- Highly detailed realistic collectible model
- Diecast & plastic parts.
- Display stand included. Interchangeable landing gear.
- Measures approximately: 8.25” L x 10” Wingspan
- Box dimensions: 11.3” L x 11.3” H x 4.2” D
- Display model, recommended for hobbyists and collectors 14 years and above.
This Hobby Master model is a replica of a Vought F4U-1 Corsair with the “Bird Cage” canopy design from VF-17 stationed aboard USS Bunker Hill during the ships initial transit to the Pacific theatre in 1943. VF-17 was established on 1 January 1943, at NAS Norfolk, with Lieutenant Commander John T. "Tommy" Blackburn as its commander. It was the second Navy fighter squadron to receive the F4U-1 Corsair and the most successful of them all.
The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft which saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contracts were given to Goodyear, whose Corsairs were designated FG, and Brewster, designated F3A.
The Corsair was designed and operated as a carrier-based aircraft and entered service in large numbers with the U.S. Navy in late 1944 and early 1945. It quickly became one of the most capable carrier-based fighter-bombers of World War II. Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II and its naval aviators achieved an 11:1 kill ratio. Early problems with carrier landings and logistics led to it being eclipsed as the dominant carrier-based fighter by the Grumman F6F Hellcat, powered by the same Double Wasp engine first flown on the Corsair's initial prototype in 1940.Instead, the Corsair's early deployment was to land-based squadrons of the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy.
The engine was so massive and produced so much energy that a Hamilton Standard 13 feet 4 inch propeller, the largest of WWII, was required. The F4U was the first American fighter aircraft to exceed 400 MPH. The Corsair was referred to by the Japanese as “Whistling Death” and became a legend in its own time. This aircraft was one of the most distinctive designs with it bent wings making it an icon.
The USN received the first F4U-1 on July 31, 1942. Immediately there were a few problems observed, the Bird Cage canopy restricted the pilot’s visibility; the aircraft would bounce when landing and could cause the arrestor hook to miss the cable. The long nose greatly reduced forward visibility for carrier deck maneuvering. The long nose earned the Corsair the nicknames “Hose Nose”, “Hog and “Bent Wing Widow Maker”. The decision was made to assign the Corsair to the land-based Marines with 2 USN squadrons: VF-12 and later VF17 keeping them.
