Corsair Question

[Marshall_Stack]

I know that the production Corsair differed from the prototype due to placing the cockpit further back on the fuselage. I think it was because the Navy decided to do away with the configuration of having two nose mounted machine guns and four wing mounted guns. When they placed six guns in the wing they lost fuel space. To make up for this they placed a fuel tank in front of the cockpit, lengthening the plane and putting the cockpit further aft.

My question - couldn't they put the tank aft of the cockpit like the P-51 or would this change the center of gravity? Could they have put on a laminar wing to increase fuel capacity in the wings?

It just seems that putting the cockpit farther back made it that much harder for pilots to land the plane.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

You're right about moving the cockpit back and visibility. As far as moving things around in the airframe, think about this.

A lot of thought goes into the aircraft structure, the location of bulkheads, the size of stringers and how structural loads are transmitted through them. In reality you just don't move things around that easy and probably why that wasn't done. And that's not even getting into weight and balance issues...

 

[evangilder]

One of the ways they tried to compensate for the reduced visibility was to raise the seat a bit and have a longer tail wheel strut. Here is a shot that shows how high the tail wheel strut makes the tail.

 

[Dac]

My question - couldn't they put the tank aft of the cockpit like the P-51 or would this change the center of gravity? Could they have put on a laminar wing to increase fuel capacity in the wings?

Placing the fuel tank behind the cockpit on the P-51 did cause problems with the center of gravity. It's possible these problems would have been unacceptable with the Corsair.

 

[maxs75]

Placing the fuel tank behind the cockpit on the P-51 did cause problems with the center of gravity. It's possible these problems would have been unacceptable with the Corsair.

I agree, anyway it's my personal opinion, with no hard data.

Max

 

[Marshall_Stack]

Here is what The Corsair may look like if the cockpit was moved further up (I'm bored at work...)

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Here's a photo of the prototype...

flightjournal

 

[Gnomey]

That looks very similar to the photoshopped one by Marshal Stack, however it also ruins the good looks of the Corsair in my opinion.

 

[Soren]

God, that is one ugly aeroplane !

 

[Dac]

It resembles the F6F with the cockpit forward like that.

 

[lesofprimus]

Its still freakin ugly...

 

[Aggie08]

Yikes, it really is. Good thing function agreed with form on this one.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

all of that aside though it's a very good photoshop job what's the M-43 for on the tail of that prototype?

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I think it's 1443, here

aviation history

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

yeah i think it looks better with the cockpit further back.......

 

[Gnomey]

yeah i think it looks better with the cockpit further back.......

Yep! Good pic Joe.

 

[Marshall_Stack]

I also personally like the production "Hose Nose" best....