Corsair Loadouts

[Windle]

I've been curious about how the Corsair and particular other planes will be handled in the hangar sequence in regards to armament loadouts.  The F4U-1C was basically an F4U-1D with cannons.  When the Corsair is implemented do you see these being done as seperate planes or as the same one with variable armament loadouts?

Also wanted to add that the Corsair had varying types of external fuel carriage that I'd like to see modeled eventually.  Early on they implemented what was called a 'Duramold' tank. It was of plywood construction and held 175 gallons. Later on (F4U-1D and beyond) they began to utilize the all metal 2 x 150 gallon tanks. Sometimes these were used along with the centerline 'Duramold' tank for a complete external loadout of 475 gallons! It would be nice to be able to choose each of these tanks on a singular basis wit the ability to carry a single bomb with a single tank, etc. or whatever individual configuration we desired.

 

Also don't forget that the F4U-1 'birdcage' models had the ability to carry a single 100lb bomb under each wing.  This option wasn't exercised all that much in combat so it remains a fairly little known fact. The F4U-1A also had this capability, as well as the ability to carry up to a 1000lb bomb on a centerline Brewster bomb rack.

When modeling the F4U-1C remember that is was based on the F4U-1D basic design and not the F4U-1A design as most publications would have you believe. Performance, weight, and loadout of the F4U-1C should be drawn on the F4U-1D flight model.

 

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Lt. Jg. Windle
VF-17 'The Jolly Rogers' 8X
  Skychrgr@aol.com  

[funked]

Ahhh Fw 190 is not in the game yet, who needs F4U's.  Add them after I-16.  

[Bad Omen]

Windle:
F4u-1C same as -1D EXCEPT only 2 rockets per wing.

I would love to see the entire series myself, especially the -1A which was the true AtA version.
 http://www.viser.net/~peterson/F4U_cockpit_drawing.gif

[Brick]

Hey funked - how could the 190 impact wether or not the F4U is in there?  

...and I think you're safe, anyway - they seem to be doing ETO stuff, not PTO stuff at the moment.  (sigh)

 

Andy

[Windle]

Absolutely Bad Omen! An impressive response and attention to detail.    

I agree with the fact that the F4U-1A would be a wonderful first draft for the AH Corsair model. The -1'A' made the Corsair the legend it is today, and it still has the capability of carrying a single 1000lb bomb for ground attack work, as well as two 100lb bombs under each wing (which were rarely used in actual combat). It would also be less likely to be dubbed an 'uber plane' if it initially didn't have rockets and the increased bomb load (2000lbs max).  The F4U-1A model would still implement the R-2800-8W with water injection so ACM wouldn't suffer as a result.  

Now all we need is for AH to give us the word on whether they intend to model the entire ETO armada before delving into the PTO.

 

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Lt. Jg. Windle
VF-17 'The Jolly Rogers' 8X
  Skychrgr@aol.com  

[funked]

Andy:  If they're busy working on the Fw 190 then they can't bloody well work on the F4U can they?  

Windle:  Read the news forum!

[Bad Omen]

Thanks Windle.
Actually, you could go either way with the -1A engine. According to my sources, the water/alcohol injection was not introduced until -1A build no.55910 or FG-1A no.13992.

Which sources you got? BTW, the Aero Detail series no.25 is just out on the F4u! Gonna order it as soon as I can. I have a copy of the pilot's manual, the Warbird Tech series book and the Detail & Scale book, plus some others.

BTW, can you tell which version's cockpit I posted and how you knew?;-)
BTW, you gotta tell me how to get the images to show up on the BBS. The way I did it works for some BBS'es but obviously there is some code you have to use here?

[This message has been edited by Bad Omen (edited 10-04-1999).]

[Windle]

Actually I believe the water/methanol injection was introduced on BuNo.02625, 17560+.  BuNo.02625 was the test plane for the system and F4U-1 BuNo.17560 was when it was introduced into production.  You have to remember that the later part of the F4U-1 'birdcage' production is when the -8W was implemented.  BuNo.55910 was at the later end of the F4U-1A series. I also have sighted those sources as well as others that show BuNo. 17560 as the first.  Somewhere there is a blurb in the records.  Ultimately I based my assumption as to which BuNo. number was correct from pilot accounts and other records that were witness to the early F4U-1 having the system onboard. Some sources blatantly state that the early F4U-1 had the -8W then turn around later and pronounce BuNo.55910 as the introduction point.

One great source for info is 'F4U Corsair' by Nicolas Veronico.  This is by far the most comprehensive Corsair book I've seen to date. He reffers directly to factory records and sights everyone of them as foot notes. This leads me to hold his book in high regard when it comes to production records, dates, etc.
Another great book is 'Americas Hundered Thousand' by Francis Dean. Funked turned me on to this one.   Mr. Dean's book deals more with test and performance numbers while Mr. Veronico's book deals more with production facts, and combat history.  Both of these are must haves for the Corsair enthusiast.

I'd say the pic you posted has to be an F4U-1D/FG-1D.  What gives it away are the fuel selector (two auxiliary tanks), and the rocket box on the right of the cockpit. It could have been an F4U-1C if not for the .50 caliber style armament junction box above the insturment panel.  

