Vought SBU Corsair

The Vought SBU-1 Corsair was a two-seat, all-metal biplane dive bomber built by Vought Aircraft Company of Dallas, Texas for the US Navy.

Its design was based upon the F3U-1 two-seat fighter that was abandoned when the Navy decided not to obtain any more two-seat fighters.

Variants

XSB3U-1

One prototype built.

XF3U-1

Two-seat fighter prototype with a 700 hp R-1535-64 engine.

XSBU-1

The XF3U-1 converted to scout bomber prototype with a 700 hp R-1535-96 engine, later used as an engine test bed.

SBU-1

Original production order; 84 aircraft with 750 hp R-1535-82 engine.

SBU-2

Follow-on order; 40 aircraft with R-1535-98 engines.

Model V.142A

Export version for Argentina.

Specifications

Crew

Two

Length

27 ft 10 in (8.49 m)

Wingspan

36 ft 3 in (10.14 m)

Height

11 ft 11 in (3.63 m)

Wing area

327 sq ft (30.4 m2)

Empty weight

3,645 lb (1,659 kg)

Max take-off weight

5,520 lb (2,509 kg)

Powerplant

1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1535-80 Twin Wasp Junior 14-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engine, 700 hp (522 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed

178 kn (205 mph, 330 km/h) at 8,900 ft (2,700 m)

Cruise speed

106 kn (122 mph, 196 km/h)

Range

477 nmi (548 mi, 882 km)

Service ceiling

23,700 ft (10,800 m)

Rate of climb

1,180 ft/min (6.0 m/s)

Armament

Guns

1x Fixed forward firing .30 in (7.62 mm) Browning machine gun and 1x machine gun flexibly mounted .30 in machine gun in rear cockpit

Bombs

1x 500 lb (227 kg) bomb.