Why was the Corsair faster than the Hellcat?
The reason the Corsair was faster in the main stage blower was that its engine and carburetor were provided with ram air coming in directly from the forward facing wing duct, whereas the Hellcat had the carburetor air coming in from the accessory compartment of the fuselage just behind the engine, with no ram air ...
Outperforming the famous Japanese A6M Zero, the F6F achieved an amazing 19:1 kill ratio, downing 5,156 enemy aircraft in just two years, accounting for 75 percent of the Navy's aerial victories during the war.
Powered by a Pratt and Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp 18-cylinder engine producing over 2000 horsepower, the Corsair could not only fly faster than 400 miles per hour, she was the first US single engine fighter to do so.
A large self-sealing fuel tank was located over the wing in the fuselage, while three . 50 machine guns were installed outboard of the prop arc in each wing. The fuselage fuel tank caused the cockpit to be moved aft, which resulted in the characteristic "long nose" of the Corsair.
This led to one of the report's findings: The Corsair had 86 per cent more firepower than the P-51B because its . 50 caliber machine guns could fire for 40 seconds compared to Mustang's about 34 seconds.
As one of the fastest cars to ever lap the Nurburgring, the GT2 RS will destroy the Hellcat both in a straight line and on the track.
During the course of World War II, 2,462 F6F Hellcats were lost to all causes – 270 in aerial combat, 553 to antiaircraft ground and shipboard fire, and 341 due to operational causes. Of the total figure, 1,298 were destroyed in training and ferry operations, normally outside of the combat zones.
McCampbell, the Navy's leading fighter ace with 34 kills, F6Fs shot down 5,216 Axis aircraft in 24 months and compiled an enviable kill ratio of 19:1. All told, the F6F produced more fighter aces, those with five or more aerial kills, than any other aircraft of World War II.
As for Koga's Zero, the plane met its end in anticlimactic fashion. The craft that handed the Allies the key to winning the Pacific air war was hit by a Curtis SB2C Helldiver plane while taxiing out for a training run; it was reportedly demolished, with only a few small instruments left intact.
The F4U Corsair entered combat in 1943, and gave Allied naval aviators a winning edge against their opponents. Renowned for its speed, ruggedness, and firepower, the Corsair excelled as both a fighter and an attack aircraft in support of ground forces.
Did a Corsair shoot down a MiG?
One of the Navy and Marine Corps' finest fighters, Corsairs shot down 2,140 Japanese aircraft during World War II and in the Korean War a Marine pilot became the first to down a MiG-15 jet while flying a propeller-driven aircraft.
The Corsair's cockpit was so far back in its fuselage that Porter found it difficult to see the Sangamon's landing signal officer on the port side of its deck. The fighter's ultra-long “hose nose” made it nearly impossible for the pilot to get timely feedback to make corrections to his approach.
Many Navy and Marine Corps aviators will tell you the Corsair was, hands down, the better fighter. Vought's gull winged fighter was designed for speed and maneuverability and first flew in May 1940. The Corsair was the first U.S. single engine fighter to exceed 400 miles an hour in level flight.
The Chance Vought Corsair's unique bent or inverted gull-wing design was driven by two needs: a bigger propeller to make full use of the powerful Pratt & Whitney R2800 Double Wasp engine, and the need for shorter, more stout landing gear appropriate to the Corsair's intended use as a U.S. Navy carrier-based aircraft.
The Ultimate Weapon
Upon its official introduction in 1940, the P-38 was capable of climbing to 3,300 feet in a single minute and reaching 400 mph, 100 mph faster than any other fighter in the world.
The Vought-Sikorsky "Corsair" F4U-1 Navy fighter, is one of the fastest warplanes in existence. Powered by a 2,000 horsepower Pratt and Whitney engine, it has a cruising speed in excess of 425 miles per hour. Its top speed is a military secret.
The Corsair had cooling air drawn into the engine through an opening in the leading edge of both wings close to the fuselage. At high speed the incoming air made an unmistakable whistling sound, which the Japanese aptly named “Whistling Death.” Indeed it was!
Pilot observations
The Mustang was a good fighter and the best escort due to its incredible range, make no mistake about it. It was also the best American dogfighter. But the laminar-flow wing fitted to the Mustang could be a little tricky. It could not by any means out-turn a Spitfire.
- Bugatti Veyron Super Sport – 267.8mph.
- Hennessey Venom GT – 270.4mph.
- Koenigsegg Agera RS – 277.8mph.
- Bugatti Chiron Super Sport – 304.7mph.
7/8 Lamborghini Aventador S
With a top speed of 217 MPH and a 0-60 in 2.9 seconds, the Aventador looks to beat the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat. But it can't. With a quarter-mile time of 10.7 seconds, it finishes in second. It looks like it's time for a fleet of Hellcats!
Did the US ever shoot down MiGs?
17 January 1993 – USAF F-16 vs. IRAF MiG-23 – A USAF F-16C shoots down a MiG-23 when the MiG locks the F-16 up.
After the Second Raid on Schweinfurt, USAAF gunners aboard the B-17 bombers claimed to have shot down 138 German fighters. German records show that 38 were lost and 20 were damaged. German fighter pilots claimed they shot down 121 bombers and 1 fighter.
Even so, the small, quick-turning MiGs proved to be formidable opponents. American airmen shot down 196 MiGs—137 by the Air Force, 59 by the Navy and the Marine Corps—and sustained 83 losses.
In all, Yamato took 12 bomb and seven torpedo hits within two hours of battle. An astounding series of explosions onboard Yamato produced the mushroom cloud seen here shortly before she sank. Yamato settled on the seafloor 1,200 feet down and about 50 miles southwest of Kyushu, Japan.
In 18 months of combat operations, USS Hornet CV-12 achieved the following combat record: 668 Japanese planes shot down. 742 Japanese planes destroyed on the ground. 1,269,710 tons of enemy ships sunk or heavily damaged: 73 ships sunk, 37 probable, 413 damaged.