- 214 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
The dramatic history behind one of WWII's most powerfulāand dangerousāplanes, "spiced with many first-hand accounts, American and British" (
Aeroplane).
Despite everything, I felt very lucky to have flown Corsairs. They were the best, you know, even though it took me some time to realize this when so many friends died flying them. āColin Facer, Corsair pilot, HMS Illustrious
The Vought-Sikorsky Corsair was one of the most potent fighters of WWIIāand one of the most flawed. Conceived by Rex Beisel, Vought's Chief Designer in 1938, it was condemned by the US Navy as too dangerous for carrier operations and wasn't certified for use at sea. With British companies unable to build fighters with sufficient range and potency for carrier use, the Admiralty sought alternatives, and due to Roosevelt's Lend Lease program, they could acquire weapons from American factories. In practice, this meant standing in line behind the US military for service, but it still opened up new opportunities. So with newly built Corsairs being stockpiled and the promise of an improved version to come, the Royal Navy saw an opening worthy of development and exploited it.
By the end of the war, the Fleet Air Arm had acquired more than 2,000 Corsairs to equip its squadrons. But the risks identified by the USN were largely ignored by the Royal Navy and far too many men and aircraft were lost in accidents as a result. Yet in the hands of experienced carrier pilots, its virtues were only too apparent and, in due course, they achieved great things. Eventually, the US Navy noted this "success" and certified the Corsair for use on their carriers too, but the aircraft never entirely lost its reputation as a "widowmaker."
This book, with photos included, describes the Corsair's development and tells the sad but inspiring story of the young men who struggled and suffered to make the Corsair a going concern in the most vicious, unforgiving war one can imagine. The author met and corresponded with almost a hundred veterans from America, Britain, New Zealand, and Canada. Their recollections made this book possibleāand through their vivid memories we can experience what it felt like to be barely of age, a civilian called to arms, and a fighter pilot.
Despite everything, I felt very lucky to have flown Corsairs. They were the best, you know, even though it took me some time to realize this when so many friends died flying them. āColin Facer, Corsair pilot, HMS Illustrious
The Vought-Sikorsky Corsair was one of the most potent fighters of WWIIāand one of the most flawed. Conceived by Rex Beisel, Vought's Chief Designer in 1938, it was condemned by the US Navy as too dangerous for carrier operations and wasn't certified for use at sea. With British companies unable to build fighters with sufficient range and potency for carrier use, the Admiralty sought alternatives, and due to Roosevelt's Lend Lease program, they could acquire weapons from American factories. In practice, this meant standing in line behind the US military for service, but it still opened up new opportunities. So with newly built Corsairs being stockpiled and the promise of an improved version to come, the Royal Navy saw an opening worthy of development and exploited it.
By the end of the war, the Fleet Air Arm had acquired more than 2,000 Corsairs to equip its squadrons. But the risks identified by the USN were largely ignored by the Royal Navy and far too many men and aircraft were lost in accidents as a result. Yet in the hands of experienced carrier pilots, its virtues were only too apparent and, in due course, they achieved great things. Eventually, the US Navy noted this "success" and certified the Corsair for use on their carriers too, but the aircraft never entirely lost its reputation as a "widowmaker."
This book, with photos included, describes the Corsair's development and tells the sad but inspiring story of the young men who struggled and suffered to make the Corsair a going concern in the most vicious, unforgiving war one can imagine. The author met and corresponded with almost a hundred veterans from America, Britain, New Zealand, and Canada. Their recollections made this book possibleāand through their vivid memories we can experience what it felt like to be barely of age, a civilian called to arms, and a fighter pilot.
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Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access Widowmaker by Tim Hillier-Graves in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Military & Maritime History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Prologue
- 1 Rex Buren Beisel and the Genesis of the Corsair
- 2 The Corsair Takes Shape
- 3 Boom or Bust
- 4 āWhat Did You Expect When You Volunteered?ā
- 5 Taming Two Beasts
- 6 New Horizons, New Enemy
- 7 And Now It Gets Serious
- 8 Enduring
- 9 To the End of Time
- Epilogue
- Bibliography
- Plate section