Photo by Buck Wyndham, Copyright 2015 Warbird Alley

History: Development of the Corsair began in 1938, when the US Navy issued a request for a new single-seat carrier-based fighter. The Chance-Vought company won the contract with their unique, gull-winged airframe pulled by the largest engine then available, the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp. The wing design was necessitated by the tall landing gear which was, in turn, necessitated by the huge propeller required to propel the plane at the desired high speeds.

The prototype of the Corsair was first flown on 29 May 1940, but due to design revisions, the first production F4U-1 Corsair was not delivered until 31 July 1942. Further landing gear and cockpit modifications resulted in a new variant, the F4U-1A, which was the first version approved for carrier duty.

The Corsair served with the US Navy, US Marines, the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force (and later, the French Aeronavale), and quickly became the most capable carrier-based fighter/bomber of the war. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in additional aircraft being produced by the Goodyear Company (as the FG-1) and the Brewster Company (as the F3A-1). Production ceased in 1952. Over two dozen Corsairs are believed to be still airworthy, most in the United States.

Nicknames: Bend-Wing Bird; Bent-Wing Ensign Eliminator; Bent-Wing Monster; Whistling Death; Horseshoe; Super Stuka; U-Bird, Hose Nose; Hog Nose; Sweetheart; Hog.

Specifications (F4U-1A):
    Engine: 2,000hp Pratt and Whitney R-2800-8 radial piston engine
    Weight: Empty 8,980 lbs, Maximum Takeoff 14,000 lbs.
    Wing Span: 41ft. 0in.
    Length: 33ft. 4in.
    Height: 16ft. 1in.
    Performance:
        Maximum Speed at 20,000ft: 420 mph
        Cruising Speed: 185 mph
        Service Ceiling: 37,000 ft.
        Initial Climb Rate: 3,100 feet/min.
    Armament:
        Six 12.7mm (0.50 in) machine guns, wing-mounted.

Number Built: 12,571

Number Still Airworthy:  ~28

Links:
Commemorative Air Force FG-1D Corsair N9964Z
Corsair Country -- Lots of Corsair info!
The Corsair Experience -- Documentary video (4-DVD set).
Corsairs Over Connecticut -- A wonderful commemorative event taking place June 3-5, 2005 in Bridegeport, Connecticut, USA.
F4UCorsair.com -- Nice site with lots of history of the plane and the pilots who made it great.
Gathering of Corsairs and Legends, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA -- 25 restored Corsairs in the same place at the same time!
Flight Journal Magazine F4U Information Page
Jim and Joe Tobul's F4U-4 N713JT

 

[ Click for more books and videos about the Corsair! ]

"Corsair Carrier Landing"
Photo by C.F. Smith

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