The cockpit of the Commemorative Air Force's Corsair Sponsor Group Goodyear FG-1D Corsair 92468. Luigino Caliaro
Contents 8 Design of a legend
74 Carrier crash!
18 Learning to fly the Corsair
78 Night missions over North Korea
32 The lost squadron
92 Inside the Corsair
40 A tale of two Corsairs
102 The last of the line
50 Dark blue Corsairs
111 Corsairs abroad
64 Sitting duck
118 The last Corsair conflict
68 A flight to remember
122 Racing Corsairs 124 Survivors
4 aviationclassics.co.uk
Co-editors:
Tim Callaway & David G Powers editor@aviationclassics.co.uk Dan Savage Fred “Crash” Blechman, James Brown, Luigino Caliaro, Norm deWitt, Keith Draycott, Doug Matthews, Dave Menard, David Oliver, Constance Redgrave, Clive Rowley, Theodore Thomas, Adam Tooby
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The Commemorative Air Force owns this beautiful Goodyear FG-1 Corsair which is based at Midland in Texas. Luigino Caliaro
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Chance Vought F4U Corsair 5
F4U-4s of VMF-323,The Death Rattlers on board CVE-118 off Korea during 1951. Just one of the wonderful images supplied via David G Powers from the National Museum of Naval Aviation archives, where he works as a docent. National Museum of Naval Aviation
Team Players
W
ell, the magazine is officially two years old with this issue, No. 12, the Chance Vought, or Vought, or Goodyear or Brewster, F4U or FG-1 or F-3A, Corsair. Almost as many manufacturers and designations as the Harrier in the last issue, but also like that aircraft, one immortal name. It is a very fitting aircraft with which to celebrate our anniversary, being a definite classic, but at the same time an unusual one, rather like Aviation Classics itself. The Corsair was a big, heavy aircraft for a fighter, not possessed of the classic good looks of a Mustang or Spitfire. This was a big tough bruiser, powerful and mean looking. I remember first being entranced by the Corsair and its unusual appearance when I was a kid, building the Airfix kit of the aircraft. It was noticeably bigger than all my other Second World War aircraft models, and its wings, when finally glued on, made me question if I had it the right way up. It sat in my collection towering above and glowering down at the lesser types around it, and a fascination was born that has lasted all my life. When I came to understand this aircraft, I discovered that not only did its tough looks tell the truth; this machine could take a brutal pounding and still get its pilot home, but the exploits of this machine were the stuff of legend. Its pilots earned many nicknames for the type, but the one I remember most is Angel of the Marianas, a name coined not by the pilots, but the Marines engaged in bloody and fierce fighting against an implacable enemy across those islands. To the Marines, the Corsairs were hovering over their shoulders, ready to deliver the close air support that would keep them alive at the drop of a hat. This 6 aviationclassics.co.uk
nickname I think epitomises the legend of the Corsair better than any other, it was in the right place, at the right time, in large numbers and could deliver enormous firepower for a single seat fighter. Strangely, despite 12,571 being built and the Corsair remaining in front line service far longer than any of its contemporaries, it is one of the least well known of the Second World War fighters. It operated in the Atlantic and Pacific, yet few people know that. Perhaps the looks are the reason, or maybe the relative obscurity of the company that produced this monster of a machine – it gets overlooked among the other thoroughbred designs. Whatever the reason, this aircraft deserves recognition for so many reasons, including the sheer guts of the men who flew it in combat. Not just a fighter, the Corsair could lift almost the payload of a B-17 in bombs, making it an incredibly powerful ground attack aircraft. Low level ground attack is a very dangerous game, as anyone who has flown those missions will tell you. That the Corsair could do it so well is testament to the pilots, and to the aircraft for its ability to absorb battle damage. Legend indeed. I mentioned that Aviation Classics, like the Corsair, is unusual as a magazine. We only cover one topic in depth per issue, unlike all other aviation magazines, making us, like the Corsair somewhat unique. What makes Aviation Classics really special is the people who work on it. This issue I would like to introduce you to David G Powers, an ex-Army and Naval Aviator who runs his own magazine, Logbook, in the US. Still flying as a career today, he also works in his spare time as a docent at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at nearby Pensacola, Florida. A busy man, who has
David G Powers and his lovely wife Lorrie celebrating their 10th anniversary in fine style. Many thanks to David for all his invaluable input to Aviation Classics. David G Powers
found time to be a source of superb material for Aviation Classics. His contributions make this issue something rather special, as they all give the reader views of the Corsair from the cockpit on a wide variety of missions. David is a real team player, and is quite rightly co-editor of this issue. I’d also like to mention two other people who have been instrumental in getting me through my first year as editor, and thank them for their good humour and hard work. The first is Charlotte Pearson, the designer of the magazine, and a beautiful job she makes of it too. Anyone who can make my scribbled input coherent is a miracle worker and her patience and kindness as I have thrashed about lost has been gratefully received. The other is Jonathon Schofield, a man who has turned many borderline images into minor works of art with his Photoshop skills. Thanks to both. Given the quality people around me, I am very proud to be a member of this team. All best, Tim PS. See, I told you I would cheer up after my Harrier ‘rant’ last time.
