FAA Pilots impression of the Corsair

manta22 · Dec 7, 2022

I posted on FB- since it is 7 December :
Can you imagine what it was like spending hours watching the radar scopes for incoming Japanese planes and then, during an attack, not knowing what was happening outside, sweating it out?
A salute to those brave men who sacrificed so much- many even their lives so that we could live.
This is the Combat Information Center aboard the USS Yorktown CV-10.

pbehn · Dec 7, 2022

manta22 said:
I posted on FB- since it is 7 December :
Can you imagine what it was like spending hours watching the radar scopes for incoming Japanese planes and then, during an attack, not knowing what was happening outside, sweating it out?
A salute to those brave men who sacrificed so much- many even their lives so that we could live.
This is the Combat Information Center aboard the USS Yorktown CV-10.

I cant imagine being under attack but I did spend hours looking at CRTs in darkened places, your retina gets burned with the display, those guys will have seen that screen display when they shut their eyes to go to sleep, I did hours after leaving work.

Admiral Beez · Dec 7, 2022

As for the Fleet Air Arm, I'm sure they'd be very pleased to asap 1943 swap out every Sea Hurricane, Seafire, Fulmar and Firefly for Corsairs. 2,000+ hp, >440 mph, 1000 mile range, and six .50 cal can forgive poor landing visibility.

Here’s how the Royal Navy fixed the F4U shortcomings for which the US Navy deemed the Corsair unsuitable for aircraft carrier operations - The Aviation Geek Club

Here’s how the Royal Navy fixed the F4U shortcomings for which the US Navy deemed the Corsair unsuitable for aircraft carrier operations

theaviationgeekclub.com

PAT303 · Dec 7, 2022

Admiral Beez said:
As for the Fleet Air Arm, I'm sure they'd be very pleased to asap 1943 swap out every Sea Hurricane, Seafire, Fulmar and Firefly for Corsairs. 2,000+ hp, >440 mph, 1000 mile range, and six .50 cal can forgive poor landing visibility.

Likewise I'm sure RAF pilots were pleased to go from MkV to MkIX Spitfires, P40 pilots were pleased to get P51's, and F4F to F6F the list goes on, trouble is the war started in 1939 not '43-44'

Admiral Beez · Dec 7, 2022

PAT303 said:
Likewise I'm sure RAF pilots were pleased to go from MkV to MkIX Spitfires, P40 pilots were pleased to get P51's, and F4F to F6F the list goes on, trouble is the war started in 1939 not '43-44'

As I say, asap 1943. Until then suffer what must.

PAT303 · Dec 7, 2022

Admiral Beez said:
As I say, asap 1943. Until then suffer what must.

From what I've read the FAA pilots would have gladly swapped their Corsairs for Hellcats, the docile handling was the reason.

Admiral Beez · Dec 7, 2022

PAT303 said:
From what I've read the FAA pilots would have gladly swapped their Corsairs for Hellcats, the docile handling was the reason.

Well yes, if Hellcats are an option then yes, as there's no better carrier fighter.

EwenS · Dec 8, 2022

In 1943 more Hellcat squadrons were not an option for the FAA. The USN demand in the Pacific restricted Lend Lease Hellcat deliveries to Britain. Allocations promised were not met. This became worse at the end of the year with the USN decision to simplify its Pacific Fleet logistics chain, ditch the F4U as a carrier fighter, and standardise on the F6F.

Look at the squadron formations in 1943. 4 Hellcat v 8 Corsair.

First half of 1944 3 Hellcat (incl a PR unit of 6 aircraft) v 5 Corsair. Followed by another 8 Corsair squadrons through to April 1945. It was only from Sept 1944 that Hellcat deliveries to the FAA began to build up to allow more squadrons to form on, or convert to, the Hellcat either in Britain or South Africa. By the end of the war those additional Hellcat squadrons totalled 6 fighter, 2 Night fighter and a second PR squadron (6 aircraft). In mid-1944 the RN expected Hellcat deliveries to cease by the end of 1945.

