Goodyear F2G-1 BuNo 88458 NX5588N

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During World War II and again in the 1980s, engineers sought to increase the performance of the Vought F4U Corsair by installing a 4,360-cubic-inch, 28-cylinder engine in place of the standard 2,800-cubic-inch, 18-cylinder engine. The Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engine generated nearly twice the horsepower of the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 that equipped the standard Corsair. The R-4360 is the most powerful reciprocating engine ever installed in a single engine airplane.

In order to combat the threat of Japanese kamikaze pilots in World War II, the R-4360 radial engine was mated to the Vought F4U Corsair to produce a specialized fighter with an extremely high rate of climb.

When the F2G went into production, it was referred to as Corsair, not Super Corsair.

Pratt & Whitney tested the compatability of the R4360 on F4U-1 Corsair, BuNo 02460. Goodyear modified two FG-1s, BuNo 13471 and BuNo 13472, to test the R4360 installation. Those Corsairs retained the FG-1 cockpit and turtle deck. Goodyear modified two FG-1s , BuNo 14091 and BuNo 14092, to evaluate the installation of a Republic P-47 teardrop canopy.

The production program for the R4360 equipped Corsair was assigned to the Goodyear Aircraft Company of Akron Ohio which manufactured the F4U under license as the FG. The new Corsair variant received the designation F2G.

The production F2G has a tear-drop canopy in place of the original Corsair cockpit and turtle deck. The vertical stabilizer of the F2G is 12 inches taller than on the standard Corsair and has an auxiliary rudder to counteract engine torque.

The rate of climb of the F2G was 7,000 feet per minute, twice the rate of climb of the standard Corsair and higher than the jet fighters of the time.

Only fifteen F2Gs were built: five pre-production XF2Gs (BuNos 14691 - 14695), five F2G-1s (BuNos 88454 - 88458), and five F2G-2s (BuNos 88459 - 88463). F2G-1s were intended to operate from land bases, not aircraft carriers. They had a manually operated wing fold mechanism and no tail hook. They were equipped with a fourteen-foot diameter propeller. F2G-2s were built with hydraulically powered wing fold mechanisms and tail hooks for carrier operations. Their propellers were thirteen feet in diameter.

Five F2Gs were converted to racing planes after the war: two pre-production XF2Gs (BuNos 14693 and 14694), two F2G-1s (BuNos 88457 and 88458), and one F2G-2 (88463).

Three F2Gs still survive; one F2G-1 in stock military configuration (BuNo 88454) and two of the racing F2Gs (BuNos 88458 and 88463).

F2G-1 BuNo 88458 was the fifth F2G-1. It carries Goodyear construction number 6167. It was tested at Port Columbus, Ohio and Naval Air Station Patuxent River from October 1945 to July 1946. The Navy retired it in January 1948. Cook Cleland bought it for spare parts, but then registered it as NX5588N. That was the same registration worn by Cleland's F2G-1 BuNo 88457, which crashed at the 1947 Thompson Trophy Race. NX5588N raced as Race #57 in the 1949 Thompson and Tinnerman Trophy Races at Cleveland, Ohio.

Ben McKillen Jr. piloted Race #57 to third place in the 1949 Thompson Trophy Race at a speed of 387.589 miles per hour, behind Cook Cleland in F2G-1 N5590N Race #94 (397.071 miles per hour) and Ron Puckett in F2G-1 N91092 Race #18 (393.527 miles per hour). McKillen won the 1949 Tinnerman Trophy Race in Race #57 at a speed of 386.069 miles per hour.

From 1950 to 1996, NX5588N passed through the hands of several owners, deteriorating progressively over years of outdoor storage. Robert J. Odegaard of Kindred, North Dakota acquired it on March 2, 1996. He performed a meticulous restoration of its appearance at the 1949 air races and returned it to airworthy condition in 1999.

N5588N was registered to Race 57 LLC of Chandler, Arizona on February 17, 2009. It has been regisrtered to Lawrence Classics LLC of Beontonville, Arkansas sine January 23, 2017.

Champlin Fighter Museum, Mesa, Arizona, September 30, 1999

Bob Odegaard's Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair, N5588N in the restoration hangar at the Champlin Fighter Museum on September 30, 1999.

Santa Monica Airport, December 17, 2005

Bob Odegaard's Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair, BuNo 88458 N5588N at the Santa Monica Airport on December 17, 2005.

F2G-1 Corsair, BuNo 88458 N5588N at the Santa Monica Airport on December 17, 2005

The wings of Race #57 were not clipped and are the full span as built.

F2G-1 Corsair, BuNo 88458 N5588N at the Santa Monica Airport on December 17, 2005

You can buy framed prints or greeting cards of this photograph.

