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.

corsairThe 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. USS Oriskany F4U's
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.
XF4U1This is the prototype XF4U-1 Corsair.
F4U-1F4U-1 “birdcage canopy” F3A1 Brewster BuiltF3A1 Brewster Built “birdcage canopy”
F4U-1ATom’s model shows new canopy for the F4U-1A. F4U-1ACowling of F4U-1A.
FG1 Goodyear BuiltThis 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.
F4U-4The 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.		 F4U-5The 1945 variant F4U-5. The chin scoop is gone and there are 2 cowl “cheeks”.
AU-1This is the AU-1 also know as the F4U-6. F4U-7The F4U-7. Developed for the French Aeronavale.
Tandem Trainer V354This 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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2 Responses to “Do You Know Your Corsairs?”

  1. frank bonansinga says:
    March 21, 2010 at 16:04

    Flew the F4U4 in 1948 in advanced at JAX and CC Tex. Then the FG1D in NOLA in 52. FG1D had only foot boards so if you dropped anything it went into the bottom of the fuselage never to be seen again. Flew just like a F4U4. Stable as a rock in flight. Good machine and an excellent rocket platform. Only had 11 carrier landings in them. Good carrier bird but hard to see the LSO at times. frank b. Indio Hills CA.

  2. Aerotoons 1 says:
    March 23, 2010 at 12:45

    Thanks Frank! It is always great to hear from someone that flew these warbirds. The most experience I have had with them is that I got to sit in an F4U-1A at Oshkosh….not quite the same but it was cool anyway. :)

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