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Author Topic: Why's the F4U so expensive?  (Read 3224 times)

Offline AirFlyer

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Why's the F4U so expensive?
« Reply #15 on: November 25, 2007, 01:52:45 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Hornet33
YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR SEXY!!!!!!!!:aok :rofl


If thats the case, so much for getting a Ki-84. Bill Gates couldn't afford it.
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Offline Saxman

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Why's the F4U so expensive?
« Reply #16 on: November 25, 2007, 02:31:47 PM »
He said sexy, not trashy.
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Offline AquaShrimp

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Why's the F4U so expensive?
« Reply #17 on: November 25, 2007, 04:38:53 PM »
You meet a different class of people past 400mph...




A better class!
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Offline Wes14

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Why's the F4U so expensive?
« Reply #18 on: November 25, 2007, 05:27:57 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by AquaShrimp
You meet a different class of people past 400mph...




A better class!



The Runner Class! :furious




:p
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Offline Saxman

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Why's the F4U so expensive?
« Reply #19 on: November 25, 2007, 06:04:54 PM »
The number of F4Us that I've seen run from a 1v1 engagement unless damaged, out of gas, or ammo is SIGNIFICANTLY less than Ponies, Doras, La-7s, Typhoons and Tempests. I make it a mission to run down and kill such badly-flown F4Us when I find one.
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Offline Arlo

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Why's the F4U so expensive?
« Reply #20 on: November 25, 2007, 06:47:56 PM »
Well this thread took a dive. No room to complain about alt monkies. ;)
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Offline C(Sea)Bass

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Why's the F4U so expensive?
« Reply #21 on: November 25, 2007, 07:41:54 PM »
Did all those numbers come from one source? Sometimes sources include R&D costs with unit cost(which is why the B-2 looks like it costs 2 billion).
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Offline Wes14

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Why's the F4U so expensive?
« Reply #22 on: November 26, 2007, 07:46:53 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Saxman
The number of F4Us that I've seen run from a 1v1 engagement unless damaged, out of gas, or ammo is SIGNIFICANTLY less than Ponies, Doras, La-7s, Typhoons and Tempests. I make it a mission to run down and kill such badly-flown F4Us when I find one.


I know, just kidding around :D
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Offline Brooke

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Why's the F4U so expensive?
« Reply #23 on: November 27, 2007, 02:41:22 AM »
This is what I got from America's Hundred Thousand and (where it didn't have costs) web searches:

Fighter costs (approximate, web and America's Hundred Thousand)

P-47, $100,000
P-38, $98,000
F4U, $75,000
P-51, $50,000
F6F, $50,000
P-40, $40,000

Some of these costs came down over time (as production efficiencies increased and perhaps as manufacturer's reduced their margins).
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Offline bozon

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Why's the F4U so expensive?
« Reply #24 on: November 27, 2007, 08:21:06 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by Brooke
P-47, $100,000
P-38, $98,000
F4U, $75,000
P-51, $50,000
F6F, $50,000
P-40, $40,000

That is 3 cats for 2 hogs.

The jug costs more than a P-38 ?!
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Offline Bodhi

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Why's the F4U so expensive?
« Reply #25 on: November 27, 2007, 09:07:36 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by Shuckins
According to Corky Meyer, test pilot for Grumman, Corsairs took longer to manufacture than Hellcats.  This was because the F4U used the more complicated flush riveting for the entire airframe and required compound curvature skin panels, which were more difficult to manufacture.  I would surmise that these two things also drove up the price.  According to Corky, the Navy could purchase three Hellcats for the price of two Corsairs.

Regards, Shuckins


I think he might be mistaken.  The Corsair has an almost entirely spot welded air frame.  Sure there are a substantial number of rivets, but the majority of the fuselage panels are all spot welded in sub assemblies than riveted in place to the longerons and major frames.  

My interpretation as to why a Corsair is more expensive than say a Hellcat is that Vought never seemed to grasp the "mass production" theory.  It seems that most all parts that come off one bird require a level of modification to allow it to be placed on another bird.  They seem to be almost "one off" production aircraft.

I forgot to add that the reasoning of the compound skin seems to be a bit of stretch too.  The Hellcat's fuselage contains compound curves too... especially the skins cockpit to aft.  As for manufacture, all they did was stamp the skins out, then trim to fit and either spot weld into sub assemblies or rivet in place.
« Last Edit: November 27, 2007, 09:15:36 AM by Bodhi »
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Offline Scca

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Why's the F4U so expensive?
« Reply #26 on: November 27, 2007, 09:27:53 AM »
I think they are pretty cheap...

I get as many as I want for $15 a month :aok
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Offline Brooke

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Why's the F4U so expensive?
« Reply #27 on: November 28, 2007, 01:45:08 AM »
OK, I did a bunch more looking.  Here is what I found.

Fighter costs in 1944 (Air Technical Service Command, Budget and Fiscal Office, http://www.au.af.mil/au/afhra/aafsd/aafsd_pdf/t082.pdf):

P-38, $97,000
P-47, $86,000
P-51, $52,000
P-39, $51,000
P-40, $45,000

From America's Hundred Thousand, by Dean, p. 520 (1944 F4U-1D):

F4U, $75,000

Supposedly from A History of the United States Air Force 1907-1957, Alfred Goldberg, editor or from Victory Roll, by William Wolf:

F6F, $63,000
FM2, $50,000
« Last Edit: November 28, 2007, 01:52:42 AM by Brooke »
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