 12395 7 Green William Vought F4U 1 F4U 4 FG 1 Corsair War Planes of the Second World War Volume Four Fighters Garden City New York Doubleday amp Company 1973 pp 188 194 ISBN 0 385 03259 5 Green William and Gordon Swanborough Chance Vought F4U Corsair WW2 Aircraft Fact Files U S Navy and Marine Corps Fighters London Macdonald and Jane s Publishers Ltd 1976 pp 16 29 ISBN 0 356 08222 9 Grossnick Roy A and William J Armstrong United States Naval Aviation 1910 1995 Annapolis Maryland Naval Historical Center 1997 ISBN 0 16 049124 X Guyton Boone T Whistling Death The Test Pilot s Story of the F4U Corsair Atglen Pennsylvania Schiffer Publishing Ltd 1996 ISBN 0 88740 732 3 The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft London Aerospace Publishing Orbis Publishing 1985 Irons Martin Corsair Down Atglen Pennsylvania Schiffer Publishing Ltd 2022 ISBN 978 0 7643 6224 8 Jablonski Edward Airwar New York Doubleday amp Co 1979 ISBN 0 385 14279 X Johnsen Frederick A F4U Corsair New York Crown Publishers 1983 ISBN 0 517 55007 5 Kinzey Bert F4U Corsair Part 2 F4U 4 Through F4U 7 Detail and Scale Vol 56 Carrolton Texas Squadron Signal Publications 1998 ISBN 1 888974 09 5 Kristy Ben Aviation Curator National Museum of the Marine Corps Quantico Virginia Emailed remarks regarding FG 1A Corsairs 25 February 2013 Maloney Edward T and Uwe Feist Chance Vought F4U Corsair Vol 11 Fallbrook California Aero Publishers Inc 1967 ISBN 0 8168 0540 7 March Daniel J British Warplanes of World War II Westport CT AIRtime Publishing Inc 1998 ISBN 1 880588 28 5 Mondey David The Hamlyn Concise Guide to American Aircraft of World War II London Octopus Publishing Group Ltd 1982 ISBN 0 7537 1461 2 Moran Gerard P Aeroplanes Vought 1917 1977 Terre Haute Indiana Aviation Heritage Books Sunshine House Inc 1978 ISBN 0 911852 83 2 Morris David Corsair KD431 The Time Capsule Fighter Stroud UK Sutton Publishing Ltd 2006 ISBN 0 7509 4305 X Musciano Walter A Corsair Aces The Bent wing Bird Over the Pacific New York Arco Publishing Company Inc 1979 ISBN 0 668 04597 3 Nunez Padin and Jorge Felix Vought F4U 5 5N amp 5NL Corsair serie Aeronaval Nro 18 in Spanish Buenos Aires Argentina Museo de la Aviacon Naval Instituto Aeronaval 2004 Okumiya Masatake and Jiro Horikoshi with Martin Caidin Zero New York E P Dutton amp Co 1956 O Leary Michael United States Naval Fighters of World War II in Action Poole Dorset UK Blandford Press 1980 ISBN 0 7137 0956 1 Pautigny Bruno translated from the French by Alan McKay Corsair 30 Years of Filibustering 1940 1970 Paris Histoire amp Collections 2003 ISBN 2 913903 28 2 Pilots Manual for F4U Corsair Appleton Wisconsin Aviation Publications 1977 reprint ISBN 0 87994 026 3 Pilot s Notes for Corsair I IV Air Publications 2351A B C amp D P N London Air Ministry August 1944 Russell Warren P Chance Vought F4U 1 F4U 1D and Goodyear FG 1D Corsair NZPAF RNZAF Aircraft colour schemes Invercargill New Zealand New Zealand Aero Products 1984 ISBN 0 473 00245 0 Sakaida Henry Imperial Japanese Navy Aces 1937 45 Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 22 Botley Oxford Osprey Publishing 1998 ISBN 978 1855327276 Sherrod Robert History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II Washington D C Combat Forces Press 1952 No ISBN Shettle M L Marine Corps Air Stations of World War II Bowersville Georgia Schaertel Publishing Co 2001 ISBN 0 9643388 2 3 Styling Mark Corsair Aces of World War 2 Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 8 London Osprey Publishing 1995 ISBN 1 85532 530 6 Sullivan Jim F4U Corsair in action Carrollton TX Squadron Signal Publications 1977 ISBN 0 89747 028 1 Sullivan Jim F4U Corsair in action Carrollton TX Squadron Signal Publications 2010 ISBN 978 0 89747 623 2 Swanborough Gordon and Peter M Bowers United States Navy Aircraft since 1911 London Putnam Second edition 1976 ISBN 0 370 10054 9 Thetford Owen British Naval Aircraft since 1912 London Putnam Fourth edition 1978 ISBN 0 370 30021 1 Thompson Warren Marine Corsairs in Korea International Air Power Review Volume 11 Winter 2003 2004 Norwalk CO AirTime Publishing 2004 ISBN 1 880588 60 9 Thompson Warren F4U Corsair Units of the Korean War Osprey Combat Aircraft 78 Botley Oxford UK Osprey Publishing 2009 ISBN 978 1 84603 411 4 Tillman Barrett Corsair The F4U in World War II and Korea Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press 1979 ISBN 1 55750 994 8 Tillman Barrett Vought F4U Corsair Warbird Tech Series Vol 4 North Branch Minnesota Speciality Press 1996 ISBN 0 933424 67 1 Veronico Nick and John M and Donna Campbell F4U Corsair St Paul Minnesota Motorbooks International 1994 ISBN 0 87938 854 4 Wilson Randy From Bent winged Bird to Whistling Death The Dispatch Midland Texas Confederate Air Force 1996 Further reading editNunez Padin Jorge Felix Vought F4U 5 5N amp 5NL Corsair Serie Aeronaval Volume 27 Bahia Blanca Argentina Fuerzas Aeronavales 2009 ISBN 978 987 20557 9 0 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vought F4U Corsair VBF 85 Historical web site F4U 1D F4U 1C FG 1D CorsairExperience com Interviews with Corsair pilots AviationHistory Vought F4U Corsair WWII Aircraft performance Includes a large collection of official test data for F4U amp FG series Retrieved 20 February 2009 Flying the Vought F4U Corsair Fighter 1944 on YouTube Vought F4U CorsairSurvivor linksAeroWeb List of survivor F4Us on display AeroWeb List of survivor FG1s on display Brewster F3A Corsair on display Archived 12 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine Warbird Registry listings of existing Corsairs Old aviator gets buzz out seeing classic corsair photo New Zealand Stuff Fairfax 2023 Hi res spherical panoramas inside the cockpit access panels tail wheel and arrestor hook bays of the Collings Foundation s F4U 5NL permanent dead link click area to be viewed Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Vought F4U Corsair amp oldid 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