Design of a
Legend nd
The F4U Corsair, its development and models Unlike any of its contemporaries in shape or appearance, the Vought F4U Corsair was a unique fighter in many ways. The design was successfully developed to meet specific requirements from night fighter to ground attack aircraft so 12,571 Corsairs were to roll off the production lines in 16 different versions.
T
o tell the whole story of the development of the Corsair, first you have to tell the story of one remarkable man, Rex Buren Beisel. The son of a miner, Beisel grew up living with his family in a tent near a coal mine in Cumberland, Washington. On moving into their first house, the 14-year-old Beisel developed carpentry skills fixing up the place, and began working as a local handyman, repairing the buildings of others. By age 16 he was working in the mine, earning $3.25 a day, yet still managed to keep his school studies going. He kept working and earning throughout school, so that in 1912 he successfully applied to attend the University of Washington, supported by his father with a little money they both had saved. University student Beisel was no different from schoolboy Beisel, he kept working at the mine in the summers, and had a number of other winter jobs.
In 1916, he graduated from Washington with a BSc in engineering, and applied for the civil service examinations in mechanical engineering. These he passed with flying colours, and was offered a job in the US Navy’s Bureau of Construction and Repair, which in 1921 became a part of the Bureau of Aeronautics. If you have ever wondered where the BuNo or BuAerNo designation came from in US Navy aircraft serial numbers, it is short for Bureau of Aeronautics Number.
An obviously staged shot, but one showing what the Corsair is best remembered for in many people’s eyes – providing very close air support to the Marines as they fought their way across the Pacific islands. National Museum of Naval Aviation
Beisel started as a draughtsman, learning what – at the time – was the little known art of aeronautical engineering, by a process of trial and error. His ingenuity and common sense approach saw him promoted to aeronautical mechanical engineer in September 1918, after which he made intensive studies of aerodynamics and hydrodynamics, designing flying boat hulls and floats for seaplanes. His success in this field led to another promotion in 1919, when he became one of the first certified aeronautical engineers in the United States in November 1919. In March 1921, Beisel was given the job of project engineer on the TS-1, the US Navy’s first fighter design intended for shipboard use. He developed four of these aircraft into racing aircraft for the 1922 Curtiss Marine Trophy Race, working closely with the Naval Aircraft Factory (NAF) at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This attracted the attention of Glenn Curtiss who, in 1923, asked Beisel to design Pulitzer Trophy racing aircraft for the US Navy and Army. The Pulitzer race was the first national air race in the US, sponsored by the newspaper publisher Ralph Pulitzer, and was the forerunner of the National Air Races. In the 1925 race, Curtiss’ faith in the 31year-old Beisel was completely vindicated when one of his designs won both first and second place. The winner of the four laps, at a Pulitzer record 248.975 mph, was Cyrus Bettis in a Curtiss R3C-1. Not far behind him was Al Williams, in an identical racer, at
The XF4U-1 prototype was a very different machine to the production Corsair. Note the position of the cockpit over the wing, much further forward than on production examples. National Museum of Naval Aviation
241.695 mph. Not one to rest on his laurels, Beisel then designed the primary trainer for the US Navy Reserve, the N2C-1 Fledgling, followed by the first US dive bomber, the F8C-2 Helldiver. In 1930, with the great depression exerting its grip, Beisel moved to Spartan Aircraft, and designed light and executive aircraft, before he was given the job of assistant chief engineer at the Chance Vought division of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) in 1931. Chauncey (Chance) Milton Vought had set up his
An F4U Corsair pictured ready for launch on the flight deck of the training aircraft carrier USS Sable (IX 81) operating on Lake Michigan. National Museum of Naval Aviation
F4U-1 Corsair aircraft of Marine Fighting Squadrons (VMF) 123 and 124 join F6F Hellcats, SBD Dauntlesses and P-40 Warhawks on the primitive runway at Vella Lavella in the Solomon Islands, which was seized in the summer of 1943, and served as a base of operations to support landings by Allied forces in the Treasury Islands and at Cape Torokina.The swift advance of Allied forces in the South Pacific soon bypassed Vella Lavella and the airfield ceased operations in September 1944, less than a year after the first aircraft arrived. National Museum of Naval Aviation
