WIX Archives
Re: outer wing panels
Posted by Rob Mears on Mon Mar 10, 2003 06:48:33 PM
In reply top outer wing panels... posted by Joe Scheil on Mon Mar 10, 2003 03:25:01 PM
If you go to any airshow and inspect the wing fold area of the Corsairs in attendance you'll find that in just about every case, the data plates on the wing panels will not match the those on the airframe. I can't attest to how often damage occurred to the Corsair's wings during their years in service, but I'll venture to guess that the F4U's torque characteristics caused more than the average number of outer panels to be written off in ground loop & deck landing incidents, etc.
During the late 1940's and 1950's there were plently of spare components available from stricken aircraft at the various storage depots around the country. My guess is that since the outer wings were so (relatively) easy to detach and swap between planes, it probably became common practice to simply solve damage problems by swapping over new panels from stricken aircraft and spare parts stores.
Like Joe said, there is plenty in common between the -1 & -4 series, and likewise between the -5, AU-1 series. Makes it easy to swap & go.