Tamiya 61046 - 1/48 F4U-1/2 Birdcage Corsair  [61046]

About the Chance Vought F4U-1/2 Bird Cage Corsair

Designed around the brand new Pratt & Whitney R-2800 2,000HP radial engine, and switching the biggest propeller ever mounted on a fighter plane, the opportunity Vought F4U Corsair became a legend in its time.
First flown in May 1940, this gull winged wonder had been deemed successful from the outset. The Navy ended up being so confident in the Corsair that rival organizations Brewster and Goodyear had been made alternate contractors for the initial order of 584 aircraft. With a top speed of 415mph and a rate of climb of 3,120 legs each minute, the Corsair was the quickest airplane worldwide at the time. Unsatisfactory aircraft carrier landing performance but caused the F4U-1 to be a land-based fighter utilizing the U.S. aquatic Corps at the start of its career.

In November 1941, the U.S. Navy asked for Vought to make a radar-equipped version of the F4U-1; but they certainly were too occupied with production to accomplish the demand. The job was turned over to the Naval Aircraft Factory which produced 32 of this 34 F4U-2 Corsairs made. Apparent modifications had been adding a radar dome to the outboard .50 caliber device gun to offset the radar domes weight, plus flame dampeners installed in the six exhaust piles. These F4U-2 evening fighting Corsairs became the pioneers in developing the technology that generated U.S. evening fighting tactics employed throughout WWII.