aircraft company in June 1917 in New York. After his untimely death in 1930, the Vought factory moved next to that of Pratt and Whitney, in Hartford Connecticut, and established strong ties with the engine manufacturer that were to pay off handsomely for both companies. In 1929, in the face of the great depression and the lack of new orders for aircraft, Boeing, Chance Vought, Stearman, Pratt and Whitney, Hamilton Standard and Sikorsky amalgamated into the UAC as a survival tactic, but still traded under their original names. Although this corporation was broken up by anti-trust laws later in the 1930s, it is interesting to note that the latter three companies still form part of the massive and highly successful United Technologies Group today. While working at Vought, aside from designing such aircraft as the XF3U-1 fighter and the SBU-1 scout/dive bomber during the 1930s, Beisel co-authored a scientific work on Cowling and Cooling of Radial Air-Cooled Aircraft Engines. Not only did this work bring him much acclaim and several awards, it was to be vital in the development of the Corsair’s powerplant installation. In June of 1934, in the light of his work, Beisel was promoted to chief engineer at Chance Vought, and began work on the US Navy’s first monoplane scout bomber, the SB2U Vindicator. His next design was to be his masterpiece. ➤
A Vought F4U-1 Corsair of VMF-124. Keith Draycott
THE XF4U-1
The US Navy Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) had a tradition of issuing requests for proposals (RFPs) for new aircraft that really stretched the equipment available at the time. This was a deliberate policy which forced industry to respond with innovation and experimentation, rather than merely update existing designs. In February 1938, the RFP for both a twin-engine and a single-engine fighter pushed the limits almost to breaking point. For the single-engine fighter the Navy wanted the highest possible speed, but also a stall speed not higher than 70 mph (113 kmh). A range of 1000 miles (1610 km) and an armament of four guns was also specified. An elite team was selected for the development as Vought’s design response to this, known as the V-166. Frank Albright was project engineer, Paul Baker was aerodynamics engineer and James Shoemaker was propulsion engineer. The team submitted its work to Beisel who then integrated it into the overall design. In April 1938, Vought submitted two designs to the US Navy. The first, called
V-166A by Vought – and Vought A by the Navy – was powered by the R-1830. The other, the V-166B – or Vought B – was designed around the new Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engine. This was an 18-cylinder, two-row air-cooled radial of 2804 cubic inches (46 litres) producing 1850 hp (1380.6 kw), and was something of a risk as it was brand new and untried. The R-2800 would later acquire a reputation for being both powerful and very reliable. The power of the engine immediately posed a problem. To turn that enormous power efficiently into thrust required a huge Hamilton Standard Hydromatic three bladed propellor 13ft 4 in (4.06 metres) in diameter. The problem lay in achieving ground clearance for the propellor in flight attitude with the tail up, which would seem to require a long undercarriage. Long undercarriages and the controlled crash that is a carrier landing do not mix, shorter undercarriages are sturdier, particularly important in that environment. To keep the propellor length, yet have a short undercarriage, resulted in the now familiar inverted gull wing design, the main
Lieutenant Commander Joseph C Clifton discusses a flight in the F4U Corsair with members of Fighting Squadron (VF) 12, 1943. National Museum of Naval Aviation 10 aviationclassics.co.uk
undercarriage legs being attached at the lowest point on the wing where it bent upwards. The wing also folded upwards just outboard of this point, for ease of storage on board cramped carrier hangar decks. Beisel chose a circular cross section fuselage that fitted the R-2800 engine, placing the oil cooler and supercharger air intakes in the wing root leading edges. With this circular design, the inverted gull wing attached at exactly 90 degrees to the fuselage, meaning that no wing fairing was required and making the wing/fuselage joint incredibly aerodynamically efficient. The entire design was of all metal construction, with the exception of fabric covered outer wing panels aft of the spar, elevators and rudder. The flaps were partly wood covered with a rearward fabric skin, and the ailerons were made entirely of wood. Use of flush riveting and the new spot welding techniques to attach the metal skin to the structural members made the new aircraft incredibly slick from an aerodynamic point of view. The then novel rearward retracting undercarriage with its bay doors that enclosed the wheels fully, along with the retractable tailwheel and hook, added to this aerodynamic efficiency. Armament consisted of one .50 cal machine gun in each wing, and two in the upper fuselage. The cockpit was mounted over the rear of the wing, which gave a poor