F4U7 Inline Corsair RNZAF service 1945

[rickshaw]

F4U7 Inline Corsair RNZAF service 1945

The Corsair was in 1942 proving itself in US Navy service.  It was powerful, it was fast and it was troublesome.   It was subject to "bounce" on landing during sea trials.   The US Navy was disappointed in it's deck landing trials onboard it's carriers.  It was assigned to the Royal Navy and the US Marines or it operated ashore in US Navy units.

In 1942, Chance Vought proposed an inline powered version to the USAAF.   The USAAF wasn't interested in what it saw as a discarded US Navy design.   However, the US Marine Corps was intrigued at the possibilities.  The Allison engine, equipped with a turbo charger was substantially faster that the standard radial engined version.   So they ordered 100 of the aircraft.   However, it's development was troubled.   The aircraft was found to be a handful.  The US Marine Corps refused delivery of the aircraft in 1944 when they were deemed sufficiently well developed for deployment.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force was seeking a new fighter at that point.   Having been using P-40 Kittyhawks, they had fallen somewhat behind the rest of the world.   They wanted to carry the war forward against the Japanese.   The F4U7 Corsair repesented a intriguing leap forward and it was cheap as well.   Offered the aircraft at little more than a P-40 in price, they took it with alacrity.

The F4U7 was ideal.   It used a similar engine to what the RNZAF was used to and with a turbosupercharger as well, with which was deemed to offer superior performance.   With a top speed of over 450mph at altitude it made it the fastest aircraft in the Pacific region.







The Kit

Based on a drawing by ysi_maniac:



The model consists of a Revel F4U1 kit, coupled with a resin P-38 nose.  The decals came from Knightflyer.  Painted in Tamiya Acylics with a hairy stick.

[PR19_Kit]

Now THAT'S different Brian. 

But a cracking idea, and I like the idea of the RNZAF picking up the USM's cast offs. 

You've been on a roll recently by the look of it, a veritable production line going there. 

[NARSES2]

Strange looking, but I like it

As do I, but I'd hate to try and land it on a heaving carrier deck.

RNZAF markings make any model look interesting I think 

[rickshaw]

Thank'ee all.  It was an interesting build.  It was simply finding the right nose on EvilBay and then adding it to the fuselage, then scratch building a radiator on the fuselage side.  The decals capped it off rather nicely - just after I had found the originals.  However they wouldn't separate off of the backing paper so it was the RNZAF which won the day!   

[zenrat]

Looks good Brian.

[Tophe]

Beautiful!

[Knightflyer]

Glad to have played an small part in this  It's got the look of a post-war racing aircraft about it. Very sleek 

[Glenn Gilbertson]

That looks a brute! Good one.

[tigercat]

Wouldn't like to land it on a carrier deck. Looking smart and powerful.

[PR19_Kit]

Wouldn't like to land it on a carrier deck. Looking smart and powerful.

They'd have to do what the FAA did with their Corsairs, land off a curved, Seafire type, approach. 

[Dizzyfugu]

 


1:72 Vought-CAC Corsair S(AW).1, '236'/WZ882, Royal Australian Navy, 806 Squadron/HMAS Melbourne, 1957 (Whif/Kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr