Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought , the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contracts were given to Goodyear , whose Corsairs were designated FG , and Brewster , designated F3A.
The Corsair was designed and principally operated as a carrier-based aircraft , and entered service in large numbers with the U. It quickly became one of the most capable carrier-based fighter-bombers of the war. Marine Corps and U. The Corsair served almost exclusively as a fighter-bomber throughout the Korean War and during the French colonial wars in Indochina and Algeria. From the first prototype delivery to the U. Navy in , to final delivery in to the French, 12, F4U Corsairs were manufactured [ 1 ] in 16 separate models.
Its β production run was the longest of any U. In February , the U. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics published two requests for proposal for twin-engined and single-engined fighters. A range of 1, miles 1, km was specified. Provision had to be made for antiaircraft bombs to be carried in the wing.
These small bombs would, according to thinking in the s, be dropped on enemy aircraft formations. In June , the U. The Corsair design team was led by Rex Beisel. Bullard, Jr. The maiden flight proceeded normally until a hurried landing was made when the elevator trim tabs failed because of flutter.
Reports coming back from the war in Europe indicated an armament of two. The U. Navy 's November production proposals specified heavier armament. This improvement greatly increased the ability of the Corsair to shoot down enemy aircraft. Formal U. Navy acceptance trials for the XF4U-1 began in February The Navy entered into a letter of intent on 3 March , received Vought's production proposal on 2 April, and awarded Vought a contract for F4U-1 fighters, which were given the name "Corsair" β inherited from the firm's lates Vought O2U naval biplane scout, which first bore the name β on 30 June of the same year.
