Birdcage Corsair

[Owen]

A & T Salvage, working for NNAM, just brought up
a birdcage Corsair from L. Michigan. Can't wait to
see this one in P'cola.....

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2010/11/08/wwii-plane-recovered-from-lake/#photo-1

 

[statesman]

How is the Birdcage Corsair different from the F4U?

 

[phrogpilot73]

How is the Birdcage Corsair different from the F4U?

Birdcage refers to early models with the birdcage canopy, as opposed to later ones with the bubble canopy

 

[HackerF15E]

Funny, doesn't look like a "birdcage" to me:

 

[coolhandlukesd]

Funny, doesn't look like a "birdcage" to me:

HackerF15E, it is a birdcage, notice the little bubble on the front of the sliding canopy. That is a telltale sign of a birdcage corsair.

 

[ryan1234]

How is the Birdcage Corsair different from the F4U?

It is an F4U-1 (unless it was built by Goodyear or Brewster)...

Contrary to the article, they were not built in the 30s

 

[Clux4]

HackerF15E, it is a birdcage, notice the little bubble on the front of the sliding canopy. That is a telltale sign of a birdcage corsair.

Doubt it is a birdcage.

@Ryan: Who were the other builders apart from Goodyear and Brewster. I thought it was just those two.

 

[HackerF15E]

You can actually see that canopy better in other photos:

 

[coolhandlukesd]

Doubt it is a birdcage.

You can actually see that canopy better in other photos:

It's definitely a birdcage Corsair.

 

[Pags]

HackerF15E, it is a birdcage, notice the little bubble on the front of the sliding canopy. That is a telltale sign of a birdcage corsair.

The first Corsairs had a full birdcage canopy:

As an interim fix, the canopy was later changed to have the "bubble" seen on the salvaged aircraft. I want to say it had an improved rear view mirror inside of it. Later Corsairs (F4U-1D and later) incorporated the more well known "Malcom Hood."

Goodyear made the F2G-1/2 Corsair as a low level interceptor to counter the kamikaze threat. In addition to a monster engine, it also incorporated a bubble canopy and a cut down tail similar to the P-51D and P-47D:

@Ryan: Who were the other builders apart from Goodyear and Brewster. I thought it was just those two.

Vought built F4Us, Goodyear F2Gs, and Brewster F3As. According to Wikipedia, Brewster didn't do a very good job:
"Just over 700 were built before Brewster was forced out of business. Poor production techniques and shabby quality control meant that these aircraft were red-lined for speed and prohibited from aerobatics after several lost their wings. This was later traced to poor quality wing fittings. None of the Brewster built Corsairs reached front line units."

 

[ryan1234]

Vought built F4Us, Goodyear F2Gs, and Brewster F3As. According to Wikipedia, Brewster didn't do a very good job:
"Just over 700 were built before Brewster was forced out of business. Poor production techniques and shabby quality control meant that these aircraft were red-lined for speed and prohibited from aerobatics after several lost their wings. This was later traced to poor quality wing fittings. None of the Brewster built Corsairs reached front line units."

I'm pretty sure all that was actually a myth. Brewster lost their contract from their management, not the quality.

 

[sickboy]

We got the ass end of it in the restoration hanger today. Not speaking officially, but it'll be a while before it's in the museum. 3-5 years is my guess.

 

[Pags]

I'm pretty sure all that was actually a myth. Brewster lost their contract from their management, not the quality.

I just used wikipedia as my source from a quick search. Another quick search mentioned the management.

 

[Confederate_Jay]

I have a 4000 acre hunting lease near a practice bombing range. a couple months ago I found a canopy and it was identified by a curator at the museum at Robins AFB as a 'birdcage canopy' from an F4U-1 (I sent several photos to him.) According to him the NAS in Jacksonville was a training facility for these planes and my guess is that they must have flown North and used the range to practice bombing. Jax is only about an hour and a half away by car.