Chance Vought F4U Corsair

132 Pages·2011·23.657 MB·English

by  Tim Callaway

Thecockpitofthe
CommemorativeAirForce's
CorsairSponsorGroup
GoodyearFG-1DCorsair
92468.LuiginoCaliaro
Contents
8 Design of a legend 74 Carrier crash!
18 Learning to fly the Corsair 78 Night missions over North Korea
32 The lost squadron 92 Inside the Corsair
40 A tale of two Corsairs 102 The last of the line
50 Dark blue Corsairs 111 Corsairs abroad
64 Sitting duck 118 The last Corsair conflict
68 A flight to remember 122 Racing Corsairs
124 Survivors
4aviationclassics.co.uk
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TheCommemorativeAir
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Forceownsthisbeautiful ISBNNo978-1-906167-59-2
GoodyearFG-1Corsair
whichisbasedatMidland
inTexas.LuiginoCaliaro Havingtroublefindingacopy
ofthismagazine?Whynot
justaskyourlocalnewsagent
toreserveyouacopy
Independentpublishersince1885 Memberofthe
PeriodicalPublishers
Association
ChanceVoughtF4UCorsair5
F4U-4sofVMF-323,TheDeathRattlersonboardCVE-118offKorea
during1951.JustoneofthewonderfulimagessuppliedviaDavid
GPowersfromtheNationalMuseumofNavalAviationarchives,
whereheworksasadocent.NationalMuseumofNavalAviation
Team Players
W
ell,themagazineisofficially nicknameIthinkepitomisesthelegendof
twoyearsoldwiththisissue, theCorsairbetterthananyother,itwasin
No.12,theChanceVought, therightplace,attherighttime,inlarge
orVought,orGoodyearor numbersandcoulddeliverenormous
Brewster, F4UorFG-1or firepowerforasingleseatfighter. DavidGPowersandhislovelywife
F-3A,Corsair.Almostasmanymanufacturers Strangely,despite12,571beingbuiltand Lorriecelebratingtheir10th
anddesignationsastheHarrierinthelast theCorsairremaininginfrontlineservicefar anniversaryinfinestyle.Manythanks
toDavidforallhisinvaluableinputto
issue,butalsolikethataircraft,oneimmortal longerthananyofitscontemporaries,itisone
AviationClassics.DavidGPowers
name.Itisaveryfittingaircraftwithwhichto oftheleastwellknownoftheSecondWorld
celebrateouranniversary,beingadefinite Warfighters.ItoperatedintheAtlanticand
classic,butatthesametimeanunusualone, Pacific,yetfewpeopleknowthat.Perhapsthe foundtimetobeasourceofsuperbmaterial
ratherlikeAviationClassicsitself. looksarethereason,ormaybetherelative forAviationClassics.Hiscontributionsmake
TheCorsairwasabig,heavyaircraftfora obscurityofthecompanythatproducedthis thisissuesomethingratherspecial,asthey
fighter,notpossessedoftheclassicgood monsterofamachine–itgetsoverlooked allgivethereaderviewsoftheCorsairfrom
looksofaMustangorSpitfire.Thiswasabig amongtheotherthoroughbreddesigns. thecockpitonawidevarietyofmissions.
toughbruiser,powerfulandmeanlooking. Whateverthereason,thisaircraftdeserves Davidisarealteamplayer,andisquite
Irememberfirstbeingentrancedbythe recognitionforsomanyreasons,includingthe rightlyco-editorofthisissue.I’dalsoliketo
CorsairanditsunusualappearancewhenI sheergutsofthemenwhoflewitincombat. mentiontwootherpeoplewhohavebeen
wasakid,buildingtheAirfixkitofthe Notjustafighter,theCorsaircouldliftalmost instrumentalingettingmethroughmyfirst
aircraft.Itwasnoticeablybiggerthanallmy thepayloadofaB-17inbombs,makingitan yearaseditor,andthankthemfortheirgood
otherSecondWorldWaraircraftmodels,and incrediblypowerfulgroundattackaircraft. humourandhardwork.ThefirstisCharlotte
itswings,whenfinallygluedon,mademe Lowlevelgroundattackisaverydangerous Pearson,thedesignerofthemagazine,anda
questionifIhadittherightwayup.Itsatin game,asanyonewhohasflownthose beautifuljobshemakesofittoo.Anyonewho
mycollectiontoweringaboveandglowering missionswilltellyou.ThattheCorsaircould canmakemyscribbledinputcoherentisa
downatthelessertypesaroundit,anda doitsowellistestamenttothepilots,andto miracleworkerandherpatienceand
fascinationwasbornthathaslastedallmy theaircraftforitsabilitytoabsorbbattle kindnessasIhavethrashedaboutlosthas
life.WhenIcametounderstandthisaircraft, damage.Legendindeed. beengratefullyreceived.Theotheris
Idiscoveredthatnotonlydiditstoughlooks ImentionedthatAviationClassics,likethe JonathonSchofield,amanwhohasturned
tellthetruth;thismachinecouldtakea Corsair,isunusualasamagazine.Weonly manyborderlineimagesintominorworksof
brutalpoundingandstillgetitspilothome, coveronetopicindepthperissue,unlikeall artwithhisPhotoshopskills.Thankstoboth.
