Aircraft · United States · 1942-1945
Vought F4U Corsair
carrier and land-based fighter
The Corsair's inverted gull wings let it carry a huge propeller without a taller, draggier landing gear, and it went on to become the most successful US Navy and Marine fighter of the Pacific war, credited with an 11:1 kill ratio against Japanese aircraft. Japanese pilots called it 'Whistling Death' for the sound of air over its wing root intakes. Pappy Boyington's 'Black Sheep' squadron, VMF-214, flew it to fame over the Solomons.
| crew | 1 |
|---|---|
| top speed | 671 km/h |
| armament | 6x .50cal MG |
| produced | 12,571 (1942-1953, incl. post-war) |