WWII Navy plane tactics

[aeromed202]

Just watching The Pacific (must see if you haven't yet) and was puzzled. Corsairs (I think) were flying low level over the field at Peleliu to bomb/strafe with the gear down. Is this historically accurate combat flying? My thoughts were either the drag was needed, the pilots figured if they got hit near a field the gear was already down and some kind of landing was that much more possible, or someone didn't check something they were supposed to and the scene just got left in.

[Flyboy208]

It is a historically accurate technique used by Corsair pilots , not SOP's but the gear were lowered "in trail" not fully extended to allow for more drag ... of course I may be wrong, but as the F4U is my most beloved warbird, I know quite a bit about it ...

Mike :salute:

[Allen]

Google can kick out some odd things. I'll quote the thing from 1998.


http://homepage.eircom.net/~frontacs/WBStored/images/F4Ugeardown.gif

"Message: : I can't remember where I've read about it but I was pretty sure that F4Us used gear as dive brakes.

Correct. The Corsair had the ability to partially extend the main landing gear for use as an air brake during dive bombing attacks. For reference I site "The Great Book of World War II Airplanes", published by Wing and Anchor Press 1984, ISBN: 0-517-459930. The Marines use of the Corsair for ground attack is well documented in other sources. So, those who say it is best used as an air supriority fighter are simply uninformed. All Marine pilots must successfully complete training to perform both roles (then and now) or they don't get their wings.

Magic- [the Green one]

Formerly: DJ Miller, Capt. USMCR / Naval Aviator

Magic sheds some light on the above photgraph:

There is an interesting side note to that particular photo. The F4u's in that photo were not using the gear as dive brakes. They were level bombing from the landing pattern and didn't even bother to retract the landing gear at all.

The target was about 1/4 mile from the end of the runway on Pelileu. It was called "Bloody Ridge" by the men of the First Marine Division conducting the attack. I site as my reference: Personal interview of PFC. Curby E. Miller, USMCR, based on his eye witness account of the events that day.

BTW, PFC Miller is my Dad."

http://homepage.eircom.net/~frontacs/WBStored/F4UGearAsDivebrakes.html

I think I covered what you wanted...

Can we get the quick codes put back at the top of the post box? Its hard to link a pic with out them. I can't bold print too!!!! Has no ☺'s or font size....

[modelr]

After looking at pic, reading all of post, including link, then going back and looking closely at pic, I conclude that the gear are in dive brake position. Notice the tailwheel is NOT down. The tailwheel is rather large on the Corsair, and the doors are very noticeble. They are plainly closed on this aircraft.

[Fibber]

I have to agree with Allen on this. The photo in question is taken from the Battle of Bloody Nose Ridge in which the ridge was almost at the end of the runway and the pilots didn't need to retract gear for transit to deliver their packages. There is a whole sequence on this in the epic series "Victory at Sea".

The original photo with caption is here;

http://gallery.pictopia.com/usni/gallery/101585/photo/8816801/?o=0

[aeromed202]

In the scene from The Pacific I don't know if the field had been taken yet. I'll have to go back and see. At any rate, somewhere in there it seems that it was done for one reason or another so another check mark for the folks that put together that series. Thanks everybody.

[Fibber]

don't use that series as a bench mark for research. It was produced for sensationalism (for lack of a better word) and, while close, is not historically accurate. Look for the original series "Victory at Sea" to depict this with commentary and you will better understand it.

[aeromed202]

I know it's hollywood but I've also read comments from Marine vets that think the series told the story better than predecessors. It"s still a great series, but your right that there are better sources for hard facts.