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American Combat Planes of the 20th Century is an incredible reference for anyone who is interested in any American Combat Plane History. There are 758 pages and 1700 b/w photos in this substantial labor of love by Ray Wagner, who has been passionately researching and writing about aircraft for over 50 years. Whether you are already familiar with his past works, or just discovering this accomplished author for the first time... This is the book that you've been waiting for!

If you'd like to see the book's Table of Contents ... Click here. You can also browse the entire Index Section to get an idea of the extensive amount of information that is covered within this book.

Search our site for other combat planes. A- 1 Eaton A- 4 Skyhawk A- 6 & A- 7 Air Weapons AV- 8 to A- 10 A- 20 Havoc A- 22 Martin Maryland A- 23 Martin Baltimore A- 24 Douglas A- 26 Douglas Invader Attack Planes B- 2A, F-111, F-117 Stealth B- 17 Flying Fortress B- 24 Liberator B- 25 North American B- 26 Marauder B- 29 Superfortress B- 32 Dominator B- 35 Flying Wing B- 36 B- 47 Stratojet B- 50 Boeing B- 52 Stratofortress B- 57 Canberra B- 58 Hustler Biplanes Biplanes, Army Pursuits Bombers, B- 70 to Stealth Bombers, First Big Curtiss Falcon CO- 1 DH- 4 De Havilland F3D- Douglas Skyknight F3H- McDonnell Demon F4D- 1 Skyray F4F Grumman Wildcats F- 4U Corsair F6F Grumman F7F Grumman F7U Vought F9F G. Cougar F9F G. Panther F- 16 Fighting Falcon F- 84 F- 86 Sabre F- 89 to F-94 F- 100 to F-108 First Fighters Flying Boats GAX Iraq to Afghanistan Martin Bombers Missile Era Fighters Navy Fighers Navy Flying Boats O- 2 Douglas P- 35 Seversky P- 36 to 42 Curtiss P- 38 Lightning P- 39 Airacobra P- 40 Line P- 47 Thunderbolt P- 51 Mustang Fighter P- 61 Black Widow P- 63 Kingcobra P- 79 to P-81 P- 82 Twin Mustang SB2C Helldiver TBF-TBM Avenger Thomas-Morse Torpedo Planes V- 11 Vultee XB -28 XP -48 / 77

F4U Corsair

Page 3

Corsairs for the Korean War

Just as the B-26 represented World War USAF Two aircraft active in Korea, the Vought F4U Corsair’s story also continued through that war. Since early jet types could not meet Navy close-support and night-fighter requirements, the World War Two propeller-driven fighter continued in production until 1952. F4U-4

Post-war Corsair development began with two XF4U-5s converted from F4U-4s by installation of the two-stage R-1830-32W Wasp, and the first flew April 4, 1946. Production F4U-5s could be recognized by two cheek inlet ducts, and metal-covered control surfaces. Four 20-mm M-3 guns with 924 rounds were in the wings, a new centerline pylon could hold a 2,000-bomb or 150-gallon drop tank, two wing pylons could hold 1,000-bombs or drop tanks, and eight 5-inch rockets might be carried under the outer wings.

The first of 223 F5U-5s ordered July 19, 1946, was flown September 7, 1947, and deliveries were completed in September 1948. Water injection increased top speed from 424 to 462 mph, and the cockpit was rearranged for better pilot comfort. Carrier service began on the Franklin D. Roosevelt. VOUGHT F4U-5

Most of the remaining Corsairs became night-fighters with APS-19 radar on the right wing. In May 1948, delivery began on 75 radar-equipped F4U-5N Corsairs and on 30 F4U-5Ps fitted with three cameras and four cannon. Production then shifted from Hartford, Connecticut, to Dallas, Texas, where deliveries on 240 more F4U-5N Corsairs began in May 1949 and were finished on October 22, 1951. The last 101 Corsair night fighters were delivered as winterized F4U-5NLs for the Korean War with de-icer boots on the wings.

