Differing from the XF4U-1, the production model was modified by moving the cockpit three feet aft to make room for an additional fuel tank, changing the armament to six. In June 1941, the Navy ordered 584 F4U-1s, deliveries beginning in October 1942. The prototype, designated XF4U-1, first flew on, and by year's end exceeded 404 mph, faster than any other U.S. A unique feature, an inverted gull wing, allowed shorter landing gear while maintaining sufficient ground clearance for the large 13-foot propeller. The design featured the smallest possible airframe to accommodate Pratt & Whitney's new R-2800 Double Wasp engine. In 1938, Vought designer Rex Beisel proposed the V-166B to the Navy as a new single-seat carrier fighter. By the end of World War II, Goodyear-built Corsairs were flying in over 50 Navy and Marine Corps squadrons ashore and on board aircraft carriers. World War II-era fighter, Vought's design was subcontracted for production by other companies, among them Goodyear, whose Corsairs carried the designation FG. Dubbed "Whistling Death" by the Japanese, Vought's famous F4U Corsair served as one of the Navy and Marine Corps' premier fighters of World War II.
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