forward view in landing attitude, but the view to the sides of the nose was considered reasonable. In May 1938, the Bureau of Aeronautics evaluated the proposals from various companies. The Vought B won the competition with a score of 86.4 on a scale from 0 to 100. On June 11, 1938, the Navy ordered a prototype based on Rex Beisel’s V-166B design, the V-116A was never built. The following year, Vought moved its factory again, to Stratford, Connecticut, merging with the Sikorsky facility already there. Construction of the prototype began in February 1939 with the first flight made on May 29, 1940, by Lyman A Bullard Jr, Vought’s test pilot. The XF4U-1 was powered by a XR-2800-4 engine, rated at 1805hp. Testing the new type was delayed when project pilot Boone T Guyton ran out of fuel during the fifth test flight and made an emergency landing on a golf course. The XF4U-1 was badly damaged, but was repaired. Five months after its first flight, on October 1,
F4U-1 number 9 of VMF-213, CAVG-9, is seen here warming up for flight from the flight deck of USS Copahee (CHVE-12). National Museum of Naval Aviation
the prototype flew the 45 miles (73 km) between Stratford and Hartford, Connecticut at a speed of 405 mph (651.8 kmh), becoming the first production aircraft to exceed 400 mph in level flight. The US Navy was impressed with the performance of the Corsair and, on June 30, 1941, ordered 585 copies. This was not to say there were not problems with the new fighter. The slow spin recovery required some rewriting of the original specification, and both the ailerons and elevator trim tabs needed some changes in design. Most troubling was the stall. As it approached stall speed, the imbalanced airflow over the wings from the enormous propellor caused the port wing to drop first, which in a carrier landing – made ideally at the stall – would cause catastrophe. This was eventually solved by a small piece of wedge shaped wood! Attached to the leading edge of the starboard wing, it broke the airflow at certain angles of attack and caused both wings to stall at the same time, evenly. As production of the first F4U-1s tooled up, a number of other changes were made which were to alter the appearance of the new fighter dramatically. Modifications were to be part of the Corsair story throughout its life. More than 950 major engineering changes were made to the aircraft, and by the end of Corsair production, in 1952, there were 16 separate models, the most important of which are described here. In addition to Vought, the Corsair was also to be built under licence by the Goodyear Aircraft Company and the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation.
THE F4U-1
Experience gained from air combat over Europe caused the US Navy to require changes of the Corsair. More armour was fitted for the pilot and oil tank, and the armament was changed to six .50 Cal machine guns, three in each wing. This increase in firepower was vital in modern air combat, but fitting the guns in the wing left no room for the leading edge fuel tanks. To maintain an adequate fuel capacity, an additional fuel tank had to be installed in the fuselage. This had to be close to the centre of
View of the F4U Corsair Skipper’s Orchid, flown by Lieutenant Colonel Thomas C Colt, Jr, USMCR. National Museum of Naval Aviation
They didn’t always fly on and off. Lighters, barges and smaller carriers were used to deliver Corsairs to combat units and back again. Here, an F4U-1A Corsair is unloaded off the USS Bismarck Sea (CV-95) off Muga Beach, California. National Museum of Naval Aviation
gravity, so meant that the cockpit had to move aft. The 237 gallon (897 litre) self-sealing fuel tank pushed the cockpit three feet (0.91m) closer to the tail. One 62 gallon (235 litre) nonself-sealing auxiliary fuel cell was also installed in each wing leading edge, just outboard of the guns. The forward view over the engine was further degraded by this change. Rearward visibility was improved by fitting clear panels behind the canopy in cutouts in the rear fuselage decking. Various other detail changes followed, including larger ailerons, a modified tailwheel and a jettisonable cockpit canopy. The engine fitted to the production aircraft was the R-2800-8 of 2000hp with a mechanical two-stage, two-speed supercharger. One effect of all these changes was to increase the gross weight of the Corsair by 3338lb (1514kg). The first production F4U-1 made its first flight on June 25, 1942, and the first aircraft was delivered to the US Navy on July 31. Service acceptance trials began, and quickly the Corsair was found to be much too difficult to land on a carrier deck. The pilot had difficulty seeing the deck or the landing
