F4U Place ukn via Pensacola Air Museum Archives

Lone Eagle · **Joined:** Mon Apr 02, 2007 1:25 am **Posts:** 57

This picture via FAH619

gale_dono · **Joined:** Mon Sep 08, 2008 2:32 pm **Posts:** 328

It's an F4U-4C, I can tell you that much.

kenlyco · **Joined:** Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:05 pm **Posts:** 656

How can you tell its not a B model?

gale_dono · **Joined:** Mon Sep 08, 2008 2:32 pm **Posts:** 328

Did the -4B have cannon? I don't remember otoh. Also that's not a totally accurate statement, I could certainly be wrong. I've been wrong plenty of times before XD

ALU · **Posted:** Sat Oct 04, 2008 5:34 am

Hi,

I think it is not a -4 but most certainly a -7, probably painted as a Us Corsair after she was retired from french navy and given back to US and put in storage??
There is some typical parts belonging to -7:
_ the cowling is not circular but have cheeks like -5 or AU-1
_ the radiators are not in the wing air intakes entry but moved in the back
_ there is a central ordnance pylon in central point fuselage which has a slot to allow intercooler flaps to open.
_there is 5 underwing pylons
_wings seems to be covered by metal instead of fabric.

Does somebody know where and when this picture was taken?

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2635

gale_dono wrote:

It's an F4U-4C, I can tell you that much.

You may be getting confused with the F4U-1C. The F4U-1C and F4U-4B have 20mm cannons. There weren't any F4U-4C's.

Pic is most likely an F4U-7 as mention above. You can just make out the top of the "shark fin" antennae.

Regards,

kenlyco · **Joined:** Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:05 pm **Posts:** 656

gale_dono wrote:

Did the -4B have cannon? I don't remember otoh. Also that's not a totally accurate statement, I could certainly be wrong. I've been wrong plenty of times before XD

Actually, I was asking you ,because I dont know how to tell the difference

corsair166b · **Posted:** Sat Oct 04, 2008 10:10 am

Agreed on the conclusion that it is a -7 model....bulged cowl cheeks like a -5 but the scoop is underneath is the dead giveaway of a -7, that and 20 mm cannons....never heard of a F4U-4C...wonder if this baby is still with us?

M

kenlyco · **Joined:** Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:05 pm **Posts:** 656

This looks like an F4U-4C to me..

corsair166b · **Posted:** Sat Oct 04, 2008 10:32 am

Well, photos don't lie....and it does appear to be an F4U-4C model....however I find no record of it...consulting one of my Corsair bibles, this one by Nick Veronico and the Campbells called 'Warbird History: F4U Corsair', pg 72....."In all, Vought delivered 5 XF4U-4's, 2042 F4U-4's, 297 cannon equipped F4U-4B's, one F4U-4N nightfighter, and 12 F4U-4P's for a total of of 2,357 F4U-4's." BuAer cancelled the contract on 3,743 other F4U-4's but allowed the already started airframes to be finished.

Maybe the F4U-4C model was one of the 'one off' models like the nightfighter or one of the photographic birds before it actually wore that particluar designation...

M

RMAllnutt · **Posted:** Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:39 am

The initial photo is defiinitely an F4U-7, repainted in a US scheme, probably after being returned to the US. Only a handful of -7's returned to the US after use in the French Navy. Could this be the aircraft which used to be at the USS Alabama memorial museum (now at the USS Midway)?

On the purported F4U-4C photo: Bu.97448 was one of the final batch of F4U-4B's, as listed on Joe Baugher's site. However, the photo does appear genuine, so it is always possible that it was modified into a -4C by Vought. I wonder what the changes were?

Cheers.
Richard

kenlyco · **Joined:** Sat Dec 08, 2007 11:05 pm **Posts:** 656

Learn something every day, 03/02/49 Navy F4U "Corsair" # 97448 crashed on Santa Cruz Island.

http://www.aircraftwrecks.com/pic_archive/pic2.htm

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2635

kenlyco wrote:

Learn something every day, 03/02/49 Navy F4U "Corsair" # 97448 crashed on Santa Cruz Island.

http://www.aircraftwrecks.com/pic_archive/pic2.htm

Thats an interesting pic you posted of the F4U-4C, never seen or read about that before. 97448 falls in the 4B range of serial numbers, but not a "first or last" aircraft.

Does anyone have any other pictures of a -4 with 20mm's where you can read the vertical? Will it say 4B or 4C???

Anyone have a -4 Pilot's Manual, what does it say???

A quick Google search came up with 4C info., but it didn't seem accurate.

Regards,
Mike

ALU · **Posted:** Sat Oct 04, 2008 3:18 pm

I never heard before of -4C and I have no document on this type of aircraft.
Do you think it is possible that the navy gave a new designation to the last corsair on duty after upgrade or special duty. For example in France we have operated F8E (fn) Crusader, after the last upgrade, we changed the designation for F8P (P= Prolongé = Prolongated)

Concerning the -7 of the first pic it could be one of the following which was sent to the US in 1965:

133693 - crashed at mojave in 1987, painted as Blue Max
133704 - on display in US Museum modified with a AU-1 cowling
133710 - ?
133714 - Airworthy, painted as Alberta Blue
133722 - Airworthy, rebuilt with a -4 cowling, in Oregon

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Sat Oct 04, 2008 3:26 pm

My guess is that the plane in the photo is F4U-7 BuNo.133704 as displayed in Pensacola sometime between 1965 and 1977, prior to being relocated for display at the USS Alabama. The paint looks like a crude white wash to me, judging from the tires and the effects of weathering.

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