F2G Corsair
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Goodyear F2G was a development by the Goodyear Aircraft Company of the FG-1/F4U-1 Corsair design as a special low-altitude version of a fighter equipped with a Pratt & Whitney R-4360 twenty eight cylinder, four row radial air-cooled engine. The aircraft was intended for use by the U.S. Marine Corps as an interceptor of low flying Japanese suicide airplanes.
Using experience from building the fixed-wing FG-1, a version of the folding wing F4U-1 Corsair, in early 1944, Goodyear extensively modified a standard FG-1 airframe, designated the XF2G-1, to take advantage of the 50% increase in take-off power provided by the R-4360 engine. In addition, an all-round vision bubble-type canopy was installed. In March 1944, Goodyear was awarded a contract to deliver 418 F2G-1 and 10 F2G-2 aircraft. The F2G-2 version included modifications for carrier operations.
Armament provisions included alternative wing-mounted installations for four or six 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) machine guns and eight 5 inch (127 mm) rockets or two 1,000 or 1,600 lb (450 or 725 kg) bombs. The internal fuel capacity was increased greatly over that of the FG-1, and provisions were provided to carry two droppable external tanks.
By the end of the war in August 1945, only five each of the F2G-1 and F2G-2 aircraft were completed. Testing, also, revealed deficiencies in lateral control and insufficient speed that were bars to further development of the aircraft and, thus, further production of the fighters was canceled.
Only three of the "Super Corsairs" are still in existence. F2G-1 BuNo 88454 is currently on display in standard Navy markings at the Champlin Fighter Museum. The fifth F2G-1, BuNo 88458, was purchased by Cook Cleland, who went on to finish third in the 1949 Thompson Trophy Race and first in the 1949 Tinnerman Trophy Race. Over time, the plane, registered as NX5588N, went from owner to owner and slowly deteriorated. Finally in 1996, NX5588N was purchased by Bob Odegaard of North Dakota, and was returned to airworthy condition in 1999. Odegaard is currently restoring F2G-2 BuNo 88463, also of air racing fame, for a static display.
[edit] Specifications (F2G-2)
General characteristics<h3>
- Crew: One
- Length: 33 ft 9 in (10.3 m)
- Wingspan: 41 ft (12.5 m)
- Height: 16 ft 1 in (4.9 m)
- Wing area: 314 ft² (29 m²)
- Empty weight: 10,249 lb (4,649 kg)
- Loaded weight: 13,346 lb (6,054 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 15,422 lb (6,995 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Pratt & Whitney R-4360-4 Wasp Major 28-cylinder radial engine, 3,000 hp (2,240 kW)
<h3>Performance<h3>
- Maximum speed: 431 mph at 16,400 ft (694 km/h at 5,000 m)
- Range: 1,955 mi with external tanks (3,146 km)
- Service ceiling: 38,800 ft (11,800 m)
- Rate of climb: 7,000 ft/min (35.6 m/s)
<h3>Armament<h3>
- Guns: 4× .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns, 400 rounds/gun
- Bombs: 8× 5 in (127 mm) rockets or 1,600 lb (725 kg) of bombs
[edit] References
- William Green (1961). War Planes of the Second World War - Fighters, (Vol 4). London: MacDonald
- Brian Lockett. Goleta Air and Space Museum. "Corsairs with Four-bank Radials."
[edit] Related content
Related development<h3>
<h3>Designation sequence<h3>
- Navy F sequence: FG - F2G
