F4U-5NL CORSAIR I P-47D THUNDERBOLT

The revolutionary design of the F4U Corsair was created in 1938 in response to the request of the US Navy to design a high-speed fighter stationed on board aircraft carriers. Chance Vought took on the challenge, with the goal of fitting the most powerful of the available engines (i.e. the Pratt-Whitney Double Wasp engine) into the smallest possible airframe. The key was to place the clunky landing gear in the inverted, crooked wings that became the hallmark of the aircraft. The flight of the prototype took place on May 29, 1940, and the US Navy received its first serial Corsair on July 31, 1942. However, tests carried out by the US Navy on aircraft carriers revealed some flaws in the design, which meant that the first production series of the aircraft went to squadrons of the Marine Corps and operated from land bases. The first unit received by the F-4 was the VMF-124 at Gudalcanal. It quickly turned out that the new machine definitely surpasses all enemy machines and, in several respects, also the F-6 Hellcat. At the same time, however, it was very difficult to pilot and required great attention when landing. Interestingly, only up to 20% of Corsair missions took off from the decks of aircraft carriers, and throughout almost the entire war they remained primarily a machine of the Marine Corps. After the end of World War II, the F-4 Corsair remained in the line and took part in the Korean War (1950-1953). Technical data (version F4U-4): Maximum speed: 731 km / h, speed of climb: 19.7 m / s, maximum ceiling 12649 m, maximum range: 1115 km, armament: fixed - 6 M2 machine guns, caliber 12, 7mm and 4 20mm Browning cannons, sling - up to 1800 kg of bombs.The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is an American, single-engine fighter and fighter-attack aircraft, built in a low wing configuration with a classic tail. Considered one of the best American fighters of World War II. The flight of the prototype took place in 1941, and serial production continued in the years 1942-1945. The P-47 can be described as the workhorse of the US Air Force in both Europe and the Pacific. Although the 2000HP R-2800 Double Wasp engine, turbine and exhaust system made the plane very large and heavy, it was not a barrier to achieving great performance. The usefulness of the machine was so great that it was used both for bomber escorts and for bombing missions with the P-47 in the lead role. The P-47 class is evidenced by the sheer number of aircraft produced. There were 15660 of them, and as many as 12602 in the D specification, which is an absolute record when it comes to the number of fighters produced in one version. Another common version was the P-47N, with changed wings, larger fuel tanks, and a more powerful engine. It was used both as a fighter and an assault machine. Even after World War II, the Thunderbolt was one of the most popular American fighters until the early 1950s. Technical data (P-47D version): length: 11m, wingspan: 12.42m, height: 4.47m, maximum speed: 697km / h, rate of climb: 15.9m / s, maximum range: 2900km, practical ceiling: 13,100m, armament: fixed - 8 12.7mm M2 machine guns, suspended - up to 1100 kg of bombs or unguided missiles.