Vought F4 Corsair: Carrier and Land-Based Fighter
By Dave Windle and Martin W. Bowman
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
Dave Windle
Dave Windle has gained the reputation of being Britain’s most skilful creator of aircraft profiles. He draws upon his service with the RAF to maintain complete accuracy. Lives near Aberdeen. Martin Bowman is one of Britain’s foremost aviation historians and has written many books and articles. He lives in Norwich.
Read more from Dave Windle
Sepecat Jaguar: Tactical Support and Maritime Strike Fighter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLockheed F-104 Starfighter: Interceptor, Strike, Reconnaissance Fighter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNorth American Mustang P-51: Long Range Fighter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsV Bombers: Vulcan, Valiant & Victor Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPanavia Tornado: Strike, Anti-Ship, Air Superiority, Air Defence, Reconnaissance & Electronic Warfare Fighter Bomber Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBritish Aerospace Hawk: Armed Light Attack and Multi-Combat Fighter Trainer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Vought F4 Corsair
Related ebooks
Hawker Hurricane and Sea Hurricane Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUSMC F-4 Phantom II Squadron History Series, No. 01, VMFA-314 “Black Knights,” 1962: 1982 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsP-51 Mustang Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFlying to the Limit: Testing World War II Single-engined Fighter Aircraft Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Star-Spangled Spitfires Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJets at Sea: Naval Aviation in Transition, 1945–55 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Vought F4U Corsair Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWorld War 2 In Review No. 37: Curtiss P-40 Warhawk Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDouglas A-4 Skyhawk: Attack & Close-Support Fighter Bomber Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Twin Mustang: The North American F-82 at War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFocke-Wulf Fw 200: The Luftwaffe's Long Range Maritime Bomber Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDouglas SBD Dauntless Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSpitfire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Corsair: The F4U in World War II and Korea Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5P-51B Mustang: North American’s Bastard Stepchild that Saved the Eighth Air Force Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Meteor from the Cockpit: Britain's First Jet Fighter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsF-4 Phantom II Society Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hawker's Early Jets: Dawn of the Hunter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJunkers Ju 287 and EF 131 Luftwaffe 6-engine Jet-Bomber with Forward Swept Wings Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCatapult Aircraft: Seaplanes That Flew From Ships Without Flight Decks Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Harrier Boys: Volume 1 - Cold War through the Falklands, 1969-1990 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hurricane Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUltimate Spitfires Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hurricane Pocket Manual: All marks in service 1939–45 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5World War 2 In Review No. 30: Grumman's Wildcat Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hellcat: The F6F in World War II Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsF6F Hellcat vs A6M Zero-sen: Pacific Theater 1943–44 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hawker Hurricane Mk I–V Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Crafts & Hobbies For You
Kawaii Crochet: 40 Super Cute Crochet Patterns for Adorable Amigurumi Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Big Book of Maker Skills: Tools & Techniques for Building Great Tech Projects Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Crochet in a Day: 42 Fast & Fun Projects Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sharpie Art Workshop: Techniques & Ideas for Transforming Your World Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Bullet Journaling: Get Your Life in Order and Enjoy Completing Your Tasks Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Learn How to Play Piano Keyboard for Absolute Beginners: A Self Tuition Book for Adults and Teenagers! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/540+ Stash-Busting Projects to Crochet! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Modern Crochet Bible: Over 100 Contemporary Crochet Techniques and Stitches Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Crochet: Fun & Easy Patterns For Beginners Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The New Braiding Handbook: 60 Modern Twists on the Classic Hairstyles Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The CIA Lockpicking Manual Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Foraging for Beginners: Your Simplified Guide to Foraging Edible Plants for Survival in the Wild: Self-Sufficient Living Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRockhounding for Beginners: Your Comprehensive Guide to Finding and Collecting Precious Minerals, Gems, Geodes, & More Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Complete Language of Flowers: A Definitive and Illustrated History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Crocheting in Plain English: The Only Book any Crocheter Will Ever Need Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Crochet Every Way Stitch Dictionary: 125 Essential Stitches to Crochet in Three Ways Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Teach Yourself VISUALLY Crochet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Little House Living: The Make-Your-Own Guide to a Frugal, Simple, and Self-Sufficient Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/550 Knitted Wraps & Shawls Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Rachel Hoffman's Unf*ck Your Habitat Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Macramé for Beginners and Beyond: 24 Easy Macramé Projects for Home and Garden Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden: Grow, Harvest, and Arrange Stunning Seasonal Blooms Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Vought F4 Corsair
3 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Vought F4 Corsair - Dave Windle
First published in Great Britain in 2011 by
PEN & SWORD AVIATION
An imprint of
Pen & Sword Books Ltd
47 Church Street
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S70 2AS
Copyright © Dave Windle & Martin W. Bowman, 2011
ISBN 978 1 84884 408 7
Digital Edition ISBN: 978 1 78346 126 4
The right of Dave Windle & Martin W. Bowman to be identified as Authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Library
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing.
