In ww2 american aircraft carriers used Wildcats and later Hellcats as their main fighter planes, but have they ever used the Corsair?

from what i know, Corsairs were mainly used as land-based fighters, and they proved their worth against Japanese fighters. but do they have technical difficulties to operate on a carrier? hmmm...

Although I don't claim to be an expert on this, the Corsair was certainly used on carriers. It was used by the FAA on British carriers first, if I remember correctly, after being slightly modified (I think they reduced the wingspan abit and did something to the undercarriage) and figuring out a safer landing approach system.
The series Baa Baa Blacksheep about the US Marine Black Sheep Squadron (based on an island) featured some footage of corsairs landing on carriers.

The F4U Corsair was originally rejected for carrier use by the US Navy. Its long nose made visibility poor for take-offs and landings, and its landing gear proved to be too "bouncy" for carrier landings. Plus, the F6F Hellcat was there for the Navy to use. Following tradition, the US Marine Corps was given the Navy "reject" and made great use of them during the Solomons campaign.

The Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy took delivery of Corsairs and developed a long, turning landing path that partially made up for the long nose. Plus, the landing gear had been modified and stiffened. The US Navy then took delivery, partially due to the Kamikaze threat. The Corsair was just so much faster and able to respond that much faster to a Kamikaze attack.

-Charlie

Ironically, the Corsair continued to be used on US Carriers during the Korean War, well after the F6F Hellcats had been taken out of service.

Tom

thanks for the info guys..... so, technically speaking, which do you think is better, the hellcat or corsair? and does anybody know the marine squadron in 'baa baa black sheep'?

dogload, your second pic on the corsair with large NAVY letterings on the side, wasn't those markings used for planes in the korean war?

Which one is better. Yeowch. That's a tough one.

The Hellcat was designed as a pure fighter. While slower than the Corsair, it was a great interceptor. If I recall correctly, it shot down more enemy planes than any other American fighter. It took on the Japanese Zero and won.

The Corsair was a handful. It was a difficult plane to fly (the ensign-eliminator), but once you mastered it, the plane was a beauty in the air. It did have problems with oil leaking, hence the photos with the white tape in front of the cockpit. The Corsair flew on as a fighter, fighter-bomber to the end of the war and into the Korean War. It was well suited to the role of ground support.

I really can't tell which is "best." The Hellcat was there when the Wildcat needed replacement. The Corsair had more teething pains.

Both were fine aircraft

-Charlie

thanks for the info guys..... so, technically speaking, which do you think is better, the hellcat or corsair?
IMHO, the Corsair -- faster, stronger, better armed. That it survived WW2 & flew on into the 60's is testament. Agree with DD-393 comments; Corsair was a handful, and Hellcat was high-scorer, but the latter was more a function of quantity & opportunity. The Hellcat was almost purpose-designed to combat the Zero, and it did a good job. But the Corsair could fly & fight in so many other ways the Hellcat could not ... IMHO, Japanese didn't called it "Whispering Death" for nothing ....

and does anybody know the marine squadron in 'baa baa black sheep'?
VMF-214

While the Hellcat shot down more Japanese planes, that's because there were so many of them. Corsairs shot them down at a faster pace and a better exchange ratio (19:1 for the F4U, 11:1 for the F6F, IIRC). Assuming an experienced pilot capable of landing the thing, the Corsair was hands-down the technically superior fighter.

But ease of production, user-friendliness, and being ready at the right time are all part of being a war-winning weapon, and can be more important to the overall course of a war than technical perfection. Ask any Sherman fan...

Take away the carrier take-offs and landings, and easily the Corsair, it must have been pretty scary, not seeing where you're touching down on such a limited space as a carrier!

The French also used the Corsair during Korean conflict, and the Suez campaign, if I'm not mistaken.

Frank

The first Navy Corsair squadron was VF-17, the famed Jolly Rogers. They had proven to the Navy that the Corsair could be landed safely on a carrier and actually deployed on the Bunker Hill. When they reached Hawaii, the brass made the choose between their Corairs on a land base and the Hellcat at sea. The reason stated was that from a supply point of view, it was not feasable to supply one Corsair squadron at sea. VF-17 chose to keep their Corsairs and be based on land being supplied with the Marine squadrons.

Subhunter