„Der Albtraum der Rekruten“: Geheimnisse des gefährlichsten US-Flugzeugs | F4U Corsair

Video from the channel Aviacore DE about Vought F4U Corsair, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 51:23. Language: German. Video type: Documentary.

German-language documentary about the Vought F4U Corsair: from the US Navy competition of 1938 to its last combats in 1969. It explains the fighter's design decisions, the problems that led to its rejection for carrier use, and how the Marine Corps turned it into one of the most effective aircraft of the Pacific.

In the late 1930s, US carrier aviation relied on the Brewster F2A Buffalo and the Grumman F4F Wildcat. In 1938 the Navy requested an entirely new carrier-based fighter. Chance Vought's chief engineer, Rex Beisel, bet on Pratt & Whitney's 18-cylinder engine, which was still under development. To keep the large Hamilton Standard propeller, about 4 m in diameter, from striking the deck, the inverted gull wing was designed. The lowest point of the bend held the landing gear legs, which could then be short and retract easily. The wing also joined the fuselage at a right angle without needing fairings. The prototype flew on May 29, 1940 at Bridgeport, piloted by Lyman Bullard Jr., reaching 651.7 km/h. On July 11, 1940, Boone T. Guyton ran out of fuel and had to make an emergency landing on a golf course near Norwich. The aircraft struck some trees, but its structure held and it could be repaired.

The production F4U-1 version, with the 2,000-hp R-2800-8 engine and six 12.7 mm machine guns, first flew on June 25, 1942. During carrier trials in September 1942, four problems emerged: torque on takeoff, an abrupt stall over the right wing, poor landing visibility, and bouncing on touchdown. The Navy rejected the aircraft for carrier use and passed it to the Marines. VMF-124 squadron was formed on September 7, 1942 and declared operational on December 28. In the combat of February 14, 1943 over the Solomons, the Americans lost ten aircraft and the Japanese three Zeros. Following that engagement, the dive-and-climb tactic was adopted, exploiting the Corsair's speed and climb rate. Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, commanding VMF-214 "Black Sheep," received the Medal of Honor. The Marines called the Corsair the "Angels of Okinawa" for its air support in 1945. With the F4U-1D it returned to carriers, and VF-84 scored 154 victories. The documentary also recounts Elson Frazier's return with part of his left wing torn off. The Corsair served in Korea and production ended in 1952. Its last combats were in the 1969 "Football War" between El Salvador and Honduras.