The end of the war with Japan happened so fast that the U.S. effort to complete a twin-engine fighter was slowed. The Navy tried Grumman’s F7F Tigercat and found that it was too heavy and its high landing speed caused the aircraft to fail carrier-suitability trials. Therefore, the Marines decided to try it and said that it would work perfectly from its land bases. The only contenders for their types of missions were the F-82 Twin Mustang and the F7F Tigercat. They had both been designed to fly long-range escort on the B-29 Superfortresses on their bombing raids to Japan. Both aircraft were in production and ready for service shortly after the war ended, so they were available when the Korean War started in late June 1950. The F-82 was already in inventory in the Far East. Marine night fighter units, however, were alerted that they would be taking the Tigercat into battle.
A New War for Marine Aviators
The first Marine unit to arrive after the invasion at Inchon was VMF(N)-542, under the command of Lt. Col. Max Volcansek. They loaded their 24 F7Fs on the USS Cape Esperance and headed for Japan on August 26, 1950. Two months had passed since the North Koreans invaded the south, so their timing was perfect. The aircraft had twin engines and tricycle landing gear, and seen from certain angles, it was a beautiful airframe that exuded a tremendous “killer” presence. The armament it carried included four 20mm cannon mounted in the wing roots with 800 rounds of ammunition. The F7F had provisions for eight 5-inch (12.7cm) high-velocity aircraft rockets (HVAR) or three 11.75-inch Tiny Tim air-to-ground rockets. On top of this, it had a speed of 435mph, a rate of climb at 3,500 feet per minute, and a range of 1,200 miles.
This story is from the October 2019 edition of Flight Journal.
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This story is from the October 2019 edition of Flight Journal.
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Keeping 'em Flying!- The new generation of warbird pilots, restorers and mechanics
The new generation of warbird pilots, restorers and mechanics. Nearly 80 years after the end of World War II, the fighters, bombers, and trainers that defended freedom continue to enthrall and inspire audiences at airshows, thanks to generations of warbird pilots, maintainers, restoration specialists and collectors. In our September, 2022 issue we introduced you to the young warbird pilots, maintainers and restorers who are already beginning to displace more "experienced" warbird fliers and fixers.
The Corsair Maker- Bringing the Vought Corsair to the fleet was a daunting challenge that spanned nearly three years.
When the first production Corsairs exited the Stratford factory in June 1942, Guyton, as seen here, was tapped to manage the flight and production test program. Armament was improved to six wing-mounted .50s, displacing the wing fuel tanks now placed forward of the cockpit which necessarily was moved rearward by 32 inches. Overall length was increased, armor plate added, landing, arresting and tail gear improved, aileron control enhanced, and a new version of the R2800 engine was incorporated. But those significant improvements unearthed numerous idiosyncrasies that would take an extended period to make the Corsair acceptable for carrier operations
STARFIRES Over Korea
F-94 pilots tangle with MiGs
Training Mission
BY THE TIME THIS TRAINING SCENE WAS RECORDED in Canne, Italy, in July 1944, Allied Yugoslavian airmen had several years of experience working side by side with the RAF.
KC-46A PEGASUS
Next generation aerial refueler
"SATAN'S ANGELS" ACE - Tales from a P-38 pilot in the South Pacific
\"AS A KID GROWING UP on the bow of my father's tugboat, hauling oil from Seattle to Alaska, I had a lot of time on my hands.
WACO YKC - Stunning and Ultra Rare Golden Age Cabin Flier
BETWEEN THE IMPLEMENTATION of the Air Commerce Act of 1926 and December 31, 1948, all U.S. registered flying machines sported an N-number, much as they do today, the \"N\" being an internationally recognized identifier for the United States. During that period, however, an additional letter-identifier followed the \"N.\" Depending on their category, they were registered in the NC (Commercial), NG (Glider), NL (Limited), NR (Restricted, usually meaning race airplanes), NS (State government), and, finally, NX (experimental).
BADER'S HURRICANES
Double amputee fighter ace Douglas Bader and his Battle of Britain Hurricanes
Scourge of the Allied Fighters
IT HAD TO BE THE MOST HELPLESS FEELING in the world: you're at 25,000 feet over Europe knowing that your primary function is to drop bombs-or flying escort for the bombers while being a slow-moving target for some of the world's finest shooters. However, you have John Browning's marvelous .50 caliber invention to give some degree of protection. Unfortunately, you're absolutely helpless against flak. Piloting and gunnery skills play no role in a game where sheer chance makes life and death decisions. For that reason, the Krupp 88 mm Flak 18/36/37 AA cannon could be considered WW II's ultimate stealth fighter. You never saw it coming.
ZERO MYTH, MYSTERY, AND FACT
A test pilot compares the A6M5 Zero to U.S. fighters
