Wondering about Radios for FAA Corsair II's, III's and IV'

[Juggernut]

I'm looking at Jenning's (Fundekals) wonderful set of RN Corsair decals and I'm wondering if the FAA used US seat harnesses or were they the British Sutton types?  Also, I think the British used their own radios rather than the US radios so I'm wondering what changes to the right sidewall there were to accommodate those type radios? 

 

I also have Dana Bell's Aircraft Pictoral #8 (F4U-1 Corsair Vol. 2) and I've been jotting down the different equipment that the Fundekals sheet aircraft would've/could've been delivered with based on Dana's Bureau No. breaks and the modification/change implementation's therein. 

 

Any help would be appreciated, noted and saved for a future build

 

EDIT:  A quick google search tells me that FAA Corsairs did in fact have a Sutton harness and another google search tells me what it supposed to look like.....  Now all I need to know is the radios and maybe any additional specifics other than the  CO vents in the aft fuselage.

Edited April 19, 2015 by Juggernut

[Kagemusha]

Jennings has hinted someone may be producing a FAA Corsair conversion set... 

[crobinsonh]

I would recommend the book on the restoration of FAA Corsair KD431. Lots of info on an amazing project

[don f]

A BPF Corsair IV is one of my current projects.  The layout of the Corsair IV cockpit appears to be very similar to the USN versions.  The images below are from the "Pilot's Notes for Corsair I - IV".  The first is the right side of the cockpit.  I can identify control boxes for ZBX and the TR 1196 keying switch. I have not been able to identify the whited out areas. I suspect censors blocked out control boxes associated with the IFF system (ABK).  Take note of the oxygen regulator, flare gun holster and cartridge holder.

 

The left side shows the TR 1196 push button control box.

 

I am leery of using the cockpit of KD431 as a representation of a WWII era Corsair IV.  This aircraft appears to have undergone some post-WWII modifications in the cockpit, based on the above images from Pilot's Notes.  Please post any corrections and additional information.

 

Don

 

[Dana Bell]

Hi Juggernut,

 

I've a bit more material on the "as-supplied" radios in British Corsairs, but I'll need some time to make sense of it and write it up. I'll try and present what I've got early next week.

 

The big problem (and the reason I rarely deal with export aircraft after delivery) is that I have nothing on whatever changes were made to radio sets in the UK or Pacific.

 

More soon...

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

Dana

[Dana Bell]

Hi Jennings,

 

You're right about the early Corsair IIIs wearing USN colors. Brewster was SO far behind in production that the Navy insisted all production immediately switch to British aircraft. Aircraft on the line were already in USN colors, and the wingtips were still being modified by Andover Kent at Roosevelt Field, so Brewster had relatively little to change moving these aircraft to the Brits.

 

The big question is just when the Brit scheme was instroduced to the Corsair III line. If there ever was a record made, it must have been among the files that were pulled by the legal teams sorting out the post-war suits.

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

Dana

[don f]

...I've a bit more material on the "as-supplied" radios in British Corsairs, but I'll need some time to make sense of it and write it up. I'll try and present what I've got early next week....

 

Hi Dana,

 

In my notes I have the standard radio set-up as TR1196 (or SCR 522), Beacon Receiver ZBX and IFF Mk. III (or Mk. IIIG).  As I have a Corsair IV in work, I'm eagerly awaiting your reply. Especially, if you have photos that you can post.

 

Thanks!

 

Don

[Dana Bell]

Hi Don,

 

Sorry this is taking so long - I've got about four inches of radio documents to sort through, so I may not get this written up until next week.  Nothing is ever easy!

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

 

Dana