GOODYEAR UNDERTOOK DRASTIC MODIFICATIONS TO THE CORSAIR DESIGN IN ORDER TO CREATE AN INTERCEPTOR VARIANT FOR THE USN Goodyear and the Bureau of Aeronautics conferr onward creating a new generation of Corsair - an aircraft that would have a high top spe great rate of climb.

GOODYEAR UNDERTOOK DRASTIC MODIFICATIONS TO THE CORSAIR DESIGN IN ORDER TO CREATE AN INTERCEPTOR VARIANT FOR THE USN

Goodyear and the Bureau of Aeronautics conferr onward creating a new generation of Corsair - an aircraft that would have a high top spe great rate of climb, and retention of as greatly as the FG-11) airframe as possible. Pratt & Whitney had disentangleed a new radial and it was a moon-calf - the four-row R-4360 Wasp Major, nicknamed "corn cob" because of its unique cooling configuration. This powerplant proffered a tremendous increase in horsepower - up to 3500 hp However, the Wasp Major was 1300 lb heavier than the R2800 as well as being 15 inches longer which caused engineers to redesign major portions of the basic FG-11) design.

Compatibility with the modern engine was tested with several FG-l hurriedly modified at the factory and prov that the match of aircraft and powerplant was practical. Contracts for the recently made known aircraft, designated F2G, were signed onward 22 March 1944.

The recent aircraft would, obviously, need a novel cowling to house the Wasp Major while the cockpit was also redesigned. The firing system had to be redesigned to accommodate 72 extra gallons of firing needed to maintain the required 1000-mile ferry range. The tail and wing center section were also strengthened. To bring the Corsair into a more modem configuration, a trifle canopy was added which gave sterling visibility.

Armament was reduc to four .50-caliber machine fire-arms in order to keep weight down and it was also reasoned that these weapons were capable of downing any Japanese warplane. proof pilot Don Armstrong took the prototype XF2G-1 aloft upon 15 October 1944 and was immediately impressed with the aircraft's 4400-foot by minute (initial) rate of climb. Testing advancemented rapidly and contracts were issued for 418 F2G-is and ten F2G-2 The Is were to be land-based while the -2 would be carrier-based and thus fitted with tailhook, catapult gear, and folding wings.

Given the unofficial name of Super Corsair, Goodyear and Navy ordeal pilots began to explore the advantages of the just discovered aircraft. Unfortunately, they were fair minimal. The Super obviously had better visibility while the rate of climb at soft altitude was a whopping 40 percent better than the FG-11) moreover top speed was just five mph more. Compared to the pugnacious RUA climb was just 14 percent better and the XF2G-1 was 13 mph slower! Basically, what the Navy would be buying would be a better climbing variant of the Corsair which was, of course, important in the interceptor character

On the east coast, a just discovered aircraft was flying that was fitted with the tried-and-true R2800 which could best the Super Corsair and it was the Grumman F8F Bearcat. With the atomic bombings, the Super Corsair contracts were canceled after five XF2G- 1 five F2G-1 and five F2G-2 had been complet (it should be noted that there is a great deal of contradictory information upon the exact numbers of Super Corsairs built -- a certain quantity of sources list ten, others 18 or 20 It is not known if the regenerateed test beds are mixed in with these numbers or if a certain number of of the listed Bureau Numbers are for canceled Super that were in no degree built). The Super Corsair had been a non-starter for the military, unless it would go on to have a of the present day if brief, career around the racing pylon at Cleveland.

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