When the Korean War began, the Navy had 370 Corsairs in 20 fleet squadrons, and the Marines had 223 in ten squadrons. Navy units with F4U-5s included VF-13 & 14 at Jacksonville and VF-173/174 on the Coral Sea, while 14 other squadrons still used F4U-4s, as did eight reserve squadrons deployed on carriers during the war. F4U-5N night fighters of VC-3/4 usually operated from carriers in four-plane detachments, and the photo F4U-5Ps of VC-61/62 were scattered as needed.

Valley Forge F4U-4Bs from VF-53/54 began attacks on July 3, 1950, and two Marine squadrons arrived in August to provide close air support. An F4U-5N squadron, VMF(N)-513 performed interdiction missions, and Navy fighters of VC-3 came in June 1953 to interrupt enemy night intruders, when Lt. Guy Bordelon became the only Navy night fighter ace.

A new requirement for a close-support Corsair version was created by that war, and the XF4U-6, later designated XAU-l, was designed for that purpose. First flown December 19, 1951, it had a narrow cowl with the oil coolers moved back into the wing roots for protection. An R-2800-83W with a single-stage supercharger provided low-altitude power, and 378 pounds of armor was placed under the cockpit, fuel tank, and engine accessory compartment.

Fuel and 20-mm M-3 armament was the same as that of the F4U-5, but external racks could handle up to 4,600 pounds of bombs or ten rockets. Data on our table shows performance when loaded with two 1,000 and ten 250-pound bombs, and a 150-gallon drop tank! Marine squadrons received 111 AU-1s by October 10, 1952. VOUGHT F4U-5N

At the Korean War’s end in 1953, there were three Marine attack squadrons and four Navy fighter squadrons using Corsairs. These squadrons retired their aircraft by 1955, but Corsairs remained with the Navy Reserves until 1957.

The final Corsair model was the F4U-7 built for the French Navy with R-2800-43W two-stage supercharged engines and a scoop on the cowl’s bottom, like the F4U-4B, and the AU-1’s armament. Ninety-four were built, the first flying July 2, 1952. They were used aboard the carrier Lafayette and joined in April 1954 by 25 second-hand AU-ls, which were used in Indochina. After France left Vietnam, French Corsairs served in the Mediterranean and Algeria until 1962, and were decommissioned in 1964. VOUGHT AU-1

When the last F4U-7 was accepted on January 31, 1953, production of the last propeller-driven fighter built in the United States was complete with a total of 12,571 Corsairs built. In length of time in production, the Corsair surpassed any propeller-driven fighter in America.

The Corsair’s last service was in Latin America, beginning with the Argentine Navy’s purchase of ten second-hand F4U-5NLs in 1956. Another 12 F4U-5 Corsairs were acquired in 1958 to fly from the ex-British light carrier Independencia, and served until 1965.

Honduras bought 10 F4U-4s in March 1956 and added ten more of various models in 1960, while neighboring Salvador got 19 FG-1Ds in 1957. During the so-called “Soccer War,” these Corsairs fought each other and on July 17, 1969, a Honduran F4U-5 shot down a Salvadorian FG-1D. The Corsair’s last fight was against another Corsair, and was probably the last kill claimed by a piston-engine fighter anywhere! VOUGHT F4U-7 for France During the Korean war, the Navy was able to expand and modernize its air power. The major cost factor was modernizing the World War II carriers and replacing them with the giants of post-war design. Nine Essex-class carriers were provided with nuclear weapons facilities and new flight decks by the Project 27A conversions from 1950 to 1953. Another six were more completely modernized by Project 27C to add angled decks, steam catapults and other improvements in 1954/56. Eight conventionally powered super-carriers were commissioned, from the Forrestal in October 1955 to the John F. Kennedy in September 1968, and the first nuclear carrier, the Enterprise, joined the fleet in November 1961.

Navy aircraft also increased in performance and efficiency and their inventory during the Korean war rose from 14,036 (9,422 combat) on July 1, 1950, to 16,440 (8,884 combat) on July 1, 1955. That inventory would decline to 10,586 (5,420 combat) in 1964.

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