The F4UI-1D helped win World War II for the Allied Forces. Feared by the Japanese in aerial combat, the F4U-1 "Corsair" is
the first U.S. single-engine production
aircraft capable of 400 mph, the fastest at that time. It has a distinct bent-wing configuration that generates a whistling sound. That earned it the moniker “Whistling Death.”
The development of the Corsair answered the US Navy requirement for a carrier aircraft which could match the performance of the best land and carrier-based fighter planes. It was
designed in 1938 by Rex Biesel and first entered service in 1942. Although designed as a carrier fighter, initial operation from carrier decks proved to be troublesome. Its slow speed handling was tricky. This factor, together with poor visibility over the long nose, made landing a Corsair on a carrier a difficult task. Because of these, most Corsairs initially went to Marine Corps squadrons who operated off land-based runways.
The USMC aviators welcomed the Corsair as its performance was far superior to the F4F-3 and -4 Wildcat, which were being used at that time. Moreover, the Corsair was able to outperform the primary Japanese fighter, the Mitsubishi A6M "Zero". The F4U-1 also dived into action during the Korean War. This well-armed aircraft was the first propeller plane to shoot down a MiG fighter jet in the Korean War.