F4u-2(N) CORSAIR Night Fighter
History
In 1941, before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and about seven months before the first flight of the F4U-1, the Navy expressed interest in developing a night fighter version of the Corsair. The typical World War II night fighter radars were too large, heavy, and complex to be installed on single-engine, single-seat fighters. But the limited range of a small radar capacity could make it possible to develop a night fighter that would provide a degree of air cover during night operations. Although radars were still in their infancy, provided they could be mounted on fighters and applied for night operations. On the other hand, offensive systems had already been developed that would increase the nighttime threat of reconnaissance and attack by enemy aircraft.
The initial mechanical design of the F4U-2 was completed by the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. A mock-up was complete and ready for testing on 28 January 1942. Shortly after its initial flight, the first production F4U-1, BuNo. 02153, was modified to become the prototype XF4U-2. Once the war began, production of conventional fighters was so urgent that the Navy did not want to commit an assembly line exclusively to night fighters. Because Vought was strongly committed to meeting schedules on other programs, arrangements were made with the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia to convert the F4U-1s to the F4U-2 configuration. A total of 34 F4U-1s were converted to F4U-2s. 32 conversions were made at the Naval Aircraft Factory and 2 were made in-situ by VMF(N)-532 on Rio Island, Kwajalein Atoll. These two were the only ones converted from the F4U-1A.
The original radar was the AIA installation, developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under Project Roger. It had a range of 6 km against aircraft. For single-seat fighters, a more user-friendly one had to be developed. This took the form of a small circular target sight on the instrument panel that showed two strokes for the target. The first stroke indicated the direction and range of the target, and the position of the second stroke relative to the first indicated the relative height of the target.
The conversion of the F4U-1 into the F4U-2 night fighter involved adding this AIA radar antenna inside a dome and bringing it to the leading edge of the right wing. The small radar was added to the right wing, on the leading edge of the wing near the wingtip. To compensate for the weight, one of the guns was removed and the ammunition was reduced. As the F4U-2 was intended for night operations, flame arresters were fitted to the exhaust stacks and the original landing gear was replaced with that used on the F4U-1 starting with BuNo. 50080. A radio altimeter and autopilot were also fitted. The pilot viewed radar returns on a small viewfinder mounted in the middle of the instrument panel. The lighting was modified and other changes were made to the cockpit interior to optimize it for night flying. A radio altimeter system and a radar beacon transponder were fitted, and the standard high frequency radio was replaced with a VHF set. This eliminated the need for one of the two antenna masts commonly seen on other Corsair versions. The additional electrical equipment required a more powerful generator, and to provide cooling air for it, a small scoop was installed on the starboard side of the forward fuselage.
The F4U-2 was equipped with VMF(N)-532, VF(N)-75, and VF(N)-101. VF(N)-75 became the first night fighter squadron in the Navy when it was commissioned on 1 April 1943. After training, the unit departed for the Pacific and flew its first mission on 2 October 1943. Over the next few weeks, the squadron continued to develop night fighting tactics; VF(N)-75’s first operations over New Georgia revealed significant problems with operational procedures, but on the night of 1 November, Lieutenant O’Neill shot down a G4M bomber. The tactics developed eventually allowed the F4U-2 to climb toward its target from the stern. This also helped slow the fighter enough to prevent it from overshooting its target.
VF(N)-101 was formed by splitting off part of VF(N)-75. VF(N)-101 was the second and only other squadron in the Navy to be equipped with the F4U-2, and was the first USN night fighter unit. This occurred in January 1944 and made the unit the first Corsair-based squadron. A limited number of night sorties were conducted, due to a reluctance to take the risk. However, no accidents occurred, which helped clear the Corsair for carrier operations. During the war, it operated from USS ENTERPRISE, CV-6, and USS ESSEX, CV-9. To help reduce visibility at night, VF(N)-101 applied black paint over the Intermediate Blue on the sides of the F4U-2 fuselage. they left the Intermediate Blue on the vertical tails and under the outer wings unchanged.
The only Marine night fighter squadron to use the F4U-2 was VMF(N)-532, commanded by Major Everette H. Vaughn. VMF(N)-532 used its F4U-2 for night interceptions of Japanese aircraft, as well as night bombing and attacks on enemy ground targets.
The F4U-2 served the Navy and Marines until late 1944.
F4U-1A at VMF (N)-532 base on Roi Island sometime in mid-1944. It became one of two F4U-1As received by VMF (N)-532 and field modified to F4U-2A standards
Radar
The original radar was the AIA installation, developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as part of the Roger project. It had a range of 6 km against aircraft. For single-seat fighters, a user-friendly one had to be developed. This took the form of a small circular field on the instrument panel showing two settings for the target. The first strike indicated the direction and distance of the target, and the position of the second strike relative to the first indication of the relative height of the target.