F2G-1 Corsair, BuNo 88458 N5588N at the Santa Monica Airport on December 17, 2005

The vertical stabilizer of F2G-1 Corsair, BuNo 88458 N5588N is 12 inches taller than the stabilizer of the standard FG or F4U. The lower portion of the rudder operates only when the flaps are extended.

The wing tips of Race 57 have not been clipped.

F2G-1 Corsair, BuNo 88458 N5588N at the Santa Monica Airport on December 17, 2005

Chino, May 21, 2006

F2G-1 Corsair, N5588N at Chino on May 21, 2006.

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair, N5588N at Chino on May 21, 2006.

Vought F4U-1A Corsair, NX83782 and Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair, N5588N.

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair, N5588N and North American P-51A-10NA Mustang, NX4235Y Mrs Virginia at Chino on May 21, 2006.

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair, N5588N at Chino on May 21, 2006.

Vought F4U-1A Corsair, NX83782 and Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair, N5588N at Chino on May 21, 2006.

Falcon Field, December 27, 2011

There are some diffferences between the cowlings and inlets on the modified racers. Race 57 is equipped with a fourteen-foot diameter propeller. The white propeller blade was acquired from another F2G when Race 57 damaged a blade landing on a short airstrip.

The wing tips of Race 74 have been clipped, but the wing tips of Race 57 are intact.

Race 57 is equipped with the taller vertical stabilizer and rudder developed for the F2G.

Bob Odegaard helping to fuel up Race 57.

Thompson Trophy Racer Reunion, Falcon Field, Arizona, December 27, 2011: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".

Bob Odegaard and the photographers pushed the Corsairs into a nose to nose position for more photography.

The team admires their handiwork.

Thompson Trophy Racer Reunion, Falcon Field, Arizona, December 27, 2011: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".

Thompson Trophy Racer Reunion, Falcon Field, Arizona, December 27, 2011: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 12" x 36".

The Odegaard family posed in front of the racing planes

Larry Perkins is the pilot of Race 57.

Race 57 was towed away from the CAF ramp before starting up.

The Corsairs ran up their R-4360 engines as they prepared to depart.

Something was not right with the engine of Race 74, so the photography flight paraded back to the CAF ramp.

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair N5588N Race 57 Falcon Field Arizona December 27 2011: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".

Race 57 followed Race 74 down the runway to the photo shoot.

Cactus Fly-in at Casa Grande Airport, March 2-3, 2012

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57.

Larry Perkins taxiing Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57.

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57.

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57 at the Cactus Fly-in: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57.

Larry Perkins pilots Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57.

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57.

Larry Perkins in the cockpit of Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57.

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57.

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57 at the Cactus Fly-in: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57.

Bob Odegaard recently restored another of Cook Cleland's former racing mounts, F2G-2 BuNo 88463 N5577N Race #74 to airworthy condition for Tom Ungurean of Ohio. Cook Cleland won the 1947 Thompson Trophy in it at 396.131 miles per hour. In 1949 Dick Becker qualified it for the Thompson Trophy Race at 414 miles per hour, but stripped the propeller reduction gear and did not race. In 1950 it was acquired by Walter Soplata and stored with his aircraft collection in Newberry, Ohio. Bob Odegaard began its restoration for static display at the Crawford Auto Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio in 2000, but funding dried up and it was purchased by Tom Ungurean. It has been restored in the blue and white colors that it wore at the 1949 Thompson Trophy Race. It was displayed at the EAA show in Oshkosh in July and at the Reno Air Races in September. This is its first public appearance together with Race 57.

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57.

Goodyear F2G-2 Corsair N5577N Race 74 and F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57.

Goodyear F2G Corsairs N5577N Race 74 and NX5588N Race 57 at the Cactus Fly-in: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".

Rosie the Riveter posing on the wing of Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57.

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57.

Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX replica N1940K at the Cactus Fly-in: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57.

Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair NX5588N Race 57 at the Cactus Fly-in: You can buy this photo as prints as large as 16" x 24".

You can order a 1/32-scale card model of Goodyear F2G Race 57 from GreMir models for $16.00.

Link to a history of F2G-1, N5588N on the web site of the Society of Air Racing Historians.

Corsairs with Four Bank Radials

2020 Calendar

You can buy a 2020 calendar featuring my photographs of Corsairs with Four Bank Radials.

A dozen photos of four Corsairs equipped with Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major twenty-eight-cylinder, four-bank radial engines, three Goodyear F2Gs and the Super Corsair racing plane. F2G-1 N4324 remains in stock configuration. F2G-1 N5588N and F2G-2 NX5577N were converted for racing in the post-war Thompson Trophy Races. The Super Corsair racing plane N51318 was converted from a standard F4U in the 1980s. This calendar has been updated with photos from the first reunion of two of Cook Cleland's racing F2Gs in sixty-two years at the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force on December 27, 2011.

Put a copy of the Corsairs with Four Bank Radials: 2020 Calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.

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