Woo, seems we've got a LOT of guys looking to the Hog recently.
Well, there's been a few threads on the subject, but this is what I find works:
In large, multi-plane fights:
F4Us live on speed in the furball. Keep her fast, between 250-300mph, ideally closer to 300. At this speed you'll be able to extend on most anyone who's in the circle-jerk as you'll be able to take advantage of the F4Us top-end acceleration over most TnB rides. Roll rate also improves DRAMATICALLY with speed while most opponents begin to lose aileron authority.
Corsairs have excellent instantaneous turn, so you can surprise a lot of guys within the first quarter to half of a turn. However don't sacrifice your airspeed by following an enemy into a break. Hogs hold on to energy well, but unless you have some air under you it's harder to regain it again (low-end acceleration the F4U is middle of the pack at best, it's not until you reach 300mph that the Hog will start to pull away) so in large fights hang on to it! Use the vertical rather than try and break. High and low yo-yos can allow the F4U to cut corners on many of the better turners, and have the added advantage of taking you out of plane with your opponent, making you harder to track.
The F4Us have an INSANE zoom. Even P-51s, La-7s and Typhoons who think they can escape you in the vertical are in for rude surprise. There's a lot of mass in that Hog, so she can leave even the best straight climbers hanging. If you've got the airspeed a proper zoom will leave a significant majority of the plane set watching your range counter grow larger.
Be ready to make an exit. If the fight is going badly, or you're finding yourself in trouble and cut off from friends, have a contingency for getting out of Dodge. Try to stay close to the top of the pack, whether that means 5000 or 15,000 as Not many planes will dive with the F4U, and few of those that will enjoy the high-speed handling of the Hog. At airspeeds of 500mph or more the Corsair remains highly responsive, which can't be said for quite a lot of the plane set. She'll also hold on to that airspeed far longer than most pursuers after leveling out, and once again there's the afore-mentioned zoom, which can be used at the bottom of the dive to extend even further. Remember also the F4U's rate of roll IMPROVES with speed, so very few aircraft will be able to keep you in phase if you start rolling during your dive as the speed piles on.
Most of the above applies in 1v1 fights as well, however in this sort of engagement the Hog is more forgiving when slow. With flaps out she has an extremely tight turn radius, though the turn rate suffers.
Set your guns in close, no further than 400yds. I have mine at 200yds, which is MURDER on a target. Plus, it's a lot harder to miss at that range. This is especially important in the 1/A/D and 4 armed with the Brownings, as they rely on fire volume far more than the 20mm of the 1C. The closer you are with the .50cal, the more punch they have. Set your guns to converge at a point. Some people recommend a zone, but again, with the .50cal you need to concentrate your fire.
Remember you have a very good airbrake in your landing gear. The F4U's gear can be kicked out at speeds exceeding 400mph, so use them to limit your dive speed, especially in ground attack or when diving on a con from above. They can also be used to help force an overshoot, and the reduction in airspeed they provide CAN also help you tighten up your turn. However except when using them as a dive brake don't kick them out for too long. If I do, MOST of the time it's just for a second or two at most before bringing them back in.
The Corsair has a MASSIVE rudder, and it's every bit as effective as that implies. Use it both as an extra brake for controlling dive speed of forcing an overshoot (or to prevent yourself FROM overshooting). Rudder authority is good even at higher speeds, so the Corsair can skid and slip--both to avoid an overshoot, swing the nose around for a snapshot on an enemy otherwise out of phase, or to fool an trailing bandit (remember that in a skip your wing will be banking the OPPOSITE direction that you're actually drifting)--at higher speeds than most opponents.That big rudder can also really haul the nose over at the top of a zoom to flop down on a target below you, and coordinated with aileron and rudder can help tighten your turn radius.
Remember Der Uberflappen (TM). The F4U's flaps are among the best in the game. Each time you drop a notch of flaps that big nose will jump through a turn, which can give even Spits, Zekes and Hurricanes a NASTY surprise. However you need to time it right. Drop flaps too soon and you may not get the nose around. Too late and you'll give yourself too MUCH lead and will miss the target.
Ideally, you don't want to use more than one or two notches in a large furball, as by that point you're REALLY slower than is good for you unless you're in a 1v1 on the edge of the fight.
