One of the aircraft that I went to Thunder Over Michigan specifically to see: The Vought F4U Corsair. (This one a -5 model with four 20MM cannon instead of six .50 machine guns.)
It sits with it's wings folded, because it's just such a BIG fighter. And because it can.
It's wings are bent to give that massive 13-foot propeller enough ground clearance.
It was the first production fighter to top 400 MPH in 1940. I don't think that anything made today with a single propeller can do that.
Look at those massive wing flaps. That'll bring the stall speed down, I'm betting.
Hey, that avionics stack doesn't look 1940's to me. But I'll bet it works better than period gear.
Heck, if Vought test pilot Boone Guyton had had some of this stuff, he probably would not have run out of gas while lost in fog, resulting in his crash-landing Vought's only Corsair prototype, BuNo. #1443. As with the case of Lockheed's crashing of the XP-38 prototype, had Vought not been able to rebuild it, the Corsair probably never would have come to be.
Unfortunately I never got to see it with it's wings unfolded, at least not on the ground.
In the air, however...
I wish that it would have come closer, but this particular pilot seemed to have a thing against coming in near us like the other pilots did.
Look at this tail-high approach to the landing. But when you've got all that nose blocking your forward view when on the ground, what can you do?
I still really, really, really want one of these, ideally the F4U-4 or FG-1D variants, because it would definitely be re-armed with functioning machine guns. The awesome is just too powerful to contemplate.
The Corsair is one of the many WWII aircraft I built as a model, back in the day. I never realized the 'bent' wings were to increase the ground clearance, though. Cool! ... and thanks.
ReplyDeleteHere's the biggest engine we've got.... built an airplane around it.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely one of the all time greats.
The lighter, modern avionics probably add a couple knots to the top speed, and reduce cockpit temp (from the vacuum tubes).
ReplyDeleteHeck, I'm thinking if you had this, and the other WWII warbirds from other posts, you'd be a one man Air Force and could penetrate Canadian airspace at will, with impunity...
I'm looking forward to the FTW Alliance airshow in October (when it's not 105°). Son and I have rarely missed one - may take Daughter this year.
Talking to Bob Johnson years ago, he told me he 'knew' he was lined up when he COULDN'T see the runway!!! Scary!!!
ReplyDeleteLanding on a runway a problem. Imagine a flight deck.
ReplyDelete'It was the first production fighter to top 400 MPH in 1940.'
ReplyDeleteAre you sure? I thought the first F4U was produced in July, 1942.
Now the prototype XP4U-1, BOA # 1443, was built in 1940.
But also the XP-38 prototype flew in 1939 with a speed of 413 mph at 20,000'. And of course Lt. Kelsey, one day to be Gen. Kelsey, and one of the original fuddy-duddys, crashed it in a trans-continental speed record attempt, not unlike the prototype F4U that was crashed to.
Love the F4U Corsair. Thanks for sharing the pictures. I have a scanned picture of one with navy markings, wings unfolded posted on 4/14/2011. Sorry, there is only one picture; film and developing were expensive luxuries back then.
ReplyDeleteFYI: Panoramas from inside warbird cockpits at National Naval Aviation Museum website. --- Panorama home page --- Corsair cockpit panorama
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