The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was an
American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II
and the Korean War. The Corsair was designed as a carrier-based
aircraft. However its difficult carrier landing performance rendered
the Corsair unsuitable for Navy use until the carrier landing issues
were overcome when used by the British Fleet Air Arm. The Corsair
thus came to and retained prominence in its area of greatest
deployment: land based use by the U.S. Marines. Some Japanese pilots
regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II
and the U.S. Navy counted an 11:1 kill ratio with the F4U Corsair.
The exploits of Marine Corps squadron
VMF-214, which flew the Corsair in the Pacific during the war, were
depicted in the popular 1976 made-for-television movie Baa Baa Black
Sheep and the follow-up television series Baa Baa Black Sheep, also
called Black Sheep Squadron, which aired from 1976 to 1978. The
television series featured six genuine flying Corsairs, but the
storylines were fictional.