Printed and bound in Thailand
By Kyodo Nation Printing Services, Thailand
Pen & Sword Books Ltd incorporates the Imprints of
Pen & Sword Aviation, Pen & Sword Family History, Pen & Sword Maritime,
Pen & Sword Military, Wharncliffe Local History, Pen & Sword Select,
Pen & Sword Military Classics, Leo Cooper, Remember When,
Seaforth Publishing and Frontline Publishing
For a complete list of Pen & Sword titles please contact
PEN & SWORD BOOKS LIMITED
47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS, England
E-mail: enquiries@pen-and-sword.co.uk
Website: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
VOUGHT CORSAIR
In 1938 the US Navy had decided that the time was long overdue to bring carrier-based aviation up to the same performance level as land-based aircraft. At Vought the F4U-1 project team headed by Rex B. Beisel had to design the smallest possible fuselage around the mighty 1,800-hp experimental Pratt & Whitney XR-2800-2 Double Wasp air-cooled radial engine, the most powerful power plant available. Everything possible was done to limit drag, while a gull-wing design gave the massive engine’s 13 feet 4-inch diameter three-bladed propeller sufficient ground clearance on both take-off and landing. A .30-calibre and a .50-calibre machine gun were mounted above the engine, firing through the upper propeller arc and a .50-calibre machine gun outward of each wing-fold mechanism. The stub wings included open vents in their leading edges to allow cooling air for engine oil and air for supercharger intercooler equipment. The carburettor air, supercharger intercooler and oil cooler air inlet ducts situated at the leading edge of the wings removed the need for a drag-inducing scoop for each. In flight, this layout created a curious high-pitched whistling sound as air was sucked into the ducts. Later, the Japanese would call the Corsair the ‘Whistling Death’ after the blood curdling scream emitted during high-speed dives on their positions. To American troops in the Pacific Islands campaign, the ‘Bent Winged Bird’ was often their saviour and the Marines would dub the Corsair the ‘Sweetheart of Okinawa’. Everything about the new fighter was massive. It weighed 9,357 lb empty and measured 31 feet 11 inches with a 41 feet 11 inches wing spread – the largest American fighter yet built.
The prototype XF-4U-1 showing to good advantage the air intakes for the oil cooler and the intercooler for the two-stage, two-speed supercharger in the wing roots. Note the early-style squirrel-cage or ‘birdcage’ cockpit hood and the gun fairing in the engine cowling. (Vought)
Brewster F3A-1 (F4U-1) in flight. Just 735 F3A-1s were built between April 1943 and July 1944. (Brewster)
F4U-1A Corsair with a 1,000lb bomb on the centerline. (Vought)
The Bureau of Aeronautics awarded Vought a contract for a single XF4U-1 prototype on 11 June 1938. The yellow and silver XF4U-1 first flew at the Bridgeport Municipal Airport, Stratford, Connecticut, on 29 May 1940 with Lyman A. Bullard Jr at the controls. All went well during his first four test flights, but on the fifth, while performing a series of low-altitude cabin pressurization and high-speed cruise tests, low on fuel, the XF4U-1 crashed on the Norwich Golf Course far to the north-east of the airfield at Stratford. One wing had been sheared off, the empennage was torn from the fuselage and the propeller was smashed, but the main fuselage, engine and undercarriage were relatively unharmed, and within two months the XF4U-1 was airworthy once again.
Lyman Bullard demonstrated the XF4U-1 for USN officials on 1 October 1940. He flew from Stratford to Hartford, Connecticut, at a speed of 405 mph, making the Corsair the first single-engine single-seat US Navy fighter to fly at over 400 mph. On 30 June Vought received an initial contract for 584 F4U-1 production aircraft for the US Navy, with initial deliveries to begin in February 1942. As contracts increased, the VGB programme consisting of Vought, Goodyear and Brewster was formed to mass produce the F4U-1. Goodyear Aircraft, a division of the Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Company, joined the