I've looked up quite a bit of information on the F4U-s...
The 62 US gal. tanks in each wing in the F4U-1A - did they not hinder maneuverability, climb rate, and speed? Why, then, are the A-Hogs out running and outturning our D-Hogs? Also, shouldn't the Fowler flaps of the P-38 help the huge fighter outturn the Hog?
Additionally.. the C-Hogs were built in parallel with D-Hogs - using very similar airframes, and some using the same engine, both of which lacked the unarmored 62 gal. fuel cells. That is all the more reason for the aircraft to be more agile than the A-Hog. True, the A-hogs lacked the folding-wing mechanisms, but those fuel cells added a lot of weight... (ha.. it would suck if our A-hogs' were so accurate that their R-2800-8W's were fitted with those Coffman starters - damn unreliable things)
Lastly, though the C-Hog has a heavier armament, maneuverability seems just a little too poor. Did armament REALLY affect the maneuvering THAT much?