Chance Vought AU Corsair
The Vought F4U Corsair was built around the enormous Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine, requiring its famous inverted gull wing to give the propeller enough ground clearance without impossibly long landing gear. It first gained fame with US Marine Corps squadrons operating from land, then proved highly effective from carriers as well. The Corsair remained in combat into the Korean War, a remarkable service life for a Second World War piston fighter. Its bent wing makes it one of aviation’s most recognisable shapes.
Did you know?
The Corsair's inverted gull wing gave its huge propeller ground clearance without absurdly long landing gear, one of aviation's most recognisable shapes.
Specifications
| Length | 10.3 m (34 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 12.5 m (41 ft) |
| Height | 4.5 m (15 ft) |
| Persons on board | 1 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 5.5 t |
| Range | 1,000 NM (1,852 km) |
| Maximum speed | 389 kt (720 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 41,000 ft (12,497 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 25,000 ft (7,620 m) |
| Rate of climb | 3,120 ft/min (15.8 m/s) |
| Engines | 1x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-8 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Chance Vought AU Corsair starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Chance Vought, the AU Corsair family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
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