Maj. Squadron: F4U-4 Corsair Traditional Cache

I needed a theme for this series of geocaches and being a fan of WW2 era aircraft I decided to settle on the names of some of my favorite fighters and bombers to hold the title of the geocaches in this series.

Every cache in the "Maj. Squadron" series is a stand alone, traditional geocache with the exception of the final cache: "Maj. Squadron: B-17G Flying Fortress". The coordinates of that cache are unpublished and in order to find that 7th and final geocache you will have to first find the other 6 geocaches in the series as each cache container holds part of the coordinates for the final cache.

There is a decent amount of quality swag located within the final container (an ammo can). The First To Find will have his/her choice of goodies to choose from but as an intended FTF prize I have provided an 1882 S Morgan Silver Dollar in about XF condition.

There is traditional geocache and hiking items such as compasses, LED flashlights, carabiners, hydration pack bite valves and other miscellaneous bits to rummage through in all the caches in this series.

About this cache: This container actually used to give people fits because it was obscured from sight but recent trimmings have exposed it fully. I will have to re-visit the site in hopes of relocating the stash although I have doubts it will be as elusive as it once was. Shame.

The geocaches in the series:

"Maj. Squadron: P-51D Mustang" GC2NFER

"Maj. Squadron - P-38L Lightning"GC2NFDR

"Maj. Squadron - P-47D Thunderbolt"GC2NFFJ

"Maj. Squadron - F6F-5 Hellcat"GC2NFCA

"Maj. Squadron - F4U-4 Corsair"GC2NFBV

"Maj. Squadron - P40E Warhawk"GC2NFCJ

"Maj. Squadron - B-17G Flying Fortress" (Final Cache)GC2NF45

Have fun.

S! Maj.

The F4U-4 Corsair:

Development of the Corsair began in 1938, when the US Navy issued a request for a new single-seat carrier-based fighter. The Chance-Vought company won the contract with their unique, gull-winged airframe pulled by the largest engine then available, the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp.

The prototype of the Corsair was first flown on 29 May 1940, but due to design revisions, the first production F4U-1 Corsair was not delivered until 31 July 1942. Further landing gear and cockpit modifications resulted in a new variant, the F4U-1A, which was the first version approved for carrier duty.

Since the landing gear had to be very strong to withstand the pounding of a carrier deck landing, a short, stout leg was required. Also, there wouldn’t be enough room in the wing to properly stow a longer gear. And, if the prop were shortened, much of the horsepower of the Double Wasp would be wasted. So, Vought engineers came up with the distinctive inverted gull-wing design which forever characterized the F4U Corsair. This "bent wing" design allowed the huge prop to clear the deck while providing for a short, stout landing gear. And, as a byproduct, the wing also improved the aerodynamics of the intersection where the wing attaches to the fuselage, boosting the top speed.

The F4U-4 was one of the more important variants of the Corsair. Seven prototypes were built, anticipating the many problems which would arise from the proposed changes. Five F4U-1s were pulled from the production line to be modified into the XF4U-4A, ‘4B, ‘4C, ‘4D and’4E. Two more "FG-1" aircraft (identical to the Vought F4U-1) were pulled from Goodyear’s production line. They were all fitted with the Pratt-Whitney R-2800-18W engine which produced 2,100 hp (1,567 kW) and sported a new four blade prop. The engine also had methanol-water injection which boosted the war emergency power rating to 2,450 hp (1,828 kW) for about five minutes. The 18W engine necessitated changes in the basic airframe to handle the extra power and the turbo air intake was mounted on the inside bottom of the engine cowling (it was called a "chin scoop") while air for the intercooler and oil cooler continued to be drawn from the wing slots.

Although it wasn’t designated by the Navy as such, the dash four was a fighter-bomber for all intents and purposes. It had 6 Colt-Browning .50 cal. (12.7 mm) wing mounted machine guns (the F4U-4C substituted four 20 mm cannon), plus it could carry two 1,000 lb (453.6 kg) bombs or eight 5 inch (127 mm) rockets. The first 300 of the production F4U-1Cs were assigned to Marine Air Group 31 and were taken into the Battle for Okinawa aboard the escort carriers Sitko Bay and Bereton. The Army and Marine riflemen who fought that battle on the ground remember the F4U-4 as the "Sweetheart of Okinawa".

TECHNICAL NOTES:

Engine: 2,000hp Pratt and Whitney R-2800-8 radial piston engine.

Weight: Empty 8,980 lbs, Maximum Takeoff 14,000 lbs.

Wing Span: 41ft. 0in.

Length: 33ft. 4in.

Height: 16ft. 1in.

Performance: Maximum Speed at 20,000ft: 420 mph

Cruising Speed: 185 mph

Service Ceiling: 37,000 ft.

Initial Climb Rate: 3,100 feet/min.

Armament: Six 12.7mm (0.50 in) machine guns, wing-mounted.