Of course come 1945 USN demand for the Corsair increased substantially as more units transitioned to that aircraft, leaving more Hellcats available for Lend Lease.

Clayton Magnet · Dec 8, 2022

Admiral Beez said:
As for the Fleet Air Arm, I'm sure they'd be very pleased to asap 1943 swap out every Sea Hurricane, Seafire, Fulmar and Firefly for Corsairs. 2,000+ hp, >440 mph, 1000 mile range, and six .50 cal can forgive poor landing visibility.

I don't think the F4U hit 440mph until the -4 model, and nobody was getting those in 1943

PAT303 · Dec 8, 2022

Clayton Magnet said:
I don't think the F4U hit 440mph until the -4 model, and nobody was getting those in 1943

It wasn't the first fighter to hit 400mph in level flight either.

Shortround6 · Dec 8, 2022

PAT303 said:
It wasn't the first fighter to hit 400mph in level flight either.

Yep, that was the Hawker Hurricane!!

Tailwinds are a wonderful thing.

special ed · Dec 8, 2022

I thought it was the P-39. An expert told me the prototype did, until NACA and the British ruined it.

BiffF15 · Dec 8, 2022

special ed said:
I thought it was the P-39. An expert told me the prototype did, until NACA and the British ruined it.

It was the Janitrol gas heater that really was the crux of the problem. If it had not been installed, the engineers could have fit the oversized Allison two stage motor in it, added contra rotating propellors to get rid of that nasty torque / CG spin problem, while simultaneously shrinking fuel tank size so the late model Mustangs would have similar range. Adding to that was a 50 gal ink tank, that when a pilot found himself being bounced, squirted it's entire contents out like an octopus to help his escape...

PAT303 · Dec 8, 2022

BiffF15 said:
Adding to that was a 50 gal ink tank, that when a pilot found himself being bounced, squirted it's entire contents out like an octopus to help his escape...

See this is why I like this forum, it separates fact from fiction, I never knew about the ink tank.

special ed · Dec 9, 2022

The things one learns here
- A famous forum member

Shortround6 · Dec 9, 2022

The soviets took the idea from the P-39 ink tank system and applied it to tanks.
They squirted diesel oil into the exhausts of the tanks make smoke to help the tank/s escape, (works well while retreating)

They never credit the P-39 designers with the idea though

PAT303 · Dec 9, 2022

Okay I'm just going to say it, I want you all to come out of the closet and admit you all love the greatest aircraft that never really did anything, that wonder of aeronautical engineering and design, the that coulda woulda shoulda single handedly won the second world war on it's own, the mighty Groundhog.

No not that one, this one

Isn't she a thing of beauty, this one must be on the way to Berlin, it has a drop tank fitted.

pbehn · Dec 9, 2022

I think a pilots first impression of a Corsair would be guided by the thought that this much bigger, heavier and more powerful plane has to be landed on the same deck as what they were presently flying.

33k in the air · Dec 10, 2022

BiffF15 said:
Adding to that was a 50 gal ink tank, that when a pilot found himself being bounced, squirted it's entire contents out like an octopus to help his escape...

Dr. Zoidberg definitely recommended the installation of such ink sacs to help escape enemies.

GregP · Dec 19, 2023

Admiral Beez said:
Whenever I see photos from the US mega aircraft factories I often notice the lack of workers, plus usually groups standing around, presumably waiting for parts. Maybe these photos were taken at lunch or the workers told to get out of the shot?

View attachment 697667

View attachment 697668

Aircraft factory pics are most often taken to show the airplanes, not the workers. The idea is to WOW the enemy with what he is facing, not to showcase the workers. Factory production pics were usually taken by the customer in WWII, not the manufacturer. It might be different today, but the customer controlled EVERYTHING in WWII.

FAA Pilots impression of the Corsair

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