About the F4U Corsair:

This F4U Corsair was one of the most successful American fighter designs of WWII. The F4U was powered by a massive 2000hp, 18-cylinder Double Wasp radial engine. It had a distinct inverted gull-wing shape, necessary to provide ground clearance for its gigantic three-bladed, 13' 3" diameter propeller. Designed for the rigors of aircraft carrier operations, the F4U was a ruggedly built aircraft. It was armed with six wing-mounted .50 caliber machine guns—which would eventually be replaced with four 20mm cannons. Early F4Us could additionally carry 2000 pounds of bombs, with later variants capable of delivering 4000 pounds of bombs and/or eight five-inch rockets.

The first production Corsairs were delivered to the US Navy in July 1942, but they were not immediately accepted due to problems encountered during aircraft carrier landings. While these problems were being worked out, the Navy passed on their Corsairs to land-based US Marine aviation units in the Pacific. The first Marine Piloted Corsairs arrived in the Pacific during February 1943, and within months there were favorable results against Japanese Aircraft. The Marines soon discovered the Corsairs were an immensely capable ground attack aircraft and was ideally suited for CAS (Close-Air Support) operations. By the end of 1943, Corsairs were attacking ground targets with bombs, napalm tanks and rockets. The carrier landing problems were eventually resolved and the Corsair was officially adopted for use by the US Navy in February 1944. Corsairs would continue to be used by the Navy and Marines well into the 1950s and proved invaluable in the CAS role.

The Corsair's record backs up its reputation as one of the top fighter aircraft of WWII. Its over-all kill ratio against Japanese aircraft was more than 11:1 and more than 6:1 against their most capable fighters. It also delivered more than 70% off all bombs dropped by US fighter aircraft during the war. The Japanese considered the Corsair to be the most formidable enemy aircraft and nicknamed it "Whistling Death" in reference to the sound made by the Corsair's wing front air intakes.

Additional information about this Brickmania custom building kit: 

The F4U Corsair kit includes the following features:

• Realistic folding wings for storage in your aircraft carrier's hanger deck (aircraft carrier not included)
• Retractable landing gear and optional bomb rack with 1000-pound bomb
• Retractable windscreen, realistic cockpit, and higher pilot mini figure included
• Trio-tone camouflage color accurate for late WWII Pacific Theater 
• Premium vinyl sticker sheet included
• Built in 1/35 scale to match Brickmania's other models
• Made from 696 genuine LEGO® elements
• Advanced Skill Level (6-8 years of building experience recommended)

This Brickmania model kit is made from genuine unused LEGO elements and is shipped disassembled. Also included are full-color printed building instructions and is packaged in a sealed box. All Brickmania building kits are limited production and may be discontinued at any time.

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