Flightdeck Friday: Goodyear F2G Corsair

Like many other aircraft during WWII, the Corsair found itself being produced by companies other than its originator, Chance-Vought.  Here, the alternate producers were the Brewster Aircraft Company, builder of the F2A Buffalo (a future Flightdeck Friday topic, BTW) and the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, producer of non-rigid airships or blimps.  With production lines opening in late 1943, the models rolling off the lines each had their own designations to indicate source of manufacture F3A-1 from Brewster and FG-1 from Goodyear respectively.  Distinctive of these models was the raised seating position and turtleback/Malcom canopy that would provide the over the nose visibility that would eventually usher the Corsair back to carrier operations.  For now though it was still shore-based and was being delivered with fixed wings.

It was about this time that Goodyear approached the Navy with a proposal to improve the speed and climb capabilites of the Corsair, turning it into a fast climbing interceptor to meet the emerging kamikaze threat by installing the new Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp engine in place of the R-2800 currently powering the Corsair.  The R-4360 was a massive, 4-row radial engine that represented the penultimate in piston engine design.  Weighing in at over 3800 lbs, it was over 8 feet in length, counted 28 cylinders displacing a whopping 4,362.50 inches (or 71.5L – how’d you like to pull up to a stop light with that under your hood?).  With two turbo-chargers AND a supercharger, the later models of the R-4360 developed 4300 hp.  In a move that presaged Tim "the Toolman" Taylor by several decades, the R-4360 would effectively double the available horsepower for the Corsair.  In doing so, several modifications would have to be made to the basic airframe to include a larger, four-bladed propeller and with that, a taller rudder to handle the greater torque. 

A  F4U-1 and two FG-1s were modified for reliability trials of the R-4360.  As the trials and fit appeared to be successful, production was given to Goodyear and the designation F2G assigned.  In addition to the engine modification, the turtleback was cutdown and a P-47 canopy installed for better visibility.  Thus modified, the F2G had a climb-rate of over 7,000 fpm.  Unfortunately, performance in other areas did not live up to expectations with a top speed of only 412 mph and some handling instabilities noted at speed. 

Fifteen F2Gs were produced: five pre-production XF2Gs (BuNos 14691 – 14695), five F2G-1s (BuNos 88454 – 88458), and five F2G-2s (BuNos 88459 – 88463). Of these only three F2Gs still survive; one F2G-1 in stock military configuration (BuNo 88454) and two in racing configuration. (BuNos 88458 and 88463).  There was one stock F4U converted in the 1980’s to use the R-4360 and raced under the "Super Corsair" label until it was lost in a crash in 1994.

While the F2G never saw combat it has seen plenty of time on the racing circuit giving a good account of itself.

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: 7,000 ft/min (35.6 m/s)
• Wing loading: 42.5 lb/ft² (208 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)

Sources:

1. Swanborough, Gordon & Bowers, Peter.  United States Navy Aircraft Since 1911, Third Edition Naval Institute Press 1990
2. Jones, Lloyd.  U.S. Navy Fighters: Navy/Marine Corps 1922 to 1980s, Aero Publishers Inc, 1977
3. Goleta Air & Space Museum: Corsairs with Four-bank Radials