FAA Corsair II JT410

[MikeR]

Hi all, question for the BM massif!

Did this aircraft have aerial masts, or did it just have a whip aerial aft of the cockpit? Also any idea as to what type of prop? Most of the Eastern Fleet Corsair II's I've seen photos of appear to have the earlier 13' 4" version.

I'm building a model of this aircraft using the 1/72 Tamiya F4U-1A kit plus DP Casper's "Operation Merdian" decal set.

Thanks in advance,

Mike.

[Adam Maas]

​IIRC all Corsair II production were F4U-1A-based airframes, which means the early prop (the prop change was very early in -1D production).

I'm not sure about the a​erial, I'd assume whips for II's though, since they'd have UK radio fits.

[Seahawk]

From correlation of UK serial allocations to US Bu Nos, it looks as if Corsair IV KD571 was the first FAA Corsair to have the later 13' 1" prop.

JT422 T8B of 1836 Sq appears to have only the whip aerial.

[Dana Bell]

Hi Mike,

Mark II Corsairs could be based on the F4U-1A or the F4U-1D - the FAA did not revise the designation. I'm not sure which aircraft you're modeling, but here are some notes:

- The first factory-installed VHF mast was on BuNo 56432; Mark IIs through JT424 were delivered without it. The mast often broke in service (though it wasn't as fragile as the forward MHF mast) and could be replaced by a simple whip; the whip could also be installed in the field if a VHF set was added.

- The first -1D was actually delivered to the FAA - it was mfg # 2815, BuNo 50350, delivered as JT555.

- The "combat prop" was introduced at the factory on BuNo 57356; all Corsair II production had end by that point, though the prop could easily be refitted in the field.

Cheers,

Dana

[MikeR]

Thanks guys, much appreciated!

BTW, are there any photographs of JT410? I've hunted high and low on the web and I haven't found a thing. Plenty of colour profiles and people's models, but no photographs.

The closest I've got is a picture of JT422 T8B in "Eyes for the Phoenix" by the late Geoffrey Thomas, which as Seahawk posted didn't have the MHF mast either. This makes me think that 1836 Sqdn decided to remove it altogether for the reasons Dana wrote above.

Mike.

[Navy Elephant]

Fundecals have just released a 1:32nd FAA set (http://www.fundekals.com/corsair_RN.html and then click on the download instructions link) and it clearly shows pictures taken in Oct/Nov 1944 with all sorts of configurations! So there is no right or wrong answer.

[iang]

Thanks guys, much appreciated!

BTW, are there any photographs of JT410? I've hunted high and low on the web and I haven't found a thing. Plenty of colour profiles and people's models, but no photographs.

The closest I've got is a picture of JT422 T8B in "Eyes for the Phoenix" by the late Geoffrey Thomas, which as Seahawk posted didn't have the MHF mast either. This makes me think that 1836 Sqdn decided to remove it altogether for the reasons Dana wrote above.

Mike.

I have three photos that show JT410:8H. None show the rear fuselage very well, but I don't think there is a VHF mast installed.

HTH,

IG

[85sqn]

For a fairly good reference of 1834&1836 Sqn corsairs around the time of Op Meridian, this video is quite useful: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2SngBxtYFao

Some have the mast some dont. There's another video on here which I will find which shows more of those sqns.

[85sqn]

This is the video i was thinking of originally: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KM1PvJwQmcE

[MikeR]

I have three photos that show JT410:8H. None show the rear fuselage very well, but I don't think there is a VHF mast installed.

HTH,

IG

Thanks, Ian! Much appreciated!

For a fairly good reference of 1834&1836 Sqn corsairs around the time of Op Meridian, this video is quite useful:

Some have the mast some dont. There's another video on here which I will find which shows more of those sqns.

This is the video i was thinking of originally: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KM1PvJwQmcE

Oooh, now that's very handy indeed - thanks 85sqn! Those vids answer the question of what type of tail wheel may have been fitted (long or short) and whether or not the upper cowling flaps had been replaced the fixed strip of metal by the time of Meridian.

August '44 - short tail wheel and all cowling flaps in operation;

January '45 - long tail wheel (probably) and upper cowling flaps fixed in place/replaced with metal strip.

Thanks again,

Mike.

Edited September 2, 2015 by MikeR

[85sqn]

The dead cowl flap was introduced from roughly JT465 onwards and the six inch tailwheel extension came into use in 1944 to reduce the Corsairs ground angle on later corsairs but was in use on MkI corsairs from Bu no. 17626 onward.

I have a photo of JT358 and it has the longer tailwheel.

Notice in that video, JT422 is shown and some of the aircraft have a name on the forward left part of the cockpit.

[Seahawk]

Think BuNo 17626 would have been a Corsair II: if British serials corresponded strictly to BuNos, it would have been JT225.

Grateful for source of your info on the dead cowl flap: Detail and Scale is silent on the subject. D+S does state that the higher tailwheel was introduced slightly later than you suggest viz from BuNo 50080 which became JT425.

[Disclaimer: afraid I don't have the benefit of Dana's books - yet!]

[85sqn]

Sorry the tail wheels I mentioned are forged ones introduced onto the last 20 F4U-1 corsairs. I have Danas books in front of me and it doesn't mention the higher tail wheel with regard to serial numbers etc but just says Voughts original design (for lengthened tail wheels) was introduced to later corsairs in 1944. Does mention various tail wheel door configurations however.

Perhaps some earlier aircraft could have been retrofitted with longer ones?

[Dana Bell]

Sorry the tail wheels I mentioned are forged ones introduced onto the last 20 F4U-1 corsairs. I have Danas books in front of me and it doesn't mention the higher tail wheel with regard to serial numbers etc but just says Voughts original design (for lengthened tail wheels) was introduced to later corsairs in 1944. Does mention various tail wheel door configurations however.

Perhaps some earlier aircraft could have been retrofitted with longer ones?

The extended tail wheels were indeed retrofitted, making them fairly useless as an identification tool. On Vought Corsairs, the welded tail wheel forks were all retrofits; the cast forks were introduced on BuNo 49811 (2277); there are no decent records on Brewster installations; Goodyear installed them at the factory beginning on BuNo 13319 (0328), but switched to cast forks on 13648 (0656) - well before the first Corsair IV was delivered. Since Goodyear received a second order for the welded yokes after delivering the first thousand, there must have been a lot or welded retrofits before the cast forks became available.

Cheers,

Dana

[85sqn]

The extended tail wheels were indeed retrofitted, making them fairly useless as an identification tool. On Vought Corsairs, the welded tail wheel forks were all retrofits; the cast forks were introduced on BuNo 49811 (2277); there are no decent records on Brewster installations; Goodyear installed them at the factory beginning on BuNo 13319 (0328), but switched to cast forks on 13648 (0656) - well before the first Corsair IV was delivered. Since Goodyear received a second order for the welded yokes after delivering the first thousand, there must have been a lot or welded retrofits before the cast forks became available.

Cheers,

Dana

Cheers Dana. Have enjoyed your Corsair books, they certainly contain some gems of information!

[MikeR]

I've just received both Corsair volumes through the post and all I can say is they're brilliant.

Great work, Dana!

Mike.