Its gull-wing shape made it instantly recognizable. Its characteristic sound while in an attack dive led the Japanese to call it "The Whistling Death." Combined with its high speed, agility and toughness, the Vought F4U Corsair was one of the finest fighters ever built. Originally thought to be too powerful to fly from a carrier, the Corsair weaved a path of destruction in battle after battle during WWII, totally outclassing the much-feared Zero. The last of the great piston-engine fighters, the Corsair went on to become an important component of the US naval air power during the Korean War. Even while it was being replaced by jet aircraft, pilots flying this tough warbird were credited with downing a few MiG-15 jet fighters.

In part because of its advances in technology and a top speed greater than existing Navy aircraft, numerous technical problems had to be solved before the Corsair entered service. Carrier suitability was a major development issue, prompting changes to the main landing gear, tail wheel, and tail hook. Early F4U-1s had difficulty recovering from developed spins, since the inverted gull wing's shape interfered with elevator authority. It was also found where the Corsair's left wing could stall and drop rapidly and without warning during slow carrier landings. In addition, if the throttle were suddenly advanced (for example, during an aborted landing) the left wing could stall and drop so quickly that the fighter could flip over with the rapid increase in power. These potentially lethal characteristics were later solved through the addition of a small, 6 in (150 mm)-long stall strip to the leading edge of the outer right wing, just outboard of the gun ports. This allowed the right wing to stall at the same time as the left.

Other problems were encountered during early carrier trials. The combination of an aft cockpit and the Corsair's long nose made landings hazardous for newly trained pilots. During landing approaches, it was found that oil from the opened hydraulically-powered cowl flaps could spatter onto the windscreen, severely reducing visibility, and the undercarriage oleo struts had bad rebound characteristics on landing, allowing the aircraft to bounce down the carrier deck. The first problem was solved by locking the top cowl flaps in front of the windscreen down permanently, then replacing them with a fixed panel. The undercarriage bounce took more time to solve, but eventually a "bleed valve" incorporated in the legs allowed the hydraulic pressure to be released gradually as the aircraft landed. The Corsair was not considered fit for carrier use until the wing stall problems and the deck bounce could be solved.

Pictured here is a 1:48 scale replica of a USMC Chance-Vought F4U-1 Corsair fighter that was piloted by James N. Cupp, who was attached to VMF-213 "Hell Hawks" during 1943. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 10-inches
Length: 8-1/4-inches

Release Date: January 2017

Historical Account: "Double Ace" - James Norman Cupp (March 28th, 1921 - June 2nd, 2004) was a United States Marine Corps aviator during World War II. Cupp was a double flying ace with at least 12 aerial victories in the Solomon Islands during three months of World War II. He was a recipient of the Navy Cross, the Navy's second highest military decoration for valor and was a four time recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross. Also a Korean War veteran, he retired as a Colonel to Manassas, Virginia in 1968.

Cupp was attached to VMF-213, the Hell Hawks, in September 1942 at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa and later flew the Vought F4U Corsair. He had his crew paint Daphne "C", for his wife, on the engine cowling of his Corsair. He arrived at the Solomon Islands for his first combat tour on April 3rd, 1943. Cupp scored his first aerial victory on July 15th, 1943 and was an ace three days later. During his tour he was credited with 13-1/2 or 13 aerial victories based on reports by his wingmen. According to Guttman (2005), he was officially credited with 12 victories.

On September 20th, 1943, Captain Cupp was shot down by a G4M1 Betty, north of Kolombangara, using an improvised gun unexpectedly mounted in its bomb bay and he was severely burned. Badly injured, he spent the next 18 months in hospitals, primarily Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland, California. After that he served as a Naval Flight instructor. The war ended before he could return to the Pacific theater.