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 Vought’s 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 F4U’s 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
II 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.
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Collector Sized Lithograph:
$40
16" x 11 1/2"
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Giclee on Canvas:
$445
18'' x 27''
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