4.11 F4U Performance

[IceFire]

Originally Posted by BadAim

I haven't read all of the rest of this thread so I'm not sure what's going on with it, but I can say that I've never read anything about the F4U being used operationally from a CVE, and as far as I know it took the Brits to figure out how to fly the damn thing from a fleet carrier. I just don't see why anyone would expect the F4U to be useful from a CVE in IL2 if it wasn't used that way during the war. If I'm wrong I don't mind being corrected by someone who actually knows, as I'm no expert on the Pacific theater and I've only been studying it in any depth in the last couple of years.

Past any actual evidence, I'd expect a plane the size and wing loading (not to mention the nassty stall characteristics) of the Corsair to have trouble on anything the size of a CVE. That of course that doesn't mean anything.

Interesting discussion we had on another thread (or maybe forum) about Corsair use on CVE's. There were some that did have Corsair use. The RN used Corsairs from both full sized and escort class carriers which I found fascinating. The CVE use was somewhat limited and I believe catapult launches were a requirement for full fuel/armament loads.

I can't find the references right now... but there are a couple of pictures we found in a Squadron Signal Corsair book and elsewhere on the net.

[BadAim]

It seems that the Brits are the pioneers as far as the Corsair is concerned. I certainly don't find it surprising that even they found the CVE troublesome. The F4U is a handful by any estimation, it seems to me that a lot of people are expecting these planes to be much easier to fly in the sim than they were in real life, but then again this is only my opinion and I could be wrong.

[BadAim]

On the other hand, most of us probably have more hours in this sim than any WWII pilot could ever dream of having in real life. Perhaps we should do better?

[IceFire]

Originally Posted by BadAim

On the other hand, most of us probably have more hours in this sim than any WWII pilot could ever dream of having in real life. Perhaps we should do better?

I think that's very much the truth. Aside from the not dying and the terror of it all... we also have the advantage of hindsight and so much more time to practice. The average USAAF pilot in 1941 had very little idea of what capabilities the Zero had. The first time I went against a Zero in a P-40 I knew exactly what the Zero's reputation was and how to defeat it.

Of course, not all pilots out there are also students of history... but some are!

[Whacker]

I'm not 100% sure about F4U's operating from CVEs during WWII, but I've seen a number of pictures of them on the end of the flight deck waiting for takeoff during the Korean War.

[ElAurens]

Those would be the later versions that have a LOT more power than the WW2 birds did.

[BadAim]

Originally Posted by ElAurens

Those would be the later versions that have a LOT more power than the WW2 birds did.

LOL, power is great equalizer is it not?

[Bob_Drugstore_Arp]

Originally Posted by Whacker

I'm not 100% sure about F4U's operating from CVEs during WWII, but I've seen a number of pictures of them on the end of the flight deck waiting for takeoff during the Korean War.

Catapult is utilized on the end of the flight deck. So you've seen those Corsairs there.

[WhistlinggDeath]

Sawyer, my man, I just read thru all 19 pages of this post and took a bit to digest it (and look at everyone's links as well and documentation). Then I looked at the source code for the new Corsair flight models in 4.11, versus 4.10.1. As you can tell from my callsign, I fly Corsairs in full real..... alot. For 18 months, thru Hyperlobby, I operated a primarily full real duel server and got many, many corsair challenges. In 248 matches (and counting) of corsair versus corsair (with exact same plane, same starting altitude, same fuel load and same armament, etc..), I have not been defeated. (actually, I have been defeated but in the Bf-109 G2, which I dislike). Like you, Hombre and many others, I know the Corsair well. When to run in it, when to turn with it (and against whom), at what alt to climb at, etc... etc...

..All said and done, 4.11 is a downgrade. And not because the reality was that that was in fact how the corsair actually flew.

The corsair in 4.10.1 or any previous patch never matched real life corsairs (when I compare all the documentation presented) but as several noted, .... was acceptable, and if used correctly, could still kill well, provided the opposition did not all fly the Spit 25lbs and 185 M-71. In 4.11, the Corsair has been (along with the P51, TA, FWs and Tempy) downgraded by the changed FM along with the effects of the over reaching overheat model. I couldnt agree with any poster that I have seen here at the 1C forums more than what I have read from your comments. I believe you are USN_Sawyer correct ? If so, I have met you and you can indeed fly the corsair close to its operational limits (and the people I say this of, number about five to seven). I know that Hombre is USN_Hombre, so are you, USN_Sawyer ?

[Pips]

Sad to say but I don't think you will ever convince the TD Team WhistlinggDeath. I agree with you, the F4U is under-modelled, as is the F6F. Less so the F4F, P-51 and the P-47. The P-38, P-39 and P-40 are quite good.