signals officer (LSO), because he was sitting so far aft of the engine. On landing, the F4U-1 had sluggish controls and insufficient directional stability at low airspeed. It also was prone to “bounce” because of the stiff undercarriage oleo legs. Carrier qualification trials on the escort carrier USS Sangamon Bay, on September 25, 1942, meant the Navy rejected the aircraft for carrier use, and released the type to the US Marine Corps to replace the F4F Wildcat fighters then in service. Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-124, became the first squadron to take F4U-1 Corsairs into combat when they were declared operational on December 28, 1942. The Squadron flew its first mission off Guadalcanal on February 11, 1943, and within six months every Marine Corps fighter squadron in the South Pacific was flying the Corsair. Production had kicked into high gear, by August 1944 1000 Corsairs had been delivered. In all, 5559 F4U-1s were built, including 2010 FG-1s built by Goodyear and 732 F3A-1s built by Brewster. FG-1 was the designation given to Goodyear-built examples and the FAA gave the F4U-1 the name Corsair Mk I. ➤ Chance Vought F4U Corsair 11
Interestingly, Vought also built a single F4U-1 two-seat trainer, for which there was no official interest, so the project was dropped. The F4U-1 was also delivered to Britain and New Zealand, where their experience of the aircraft was quite different and affected the way the aircraft was operated and developed in the US. The use of the Corsair by these two countries is covered in depth in later articles in this magazine, but it is worth noting that the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) finally worked out how to land Corsairs on its carriers, and was the first to operate the type successfully from ships. Instead of the normal circuit followed by a final approach, the technique was to turn downwind, then make a slow, continuous curving approach which aligned the Corsair with the deck only at the last second before the aircraft touched down. This method allowed the pilot to keep the LSO in view right up to the moment the plane was over the fan-tail where the LSO gave the sign to either “cut” or go around. The FAA also cured the problem of oil and hydraulic fluid smearing the windshield by simply wiring shut the two cowl flaps at the top of the engine. The joints of the forward fuselage fuel tank were also sealed with tape, giving the distinctive white outlined shape visible in so many pictures. Other small and simple alterations were made, all of which were incorporated into the
BuNo. 49763 was one of the prototype F4U-4X aircraft used for trials of the type by the US Navy. National Museum of Naval Aviation
production line and led the US Navy to try landing the F4U on carriers again in 1944, this time with great success.
THE F4U-1A
F4U-1A was not an official designation, but came into use postwar to differentiate later production F4U-1s from the early model. The later aircraft had a number of major modifications including a new, taller and wider clear-view canopy with only two frames, along with a simplified clear view windscreen.
From the 759th aircraft on the production line, the tailwheel strut was lengthened and cockpit seat raised 7 in (180 mm) which, with the wider canopy top section, was an attempt to cure some of the visibility problems associated with the long nose. The rear-view windows were deleted as unnecessary. These Corsairs were the first “carrier capable” variant and introduced the 6in (150 mm) stall strip just outboard of the gun ports on the starboard wing leading edge to give the type a wings level stall. There were also improvements to the
Fighter Squadron 214’s Vought F4U-4B Corsairs being loaded on board the USS Badoeng Strait (CVE-116) in San Diego, as it prepares for transit to Korea. National Museum of Naval Aviation 12 aviationclassics.co.uk
The Royal Navy operated Corsairs aboard carriers early in the types’ development. Here, a Corsair of 778 Squadron, the Service Trials Unit for the type, gets airborne under the watchful eye of the trials team. Fleet Air Arm Museum
F4U-1 Corsairs of the US Marine Corps on Espiritu Santo in March 1944. This airfield became home to Royal New Zealand Air Force Corsairs later in the war. National Museum of Naval Aviation
undercarriage oleo struts which eliminated bouncing on landing. F4U-1s supplied to the USMC lacked arrester hooks and the tail wheels were changed to a smaller diameter solid rubber type. An experimental R-2800-8W engine with water injection was fitted on one of the late F4U-1As for trials. After satisfactory results, production aircraft after the 1550th built were fitted with the new engine, which provided a short term increase of 250hp (186.6kW) known as war emergency power. This version of the Corsair was the first to be able to carry a drop tank on a centreline pylon under the fuselage and 2in rocket projectiles under the wings. With drop tanks fitted, the fighter had a maximum ferry range of just over 1500 miles (2400 km). Again, the Goodyear-built aircraft had their own designation of FG-1A. In British service, the aircraft type was modified by taking 8in (200mm) off each wingtip to enable it to fit in British aircraft carrier hangar decks. These aircraft were called the Corsair Mk II.
