Originally posted by Zippatuh
…stall fighting capability able to eat up Yaks…
I would have to disagree with this wholeheartedly. When we first got the -4 I found a lot of people trying to turn fight the thing like it was a stall fighter. It’s not. It’s the same hog just a bit faster and more prop torque. Get down to low, slow, and stalling with a bit of fuel in her belly and the prop will throw you into the ground quicker than the con.
A squadmate and I took a Yak-9U and the F4U-4 to the TA and worked on stallfighting. Both took off with 25% fuel. At 100-120 mph, the 4Hog has MUCH better control during 2 G maneuvering. The Yak had a tendency towards controls reversal, leading to a flat spin. On the other hand, the 4Hog merely required a slight easing of back pressure to avoid rolling into the low wing. Also worth mentioning was the remarkable rudder authority of the 4Hog. You can reverse your turn with rudder alone, whereas any significant opposite rudder input would send the Yak into a flat spin. Torque was less of an issue with the Corsair than with the Yak, and it was easy to counteract with a bit of rudder.
At 100-120 mph, the 4Hog OWNS the Yak-9U. In any really low-speed scissors fight, the 4Hog is better than the Yaks, La-7, P-51, 109, 190 and so on.
My regards,
Widewing