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The engine was so massive and produced so much energy that a Hamilton Standard 13 feet 4 inch propeller, the largest of WWII, was required. The F4U was the first American fighter aircraft to exceed 400 MPH. The Corsair was referred to by the Japanese as “Whistling Death” and became a legend in its own time. This aircraft was one of the most distinctive designs with it bent wings making it an icon.

Jesse LeRoy Brown (13 October 1926 – 4 December 1950) was a United States Navy officer. He was the first African-American aviator to complete the U.S. Navy's basic flight training program, was a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the first African-American naval officer killed in the Korean War.  Born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to an impoverished family, Brown was avidly interested in aircraft from a young age. He graduated as salutatorian of his high school, notwithstanding its racial segregation, and was later awarded a degree from Ohio State University. Brown enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1946, becoming a midshipman. Brown earned his pilot wings on 21 October 1948 amid a flurry of press coverage; in January 1949 he was assigned to Fighter Squadron 32 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Leyte. 

At the outset of the Korean War, Leyte was ordered to the Korean Peninsula, arriving in October 1950. During the Korean War, Brown's squadron (VF-32, today's VFA-32) operated from USS Leyte (CV-32), flying F4U-4 Corsair fighters in support of United Nations forces. Brown, an ensign, flew 20 combat missions before his F4U Corsair aircraft came under fire and crashed on a remote mountaintop on 4 December 1950 while supporting ground troops at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. Brown died of his wounds despite the efforts of wingman Thomas J. Hudner Jr., who intentionally crashed his own aircraft in a rescue attempt, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Specifications for Corsair F4U-4 Production - 1944 to 1947

• Number produced – 2,050
• During production life time the F4U-4 saw new 4-blade propeller, chin scoop, flat bullet-proof windscreen, canopy revisions, an armored seat and improved instrument panel.
• Crew: 1

Dimensions

• Length – 33 ft 2.8 in
• Wingspan – 40 ft 11.7 in
• Height – 14 ft 9 in Weights
• Empty – 9,343 lb
• Maximum – 14,532 lb

Performance

• Power Plant - 1 X 2,350 hp P&W R-2800-18W
• Climb Rate – 4,770 ft/min @ Sea Level
• Service Ceiling – 38, 400 ft
• Range – 1,005 miles @ 214 mph @ 15,000 ft.
• Maximum Speed – 425 mph

Armament

• 6 X .50 machine guns, 3 per wing
• Up to 2,000 lbs. of bombs under fuselage
• 8 X 5 in rockets under wings

Info:    F4U-4 Corsair White 203, flown by Ensign Jesse L. Brown, VF-32, USS Leyte, 4th Dec 1950