BTW HiTech has announced that the F4U will see production soon. I'll definately be waiting patiently on that day for the d/l release.

 

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Lt. Jg. Windle
VF-17 'The Jolly Rogers' 8X
  Skychrgr@aol.com  

[Curly]

 I also believe that the water/methanol injection systems were retrofitted to early F4U's already out in the field.

 --Curly

[Bad Omen]

Very good Windle! That is exzctly right!
BTW, I have the Nicolas Veronico book, too.:-) It was one of my 'others.' I don't have the America's Hundred Thousand book though, will look for it.
Do you have a copy of the pilot's manual? It is the best reference in my opinion. That is where I saw the first reference as to where the armament panels go for each version. It is available from Zenith Books, http://www.motorbooks.com  . They have P-40, P-39, F4u, F6f, P-38, ME-262, P-47, Spit, plus bombers including B-17 (training and pilot's versions). I got the B-17 ones in prep for B-17 II.;-) They are only about $10 ea. I believe some sections are missing, but what is there is great!

[Windle]

I have the pilot's manual for the -1 series but not for the F4U-4 on up.  I planned on getting it from Air Caravan along with the 'Erection & Maitenance' manuals, 'Structural Repair' manual, and the 'Illustrated Parts Catalog' for early and late model Corsairs, but they went out of buisness.  All of their inventory was sold to another company that's yet to get straightened out enough to put it back on the market.

Also I'm waiting on Navy microfilm reels of the F4U-1C history cards.  I want to get some hard evidence showing that basically all of the F4U-1C's made it into the Combat zone. Right now I know of four complete squadrons outfitted with the F4U-1C and at least one other that took on F4U-1C's as relacements for F4U-1D lost in action. Supposedly the last of the F4U-1C's were allocated in such a fashion.  I should know pretty soon (actually 9 months from now considering the Navy Historical Center's work pace).  

Curly you're right about the retrofitting of the R-2800-8W to earlier models. Alot of the other upgrades made to the F4U-1A and later variants were also passed down to the earlier F4U-1's like the raised tailgear, etc.

   

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Lt. Jg. Windle
VF-17 'The Jolly Rogers' 8X
   Skychrgr@aol.com  



[This message has been edited by Windle (edited 10-05-1999).]

[Bad Omen]

Windle, I came across an outfit recently that has a slew of US manuals they offer as reprints. I have no experiencee with them, so didn't mention before. I will see if they have any F4u stuff.
I believe my manual is for -1/-1A and maybe -1D.

[Bad Omen]

Windle, checked my source, http://portrayal.com/index.html
but they specialize apparantly in military vehicles, not planes.
BTW, from your resource list, are you a modeler, too???

[Windle]

Not a modeler, just a hardcore Corsair research addict.    I mainly specialize in keeping track of all the surviving Corsairs, including all Corsairs that survived demilitarization that have since been lost.  It's helped me really get a good bearing on the warbird market in general. Occasionally I'll get contacted by various owners and they'll ask my opinion on an asking price or to put the word out on wanted & available parts. I've brokered and sold some warbirds & warbird projects (including an F4U project back in the day for $400,000), some BT-13's, etc.

My great uncle Maj. Earl Windell Langston flew with VMF-221 (USS Bunker Hill - 1945) and VMF-312 (land based in Korea), so that's where my fettish came from.

Mainly I just try to document the Corsair's post war histories since the old owners from the late 1940's/early 1950's are already passing away.  Noone is doing this with any warbirds (except maybe the P-51 and Spitfire) so I figured I'd create a diary of sorts. Standard stuff is the planes Bureau, manufacture, and registration Numbers, owners & locations, status at any given time (stored, restoration, operational, displayed, crash site, etc.), paint schemes, military records, foreign military service, and all the juicy politics and happenings surrounding the life of the plane and its many owners. I also collect photo's of every one of these Corsairs (prints, dowloads, slides, clippings, etc). I suppose one day, when the time is right and the information is a bit more priceless I'll publish it all in a real fat illustrated book. I'd like to do some kind of difinitive publication that includes basic history and description of types, all of the major factory records and performance data, US, RNFAA, RNZAF, and French loss reports and detailed service histories, an overview of all Corsair squadrons from all countries, a description of how and where the masses of F4U's were disposed of after being stricken, the various stories of how the survivors escaped the smelters, detailed foreign air force duty reports, post-war air racing facts and stories, detailed breakdown of the airframe of the Corsair, etc., etc., etc.

Basically a 3 inch thick 'All You Ever Wanted You Know About The Corsair But Were Too Afraid To Read' type thing.  

So far it's a 15 year hobby and nowhere near complete. One of those perpetual activities to keep me busy when real life's not knocking the door down.  

 

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~Lt. Jg. Windle~

VF-17 The Jolly Rogers 8X
     Skychrgr@aol.com    

[Trips]

Bad Omen asks:
 

BTW, you gotta tell me how to get the images to show up on the BBS. The way I did it works for some BBS'es but obviously there is some code you have to use here?

All you gotta do is enclose the URL to the image within UBB tags. Use "" after (without the quotes.

Here's a small 14K test:

 

Trips