The F3A-1
This was the designation for the Brewster built F4U-1, and worth mentioning on its own as it represents the only real failure in the Corsair story. 732 were built before Brewster was forced out of business by industrial action, mismanagement as well as other political and criminal factors with the US Government stepping in and closing the factory on June 30 1944. Poor production techniques and a disastrous lack of quality control meant that
A flight of heavily armed Vought F4U-4B Corsairs from VF-54 taxi for takeoff from the USS Valley Forge (CV-45) – the Happy Valley – October 1950.The “S” on the vertical tail surfaces indicated Carrier Air Group 5 (CVG-5), and was carried on all the group’s aircraft. National Museum of Naval Aviation
these aircraft were limited for maximum speed and prohibited from aerobatics after several lost their wings in flight. These failures were traced to poor quality wing bolt and locking fittings. None of the Brewster-built Corsairs reached front line units. In the FAA, these thankfully rare aircraft were given the name Corsair Mk III. Sadly, this model of the Corsair was to generate horror stories that tainted the reputation of the rest of the production aircraft unfairly.
The F4U-1B
The Corsairs of VMF 213 on Munda Airfield in 1944. National Museum of Naval Aviation
Also known on the Goodyear production line as the FG-1B, this again was a model of Corsair that did not officially exist. It was unofficially applied at factory level to those aircraft being modified for service with the FAA.
The F4U-1C
Only 200 of this specialised ground attack version were built between July and November 1944 alongside the F4U-1D. The prototype F4U-1C, BuNo 50277, first flew in August 1943 and was armed with four 20mm (0.79in) M2 cannons with 231 rounds per gun of ammunition. The F4U-1C was introduced to combat during 1945, most notably in the Okinawa campaign. Aviators preferred the standard armament of six .50 cal (12.7mm) machine guns since they were already more than powerful enough to destroy most Japanese aircraft, and had more ammunition and a higher rate of fire. The weight of the Hispano cannon and their ammunition affected the flight performance, especially its agility, but the cannon were found to be powerful weapons in the ground attack role. ➤ Chance Vought F4U Corsair 13
A Vought F4U-4 Corsair, BuNo. 97201, of VMF312,The Checkerboarders. Keith Draycott
THE F4U-1D
All the F4U-1Ds were fitted with the R-28008W engine as standard, which boosted the maximum speed from 417mph(671 kmh) to 425mph (684 kmh). The rocket armament was increased to four under each wing for ground attack missions, double the load of the earlier aircraft. Two drop tanks could now be carried on new pylons under the inner wings, extending the range still further. Unlike the F4U-1C which was produced in parallel, the -1D kept the standard wing armament of six .50 cal (12.7mm) machine guns. The clear-view style “Malcolm Hood” canopy was adopted as standard equipment for the -1D model, and all later F4U production aircraft. The Goodyear production aircraft were known as the FG-1D. A small number of photo-reconnaissance versions of the F4U-1 were produced with a special mount in the rear fuselage for a K-21 camera and were known as the F4U-1P.
F4U-4B Corsairs of VMF-312,The Checkerboarders aboard USS Sicily (CV8-118). National Museum of Naval Aviation
THE F4U-2
The US Navy’s Naval Aircraft Factory produced 32 examples of this conversion of the F4U-1 Corsair into a carrier-borne night fighter. It was armed with five .50 cal (12.7mm) machine guns as the outer, starboard gun was deleted to make room for the Airborne Intercept (AI) radar set in a radome mounted outboard on the starboard wing. Two more aircraft were modified in the field by VMF(N)-532, a front line night fighter unit. Flame dampers were fitted to the exhaust stacks to reduce glare, and a radio
altimeter and an autopilot were installed. The F4U-2 equipped VMF(N)-532, VF(N)-75 and VF(N)-101. Early operations of VF(N)-75 in New Georgia revealed considerable problems with the operating procedures, but on the night of November 1 Lt. O’Neill shot down a G4M bomber. VF(N)-101 was created by detaching part of VF(N)-75 in January 1944. It was the first carrier-based night fighter unit of the US Navy, and the first carrierbased Corsair Squadron. No accidents occurred, which helped to clear the Corsair for carrier operations.
