Technical Gen: F4U-1D

Single Seat naval fighter

Span : 12.5m (41ft)

Length : 10.15m (33'4ft)

Height : 4.6m (15'1ft)

Weight: empty : 3,947kg (8,694lb)

max : 5,465kg (12,039lb)

Power Plant : 2000hp P&W R-2800-8

Performance: max speed : 684km/h (425mph)

climb rate: 3120 ft/min (951m/min)

ceiling : 37,000ft (11,285m)

range : 1,633km (1,015miles)

The Corsair's story began in 1938 when the Chance Vought Corporation began to design a shipboard fighter for the US Navy.  The big fighter has a distinctive inverted gull-wing, adopted to provide sufficient ground clearance for the 13 ft diameter propeller - installed to take full advantage of the powerful Double Wasp engine (which had nearly twice the power of the contemporary Rolls Royce Merlin).

The XF4U-1 was first flown on 29 May, 1940 and in October that year it became the first aircraft to exceed 400mph. However as the aircraft was developed for operational service it was lengthened by a large fuel tank forward of the cockpit - which reduced the pilot's forward view during landing (not good for carrier operations).  In addition the shock absorbers and suspension mechanism on the undercarriage proved to be 'bouncy' - this was dangerous when trying to deck land and hook arrestor wires. 

The aircraft entered service in mid-1942 but was quickly rejected for carrier operations and instead issued to the US Marine Corps, who used it in action in the Solomons from 1943.

In addition many were issued to the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy, when some of the 900 Kiwis serving in the FAA first came to fly the big fighter.  The Royal Navy had to make the Corsair work for carrier operation; clipped wing tips, revised suspension and adopting a continual curving landing approach meant the aircraft could go to sea. By that time the original 'birdcage' cockpit had been replaced with the semi-bubble canopy, which allowed higher seat positions for the pilot, improving his view.

In April 1944 Kiwis were in action when the FAA attacked the battleship Tirpitz in Norway and Japanese-held Sabang in the Andaman islands (S E Asia).

Meanwhile the RNZAF was also being issued with 424 of these aircraft (NZ5201-5487, 5501-5577, 5601-5660). Thirteen squadrons eventually used the aircraft - although, at most, only eight were operational at one time. Intended for a fighter role, by that time enemy airpower in the Solomons was crushed and the NZ aircraft were primarily used for ground attack.

In 1946-47 No.14 Sqn RNZAF took Corsairs to Japan (Iwakuni and Bofu) as part of the Commonwealth occupation force.

The aircraft remained in USN and USMC service into the Korean War and was used by the French naval air arm during the Suez operations in 1956.  Corsairs were used by other air forces for many years, remaining in service as late as the 1968 'Soccer War' in Central America.

F4U or FG? US Navy aircraft designations included: a letter to designate the aircraft type 'F' for fighter; a type number to indicate the sequence number of designs from that manufacturer: '4' indicates the 4th fighter design by the Chance Vought Corporation; and a letter to indicate the manufacturer: U = Chance Vought; B = Boeing, D = Douglas etc.

When the Goodyear Corporation was contracted to build Corsairs under licence, it became the 'FG' 

Vintage Corsairs in NZ

The Corsair on display at the 2005 Airshow is an RNZAF survivor: NZ5648 (c/n3305, Bu92044) is airworthy with the OFMC in Britain. The aircraft was rescued from the Rukuhia scrapyard and restored to taxying condition in the 1960s. Sold to a buyer in the US, the aircraft operated for many years as N55JP in the colours of 'Big Hog'. Sold to the OFMC and moved across the Atlantic, the aircraft was returned to RNZAF colours, then back to USN colours. It came to Wanaka for the 2004 airshow, then moved to Masterton that same year, when it was bought by the Old Stick and Rudder Company. 

Another ex-RNZAF survivor is FG-1D NZ5612 (c/n2904, Bu88090) which is in storage at Ardmore, and reportedly is intended for eventual static restoration.

Previously in New Zealand was the AFC operated F4U-1 'Birdcage Corsair' ZK-FUI (c/n4078 ex Bu17995, N90285), based at Wanaka. This aircraft was sold, being shipped to its new home in a museum collection in Brazil on October 19, 1999.

One other Corsair was resident in New Zealand - an ex-Honduran F4U-5 (Bu124493) was donated to the RNZAF by Disney, in return for assistance with making a movie. The Air Force Museum decided to swap the aircraft because it was quite different from those used by the RNZAF, so that aircraft has now gone to Australia.

Source: Philip Treweek