buttheexploitsofthismachinewerethe otheraviationmagazines,makingus,likethe Giventhequalitypeoplearoundme,Iam
stuffoflegend.Itspilotsearnedmany Corsairsomewhatunique. veryproudtobeamemberofthisteam.
nicknamesforthetype,buttheoneI WhatmakesAviationClassicsreally
remembermostisAngeloftheMarianas,a specialisthepeoplewhoworkonit.This Allbest,
namecoinednotbythepilots,butthe issueIwouldliketointroduceyoutoDavidG Tim
Marinesengagedinbloodyandfierce Powers,anex-ArmyandNavalAviatorwho
fightingagainstanimplacableenemyacross runshisownmagazine,Logbook,intheUS. PS.See,Itold
thoseislands.TotheMarines,theCorsairs Stillflyingasacareertoday,healsoworksin youIwould
werehoveringovertheirshoulders,readyto hissparetimeasadocentattheNational cheerupafter
deliverthecloseairsupportthatwouldkeep MuseumofNavalAviationatnearby myHarrier
themaliveatthedropofahat.This Pensacola,Florida.Abusyman,whohas ‘rant’lasttime.
6aviationclassics.co.uk

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in many ways. The design was successfully developed to meet specific requirements from night fighter to
ground attack aircraft so 12,571 Corsairs were to roll off the production lines in 16 different versions.
T
otellthewholestoryofthe In1916,hegraduatedfromWashington Anobviouslystagedshot,butoneshowing
developmentoftheCorsair, withaBScinengineering,andappliedforthe whattheCorsairisbestrememberedforin
firstyouhavetotellthestory civilserviceexaminationsinmechanical manypeople’seyes–providingveryclose
ofoneremarkableman,Rex engineering.Thesehepassedwithflying airsupporttotheMarinesastheyfought
BurenBeisel. colours,andwasofferedajobintheUS theirwayacrossthePacificislands.
Thesonofaminer,Beiselgrewupliving Navy’sBureauofConstructionandRepair, NationalMuseumofNavalAviation
withhisfamilyinatentnearacoalminein whichin1921becameapartoftheBureauof
Cumberland,Washington.Onmovinginto Aeronautics.Ifyouhaveeverwondered
theirfirsthouse,the14-year-oldBeisel wheretheBuNoorBuAerNodesignation
developedcarpentryskillsfixingupthe camefrominUSNavyaircraftserial
place,andbeganworkingasalocal numbers,itisshortforBureauof
handyman,repairingthebuildingsofothers. AeronauticsNumber.
Byage16hewasworkinginthemine,
earning$3.25aday,yetstillmanagedtokeep
hisschoolstudiesgoing.
Hekeptworkingandearningthroughout
school,sothatin1912hesuccessfully
appliedtoattendtheUniversityof
Washington,supportedbyhisfatherwitha
littlemoneytheybothhadsaved.University
studentBeiselwasnodifferentfrom
schoolboyBeisel,hekeptworkingatthe
mineinthesummers,andhadanumberof
otherwinterjobs.
Beiselstartedasadraughtsman,learning
what–atthetime–wasthelittleknownart
ofaeronauticalengineering,byaprocessof
trialanderror.Hisingenuityandcommon
senseapproachsawhimpromotedto
aeronauticalmechanicalengineerin
September1918,afterwhichhemade
intensivestudiesofaerodynamicsand
hydrodynamics,designingflyingboathulls
andfloatsforseaplanes.Hissuccessinthis
fieldledtoanotherpromotionin1919,when
hebecameoneofthefirstcertified
aeronauticalengineersintheUnitedStatesin
November1919.
InMarch1921,Beiselwasgiventhejob
ofprojectengineerontheTS-1,theUS
Navy’sfirstfighterdesignintendedfor
shipboarduse.Hedevelopedfourofthese TheXF4U-1prototypewasaverydifferent
aircraftintoracingaircraftforthe1922 machinetotheproductionCorsair.Notethe
CurtissMarineTrophyRace,workingclosely positionofthecockpitoverthewing,much
furtherforwardthanonproductionexamples.
withtheNavalAircraftFactory(NAF)at
NationalMuseumofNavalAviation
Philadelphia,Pennsylvania.
ThisattractedtheattentionofGlenn
Curtisswho,in1923,askedBeiseltodesign 241.695mph.Notonetorestonhislaurels, aircraftcompanyinJune1917inNewYork.
PulitzerTrophyracingaircraftfortheUS Beiselthendesignedtheprimarytrainerfor Afterhisuntimelydeathin1930,theVought
NavyandArmy.ThePulitzerracewasthe theUSNavyReserve,theN2C-1Fledgling, factorymovednexttothatofPrattand
firstnationalairraceintheUS,sponsoredby followedbythefirstUSdivebomber,the Whitney,inHartfordConnecticut,and
thenewspaperpublisherRalphPulitzer,and F8C-2Helldiver. establishedstrongtieswiththeengine
wastheforerunneroftheNationalAirRaces. In1930,withthegreatdepression manufacturerthatweretopayoff
Inthe1925race,Curtiss’faithinthe31- exertingitsgrip,BeiselmovedtoSpartan handsomelyforbothcompanies.
year-oldBeiselwascompletelyvindicated Aircraft,anddesignedlightandexecutive In1929,inthefaceofthegreatdepression
whenoneofhisdesignswonbothfirstand aircraft,beforehewasgiventhejobof andthelackofnewordersforaircraft,Boeing,
secondplace.Thewinnerofthefourlaps,ata assistantchiefengineerattheChance ChanceVought,Stearman,PrattandWhitney,
Pulitzerrecord248.975mph,wasCyrus VoughtdivisionoftheUnitedAircraft HamiltonStandardandSikorskyamalgamated
BettisinaCurtissR3C-1.Notfarbehindhim Corporation(UAC)in1931.Chauncey intotheUACasasurvivaltactic,butstill
wasAlWilliams,inanidenticalracer,at (Chance)MiltonVoughthadsetuphis tradedundertheiroriginalnames.
Althoughthiscorporationwasbrokenupby
anti-trustlawslaterinthe1930s,itisinteresting
tonotethatthelatterthreecompaniesstillform
partofthemassiveandhighlysuccessful
UnitedTechnologiesGrouptoday.
WhileworkingatVought,asidefrom
designingsuchaircraftastheXF3U-1
fighterandtheSBU-1scout/divebomber
duringthe1930s,Beiselco-authoreda
scientificworkonCowlingandCoolingof
RadialAir-CooledAircraftEngines.Notonly
didthisworkbringhimmuchacclaimand
severalawards,itwastobevitalinthe
developmentoftheCorsair’spowerplant
installation.InJuneof1934,inthelightofhis
work,Beiselwaspromotedtochiefengineer
atChanceVought,andbeganworkontheUS
Navy’sfirstmonoplanescoutbomber,the
AnF4UCorsairpicturedreadyforlaunchontheflightdeckofthetrainingaircraftcarrierUSS SB2UVindicator.
Sable(IX81)operatingonLakeMichigan.NationalMuseumofNavalAviation Hisnextdesignwastobehismasterpiece.➤
F4U-1CorsairaircraftofMarineFighting
Squadrons(VMF)123and124joinF6F
Hellcats,SBDDauntlessesandP-40
WarhawksontheprimitiverunwayatVella
LavellaintheSolomonIslands,whichwas
seizedinthesummerof1943,andservedas
abaseofoperationstosupportlandingsby
AlliedforcesintheTreasuryIslandsandat
CapeTorokina.TheswiftadvanceofAllied
forcesintheSouthPacificsoonbypassed
VellaLavellaandtheairfieldceased
operationsinSeptember1944,lessthana
yearafterthefirstaircraftarrived.
