A4sForever said:
Not so "jolly", Roger???
Reference post # 17 on this thread:
I doubt it --- the Corsair ... original version, while a GREAT airplane overall .... was a disaster on carrier decks .(do some homework) ... ..... the gear was ... "fragile" and the nose was too long.
A carrier pilot and an LSO's nightmare .... the F4U in ALL series, when referenced to the carrier deck ....
Oh, Papa A4s, I have.
Thanks to the VF-17 and the Brits, most of the problems with the -1 variant were ironed out when the -1A came out in the middle of '43. The stiff oleos, setting the seat higher, curving in the glide slope and a littany of other fixes, made the Hog carrier ready.
A testiment to this fact is that VF-17 was land based in the New Georgia for over a month, flying combat missions, before being called to fly CAP over TF 50.3 during the Battle of the Soloman Sea. During which, VF-17 landed several times on the flights decks of the
Bunker Hill, Essex, and
Independence, to refuel. All without one mishap. And the Brits were using it over the F6F on their carriers, during same time frame.
When the -1C and -1D came out, well, the Corsair became a solid airplane. A testiment to this it was still used by the Navy and Marines in Korea. Hell, the Banana Republics were still using them in the '70s.
The F6F was a solid airplane, no doubting it. But it was a souped up Wildcat, where as the F4U was a brand new aircraft up from the ground up.
Hell, I'd give a couple of million to own one. Or a left nut fly one, who needs kids?
Just my .02. :icon_zbee :spin_125: :icon_carn :cowboy_12