Vought F4U Corsair
The bent-winged bird the Japanese called "Whistling Death."
The inverted gull wing — designed to accommodate an outsized propeller without excessively long landing gear — made the Corsair unmistakable. It was the fastest Navy fighter of the war, faster even than many land-based types, and by war's end had claimed an 11:1 kill ratio against Japanese aircraft.
01Initially rejected for carrier service due to poor forward visibility and a bouncy approach; pressed into land-based duty with the Marines on Guadalcanal and through the Solomons from early 1943.
02Aces like "Pappy" Boyington of VMF-214 "Black Sheep" flew Corsairs. The Royal Navy in fact qualified the Corsair for carrier operations before the US Navy did, by modifying landing approaches and fitting wing cuffs.
03Returned to US carrier service in late 1944 and became a premier fighter-bomber during the Okinawa campaign and strikes against the Japanese home islands. Continued in production into the post-war years and saw extensive service in Korea.
Theatres of operation
- ·Pacific
Principal operators
- ·US Navy
- ·US Marine Corps
- ·Royal Navy FAA
- ·Royal New Zealand Air Force
Others in the same fight.
Supermarine Spitfire
Mk.I — Mk.24
Hawker Hurricane
Mk.I — Mk.IV
North American P-51 Mustang
P-51B / C / D / K
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47C / D / M / N