Here is an excerpt from something I wrote up for some squaddies... I might have a point or two wrong (I'm sure we'll find out
) but it should get you started:
Edit - DISCLAIMER: I do not recommend trying to turnfight Spit V's or Zekes unless you like seeing the tower an awful lot. It can be a blast trying, however.THE DIFFERENT CORSAIRSF4U-1:The earliest model, and IMO the most agile in the horizontal. It has the worst climb rate and acceleration of the group, which are two things that really don’t help it in the vertical. Nonetheless, it is a great perk farmer and a more than capable bird. This is the one I used to fly the most before they introduced the -1A. A well flown -1 can keep up in a knife fight with just about any plane in the game. If you have some alt below you, you can even mix it up with Spitfire’s and Zekes (I’d recommend a TON of practice, and excellent gunnery, if you want to try this in the MA).
F4U-1A:This is my current favorite model, and is, IMO the best non-perked aircraft in the game for my kind of flying style. Although acceleration and climb are still not good, it is marginally better than in the -1. A pure dogfighter, and if you run into one in the MA, you know the guy intends to fight.
F4U-1C:The C-Hog is a Corsair with firepower. Four 20mm hispano cannons can blast the bad guys out of the skies with a short burst, and the ballistics are good enough to hit longer ranged targets. The downside is the C-Hog is slightly less maneuverable. Most don’t see this as a huge handicap, but then again most don’t try and turn fight Spit V’s in these things, where you need every scrap of performance you can get. You might really enjoy it. I rarely fly it.
F4U-1D:This is the most common variant in AH, simply because it’s the only non-perked Corsair that can carry more than one bomb. Prior to the introduction of the -1A, it was considered, by some, to be slightly better overall at dog fighting than the -1 on account of improved vertical performance. Generally speaking, a -1D is the mark of an inferior pilot, but you can only hope for that – not expect it. There are some extremely talented sticks who still favor the -1D (BluKitty being the prime example) and they can ruin your day if you aren’t prepared for them. Luckily, most of the guys who fly this will also try to shoot you on the first merge, betraying the fact that they aren’t that good. You can then proceed to eat them up.
F4U-4:Considered by many to be the absolute best aircraft in the game. This thing is a BEAST. The reason for this is that all of the Corsairs are nearly beasts, but each has the Achilles heel of poor acceleration and climb rate. The -4 corrects those problems. You can do all the things an earlier Corsair can do, plus all the things an earlier Corsair can not. If you have never had the pleasure of seeing what this bird is truly capable of, take one up in the DA’s furball zone.