F4U-5 handling performance reports (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Trilisser
- Start date
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Shortround6
Major General
I believe you may have had a momentary memory lapse. Mine seem to be getting closer together as I get older.
The F4U-5 used a two stage supercharger with two "sidewinder" impellers in the first stage and had the best altitude performance of any Corsair.
The F4U-6 (aka AU-1) was the ONLY production Corsair to use a single stage supercharger and had the worst altitude performance of any Corsair.
The information presented is interesting though and may help (or hurt) those "what ifs" that people come up with about R-2800 powered fighters using single stage superchargers in the early part of the war.
The F4U-5 used a two stage supercharger with two "sidewinder" impellers in the first stage and had the best altitude performance of any Corsair.
The F4U-6 (aka AU-1) was the ONLY production Corsair to use a single stage supercharger and had the worst altitude performance of any Corsair.
The information presented is interesting though and may help (or hurt) those "what ifs" that people come up with about R-2800 powered fighters using single stage superchargers in the early part of the war.
renrich
Chief Master Sergeant
As SR has pointed out the AU and the F4U5 are different AC. The AU was optimized for air to ground. The F4U5 was more of ACM AC. The F4U7 was similar to the AU but with much better high altitude performance.
Shortround6
Major General
I believe the F4U-7 was an AU-1 with the engine from an F4U-4. Most (all?) went to the French Navy.
- Thread starter
- #6
Oh yes 'old-timers' kicks in from time to time, however, the USN doc posted indicates the AU-1 is an F4U-5 with the lower rated -83 engine installed. The F4U-5 in its original form appears to be a hot ship but I can't find any data on it I may have. I have been trying to locate any USN or Vought docs linking the F4U-6 to the AU-1.
renrich
Chief Master Sergeant
The AU had more armor than the F4U5. In "The Great Book of WW2 Aircraft" the specs on the F4U5 are that it had a P&W R2800-32W engine, Vmax of 470MPH at 26800 feet, service ceiling of 41400 feet and rate of climb of 3780 fpm
Mike Williams
Senior Airman
- 572
- Oct 19, 2006
Hi Trilisser,
For starters, here's a chart of performance vs altitude for the F4U-5 from Chance Vought Aircraft Report No. 6645:
Model F4U-5 Airplane, Performance vs Altitude
- Thread starter
- #10
Shortround6
Major General
There may have only been an XFU-6, The designation changing to AU-1 for the production models. The -83 engine was very similar to the engine used in the F8F. It was over 300lbs lighter than the -32 engine used in the F4U-5 and that doesn't include the intercoolers or ducts.
GrumpyBadger
Airman
I hope y'all don't mind me bringing this post back up, but I have a question.
Normally, I'm quite good at graphs, but I'm having a heck of a time interpreting all the performance graphs associated with the aircraft. It looks completely foreign to me and I've tried a lot to comprehend them. Any suggestions or help? I love flight sims, and I'll be flying IL2 soon, and I figure for my four favorite warbirds, Corsair included, it'll be good to understand these to know what they can and can't do, where they perform their best, and how accurate the flight model is (which I hear is pretty spot on).
Normally, I'm quite good at graphs, but I'm having a heck of a time interpreting all the performance graphs associated with the aircraft. It looks completely foreign to me and I've tried a lot to comprehend them. Any suggestions or help? I love flight sims, and I'll be flying IL2 soon, and I figure for my four favorite warbirds, Corsair included, it'll be good to understand these to know what they can and can't do, where they perform their best, and how accurate the flight model is (which I hear is pretty spot on).
GrumpyBadger
Airman
I hope y'all don't mind me bringing this post back up, but I have a question.
Normally, I'm quite good at graphs, but I'm having a heck of a time interpreting all the performance graphs associated with the aircraft. It looks completely foreign to me and I've tried a lot to comprehend them. Any suggestions or help? I love flight sims, and I'll be flying IL2 soon, and I figure for my four favorite warbirds, Corsair included, it'll be good to understand these to know what they can and can't do, where they perform their best, and how accurate the flight model is (which I hear is pretty spot on).
also, Mike Williams, I love your website. Ever since I first found it, it's been so helpful in getting to know my favorite warbirds.
*and I wish I knew why it decided to double post this... sorry about that
Normally, I'm quite good at graphs, but I'm having a heck of a time interpreting all the performance graphs associated with the aircraft. It looks completely foreign to me and I've tried a lot to comprehend them. Any suggestions or help? I love flight sims, and I'll be flying IL2 soon, and I figure for my four favorite warbirds, Corsair included, it'll be good to understand these to know what they can and can't do, where they perform their best, and how accurate the flight model is (which I hear is pretty spot on).
also, Mike Williams, I love your website. Ever since I first found it, it's been so helpful in getting to know my favorite warbirds.