An F4U-4 Corsair of VF-24 is struck down to the hangar on the side elevator of the USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) in 1951. National Museum of Naval Aviation
The climate in Korea could be extremely cold, as evinced by this deck shot of F4U-5P Corsairs of VC-61 aboard the USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) off Korea in the winter of 195051. National Museum of Naval Aviation 14 aviationclassics.co.uk
The pace of deck operations was fast, and a F4U-4 Corsair of VF-53 lands and taxies forward onboard the USS Essex (CV-9). Already an AEW Skyraider is on short finals behind it. National Museum of Naval Aviation
The decks could get very crowded, here rocket armed F4U-5 Corsairs of VF-13 prepare for a strike from the USS Franklin D Roosevelt (CVA-42) in the summer of 1953. National Museum of Naval Aviation
The XF4U-3
The F4U-3 was a proposed version of the Corsair with a turbo-supercharged XR-280016 engine. The 1009A turbo-supercharger was expected to maintain the full engine power of 2000hp up to 40,000ft (12,200m). A large duct under the fuselage housed the turbosupercharger and identified the type. The first XF4U-3 flew on April 22, 1944 and three were built. A single Goodyear-built FG-1A was converted to FG-3 before the programmed was cancelled. Twelve more FG-3s were completed, but were only flown on development trials to test the Corsair’s performance with a variety of engines.
The F4U-4
This was the last variant to see action during the Second World War when deliveries to the US Navy began on October 31, 1944, fully
equipping all the US Navy Corsair Squadrons four months before the end of hostilities. It was fitted with the 2100 hp (1600 kW) dual-stage-supercharged -18W engine, which, when the water/alcohol mixture injection system was used, boosted the power to 2450hp (1830kW). The engine required the addition of an air scoop under the nose. The 62 gallon (234 litre) unarmoured wing fuel tanks were removed for better manoeuvrability at the expense of maximum range. The propeller was changed to a four blade type, all of which increased the maximum speed to 448 mph (721 kmh) and climb rate to over 3800 ft/min (1180 m/min) as opposed to the 2900 ft/min (884 m/min) of the F4U-1A. The service ceiling also increased significantly from 37,000ft (11,000m) to 41,000 feet (12,000 m).
The “4-Hog” as it was known retained the original armament and had all the external load capabilities of the F4U-1D. The windscreen was now flat bullet-resistant glass to avoid optical warping, a change from the curved Plexiglas windscreens with the internal plate glass of the earlier Corsairs. The seat was now armoured and the instrument panel improved. Production included 2050 F4U-4s with six .50 guns, 297 F4U-4Bs or F4U-4Cs with four 20mm cannon, a single F4U-4N night fighter conversion and nine F4U- 4P reconnaissance modifications. The last one was delivered in August 1947 and plans to produce the F4U-4 by Goodyear as the FG-4 were abandoned. The F4U-4 was also used in the Korean war. Here the type served mainly as a fighterbomber, nevertheless one pilot, Capt J Folmar of VMA-312, was credited with shooting down a MiG-15. ➤ Corsairs also used land bases in Korea. Here an F4U-4 of VMF-323 The Death Rattlers is seen taxying out at K-1 at Pusan, Korea. National Museum of Naval Aviation
The F4U-5
A deck eye view of a bomb-laden F4U strike from VF-44 launching from USS Boxer (CV-21) in July 1953. National Museum of Naval Aviation
An F4U-4 Corsair of VF-63 lands back aboard the USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) in 1951. National Museum of Naval Aviation
The cold weather did make for some stunning photographs, as this F4U-5P Corsair of VC-61 demonstrates over Korea in the winter of 1950-51. National Museum of Naval Aviation
The first postwar model, the F4U-5, was basically similar to the F4U-4. The air scoop under the engine cowling was removed, and replaced by two small scoops incorporated in the lower side of the cowling. Also, the outer wing panels were now fully covered with metal. Other improvements included automatic blower controls, cowl flaps, intercooler doors and oil cooler for the engine, spring tabs for the elevators and rudder, a modernised cockpit, a completely retractable tail wheel, and heated cannon bays and pitot head. The armament consisted of four 20mm cannon, as in the F4U-4B. The engine was the 2850hp (2130kW) R-2800-32E, with a variablespeed two-stage supercharger. The engine installation introduced a lowering of the thrustline by 2.75 degrees, which improved stability and forward view. The first XF4U-5 flew on April 4, 1946. A night fighter version was also developed, the F4U-5N. The radar was again, as in the F4U-2, installed on the outer starboard wing. The radome was different in shape, however, due to the fitting of the improved AN/APS-6 and later AN/APS-19A radar set. The AN/APS-6 radar had a range of 8km against aircraft, and 37km against ships. Production included 223 F4U-5s, 214 F4U-5Ns and 30 F4U-5P reconnaissance models. In addition 101 “winterised” F4U-5NLs were built, with de-icing boots for service in the bitter winters of Korea. Production continued until October 1951, and in the late 1950s the US delivered a small number of F4U-5s and F4U5Ns to the Argentine Navy, as will be discussed in a later article within this magazine.
