I thought only the USMC operated the AU-1...

[Warbirdnerd]

Then I saw this picture on Facebook today:



Did the Naval Reserves use them too?


The picture is linked from here:
https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pho ... =1&theater

Someone needs to update Wikipedia...

Attachments

AU-1.JPG (11.07 KiB) Viewed 1167 times

[Snake45]

Yeah, I think I've seen a very few in USNR and/or USMCR service.

The French operated them, too--loaners in Indochina, and then they had some in North Africa much later.

Only about 100 or so AU-1s were built.

I don't have my references here or I could give you more details. (I also can't see the pic you posted--will check it out when I get home.)

[Kyleb]

Other than the designation, what is the difference between an AU-1 and a F4U-X?

[Snake45]

Other than the designation, what is the difference between an AU-1 and a F4U-X?

The AU-1 evolved from the F4U-5. It had extra armor protection for ground attack, and an engine optimized for low altitude operation. I guess that's why they gave it the A desingnation instead of F, as it wasn't really that much of a "fighter" anymore, especially in the new age of jets.

Visually, it differed from the -4 and -5 in that it had no scoop(s) on the cowling, and it had five hardpoints under each outer wing instead of four. It was 10 inches longer than the -4, but the same length as the -5.

The ultimate Corsair, the follow-on F4U-7 built exclusively for the French, was basically an AU-1 airframe with the high-altitude engine of the -4.