The conversion of the F4U-1 into the F4U-2 night fighter involved adding this AIA radar antenna inside a dome and digging it into the right wing tip. The small radar was added to the right wing, on the wingtip near the wingtip. To compensate for the weight, one of the wings was removed and the ammunition was reduced. As the F4U-2 was intended for night operations, flame suppressors were fitted to the exhaust stacks and the original landing gear arm was replaced with that used on the F4U-1 starting with BuNo. 50080. A radio altimeter and autopilot were also fitted. The pilot saw radar returns on a small field located in the middle of the instrument panel. The lighting was modified and other changes were made to the cockpit interior to optimize it for night flying. A radio altimeter system and radio transponder were installed and the standard high frequency radio was replaced with a VHF set. This eliminated the need for the two antennas commonly seen on other Corsair versions. The additional electrical equipment required a more powerful generator and to provide cooling air for it, a small scoop was placed on the right of the front fuselage. We notice that there is a notch on the underside. For the Radar accessories, as well as that the tip is longer on the wing. Compared to the wooden dummy.
Pilot’s position:
The radar artificial horizon is visible, it was integrated into a Sperry autopilot installation, we see the wooden cockpit mock-up, for the F4u-2 As for the cockpit, a three-inch diameter radar field was added in the middle of the instrument panel, just below the armory, which was the original with integrated reflector glass, and the bulletproof glass between the windshield and the gun was removed for improved visibility. If you look closely, you will see that the tempered glass has been removed. This helped, as it improved visibility at night, but made careful attacks much more dangerous in the light of the tail gunners on the Japanese G4M “Betty” bombers.
Antenna
The antenna mast was dedicated behind the cockpit and a rod was installed in its place. VHF radio. An IFF whip antenna was mounted on the belly behind the lower vision window. The radar altimeter required two identical antennas in the belly. Different photos show us the existence of the third.
The installation of the radar altimeter antenna is one of the most confusing details of the configuration, as these were originally located in front of and behind the lower vision window, as seen on the underside of the fuselage.
Paint scheme
The few photographs taken of these aircraft were taken from oblique angles on black and white film, mostly from the island of the carriers INTREPID and ENTERPRISE, looking down. My best guess is that the VF(N)-101 aircraft either had the very high blend pattern of Non Spec Sea Blue mixed very widely with the Intermediate Blue, or the intermediate blue sides were painted, possibly semi-gloss sea blue. , or Fresh, Non Spec Sea Blue. There is definitely a change in color between the fuselage sides and the “spine” of the fuselage, and people have different opinions as to what might cause it. Semi Gloss Sea Blue is actually a darker shade than Non Spec Sea Blue and Navy BuAer requirements call for most upper wing surfaces to be dipped in this color (F4U, F6F, SB2C, TBM, etc.). It makes sense that carrier maintenance units would have had stocks of this color available.
One thing that is certain is that the Darker Sea Blue extends well down the sides of the fuselage and the intermediate blue area on the sides of the forward fuselage and engine cowling is very narrow, but it is there. My personal opinion is that the fuselage sides were repainted in some shade of Sea Blue, and certainly not black, as some researchers and writers suggest.
This is somewhat controversial. The Navy F4U-2s were not as well documented as the Marines on land. There has been some controversy over the color of the fuselage sides over the years. After asking Bob about it, I believe the fuselage was repainted in one of two ways:
1) The fuselage sides were painted a semi-gloss sea blue (which is a darker color than the Non Spec Sea Blue) or a fresh batch of Non Spec Sea Blue that had not yet started to “chalk” from exposure to the sun. .
2) If the aircraft was repainted in the 4-ton warehouse level design (such as NAS Norfolk, Philadelphia, or San Diego), the Non Spec Sea Blue extended very low down the fuselage sides with little transition to the Intermediate Blue.
As the Birdcage Corsairs go, there are several other notable features…
1) The plane appears to have had the top cowl modification installed very late in the game, as it has not yet been painted. Also, the common problem of leaking fuel tanks is evident, and the Squadron engineers thought a few more pieces of tape would be useful, resulting in a Hyper-Dodecahedron-style tape on the fuel tank cowl.
2) Unlike the Marine aircraft, these planes did not have MK XLI bombs mounted under each wing.
3) The radio antenna installation was greatly simplified compared to the antennas we are used to seeing on Corsairs. A single antenna cable attached to the leading edge of the right horizontal stabilizer ran to the rubber tensioner and then to the ceramic insulator mounted on the fuselage just aft of the canopy. There are radar altimeter antennas fitted to the fuselage keel as well as a transponder antenna (not visible). A single whip antenna on the fuselage spine completes the antenna configuration.
4) If you look closely, you will see that the tempered glass has been removed. This was somewhat of a mixed blessing, as it improved visibility at night, but made close-range attacks much more difficult in light of the tail gunners on the Japanese G4M “Betty” bombers.
5) The canopy appears to have been retrofitted with an additional armor plate (The unlisted “Part E23” in the Tamiya kit).
6) The inner root of the right wing shows an unusual degree of exposed, bare metal. It is not at all unusual to see this, as many access doors were located on the upper right side of the Corsair fuselage. This is an extreme case.
7) Finally, although it is a Birdcage Corsair, the aircraft is fitted with the tail wheel tip higher, no doubt to improve visibility over the nose. The Corsair went through a protracted evolution of the tail wheel assembly in an attempt to improve visibility over the nose and reduce the tendency to “sway” during landing due to gyroscopic slip.
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https://tailhooktopics.blogspot.com/2013/06/f4u-2-color-scheme.html
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=51854
