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Corsair
Manufacturer : Chance-Vought
The Chance-Vought F4U Corsair was arguably the finest naval aviation fighter of its era. Work on this design dates to 1938 and was headed-up by Voughts Chief Engineer, Rex Biesel. The initial prototype was powered by an 1800-HP Pratt & Whitney double Wasp radial engine. This was the third Vought aircraft to carry the Corsair name. The graceful and highly recognizable gull-wing design of the F4U permitted the aircraft to utilize a 13-foot, three-blade, Hamilton Standard propeller, while not having to lengthen the landing gear. Because of the rigors of carrier landings, this was a very important design consideration. Folding wings were also required for carrier operations. The F4U was thirty feet long, had a wingspan of 41 feet and an empty weight of approximately 7,500 pounds. Another interesting feature was the way the F4Us gear rotated 90 degrees, so it would lay flush within the wing when in the up position. In 1939 the Navy approved the design, and production commenced. The Corsair utilized a new spot welding process on its all aluminum fuselage, giving the aircraft very low drag. To reduce weight, fabric-covered outer wing sections and control surfaces were fitted. In May of 1940 the F4U made its maiden flight. Although a number of small bugs were discovered during early flight tests, the Corsair had exceptional performance characteristics. In October of 1940 the prototype F4U was clocked at 405-MPH in a speed test. The initial production Corsairs received an upgraded 2,000-HP radial giving the bird a top speed of about 425-MPH. The production models also differed from the prototype in having six, wing-mounted, 0.5 caliber machine guns. Another change was a shift of the cockpit about three feet further back in the fuselage. This latter change unfortunately made naval aviators wary of carrier landings with the F4U, due to its limited forward visibility during landings. Other concerns were expressed regarding a severe port wing drop at landing speeds and a tendency of the aircraft to bounce off a carrier deck. As a result, the F4U was initially limited to land-based USMC squadrons. Vought addressed several of these problems, and the Royal Navy deserves credit for perfecting an appropriate landing strategy for the F4U. They found that if the carrier pilot landed the F4U while making a sweeping left turn with the port wing down, that sufficient visibility was available to make a safe landing. With a kill ratio of 11 -to- 1 in WW 11 combat, the F4U proved superior in the air to almost every opposing aircraft it encountered. More than 12,000 F4Us were built and fortunately a few dozen remain in flyable condition to this date. |
Corsair
Tribute to Pappy Boyington by Ivan Berryman. | Pacific Warriors by Ivan Berryman. (PC) | Valley Forge Fly-By by Ivan Berryman. (PC) | Okinawa by Robert Taylor. |
Corsair Artwork Collection |
Victory Flyover by Robert Taylor. | Beach Head Strike Force by Robert Taylor. | Time to Head Home by William S Phillips. |
Zero Fighter Sweep by Roy Grinnell. | Valley Forge Fly-By by Ivan Berryman. | Clipped Signature - Ronnie Hay. |
Clipped Signature - Archie G Donahue. | Clipped Signature - John F Bolt. | Clipped Signature - Roger Conant. |
Clipped Signature - Kenneth A Walsh. | HMS Anson at Sydney Harbour, July 1945 by Ivan Berryman. | The Jolly Rogers by Nicolas Trudgian. |
Attack on the Yalu Bridges by Philip West. | Battle for the Islands by Nicolas Trudgian. | Gunfight Over Rabaul by Nicolas Trudgian |
The Black Sheep by Nicolas Trudgian. | Kiwi Strike by Nicolas Trudgian. | Semper Fi Skies by John D Shaw. |
Rabaul - Fly For Your Life by Robert Taylor. | Black Sheep Sweep by Troy White. | Pacific Warriors by Ivan Berryman. |
Okinawa by Robert Taylor. | Tribute to Pappy Boyington by Ivan Berryman. | Corsair Aces of World War Two. |
Working the Night Shift by Stan Stokes. | Corsair on Final by Stan Stokes. | Hook Down and Homeward Bound by Stan Stokes. |
Golden Gate Corsair by Stan Stokes. | Gull Winged Warrior by Stan Stokes. | Angels of Okinawa by Stan Stokes. |
Ace in a Day by Stan Stokes. | Black Sheep Over Rabaul by Stan Stokes. | Corsair of the Intrepid by Stan Stokes. |
Mission to Buin Harbor by Stan Stokes. | Boyington Takes a Break by Stan Stokes. |
Corsair Squadron details |
Corsair Pilot and aircrew signature details |
Contact Details |
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