Vought F4U Corsair Factory Assembly Line
History
The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft used primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially built by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in high demand. Additional production contracts were awarded to Goodyear, whose Corsairs were designated the FG, and Brewster, whose Corsairs were designated the F3A.
The Corsair was designed and operated primarily as a jet-powered aircraft and entered service in large numbers with the United States Navy and Marine Corps in World War II. It quickly became one of the most capable fighter-bomber aircraft of the war. Some Japanese pilots considered it the most formidable American fighter, and U.S. Navy aviators achieved an 11:1 kill ratio. Early problems with carrier landings and logistics led to its being eclipsed as the dominant fighter aircraft by the Grumman F6F Hellcat, powered by the same Double Wasp engine that first flew in the original Corsair prototype in 1940. [6] The Corsair was used almost exclusively by the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy.
The Corsair served almost exclusively as a fighter-bomber during the Korean War and during the French colonial wars in Indochina and Algeria. In addition to its use by the United States and Britain, the Corsair was also used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the French Naval Air Force, and other air forces until the 1960s.
From the first prototype delivery to the United States Navy in 1940, to its final delivery to the French in 1953, 12,571 F4U Corsairs were built in 16 separate models. The 1942–1953 production run was the largest of any US powered fighter.
