The F4U-1C was the first cannon-armed Corsair variant. Four 20mm cannon repfaced the six .50-cafiber machine guns found in the other F4U -1 variants. It was befieved that the heavier shell and increased hitting power of the 20- mm cannon woufd be more effective against  tar gets.

 

The F4U-1 C was based on the F4U-1 D airframe. The production of the F4U-1D began before that of the F4U-1 C, and thirteen blocks of F4U-1Ds were completed before the first group of F4U- 1 Cs began to alternate on the production line with the F4U-1 Ds. Only 200 F4U-1 Cs were built, and they were produced in small batches between    F4U-1 D blocks. All were built by Vought, and there were no equivalents produced by Goodyear or Brewster .

 

The hitting power of the 20-mm cannon was higher than that of a .50-caliber machine gun, but less ammunition could be carried for the larger weap ons. A total of 924 rounds were loaded for the four cannon as compared to 2,400 rounds for the six .50- caliber machine guns in the other F4U-1 variants. Most pilots preferred the extra ammunition and the resulting longer duration of fire over the heavier projectile of the 20-mm cannon.

 

Like the F4U-1 D, the F4U-1 C had the two pylons under the center wing section that could be used to carry bombs, napalm, or 154-gallon fuel tanks. When the rocket launch stubs were added with F4U-l D, BuNo. 82253, the next F4U-l C produced, BuNo. 82260, also had provisions for rockets instalIed. Rockets could be carried under each wing of theas compared to four on the F4U-1 D. The ing edge wing tanks, found in the F4U-1 and were deleted.AII F4U-1 Cs were fitted with the smaller Standard propeller which had a diameter of 13' 1" but the first three had the frameless  clear-vision canopy that became standard on the F4U-1 D on BuNo. 57583.

 

Although there were relatively few F4U-1Cs produced, they led the way for a number of later armed variants including the F4U-4B, all F4U-5 ants, the F4U-7, and the AU-1.

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