Its gull-wing shape made it instantly recognizable. Its characteristic sound while in an attack dive led the Japanese to call it "The Whistling Death." Combined with its high speed, agility and toughness, the Vought F4U Corsair was one of the finest fighters ever built. Originally thought to be too powerful to fly from a carrier, the Corsair weaved a path of destruction in battle after battle during WWII, totally outclassing the much-feared Zero. The last of the great piston-engine fighters, the Corsair went on to become an important component of the US naval air power during the Korean War. Even while it was being replaced by jet aircraft, pilots flying this tough warbird were credited with downing a few MiG-15 jet fighters.

In part because of its advances in technology and a top speed greater than existing Navy aircraft, numerous technical problems had to be solved before the Corsair entered service. Carrier suitability was a major development issue, prompting changes to the main landing gear, tail wheel, and tail hook. Early F4U-1s had difficulty recovering from developed spins, since the inverted gull wing's shape interfered with elevator authority. It was also found where the Corsair's left wing could stall and drop rapidly and without warning during slow carrier landings. In addition, if the throttle were suddenly advanced (for example, during an aborted landing) the left wing could stall and drop so quickly that the fighter could flip over with the rapid increase in power. These potentially lethal characteristics were later solved through the addition of a small, 6 in (150 mm)-long stall strip to the leading edge of the outer right wing, just outboard of the gun ports. This allowed the right wing to stall at the same time as the left.

Other problems were encountered during early carrier trials. The combination of an aft cockpit and the Corsair's long nose made landings hazardous for newly trained pilots. During landing approaches, it was found that oil from the opened hydraulically-powered cowl flaps could spatter onto the windscreen, severely reducing visibility, and the undercarriage oleo struts had bad rebound characteristics on landing, allowing the aircraft to bounce down the carrier deck. The first problem was solved by locking the top cowl flaps in front of the windscreen down permanently, then replacing them with a fixed panel. The undercarriage bounce took more time to solve, but eventually a "bleed valve" incorporated in the legs allowed the hydraulic pressure to be released gradually as the aircraft landed. The Corsair was not considered fit for carrier use until the wing stall problems and the deck bounce could be solved.

Pictured here is a 1:48 scale replica of a Chance-Vought F4U-1A Corsair fighter that was piloted by Lt (JG). Ira C. Kepford, "White 29", who was attached to VF-17 "Jolly Rogers", then deployed to Bougainville in the Solomon Islands during February 1944. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 10-inches
Length: 8-1/4-inches

Release Date: April 2012

Historical Account: "Whistling Death" - Born Ira Cassius Kepford, he joined the USN Reserve in August 1941 and was accepted as an Aviation Cadet in April 1942. On November 5th, 1942, Kepford earned his wings and commission as Ensign, USNR. In January 1943 he was assigned to the Fighting Squadron 17 the famous "Jolly Rogers," until March 1944. He then transferred to the VF-84 until December 1944 when he once more transferred, this time to the staff of Commander Fleet Air, West Coast. In May 1945, he was promoted to Lieutenant and left active duty on November 7th, 1945, to return to the USNR. When he retired in June 1956 he was a Lieutenant Commander. Flying his F4U-1 Corsair Kepford became an Ace with 16 confirmed victories and one unconfirmed.