Corsair Catapult Launches And Strafing Runs During Korean War

Corsair Catapult Launches And Strafing Runs During Korean War | World War Wings Videos

These Warbirds Didn’t Stop At The End Of World War II.

Vought’s Corsairs are one of the most identifiable aircraft of World War II and one of the best fighters as well. Serving well throughout the war, their effectiveness was also tested about five years later during the Korean War.

With the jet age already in full swing, Corsairs were still used after modifying them specifically for ground support missions. Although outmatched by MiG-15s jets which appeared during the 50s, they stayed away from dogfighting and were given night missions to attack enemy supply facilities.

The Navy upgraded Corsairs for the U.S. Marines so they could be used for ground attacks.

The Corsairs that were modified for the Korean War were given the AU-1 designation and were developed from the F4U-5 variant. What this upgrade included was more armor for the pilot as they were strafing the enemy close to the ground. Also, their fuel tanks were given more protection as well.

In addition, they were fitted with additional racks to carry more load. Capable of carrying 8,200 lbs. of bombs, the AU-1s were about 20% heavier than their predecessors. As you’ll see in this video, the Navy loaded them up to the rim making their strafing runs quite effective.

How’s that for an older plane from World War II that kept on kicking long after that?

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