Do You Know Your Corsairs?

The F4U Corsair was designed by Rex Beisel and the design team at Vought in 1938. It featured the biggest and most powerful engine, largest propeller, and perhaps the largest wing of any fighter at that point in history. It was sometimes known as “The Bent Wing Bird”. The Japanese called it “Whistling Death” but what ever you call it, it is just an elegant design.

The prototype XF4U-1 made its maiden flight on May 29, 1940 and it was the first U.S. fighter to exceed 400 mph. This was achieved on October 1, 1940 with an official speed of 405 mph. The Corsair had one of the longest production runs of any piston fighter as well.

VARIANTS OF THE F4U CORSAIR

The Corsair models all shared the basic frame as the prototype shown in the photograph below but there were constant modifications made to improve handling and flight characteristics. I thought it would be fun to take a look at some photos of the different variants.

This is the prototype XF4U-1 Corsair.

F4U-1 “birdcage canopy”

F3A1 Brewster Built “birdcage canopy”

Tom’s model shows new canopy for the F4U-1A.	Cowling of F4U-1A.
This is a cowling of a Goodyear built FG-1.	The Corsair was built by three different companies: Chance Vought- F4U designation. 8,148 total. Brewster- F3A designation. 735 total. Goodyear- FG designation. 3,830 total.
The F4U-4. Note the chin scoop and now a 4 bladed propeller. The Goodyear designator is FG-4. Both were armed with 4- 20mm canons.	The 1945 variant F4U-5. The chin scoop is gone and there are 2 cowl “cheeks”.
This is the AU-1 also know as the F4U-6.	The F4U-7. Developed for the French Aeronavale.

This is the only V-354. A tandem trainer that was never put into production.

VOUGHT PRODUCTION:
Built		Variant		Description
2,698		XF4U-1		Initial prototype.
688		F4U-1		“Birdcage” Initial production model.
2,126		F4U-1A		F4U-1 with improved canopy, other changes.
?		F4U-1B		Designation used to identify F4U-1s modified for FAA use.
200		F4U-1C		F4U-1A with quad 20 millimeter cannon.
1,685		F4U-1D		Fighter-bomber variant.
?		F4U-1P		Rare Reconnaissance model.
?		XF4U-2		Night version.
?		F4U-2		32 (12?) night-fighter conversions of F4U-1.
?		F4U-3		Turbocharged Double Wasp, 3 conversions.
?		XF4U-4		New engine and cowling.
2,058		F4U-4		Four bladed prop, other improvements.
297		F4U-4B		F4U-4 with quad cannon. Originally intended for British use.
?		F4U-4C		Armed with 4 20mm cannons.
?		F4U-4E		4N F4U-4 night fighter.
?		F4U-4K		Drone.
9		F4U-4P		Rare reconnaissance version of F4U-4.
?		XF4U-5P		New engine and cowling.
223		F4U-5		1945 introduction. Four cannon, uprated engine, etc.
214		F4U-5N		Radar F4U-5 night fighter.
101		F4U-5NL		Boots on leading edges. Winterized F4U-5 night fighter.
30		F4U-5P		Reconnaissance.
111		AU-1		F4U-6 for Marines. USMC armored close-support “mudfighter”.
97		F4U-7		French Aeronavale Corsair production.
1		V-354		Tandem trainer.
GOODYEAR PRODUCTION:
Built		Variant		Description
?		FG-1		Goodyear land model no folding wings.
?		FG-1A		Goodyear-built F4U-1A.
1,997		FG-1D		Goodyear-built F4U-1D.
12		FG-4		Goodyear-built F4U-4.
?		XF2G		Prototypes (conversions of FG-1) for F2G.
?		FG2-1		Land-based Corsair with Wasp Major.
?		FG2-2		Carrier-based Corsair with Wasp Major, 4 cannon.
?		FG-1E		Goodyear with radar.
?		FG-1K		Goodyear drone.
?		FG-3		Turbosupercharged.
5		F2G-1		P&W 4360 Super Corsair.
5		F2G-2		P&W 4360 Super Corsair.
BREWSTER PRODUCTION:
Built		Variant		Description
305		F3A-1		Brewster-built F4U-1.
430		F3A-1D		Brewster F4U-1D.
TOTAL CORSAIRS PRODUCED: 12,713

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Great Fun at Sebring, Florida LSA Event

We had a great time at the Light Sport Aircraft event in Sebring, Florida this past week and talked with a lot of folks. They were all interesting and reminded us of why we love flying so much!
Many thanks goes out to all who stopped by our booth and chatted with us.
Just for fun I thought I would add a picture of a Bell 47 that Bob Viscio of New Hampshire shared with us, what a great looking helicopter.
Interestingly enough my first introduction to aviation was in a Bell 47 at our local county fair.I took this picture of the Titan P51 early in the morning before the show got under way. They flew later that day and from a distance it looked like the real P51!Be sure to check back soon, other photos are being sent in from folks we talked to as well….

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