Corsair

In counting its eggs before they have hatched into fighting cocks, no nation has more sinned than the U.S. For more than two years it has bragged to itself about Republic's Thunderbolt fighter, which it has yet to see in action. For more than three years it bragged about Vought's high-powered Corsair. It had to wait until last week to hear that the Corsair was finally in action.

What the Corsair had shown, in its first combat in the Shortland Islands, the public did not yet know. But once again the U.S. had been reminded that there is many a long month between the flying of a new aircraft prototype and its appearance on the fighting front. Until that day comes, it is too early for any man to say that a plane is good.

How well the Corsair had performed, the Navy did not say. In the Shortlands, Corsairs went out with Lockheed Lightnings to escort bombers over one of the most heavily protected Jap spots in the south Pacific. The raiders got plenty of knocking about, knocked down eleven Jap planes, left eight of their own behind when they went home.

Corsair was something new in combat aircraft: a big, rugged fighter powered with a 2,000-h.p. engine (Pratt & Whitney). Designed as a carrier craft, it is fast enough for land operations, will outspeed most land-based craft now in combat. Maneuverable, and swift on the climb, it also has plenty of altitude performance, develops its best speed (better than 400 m.p.h.) above 20,000 feet, can fight above 35,000.

Smoother and sleeker than its prototype, the new Corsair is made distinctive by its inverted gull wing, which makes possible a short, light, retractable landing gear and still leaves room for the big three-bladed propeller to clear the ground on take-off runs.

When the news of the new fighter's first battle reached the U.S. last week, the Vought factory at Stratford, Conn, was well along in output and driving toward full rate. But it will produce only part of the Navy's new swarm. At Akron, Goodyear Aircraft Corp. was also making the new Vought fighters. Goodyear ran its first Corsair off the line last week, announced that production had begun.

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