F4U-1C

F4U-1C

F6F-5N

F4U-4B

F4U-1C

F6F-5N

F4U-4B

USA

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.0	4.7	4.7

Class:

Fighter

Naval aircraft

Research:46 000

Purchase:155 000

Show in game

This page is about the American naval fighter F4U-1C. For other versions, see F4U (Family).

Description

The F4U-1C Corsair is a rank IV American fighter with a battle rating of 5.0 (AB) and 4.7 (RB/SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

General info

Flight performance

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 6,096 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
643	622	11247	23.1	24.0	12.9	12.9	250
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 6,096 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
700	671	11247	20.9	22.0	20.7	16.4	250

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	✓

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flaps (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
		470	~11	~3

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 450	< 450	< 500	> 450

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
300 m	2,000 hp	2,270 hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
4,785 m	1,800 hp	2,096 hp
Setting 3
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
6,400 m	1,650 hp	1,921 hp

Survivability and armour

• 3 mm steel - above the front fuel tank
• 8 mm steel - behind pilot's body
• 12.7 mm steel - behind pilot's head
• 38 mm bulletproof glass - armoured windscreen

Armaments

Offensive armament

The F4U-1C is armed with:

• 4 x 20 mm AN/M2 cannons, wing-mounted (231 rpg = 924 total)

Usage in battles

Loved by its pilots, hated by its enemies, the F4U-1C is an easy to use U.S. Navy fighter, with robust all-round specifications. The Corsair optimally performs with stealth ammunition loaded for best damage output, allowing an experienced pilot to take out several targets before returning to base and reloading. It is best to selectively aim for the most critical parts of an enemy plane if you want to maximise kill efficiency while you're in the sky. A few 20mm shells to an enemy engine or cockpit will destroy their plane with a little luck. While this may seem easier said than done, diving onto your opponent is almost a guaranteed kill, and if you are unlucky, you still have an incredibly impressive dive speed under your belt to keep you from being a target. While flying this plane, like any U.S. fighter, you'll be in the most danger when you are 'floored' (at a low altitude), since your only escape is diving.

Facing mainly Japanese planes in Realistic Battles and Simulator Battles, it is important to note not to turn with A6M5s and the like, but to use Boom and Zoom tactics.

The F4U-1C is an excellent plane in all game modes, however, be aware of the very restrictive cockpit, which makes it extremely difficult to spot targets in Simulator Battles, especially those behind you.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Controllable 3 gears	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator
II		Compressor	Airframe	Offensive 20 mm
III	Wings repair	Engine
IV		Engine injection	Cover	New 20 mm cannons

A major advantage of all US cannons are the default belts. They have the highest ratio of high-explosive shells of any tracer belts, only the stealth one is better in that regard.

This makes the ammunition upgrade unnecessary and allows for focused research on the performance upgrades.

As acceleration is one of this aircraft's flaws, initially researching "Compressor" and "Engine" will increase the ability of this aircraft to fly well.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Great firepower
• Great ammo reserves, >200 rpg
• Great energy retention
• Fast
• High dive speed
• Good turn time
• Reasonable rate of climb
• Can use the gear as makeshift airbrakes

Cons:

• Rather slow/sluggish acceleration
• No rear visibility in the cockpit
• Wings can rip at high-speed turns
• The recoil from the cannons will yank the nose down quite a bit
• Cannons are highly inaccurate to the point of uselessness unless upgraded

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

In-game description

The Chance Vought F4U Le Corsaire. The F4U-1C "Corsair" was a single-seater, single-engine carrier-based fighter.

The unusual W-shaped wings of the F4U required propeller of a diameter of about four meters. Those were the biggest propellers ever used in a single-engine fighter. Therefore, a conventional wing would have required a significant extension of the landing gear, reducing their strength. So the Chance Vought designers decided to use a new wing design and keep the landing gear at a normal length. Wind tunnel tests proved the new wing design's effectiveness. To reduce weight and improve aerodynamics, the plane's design used spot welding.

In 1943, the F4U-1C variant was developed. It differed mainly from the F4U-1A in its armament: instead of six machine guns, the plane had four 20-mm cannons. Because of its low rate of fire, the new Corsair was used primarily to attack ground targets and for nighttime interceptions and took practically no part in aerial fighter combat.

The F4U-1C was produced on a relatively small scale. Only 200 were made.

Media

• 

  Reworked model of the F4U-1C.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

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• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.