Vought F4U Corsair

"F3A" redirects here. For the car transmission, see Mazda F3A transmission.

F4U/FG/F3A Corsair
A restored F4U-4 Corsair in Korean War-era U.S. Marine Corps markings
General information
TypeCarrier-based fighter-bomber
National originUnited States
ManufacturerChance Vought
Built byGoodyear
Brewster
Primary usersUnited States Navy
Number builtMore than 12,571[1]
History
Manufactured1942–1953[2]
Introduction date28 December 1942
First flight29 May 1940
Retired
  • 1953 (United States)
  • 1979 (Honduras)
VariantsGoodyear F2G Corsair

The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contracts were given to Goodyear, whose Corsairs were designated FG, and Brewster, designated F3A.

The Corsair was designed and principally operated as a carrier-based aircraft, and entered service in large numbers with the U.S. Navy and Marines in World War II. It quickly became one of the most capable carrier-based fighter-bombers of the war.[3] Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter and U.S. naval aviators achieved an 11:1 kill ratio.[4][5] Early problems with carrier landings and logistics led to it being eclipsed as the dominant carrier-based fighter by the Grumman F6F Hellcat, powered by the same Double Wasp engine first flown on the Corsair's initial prototype in 1940.[6] The Corsair's early deployment was to land-based squadrons of the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy.

The Corsair served almost exclusively as a fighter-bomber throughout the Korean War and during the French colonial wars in Indochina and Algeria.[7] In addition to its use by the U.S. and British, the Corsair was also used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, French Naval Aviation, and other air forces until the 1960s.

From the first prototype delivery to the U.S. Navy in 1940, to final delivery in 1953 to the French, 12,571 F4U Corsairs were manufactured[1] in 16 separate models. Its 1942–1953 production run was the longest of any U.S. piston-engined fighter.[8][9][10]

  1. ^ a b Shettle 2001, p. 107.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Les Corsair français was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Green 1975, p. 137.
  4. ^ Jablonski 1979, p. 171.
  5. ^ Donald 1995, p. 246.
  6. ^ Gustin, Emmanuel. "Chance Vought F4U Corsair – XF4U-1 – Genesis". F4UCorsair.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  7. ^ Pilot's Manual 1979, Prologue.
  8. ^ O'Leary 1980, p. 116.
  9. ^ Donald 1995, p. 244.
  10. ^ Wilson 1996.