F4U Corsair in Action

Squadron-Signal Publications

Reviewed by Brad Fallen

F4U Corsair In Action is available online from Squadron.com
 

The F4U Corsair is another aircraft that features more than once in Squadron/Signal's long-running 'In Action' series.  Originally covered in books number 29 and 145 (published in 1977 and 1994 respectively), the F4U is examined again in this 2013 release.

Jim Sullivan writes all three books, and according to the publisher’s website the latest release is a revised edition with updated content.  Amongst the latter will be the colour photos that are now a standard inclusion in these books.  I've done a quick count, and 65 of the approximately 220 photos are in full colour.  Some are of restored and/or racing airframes, but World War 2 and Korean machines also feature – very useful for modellers wanting to unravel the complexities of F4U paint finishes and weathering.

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Sullivan tells the F4U story chronologically, beginning with the XF4U-1 prototype that he covers in two succinct pages.  Included are interesting photos of the prototype's unique canopy and outer wing panel with its one-off configuration of five small bomb compartments.  Next is a page of port-view profiles depicting Corsair evolution from the prototype through to the F2G-1, after which production F4Us are covered as follows:

• F4U-1 Corsair – 35 of the book's 80 pages are devoted to this major subtype, which underwent a number of modifications during production without any change to its official designation.  Sullivan thoroughly explains the complexities of F4U-1 production and US Navy designations; read this section carefully if you want to know the differences between a F4U-1, a F3A-1A and a FG-1D.  Sullivan's text is backed up by photos of F4U-1s on operations, being transported, undergoing repair and abandoned and derelict.  There are also comparative F4U-1 and F3A-1 cockpit photos (although overall there are less airframe detail shots than is usually the case with 'In Action' books).

• F4U-2 – two pages are devoted to the 32 F4U-1 and 2 F4U-1A aircraft that were modified as radar-equipped night fighters.

• F2G – another two pages covers the 10 F2G 'Super Corsairs' built by Goodyear in 1945.  To my mind these are amongst the best looking of all Corsairs, with their pronounced air scoops and stretched cowlings covering enormous P&W R-4360-10 Wasp Major engines.  However, despite their popularity as post-war racers, the F2Gs were little more than a footnote in the Corsair's development history.

• XF4U-3 – falling in to the same category are the three XF4U-3s, which were F4U-1s modified to incorporate P&W R-800-14 "C" engines with Birmann turbo superchargers but which showed little improvement over the F4U-4.

• F4U-4 – this was the first major redevelopment of the Corsair airframe after the F4U-1, and 14 pages are devoted to the type.  Most of the photos are of F4U-4s during their use in the Korean War, but there are also shots of training aircraft and the sole F4U-4N night fighter.

• F4U-5 – this version saw the Corsair’s development continue beyond the end of World War 2, with production split between ‘standard’ F4U-5s and F4U-5N night fighters.  Four pages illustrate the type’s use over Korea and in training, and highlight the cowling differences between the F4U-4 and F4U-5.

• AU-1 (3 pages) – the second last Corsair produced, the AU-1 was a “dedicated low-level attack fighter…[that] looked much like the F4U-5 but lacked the twin cheek scoops on the engine cowling”.  111 AU-1s were produced and saw service in Korea with the US Marine Corps.

• F4U-7 (1 page) – produced in limited numbers for the French Navy, the F4U-7 saw service in French colonial disputes until the 1960s.

• Air Racers – a two-page spread showcases eight of the Corsair racers flown between the 1940s and 1980s.  While any of these will make interesting modelling subjects, be prepared to do some scratch building with some of the aircraft, such as N31518 at Reno in 1983, not looking a great deal like Corsairs at all!

• Survivors – another two-page spread provides some insights into Corsairs that have survived well beyond their contemporaries.  Several are museum specimens, others are flying warbirds, but the most interesting photo is a colour image of derelict F4Us in Arizona in 1968 with some great examples of weathering on exposed airframes.

The photos of these Corsair types, and Jim Sullivan’s captions, are backed up by Matheu Spraggins’ black and white line drawings that compare relevant airframe details, and Don Greer’s usual attractive cover art.  Four pages of colour profiles of all main F4U variants round out the illustrations and provide plenty of inspiration for projects; I especially liked the F4U-4 used in spin testing that received bright red and yellow trim on its nose, rear fuselage and tail surfaces.

Jim Sullivan’s ‘F4U Corsair In Action’ is a timely update of this long-standing Squadron/Signal title.  It’s not as detailed or as comprehensive as some other Corsair books – for example, the SAM Datafile or the two Detail and Scale volumes – but it covers the key variants and is an excellent introduction to the type.  Highly recommended to all F4U enthusiasts and modellers.

Thanks to Squadron for the sample.

Review Copyright © 2014 by Brad Fallen
This Page Created on 22 December, 2014
Last updated 22 December, 2014

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