The deck gangs were vital to the safe and efficient running of a carrier deck. Here, a bombed-up F4U-4 Corsair of VF-192 is taken up, engine running, to the flight deck on the side lift of USS Princeton (CV-37). With so many propellors turning in such a tight space, the deck could be a dangerous place, and the deck gangs as much as anyone were responsible for the success of the Corsair in operations. National Museum of Naval Aviation
The AU-1
The AU-1 was a dedicated low-level attack version of the F4U. The XAU-1 was created by converting a F4U-5NL, and initially the contracts issued for its development referred to it as the F4U-6. It was powered by a R-2800-83WA with a single-stage supercharger and water injection that delivered 2800hp at sea level. The air scoops were again removed from the engine cowling. The AU-1 was given more armour for the pilot and the engine. Four 20mm cannon with 231 rounds each were installed in the wings. The number of outer wing racks for weapons was increased from eight to 10. Performance had, of course, declined with all this additional weight and the handling had suffered even more. The AU-1 was described as unpleasant to fly – the only Corsair variant that is said of – and the maximum speed was a mere 238mph (383kph). The AU-1 was produced solely for the US Marines during the height of the Korean War. Deliveries began in January 1952 and a total of 111 were supplied during the year.
The F4U-7
The entire production run of the F4U-7 was tailored specifically for the Aeronavale of the French Navy. It was based on the F4U-4B with a redesigned cockpit and an upward extension of the rear fuselage decking sitting the pilot even higher than on previous models. The engine was the R-2800-18W and the Aeronavale received 94 F4U-7s as well as a few AU-1s used previously by the US Marine Corps. French Corsairs fought in Indochina, Algeria, and the Suez conflict, as will be covered in a later article. The last were retired in 1964. The final one was delivered on January 31, 1953 was also the last Corsair
A busy time for the flag officer guiding the aircraft down to land on USS Boxer (CV-21) in 1952. An F4U-4 Corsair of VF-64 is just trapping, while two more flights are visible overhead. National Museum of Naval Aviation
ever built of the 12,571 examples that rolled off the production lines.
The F2G SUper CorSAir
In closing this section of the magazine, mention must be made of the Goodyear-built F2G. The F2G-1 and F2G-2 were significantly different aircraft, fitted with the massive Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major 4-row 28cylinder “corncob” radial engine and teardrop canopy. They were intended as a specialised high speed interceptor against kamikaze attacks. The Wasp Major could deliver 3000hp (2238.8kW) for take-off and 2400hp (1791kW) at 13,500 feet (4114.8m). Its maximum speed was 431mph at 16,400ft (4998.7 m). It was armed with four .50 cal. (12.7mm) machine guns with 300 rounds per
gun and could carry two 1600lb (725.8kg) bombs on wing pylons. The F2G-1 was the land based version, while the F2G-2 was the carrier model. The difference between the -1 and -2 variants was that the -1 featured a manual folding wing and a 14ft (4.3m) propeller, while the F2G-2 aircraft had hydraulic operated folding wings, a 13ft (4m) propeller and an arrestor hook for carrier use. Although hundreds were on order by August 1945, only five examples of each were built due to cancellations at the end of hostilities. While only 10 examples were built, several F2Gs went on to racing success after the war, winning the Thompson trophy races in 1947 and 1949, as will be discussed in a later article. ❚ Words: Tim Callaway
A Vought F4U-5N Corsair, BuNo. 122196, of VMF-212. Keith Draycott
Chance Vought F4U Corsair 17