Vought O2U Corsair
Chance Vought Corporation · United States · first flew 1926 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Vought O2U Corsair was the standard US Navy observation and scouting biplane of the late 1920s, a versatile two-seater operable from wheeled, float, or carrier configurations.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.58 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-bay parasol-wing biplane with distinctive inverted-gull lower stub wings
- Large radial engine in circular cowling; twin-float or wheeled undercarriage
- Open tandem cockpits with ring-and-bead gunsight for rear observer
High parasol upper wing with noticeable anhedral stub lower wings braced by single-bay struts. Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial in a circular cowling is prominent. Operable on twin floats or conventional undercarriage; the split-axle wheel arrangement is distinctive on landplane version.
Specifications
- The Vought O2U Corsair has a length of 7.58 m (25 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.97 m (36 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 253 km/h (157 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Vought designed the O2U to replace the older UO-1 and it entered Navy service in 1927, quickly proving its versatility by operating from battleship catapults on twin floats, carrier decks on wheels, and shore stations. It served with the Marines in Nicaragua during the Banana Wars as a ground-attack and liaison aircraft. Several hundred were exported to South American navies. The type remained in front-line US service until replaced by the improved O3U Corsair in the early 1930s.
Variants
O2U-1 through O2U-4 differing in engine fit and equipment; V-65 export version.
Where you'll see it
US Navy and Marine Corps 1927–1935; exported to Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and others. Marine O2Us participated in Nicaragua pacification campaigns 1928–1929.
Related aircraft
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