The photos in this edition are black and white. Filled with vintage photos of Voughts legendary F4U Corsair from assembly line to flight line, plus exploded views, cutaway and phantom drawings from tech manuals, disassembled aircraft, rare variants and experimental models. Reveals a model-by-model technical evolution from the XF4U through the massive F2G. Filled with engine details, armaments and carrier modifications. WarbirdTech Volume 4.
Vought F4U Corsair was one of the best and most famous fighters of World War Two era. Developed since 1938, it didn't see serial production until mid-1942. Initially disqualified for carrier operations, it was handed over to land-based US Marine Corps fighter units. The first volume deals with the design and development phase from the XF4U-1 prototype through F4U-1, F4U-1A and F4U-1D models to F4U-2 night fighter version and the high-altitude XF4U-3 prototype. A separate chapter has been devoted to camouflage and markings of the Corsairs serving with the US Navy and US Marine Corps between 1942 and 1945. Another chapter, based on hundreds of pages from original war diaries of Marine squadrons operating Corsairs, details their operational service during the Solomons campaign and the aerial offensive against the Japanese fortress of Rabaul, covering the period between February 1943 and early 1944. It was in the South Pacific that Corsairs proved their worth and earned a well deserved fame.
The enormous war demand for all kinds of armaments, including fighters, caused the Vought factory to be overloaded with production. Therefore, it was extended to Brewster and Goodyear factories, where the production of F4U fighters began. Ultimately, 12,500 Corsairs were built in 16 different variants.The first production version of the Corsair - F4U-1 - had a characteristic built-in fairing cabin, so-called birdcage, which also forced to lower the position of the pilot's seat. There were many visible changes compared to the XF4U-1 prototype. First of all, the cockpit was moved 81 cm to the rear due to the installation of a much larger fuel tank in front of the cabin. The whole fuselage was then extended by 43 cm. Cockpit armor and a bulletproof windshield were also used. To improve visibility from the cabin, a windows behind the pilot's headboard were added on both sides. The F4U-1 version was powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-2800-8 twin wasp engine.Another variant was the F4U-1A, in which more or less from mid to the end of the production a higher and wider canopies were used - very similar to the British Malcolm hood. The pilot's seat was raised by 18 cm, which in addition with a new canopy and lengthening the tailwheel leg by 15 cm improved the visibility from the cockpit over the enormous nose of the machine. An important improvement was the introduction of much better oil shock absorbers on the main undercarriage, which eliminated the problem of "kangaroos" during landings. This had a considerable impact on Corsair service on board of aircraft carriers.
In February 1938, the United States Navy opened a competition for a new fighter. His maximum speed and operational ceiling were to exceed all the machines that the American aviation had at the time. Among others, the Chance Vought company entered the competition. The Corsair was designed by a team of engineers led by Rex Beisel, the company's chief constructor. The prototype XF4U-1 was flown on May 29, 1940. The Corsair was powered by an eighteen-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp. That was the largest and the most powerful radial engine ever installed in a single-seat front fighter