NationalMuseumofNavalAviation
AVoughtF4U-1Corsairof
VMF-124.KeithDraycott
THE XF4U-1
V-166AbyVought–andVoughtAbythe undercarriagelegsbeingattachedatthelowest
TheUSNavyBureauofAeronautics(BuAer) Navy–waspoweredbytheR-1830.The pointonthewingwhereitbentupwards.The
hadatraditionofissuingrequestsfor other,theV-166B–orVoughtB–was wingalsofoldedupwardsjustoutboardofthis
proposals(RFPs)fornewaircraftthatreally designedaroundthenewPratt&Whitney point,foreaseofstorageonboardcramped
stretchedtheequipmentavailableatthetime. R-2800DoubleWaspradialengine.Thiswas carrierhangardecks.Beiselchoseacircular
Thiswasadeliberatepolicywhichforced an18-cylinder,two-rowair-cooledradialof crosssectionfuselagethatfittedtheR-2800
industrytorespondwithinnovationand 2804cubicinches(46litres)producing engine,placingtheoilcoolerandsupercharger
experimentation,ratherthanmerelyupdate 1850hp(1380.6kw),andwassomethingofa airintakesinthewingrootleadingedges.
existingdesigns.InFebruary1938,theRFPfor riskasitwasbrandnewanduntried.The Withthiscirculardesign,theinvertedgull
bothatwin-engineandasingle-enginefighter R-2800wouldlateracquireareputationfor wingattachedatexactly90degreestothe
pushedthelimitsalmosttobreakingpoint. beingbothpowerfulandveryreliable. fuselage,meaningthatnowingfairingwas
Forthesingle-enginefightertheNavy Thepoweroftheengineimmediatelyposed requiredandmakingthewing/fuselagejoint
wantedthehighestpossiblespeed,butalsoa aproblem.Toturnthatenormouspower incrediblyaerodynamicallyefficient.The
stallspeednothigherthan70mph(113 efficientlyintothrustrequiredahugeHamilton entiredesignwasofallmetalconstruction,
kmh).Arangeof1000miles(1610km)and StandardHydromaticthreebladedpropellor withtheexceptionoffabriccoveredouter
anarmamentoffourgunswasalsospecified. 13ft4in(4.06metres)indiameter.The wingpanelsaftofthespar,elevatorsand
Aneliteteamwasselectedforthe problemlayinachievinggroundclearancefor rudder.Theflapswerepartlywoodcovered
developmentasVought’sdesignresponseto thepropellorinflightattitudewiththetailup, witharearwardfabricskin,andtheailerons
this,knownastheV-166.FrankAlbrightwas whichwouldseemtorequirealong weremadeentirelyofwood.
projectengineer,PaulBakerwas undercarriage.Longundercarriagesandthe Useofflushrivetingandthenewspot
aerodynamicsengineerandJames controlledcrashthatisacarrierlandingdonot weldingtechniquestoattachthemetalskin
Shoemakerwaspropulsionengineer.The mix,shorterundercarriagesaresturdier, tothestructuralmembersmadethenew
teamsubmitteditsworktoBeiselwhothen particularlyimportantinthatenvironment.To aircraftincrediblyslickfromanaerodynamic
integrateditintotheoveralldesign. keepthepropellorlength,yethaveashort pointofview.Thethennovelrearward
InApril1938,Voughtsubmittedtwo undercarriage,resultedinthenowfamiliar retractingundercarriagewithitsbaydoors
designstotheUSNavy.Thefirst,called invertedgullwingdesign,themain thatenclosedthewheelsfully,alongwiththe
retractabletailwheelandhook,addedtothis
aerodynamicefficiency.
Armamentconsistedofone.50calmachine
gunineachwing,andtwointheupper
fuselage.Thecockpitwasmountedoverthe
rearofthewing,whichgaveapoorforward
viewinlandingattitude,buttheviewtothe
sidesofthenosewasconsideredreasonable.
InMay1938,theBureauofAeronautics
evaluatedtheproposalsfromvarious
companies.TheVoughtBwonthe
competitionwithascoreof86.4onascale
from0to100.OnJune11,1938,theNavy
orderedaprototypebasedonRexBeisel’s
V-166Bdesign,theV-116Awasneverbuilt.
Thefollowingyear,Voughtmovedits
factoryagain,toStratford,Connecticut,
mergingwiththeSikorskyfacilityalready
there.Constructionoftheprototypebeganin
February1939withthefirstflightmadeon
May29,1940,byLymanABullardJr,
Vought’stestpilot.TheXF4U-1waspowered
byaXR-2800-4engine,ratedat1805hp.
Testingthenewtypewasdelayedwhen
projectpilotBooneTGuytonranoutoffuel
duringthefifthtestflightandmadean
emergencylandingonagolfcourse.The
LieutenantCommanderJosephCCliftondiscussesaflightintheF4UCorsairwithmembersof XF4U-1wasbadlydamaged,butwasrepaired.
FightingSquadron(VF)12,1943.NationalMuseumofNavalAviation Fivemonthsafteritsfirstflight,onOctober1,
10aviationclassics.co.uk