The Goodyear F2G was a development by the Goodyear Aircraft Company of the FG-1/F4U-1 Corsair design as a special low-altitude version of a fighter equipped with a Pratt & Whitney R-4360 twenty eight cylinder, four row radial air-cooled engine. The aircraft was intended for use by the U.S. Marine Corps as an interceptor of low flying Japanese suicide airplanes.
Using experience from building the fixed-wing FG-1, a version of the folding wing F4U-1 Corsair, in early 1944, Goodyear extensively modified a standard FG-1 airframe, designated the XF2G-1, to take advantage of the 50% increase in take-off power provided by the R-4360 engine. In addition, an all-round vision bubble-type canopy was installed. In March 1944, Goodyear was awarded a contract to deliver 418 F2G-1 and 10 F2G-2 aircraft. The F2G-2 version included modifications for carrier operations.
Armament provisions included alternative wing-mounted installations for four or six 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) machine guns and eight 5 inch (127 mm) rockets or two 1,000 or 1,600 lb (450 or 725 kg) bombs. The internal fuel capacity was increase greatly over that of the FG-1, and provisions were provided to carry two droppable external tanks.
By the end of the war in August 1945, only five each of the F2G-1 and F2G-2 aircraft were completed. Testing, also, revealed deficiencies in lateral control and insufficient speed that were bars to further development of the aircraft and, thus, further production of the fighters was canceled.
Specifications (F2G-2)
General characteristics
- Crew: one, pilot
- Length: 33 ft 9 in (10.3 m)
- Wingspan: 41 ft (12.5 m)
- Height: 16 ft 1 in (4.9 m)
- Wing area: 314 ft² (29 m²)
- Empty: 10,249 lb (4649 kg)
- Loaded: 13,346 lb (6054 kg)
- Maximum takeoff: 15,422 lb (6995 kg)
- Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney R-4360-4 Wasp Major twenty eight cylinder radial air-cooled engine, 3,000 hp (2.2 MW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 431 mi/h (694 km/h at 16,400 ft (5,000 m)
- Range: 1,955 statute miles (3,146 km) with external tanks
- Service ceiling: 38,800 ft (11,800 m)
- Initial rate of climb: 4,400 ft/min (1,300 m/min)
Armament
- F4 x 0.5 in (12.7 mm) machine guns
- 8 x 5 in (127 mm) rockets or
- 1,600 lb (725 kg) bombs
References
- William Green (1961). War Planes of the Second World War - Fighters, (Vol 4). London: MacDonald