 | Seafury vs F4U-4. Which is better?| Aviation Discuss Seafury vs F4U-4. Which is better? in the World War II - Aviation forums; Lets hear your opinions on these two legendary warbirds.... |
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05-07-2006, 04:54 PM
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#1 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 8,477
| Seafury vs F4U-4. Which is better?
Lets hear your opinions on these two legendary warbirds.
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05-07-2006, 06:05 PM
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#2 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 275
| The Hawker Sea Fury is undoubtedly superior.
Faster, more maneuverable, better armed, better visibility, has a floor to the cockpit, much prettier. | |
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05-07-2006, 06:40 PM
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#3 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: London
Posts: 2,878
| Have to second that | |
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05-07-2006, 07:13 PM
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#4 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 681
| Sea Fury prototype flew in Feb 1945 and unlike the F4U-4, was never operational prior to the Japanese surrender.
Why don't we compare it to the F4U-5 or the F2G? | |
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05-07-2006, 07:16 PM
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#5 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 8,477
| Fair enough, compare it to the F4U-5.
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05-08-2006, 05:23 AM
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#6 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 275
| The F4U-5 gets faster and has more pilot comfort. I'd still take the Sea Fury.
Interestingly I found this opinion on the -5
"Engineering improvements that weren't
I've flown the F4U-4 Corsair. It was a good airplane. I've also flown the later model F4U-5-it was no F4U-4!
I flew the F4U-4 in flight training, and when I received my "Wings of Gold" in August of 1950, I was immediately assigned to the VF-14 Tophatters based in Jacksonville, Florida and flew the F4U-5. I found the F4U-5 heavier and more dangerous than the F4U-4, primarily because of several "improvements" that were at best ineffective and at worst dangerous.
The F4U-5, a 1945 design modification of the F4U-4, was intended to increase the F4U-4 Corsair's overall per formance and incorporate many earlier Corsair pilots' suggestions. It featured a more powerful 2,300hp engine with a fully automatic two-stage supercharger. Other "improvements" were electrical trim control, automatic cowl flaps, a gyroscopic lead-computing gunsight and other automatic functions. These and other changes made the F4U-5 500 pounds heavier than the F4U-4. " | |
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05-08-2006, 06:22 AM
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#7 | | World Traveler
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK
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Country:  | I would take the Sea Fury for the reasons stated by red admiral.
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05-08-2006, 07:58 AM
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#8 | | Senior Member
Join Date: May 2005 Location: Texas
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Country:  | Agree to that also.
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05-08-2006, 09:08 AM
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#9 | | Member
Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Culqualber
Posts: 85
| Sea Fury handling and performances were superlative ( a "jet with propeller" according to the pilots)but its Centaurus engine had a very high fuel consumption. It is an important parameter for a naval fighter.A low fuel consumption was one of the best advantages of Mitsubishi Zero.
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05-08-2006, 11:16 AM
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#10 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 8,477
| The only thing Ive seen negative about the Sea Fury was its range.
But even still, with external fuel tanks, it was still adaquet
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05-08-2006, 11:27 AM
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#11 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: City of the Angels California
Posts: 810
| As far as I'm concerned they're a draw. Neither has any points of performance that are staggeringly superior to the other. 
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05-08-2006, 12:23 PM
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#12 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 275
| Maybe not staggeringly better for the Sea Fury, but still better than F4U-4/5. It is the "better" aircraft, not by a massive amount, but still "better". | |
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05-08-2006, 02:37 PM
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#13 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 681
| How would it have stacked up against the F2G? | |
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05-08-2006, 05:59 PM
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#14 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Boise, Idaho
Posts: 1,178
| Actually I'd go for the F4U-4
Sea Fury - top Speed - 460mph
F4U-4 --- top speed -- 460mph (without external racks) 446mph with
Sea Fury - Climb ------ 2777ft/min
Corsair --- climb ------ 3870ft/min (reports of 4.9min to 20,000ft at WEP)
Sea Fury - range ------ 700mi internal
Corsair --- range ------ 1015mi internal
Sea Fury - ceiling ----- 35,800ft
Corsair ---ceiling ------ 41,500ft
Sea Fury - loading ----- 2,000lbs
Corsair --- loading ----- 4,000lbs War time load outs of over 5,500lbs reported
Sea Fury - Armament -- 4 x 20mm
Corsair --- Armament -- 6 x .50s or 4 x 20mm
Sea Fury - Horse power - 2,480hp
Corsair --- Horse power - 2,450hp
Sea Fury - empty wt ---- 9,240lbs
Corsair --- empty wt ---- 9,206lbs
Sea Fury - Gross wt ----- 12,500lbs
Corsair --- Gross wt ----- 14,670lbs
Sea Fury - wing area ---- 280sq/ft
Corsair --- wing area ---- 314sq/ft
As you can see the Corsair has it in all respects except possibly speed (wheather the Sea Fury speed is with/without external mounts). Equal power and more wing area gives the Corsair the edge in climb and should also give it an edge in turning. Climb and ceiling alone would give the edge to the Corsair in air to air encounters. However the more savy pilot could win in either aircraft.
wmaxt
Last edited by wmaxt : 05-08-2006 at 06:02 PM.
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05-08-2006, 06:07 PM
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#15 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 8,477
| I wonder if the sea fury was the safer of the two planes when landing on a carrier.
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