Ever wonder why the Corsair was called "Whistling Death"?

[scooter]

Besides eating ensigns (until the bugs were worked out), the Corsair tended to terrify Japanese (or so I've read).  Have a listen

[zenrat]

More of a screech than a whistle IMO.

[scooter]

More of a screech than a whistle IMO.

"Whistling Death" is more poetic in a Zen sort of way 

[Captain Canada]

Cool. I've seen a few Corsairs over the years and I hadn't noticed hearing that before !

[PR19_Kit]

Didn't they call the Beaufighter by the same nickname too?

[scooter]

Didn't they call the Beaufighter by the same nickname too?

According to the Wiki

The Beaufighter arrived at squadrons in Asia and the Pacific in mid-1942. It has often been said—although it was originally a piece of RAF whimsy quickly taken up by a British journalist—that Japanese soldiers referred to the Beaufighter as "whispering death", supposedly because attacking aircraft often were not heard (or seen) until too late.[12] The Beaufighter's Hercules engines used sleeve valves which lacked the noisy valve gear common to poppet valve engines. This was most apparent in a reduced noise level at the front of the engine.

I had picked up a book when I was stationed up in Iceland ages ago about the Corsair, called Whistling Death.  I wish I knew where it was...probably got lost in household goods moves...or Mrs Scooter Mk 1 86'd it

[PR19_Kit]

Ah, 'Whispering Death', thanks. I knew it was something like that.

[Mossie]

Lovely.  Similar to the 'blue note' you get on some jets, notably the Meteor and Hunter.  I guess it's due to the wind over the gun ports like in those aircraft?  Gerry Anderson made great use of it for aircraft in a dive, especially with the Angels.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rchC7XBngyI

[Go4fun]

I had a wife that said that about certain sounds from my nether regions. :blush: