F4U-1A & -1D outer wing panels

[Hoggardhigh]

Hi all,

It is a fact that early F4U-1 Corsairs (including the so-called F4U-1As), as well as their Brewster- and Goodyear-built counterparts, featured fuel tanks in the outer wing panels, whereas the F4U-1D and later versions dispensed with these tanks.

I imagine that this change would have meant a rework of the outer wing structure, which in turn would make F4U-1D outer wings unusable on a -1A Corsair.

Anyone know if this was/is the case?


Thanks

 

[mjfur]

The wings for Corsairs are interchangeable. They will all fit one another.

A few still with wing tanks.
FG-1A BuNo 13459 (National Museum of the Marine Corps). You can just make out the cap grab handle on the upper wing outboard of the ammo doors.

https://www.airfighters.com/photo_9999_191898.jpg

F4U-1 02465 F4U-1 Corsair Recovered from Lake Michigan | Large Scale Planes

Cavanaugh Flight Museum FG-1D BuNo 92399 with F4U-5 wings.

http://www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/f4u/images/fwa_f4u-1c_10.jpg

 

[Hoggardhigh]

Perhaps Dana Bell has a definitive answer? (For example, if installation of F4U-1D wings on an -1A airframe was ever done in the field during WW2.)

 

[Dana Bell]

Hi Hoggardhigh,

The wing structure wasn't changed when the "tanks" were deleted on the -1D. The leading edge, outer wing panel fuel was a sealed wet wing with simple lines to bring fuel to the fuselage and engine, and CO2 from the fuselage to surpress the likelihood off a fire. (The "tanks" were not self sealing.) To save weight (and skip the inevitable leaks around the wing) many earlier Corsairs simply removed the lines and CO2 tanks.

The outer panels were interchangeable, though there was no way to add fuel to an earlier panel if it was attached to a -1D. I've no records about if or how often outer panels were traded.

Cheers,


Dana