Goodyear F2G Corsair

F2G "Super" Corsair
F2G-1 "Super" Corsair #88458, painted as Race 57, which was owned by Robert "Bob" Odegaard of Kindred, North Dakota, flying at the 2005 Air Venture at Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Role	Carrier-based fighter aircraft
Manufacturer	Goodyear Aircraft
First flight	15 July 1945
Introduction	1945
Retired	1945
Primary users	United States Navy Numerous air racers
Produced	1945
Number built	10
Developed from	F4U Corsair

The Goodyear F2G "Super" Corsair is a development by the Goodyear Aircraft Company of the FG-1/F4U-1 Corsair design as a special low-altitude version of a fighter equipped with a Pratt & Whitney R-4360 28-cylinder, four-row radial air-cooled engine. Although often cited that the origin of the aircraft was as an interceptor of low-flying Japanese suicide aircraft, its actual beginnings came about in 1939 when the Pratt & Whitney company first proposed its enormous new engine. Thus the F2G lineage was tied to its engine design rather than tactical requirements.

Using experience from building the fixed-wing FG-1, a version of the folding wing F4U-1 Corsair, in early 1944, Goodyear extensively modified a standard FG-1 airframe, designated the XF2G-1, to take advantage of the 50% increase in take-off power provided by the R-4360 engine. In addition, an all-round vision bubble-type canopy was installed. In March 1944, Goodyear was awarded a contract to deliver 418 F2G-1 and 10 F2G-2 aircraft. The F2G-2 version included modifications for carrier operations.

Armament provisions included alternative wing-mounted installations for four or six 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) machine guns and eight 5-inch (127 mm) rockets or two 1,000 or 1,600 lb (450 or 725 kg) bombs. The internal fuel capacity was increased greatly over that of the FG-1, and provisions were provided to carry two droppable external tanks.

By the end of the war in August 1945, only five each of the F2G-1 and F2G-2 aircraft were completed. Testing revealed deficiencies in lateral control and insufficient speed, which were bars to further development of the aircraft. In addition, the Grumman F8F Bearcat, which could do all the F2G could do while still powered with the original Corsair's Double Wasp powerplant, was already in production, making the F2G redundant. Thus, further production of the F2G was canceled.

Only two "Super Corsairs" still exist, and only one is in flying condition.

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General characteristics

Performance

Armament

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