There has been discussion about the inexperienced Navy pilots inability to land safely aboard an aircraft carrier and become "deck qualified."
LANDING ISSUES and CARRIER QUALIFICATIONS (* Roy Lindberg). carriers was delayed until late 1944 by which time the carrier landing problems had been tackled by the British. With no requirement for carrier landings, the Marine Corps deployed the Corsair to widespread and devastating effect from land bases.Ĭorsair deployment aboard U.S. The Hellcat's great success combined with the Corsair's carrier landing issues meant the Navy released the Corsair to the U.S. While slower than the Corsair, the Hellcat was much preferred by the Navy since the Hellcat was much simpler to land on a carrier. Compared to the Hellcat, the Navy regarded the Corsair as fundamentally flawed for their requirements. Meanwhile, the more docile and simpler-to-build F6F Hellcat had begun entering service in its intended carrier-based use. The Corsair was not considered fit for carrier use until the wing stall problems and the deck bounce could be solved. 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 first problem was solved by locking the top cowl flap down permanently, then replacing it with a fixed panel. The combination of an aft cockpit and the Corsair's long nose made landings hazardous for newly trained pilots.ĭuring landing approaches it was found that oil from the hydraulic cowl flaps could spatter onto the windscreen, badly reducing visibility, and the undercarriage oleo struts had bad rebound characteristics on landing, allowing the aircraft to bounce out of control down the carrier deck. Other problems were encountered during early carrier trials. This allowed the starboard wing to stall at the same time as the port. 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 starboard wing, just inboard of the gun ports. In addition, if the throttle were suddenly advanced (for example, during an aborted landing) the port wing could stall and drop so quickly that the fighter could flip over with the rapid increase in power. It was also found that the Corsair's starboard wing could stall and drop rapidly and without warning during slow carrier landings. Early F4U-1s had difficulty recovering from developed spins, since the inverted gull wing's shape interfered with elevator authority. 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 would enter service.Ĭarrier suitability was a major development issue, prompting changes to the main landing gear, tail wheel and tailhook.
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