Vought O2U Corsair


The Vought O2U Corsair was a 1920s biplane scout and observation aircraft. Made by Vought Corporation, the O2U was ordered by the United States Navy in 1927. Powered by a 400 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp engine, it incorporated a steel-tube fuselage structure and a wood wing structure with fabric covering. Many were seaplanes or amphibians.

Design and development

Two prototypes were ordered in 1926 and tested by the Navy Trial Board before the first production batches were ordered. In 1927, a total of 291 O2Us were produced. The O2U-2, -3 and -4 were ordered in 1928 with minor changes. By 1930 they were being superseded by the O3U which was basically similar to the O2U-4, one variant of which was fitted with the Grumman float, and were manufactured until 1936. A total of 289 were built. Many of them had cowled engines and some had enclosed cockpits.

Operational history

The 600-690 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1690-42 Hornet engine was used to power Corsairs designated SU-1 to SU-4. The change in designation reflected their role as scouts. A total of 289 SU designated aircraft were built for the USN. No fewer than 141 Corsairs were still serving with the US Navy and Marines when the US entered World War II.
Export versions included the Corsair V-65F, V-66F and V-80Fp for the Argentine Navy, the V-80P for the Peruvian Air Force, and the V-85G for Germany. China purchased Corsair variants V-65C and V-92C. Brazil purchased 36 aircraft V-65B, some hydroplanes V-66B and 15 V-65F.
In March 1929, Mexico purchased 12 armed aircraft O2U-2M versions with the Wasp engine to quell a military coup; Mexico then built 31 more units under licence, and called them Corsarios Azcárate O2U-4A. In 1937, Mexico purchased 10 V-99M equipped with the Pratt & Whitney R-1340-T1H-1 550 hp Wasp engine, some of them may have been sent to Spain.
China purchased the 42 export versions of O2U-1 from 1929–1933, and 21 export versions of O3U between 1933–1934 and they saw extensive bombing actions. The O2U-1 versions participated in the Central Plains War and in the January 28 Incident against the Japanese targets, while the O3U versions first participated in the Battle of Pingxingguan to support the Chinese ground forces, and later against the Japanese targets in Shanghai.
Peru purchased two Vought OSUs which were designated UO-1A. Later, in 1929, 12 O2U-1 were acquired. Used first as trainers, they saw action against APRA rebels in the northern areas of the country, and against Colombian ships and aircraft during the Colombia-Peru War. None were lost due to enemy fire, but several were destroyed due to accidents. These aircraft were also used for light bombing and casualty evacuation by the US Marine Corps during the intervention in Nicaragua in the late 1920s.
Thailand used their Corsairs in the Battle of Ko Chang against the French navy.
The most famous "combat" operation of this aircraft was shooting the original King Kong off of the Empire State Building.
The name "Corsair" was used several times by Vought's planes; the O2U, Vought SBU Corsair in 1933, F4U in 1938, and the A-7 Corsair II in 1963.

Variants

;XO-28: Single example taken on charge by the U.S. Army Air Corps for evaluation with serial 29-323, Wright Field Project Number P-547, powered by a 450 h.p. R-1340-C engine. Destroyed in hangar fire at Wright Field, Ohio, 18 March 1930.
;O2U-1: two prototypes followed by 130 production aircraft for USN with interchangeable wheel/float landing gear and 28 aircraft for other customers. 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340-88 Wasp engine
;O2U-2: 37 built, increased span and larger rudder
;O2U-3: 110 built, revised wing rigging, redesigned tail surfaces and Pratt & Whitney R-1340-C engine
;O2U-4: 43 built, similar to O2U-3 but with equipment changes
;O3U-1: 87 built as observation seaplanes incorporating Grumman amphibious float
;O3U-2: 29 built, strengthened airframe, Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet engine
;O3U-3: 76 built, 550 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340-12 Wasp engine.
;O3U-4: 65 built, Pratt & Whitney R-1690-42 Hornet engine.
;XO3U-5: test aircraft with Pratt & Whitney R-1535 engine
;XO3U-6: test aircraft converted from O3U-3 with NACA cowling and enclosed cockpits
;O3U-6: 32 built, 16 with Pratt & Whitney R-1340-12 Wasp and 16 with Pratt & Whitney R-1340-18 Wasp engines
;SU-1: Scout version of the O3U based on the O3U-2, 28 built
;SU-2: Scout version of the O3U based on the O3U-4, 53 built
;SU-3: Variant of the SU-2 with low-pressure tires, 20 built
;XSU-4: SU-2 converted as a prototype SU-4 variant with a 600 hp R-1690-42 engine, later became an SU-4.
;SU-4: SU-4 re-engined with a 600 hp R-1690-2 engine, 41 built
;Vought V-65B: Export version for Brazil - 36
;Vought V-65C: Export version for Nationalist China
;Vought V-65F: Export version for Argentine Navy
;Vought V-66B: Export version for Brazil
;Vought V-66E: Export version, one evaluated by the Royal Air Force
;Vought V-66F: Export version for Brazil - 15, and Argentine Navy
;Vought V-80F: Export version for Argentine Navy
;Vought V-80P: Export version for Peruvian Air Force
;Vought V-85G: Export version for Germany
;Vought V-92C: Export version for Nationalist China
;Vought V-93S: Export version of the O3U-6 for Thailand
;Vought V-99M: Export version for Mexico
;TNCA Corsario Azcárate: 31 O2U-4A aircraft built under license in Mexico.
;Vought AXV1: A single O2U supplied to the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service for evaluation in 1929.

Operators

Citations