Goodyear F2G Corsair

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodyear_F2G_Corsair

The Goodyear F2G, often referred to as the "Super Corsair", is a development by
the Goodyear Aircraft Company of the Vought F4U Corsair fighter aircraft. The
F2G was intended as a low-altitude interceptor and was equipped with a
28-cylinder, four-row Pratt & Whitney R-4360 air-cooled radial engine.

Such a fighter was first conceived in 1939, when Pratt & Whitney first proposed
the immense, 3,000 hp ((2,200 kW) R-4360, and design work began in early 1944,
despite an oft-cited anecdote that the F2G was intended to intercept kamikazes
(a tactic that was not widely used until late 1944).

Using experience gained building the F4U-1 under license – a variant known as
the FG-1 – in early 1944, Goodyear modified a standard Corsair airframe to take
advantage of the 50% increase in take-off power provided by the R-4360 engine.
Known as the XF2G-1, the aircraft also featured a new all-round vision
bubble-type canopy.

A land-based variant, with manually-folding wings, was to be known as the F2G-1,
while a carrier version with hydraulically-folding wings and arrestor hook was
to be called the F2G-2. In March 1944, Goodyear was awarded a contract to
deliver 418 F2G-1 and 10 F2G-2 aircraft.

Armament was to include four or six wing-mounted 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 of the F2G was increased greatly over that of
the F4U, and provisions was also made for two droptanks.

However, post-production testing revealed deficiencies in lateral control and
insufficient speed, which were bars to further development of the design. In
addition, Grumman F8F Bearcat – a rival design that had also entered production
– had performance comparable to the F2G, even though it was powered with the
same engine as the original F4U. By the end of the war in August 1945, when only
10 aircraft (five examples of each variant) had been completed, further
production of the F2G was canceled.


Role
Carrier-based fighter aircraft

Manufacturer
Goodyear Aircraft

First flight
15 July 1945

Introduction
1945

Retired
1945

Primary users
United States Navy
Numerous air racers

Produced
1945

Number built
10

Developed from
F4U Corsair

Only two "Super Corsairs" still remain, after the others crashed, and only one
of them is in flying condition.

Airworthy (F2G-1)

* 88458 (better known as "Race 57"): privately owned in Bentonville, Arkansas.
It was the fifth production aircraft and was purchased by Cook Cleland, who went
on to finish first in the 1947 Thompson Trophy Race and first in the 1949
Tinnerman Trophy Race. Over time, the aircraft, 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. The aircraft was on loan to the Fargo Air Museum. Odegaard raced the
aircraft in the Unlimited class at the Reno Air Races from 2006 to 2008 and it
was featured in the movie Thunder Over Reno. The aircraft was bought in
February, 2017 by Steuart Walton. It is based at Louise M. Thaden Airfield in
Bentonville, Arkansas.

On display (F2G-1)

* 88454: Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington. It was the first production
aircraft and was acquired from the Marine Corps by the Champlin Fighter Museum,
and later came to the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington with the rest of
the Champlin collection.

Specifications (F2G-2)

General characteristics
Crew: 1
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 (2,200 kW)

Performance
Maximum speed: 431 mph (374 knots, 694 km/h) at 16,400 ft (5,000 m)
Range: 1,955 mi (1,699 nm, 3,146 km) with external tanks
Service ceiling: 38,800 ft (11,800 m)
Rate of climb: 4,400 ft/min (22.35 m/s)
Wing loading: 42.5 lb/ft² (208.75 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.22 hp/lb (370 W/kg)

Armament

Guns: 4× .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns, 400 rounds/gun
Rockets: 8× 5 in (127 mm) rockets or
Bombs: 1,600 lb (725 kg)




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