Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 4:47:25-4:48:29

The Royal Navy F4U-4C appears to have remained a paper proposal

The supposed British cannon-armed Corsair is traceable only to a single book reference, making cost and an immature design more persuasive explanations than a completed aircraft rejected in trials.

Aircraft ProcurementF4U CorsairFleet Air ArmHawker Sea FuryNaval Aviation
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Question

Why did the Royal Navy not use the proposed F4U-4C Corsair?

Short answer

It seems not to have progressed beyond a poorly documented paper proposal, and cost plus available British alternatives made it unattractive.

Notes

The proposed F4U-4C appears to have been a paper idea rather than a documented production variant. The F4U-4B and other marks are traceable, but little independent evidence shows that the British proposal reached detailed design. Cost would count against pursuing it once British alternatives such as the Sea Fury were available. The thin source trail does not support a more definite technical explanation.