Vought Corsair in British Service

The Royal Navy was the first service to operate the Vought Corsair from aircraft carriers. Although it had a dangerous reputation, modifications by the Fleet Air Arm improved pilot visibility, reducing landing hazards. Changes included a bubble canopy, raising the pilot’s seat 7 inches and wiring the upper cowling flaps shut, diverting hydraulic fluid and oil spray down the fuselage sides. Additionally, eight inches was removed from each wing tip to enable them to fit in the smaller hangers of British carriers. This had the additional benefit of increasing the sink rate of the aircraft, which assisted in the Corsair’s tendency to float over the deck while landing.

Initial pilot training was undertaken in the US, from where pilots and aircraft were shipped to the UK for deployment.

The Royal Navy’s first combat use of the Corsair was in April 1944 during raids on the Tirpitz in Norwegian waters where they flew escort duty.

Operations in the Far East followed with raids in the Dutch East Indies, followed by strikes against the Japanese mainland. A total of 2012 Corsairs were delivered to the Royal Navy in four versions:

Corsair Mk I :Fleet Air Arm designation of F4U-1 (95)
Corsair Mk II : Fleet Air Arm designation of F4U-1A (540)
Corsair Mk III : Fleet Air Arm designation of F3A-1D (430)
Corsair Mk IV : Fleet Air Arm designation of FG-1D (977)

Of these marks, only the first two were used operationally.