The History of the F4U-1

Some called it the bent wing wonder, and some called it hose nose. Japanese sailors called it whistling death. Today, most simply refer to the Vought F4U as the Corsair.

In early 1938, the Navy issued a set of specifications for a high performance, carrier-based fighter that could match the capabilities of the best land based aircraft, and also live with the operational and storage requirements of an aircraft carrier. The Vought design group came up with an innovative concept that utilized the power of the new Pratt and Whitney 2800R radial engine. It was rated at 1850 horsepower for takeoff, a significant increase over current fighter power plants.

In order to utilize all of that power, the design team had to cope with a huge propeller with a diameter of 13 ft. 4 in. They also had to consider the demands made on the landing gear of a carrier based plane. Their solution was to design the wings in an inverted gull-wing shape, coming down from the fuselage at an angle that was perpendicular to the fuselage, and then canting them upwards at a dihedral of 8 ½ degrees. The landing gear was mounted at the lowest point of the wing. This kept the gear leg at its shortest possible length, so that it was strong enough to withstand the hard landing impact, and still provide the height to the fuselage so that the propeller would clear the deck. Aerodynamically, having the wing meet the round fuselage at right angles had the advantage of low relative drag at the fuselage/wing joint.

In June of that year, the Navy approved the proposal, and placed an order for one prototype. It was designated the XF4U-1. It first flew on May 29, 1940, piloted by Lyman Bullard. In June of 1940, the Navy order 584 of the distinctive fighters. By the time of the first production run, the mighty Pratt/Whitney was producing 2000 horsepower for takeoff, and with its two-stage supercharger it would propel the Corsair to a speed of 417 mph at 20,000 feet.

There were many variations of Corsair built over the life of its production, Some models were produced by Vought, some by Goodyear, some by Brewster. The F4U-4 variant had the R2800-18W engine and a new four bladed prop. The F4U-5 could achieve 462 mph. One model, the F2G utilized the huge 4 row radial engine from Pratt/Whitney, With 36 cylinders, and 4360 cu.in. displacement, it produced 3000 horsepower.

As one of the most successful fighter planes ever made, the Corsair has earned its place in the aircraft hall of fame.

The Making of the F4U-1 Pedal Plane

For several years, I had been making Pursuit Planes™ when a customer asked if I could make a Corsair pedal plane. I got out my sketchpad and went to work on what turned out to be a very enjoyable project.

The right proportions would be important, so I started with some full size drawings and then made a mockup of the fuselage. Next came some foam blocks to be carved into a wing that would “look right”, and a spun metal cowling. We would certainly need a radial engine, and a three bladed prop and spinner. When I was satisfied with the appearance, stamping dies for the wings were made, and cowl spinnings were ordered.

I thought that if there was a market for a unique pedal plane, some people might want to buy it completed, and some might prefer to buy a kit so that they could finish and personalize it themselves.

For the completed version, I decide I would make no more than 100, and number them and attach a plate with the serial number, buyers name, and date of manufacture. I found a painter that was an artist and told him that $1000 was not too much to pay for an extraordinary paint job. For the chrome plating, it would have to be the best plater in the city, and would be copper, nickel, and chrome plate.

For the kit version, I decided to do all of the shop work myself, so that only assembly, painting, and detailing would be left for the customer. All of the pressing, hammering, drilling, and welding would be done before the customer was sent the Corsair plane kit.

If you would be interested in having a Corsair pedal plane, the completed version costs $3,800.00, and the delivery time is about two months. In addition, the kit sells for $995.00, and has two options available. The first option is to have a chrome prop and spinner which costs an additional $95.00. The second option is to upgrade to a chrome windshield for $50.00.