F4U-1A Corsair Cockpit Pictures/Drawings

[rwright142]

I'm working on a 1/6 scale F4U-1A Corsair and would appreciate any cockpit pictures/drawings.

I'm looking for placard nomenclature so I can re-create them. I'm specifically looking for the labels for the switches like the ones next to the gunsight.

Thanks in advance.

Last edited by rwright142 on Wed Aug 01, 2007 9:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Jim MacDonald]

rwright142,

Don't mean to point out the obvious, but have you tried Googling it? There are a lot of sites for Corsairs & Mustangs. Try "F4U Corsair Restoration", don't think there are many (any?) -1As out there, but restoration cockpit photos of a -1D might have the same cockpit placards.

Mac

[JDK]

Suggest you follow up on the British Fleet Air Arm's Corsair investigation. It is, unarguably, the most original Corsair in existence, and has a wealth of accurate 'as it was' info - including the cockpit. Museum curator Dave Morris has written a book on it, which will detail the cockpit placards etc, I'm sure.

http://www.fleetairarm.com/exhibits/pla ... ?plane=153

http://www.fleetairarm.com/pages/news/corsair3.html

[rwright142]

rwright142,
Don't mean to point out the obvious, but have you tried Googling it? There are a lot of sites for Corsairs & Mustangs. Try "F4U Corsair Restoration", don't think there are many (any?) -1As out there, but restoration cockpit photos of a -1D might have the same cockpit placards.
Mac

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the reply. I should have mentioned that I have searched high and low but have not found exactly what I am looking for. Sorry for not making my post clear.

[rwright142]

Suggest you follow up on the British Fleet Air Arm's Corsair investigation. It is, unarguably, the most original Corsair in existence, and has a wealth of accurate 'as it was' info - including the cockpit. Museum curator Dave Morris has written a book on it, which will detail the cockpit placards etc, I'm sure.

http://www.fleetairarm.com/exhibits/pla ... ?plane=153

http://www.fleetairarm.com/pages/news/corsair3.html

Thanks JDK,
I have ordered the book and sent an email to Dave. I appreciate the links very much.

[JDK]

Glad to have been of help. No less a person than Nelson Ezell was highly impressed by Dave's team's work when he visited Yeovilton.

Here's a teaser to be getting on with. PM me your e-mail address and I'll dig out some higher res shots.

It has the original factory 'stencil' stamps now visible again after careful paint stripping.



PS - you might want to change the thread title to include the aircraft type...

[rwright142]

Glad to have been of help.

Thanks for the teaser...
Topic changed too.

I'll PM you next.

[rwright142]

I was emailed the following F4U-1 cockpit picture that helps with my search:



Can anyone provide the wordage of the switches in the highlighted section below:


Also, if anyone has close-up pictures of these placards that would be great!


Thanks in advance.

[Taigh Ramey]

The data plates you are asking about are the Goodyear manufacturer's data plate (aft) and modification plates (two identical plates next to each other that are forward).

There were different locations for these plates throughout the production run as you can see in the photo. This is a shot I took of the left side of the Fleet Air Arm Museum's FG-1D KD431.



You can see that the mod plates are in different locations and are split up (probably because of the relocation of the landing gear handle) when compared to the ones in your scanned shot from the flight manual.

The modification plates were also mounted on all major components throughout the airframe and would indicate the latest changes to that component. Change orders were issued and as they were incorporated to the airframe the modification plate on the affected component would be stamped or marked to reflect the change order.

Here is a shot of the one mod plate that is on the Fleet Air Arm FG-1D (not one from the cockpit).



Here is a shot of FG-1D BuNo 67070 I took at OSH in 2006. Although it does not have the mod plates it does have a reproduction of the Goodyear data plate. It also has the switches like your scan instead of the Klixon breaker panel found in the FAA Museum FG-1D



Any of you Corsair gurus have an equivalent Navy bureau number for the Fleet Air Arm Museum's FG-1D KD 431?

Glad to have been of help. No less a person than Nelson Ezell was highly impressed by Dave's team's work when he visited Yeovilton.

FYI- Nelson has never been to Yeovilton, but his son, Chad has visited there.

His visit has been a few years back, but he did note that this is probably one of the most authentically preserved Corsairs in existence.

[Taigh Ramey]

Here is Chad doing just that:

[Taigh Ramey]

Please tell Chad that Taigh says hello.

[rwright142]

The data plates you are asking about are the Goodyear manufacturer's data plate (aft) and modification plates (two identical plates next to each other that are forward).

What I would prefer is a Vought name plate picture so that I can print it out on decal paper and attach to the cockpit I'm making. I can use the mod plate picture you sent so thank you for it.

Do you have any pictures of the cockpit floor with the seat removed?

I bought the book on the KD431 - interesting read.

I found this for the BU# for KD431:
FG-1A, Bu # 14862 (KD431): Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton
The website is here:
http://webzoom.freewebs.com/cafcorsair/ ... tatic.html

[RMAllnutt]

Some very cool photos here... I am very curious about the throttle grip on the FAAM corsair. This looks completely different to US corsairs. Does anyone know if this was a standard fitting, and if so, what it was? Also, I am curious by the clips on station 186 (the production break where the armour plate is) shown in Taigh's photo. Any idea? Flares???

Cheers,
Richard

[Taigh Ramey]

Thanks for the correction. I thought the FAAM Corsair was a D.

Here is a rare shot looking down:



I believe that good Corsair cockpit shots are hard to find because it is not easy to stand next to the cockpit to take a picture. You are either hanging on to the cockpit rail or you need a ladder or stand since the wing is so far forward of the cockpit. Or you can stand on the seat like the guy above.

I found very few good shots at National Archives of the interior. I have seen lots of good exterior shots but few inside.

I have other shots looking down what are you looking for specifically?

I think the two clips on the left side were for thermite grenades but I haven't confirmed this. Army aircraft carried these grenades to destroy the aircraft in case of capture.

It looks like the aft clip was factory and that maybe the forward one was added. I would have expected one thermite grenade not two. If you have any other information on this I would like to learn more about thermite grenades in Navy aircraft.

There are a bunch of flare gun cartridge clips on the right side next to a flare gun pouch. I believe these were added by the Royal Navy but this is also an unsubstantiated guess on my part as I have no supporting documentation. There is what appears to be a factory flare cartridge case mounted forward under the right side of the instrument panel.

It just looks like the clips in this photo are rather crudely installed.



Here is what I think is the factory flare cartridge case which is just to the left of the stick grip. It appears that the lid is missing.