*and I wish I knew why it decided to double post this... sorry about that
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Hi,
The Mike's graph might be interperetted like this: we will choose an altitude (say, 20000 ft) and plane's configuration (say, long range fighter - LRF, weighting 14113 lbs, fitted with a drop tank). Such a F4U-5 will have the rate of climb (RoC) of 2350 ft/min (1st set of graph lines), speed will be 340 kts (second set of graph lines). The plane is using 'normal' power setting. The engine will provide a tad above 1750 HP on that altitude(3rd set of graph lines), (IMO) without ram effect.
Then we might try a 'normal fighter' configuration, clean, at 12901 lbs and 30000 ft. On 'normal' power, it will have the RoC of ~2150 ft/min, speed being 1385 mph; power being ~1650 HP, again without ram. On 'military' power (= 1900 HP at 30000 ft), it will have the RoC of ~2650 ft/min, speed of almost 395 kts.
The Mike's graph might be interperetted like this: we will choose an altitude (say, 20000 ft) and plane's configuration (say, long range fighter - LRF, weighting 14113 lbs, fitted with a drop tank). Such a F4U-5 will have the rate of climb (RoC) of 2350 ft/min (1st set of graph lines), speed will be 340 kts (second set of graph lines). The plane is using 'normal' power setting. The engine will provide a tad above 1750 HP on that altitude(3rd set of graph lines), (IMO) without ram effect.
Then we might try a 'normal fighter' configuration, clean, at 12901 lbs and 30000 ft. On 'normal' power, it will have the RoC of ~2150 ft/min, speed being 1385 mph; power being ~1650 HP, again without ram. On 'military' power (= 1900 HP at 30000 ft), it will have the RoC of ~2650 ft/min, speed of almost 395 kts.
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CORSNING
Tech Sergeant
Hi tomo,
If you are going to convert a graph to a chart, you have to slow way down and study the graph carefully. I believe you meant in your last statement "...speed of almost 395 knots.
I am actually researching the P-47 performance and Spitfire chronology at this time, so I don't have time right now to do the whole decipher thing on the graph. The Reader's Digest version of the maximum performance of this bird using the graph looks like this:
Altitude.Speed/Climb
Feet.....mph/fpm
S.L......400/4840
.5,000..419/4780
10,000.435/4550
15,000.448/4080
20,000.457/3460
25,000.468/2860
30,000.463/2620
35,000.454/1680
40,000.446/..740
Maximums: 469.5 mph.@ 26,750 ft. and 4,840 fpm.@ S.L.
Combat Ceiling (1,000 fpm.): 38,615 ft.
Operational Ceiling (500 fpm.): 41,275 ft.
Service Ceiling (100 fpm.): 43,400 ft.
Thank you Mike for posting the F4U-5 graph.
Jeff
If you are going to convert a graph to a chart, you have to slow way down and study the graph carefully. I believe you meant in your last statement "...speed of almost 395 knots.
I am actually researching the P-47 performance and Spitfire chronology at this time, so I don't have time right now to do the whole decipher thing on the graph. The Reader's Digest version of the maximum performance of this bird using the graph looks like this:
Altitude.Speed/Climb
Feet.....mph/fpm
S.L......400/4840
.5,000..419/4780
10,000.435/4550
15,000.448/4080
20,000.457/3460
25,000.468/2860
30,000.463/2620
35,000.454/1680
40,000.446/..740
Maximums: 469.5 mph.@ 26,750 ft. and 4,840 fpm.@ S.L.
Combat Ceiling (1,000 fpm.): 38,615 ft.
Operational Ceiling (500 fpm.): 41,275 ft.
Service Ceiling (100 fpm.): 43,400 ft.
Thank you Mike for posting the F4U-5 graph.
Jeff
is this actual fly test chart or only estimated performance chart?
Neil Stirling
Airman 1st Class
Combat performance is estimated, normal and military are from flight tests. The date of the chart is from February 1949, I would have thought combat power results would have been available by then.
Neil.
Neil.
Metrallaroja
Airman
- 97
- Nov 21, 2020
Yes, so do I but it seems not.
All the info for final combat power is here, just need someone to get this file from the National Archives
:National Archives NextGen Catalog
The online portal to the records held at the National Archives, and information about those records.
And probably here too:
All I can add is this:
I should add that it seems in the National Archives they have all info about F2G, F4U-7, XP-72 etc if someone is also interested:
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Metrallaroja
Airman
- 97
- Nov 21, 2020
There is also this interesting 1950 report available online:
apps.dtic.mil
Max power at 72.5'' is 2540HP.
This is without water injection, so I think we can expect about 2700-2800HP at manual 70'' (Combat).
And about 2300HP at the 64'' (64.5'') (Military) said by the manual:
Defense Technical Information Center
Max power at 72.5'' is 2540HP.
This is without water injection, so I think we can expect about 2700-2800HP at manual 70'' (Combat).
And about 2300HP at the 64'' (64.5'') (Military) said by the manual:
