What did Vought change on the Corsair to make it…

What did Vought change on the Corsair to make it carrier-capable?

Short answer

Vought had to redesign the main landing gear, tailwheel and arrestor hook, add a bleed valve in the struts to curb bouncing, fit a bulged canopy and raise the seat 7 in (180 mm). The Navy accepted it for shipboard operations in April 1944, with the longer strut.

Published: October 31, 2026 · Updated: October 31, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

What did Vought change on the Corsair to make it carrier-capable?

F4U at 2023 Oshkosh

A fighter that was hard to bring aboard

Carrier suitability was one of the major problems in the F4U's development and forced changes to the main landing gear, the tailwheel, and the arrestor hook. The oleo-pneumatic landing gear struts had poor rebound characteristics on landing and let the aircraft bounce along the deck. That bouncing took a long time to fix, until a "bleed valve" built into the struts allowed hydraulic pressure to be released gradually as the aircraft touched down. The US Navy did not accept the F4U for shipboard operations until April 1944, once the longer oleo strut had been installed.

Seeing the deck and keeping the windscreen clean

Among the changes were a bulged canopy, similar to the Malcolm Hood, and raising the pilot's seat by 7 in (180 mm). The cowl flaps above the engine compartment were also wired shut, so that oil and hydraulic fluid splashes were deflected toward the sides of the fuselage.