Pacific Profiles, Volume Four - Vought F4U Corsair Series
“Pacific Profiles” is a series of books that covers various military aircraft serving in the Pacific during WWII. This book is volume four, Allied fighters: Vought F4U Corsair Series, Solomons Theatre 1943-1944. The book size is paperback and about 7 inches by 10 inches in color and black & white.
The book starts out with technical information, color schemes and markings as well as maps of the Solomon airfields. There are a few charts showing USN/USMC and RNZAF corsair units and their timeline when they were in service. At the end of this section are full color images of Corsair squadron and service insignia/patches featured in this book along with a glossary of terms.
Following the technical section, there are 21 chapters broken down by units starting with VF-17 “Jolly Rogers” through Royal New Zealand Air Force. Each chapter provides photographs (mostly black & white) along with full color profiles. Each profile has a description and history of that airframe and typically the pilot who was assigned or flew that aircraft. Units covered in this book include VF-17, VMF-112, VMF-121, VMF-122, VMF-123, VMF-124, VMF-211, VMF-212, VMF-213, VMF-214, VMF-215, VMF-216, VMF-217, VMF-218, VMF-221, 222, VMF-223, VMO-251, VMF-321, miscellaneous units and RNZAF.
The numerous reference photos and descriptions are incredible which will aide a modeler is getting the correct markings or conditions the aircraft were in during the harsh operational environment. The story of which airframe “Pappy” Boyington was thought to be assigned to is answered in this book and I do not want to spoil that story by answering that.
I highly recommend this book for both the aircraft stories and color profiles.
I would like to thank Casemates and IPMS/USA for this book to review.
Reviewer Bio
David Horn
I have been building models since at least 8 years old and with a brief break after high school, model building started again late in college. My preferred subjects are aircraft of all eras and scales but a majority of my builds are 1/48 scale. I am the son of a USAF navigator who flew tactical airlift in Vietnam then his last 8 years he served at Altus AFB where he retired. My love of aircraft comes naturally and try to build subjects that I have a personal connection to. My day job parallels the hobby where I design full flight simulators ranging from small corporate jets, military fighter jets to the C-17. I hold a commercial pilot certificate and fly as a volunteer with the Civil Air Patrol. I really enjoy flying cadets, passing on the love of flight and inspiring future aviators.
Comments
Article on VMF-216
The VMF-216 article was really great to see. There were a couple of errors probably not worth mentioning. There were 10 pilots lost during four tours and one lost in a training exercise at El Centro. The F4U-1, #117 was taken at Torokina. It was one of the 11 planes that first landed at Torokina on 10Dec43.
Also, -216's fourth tour was not included. They were aboard the USS Wasp with its sister squadron VMF-217 that launched the first strikes on Tokyo with Task Force 58 in Feb. '45 since Doolittle's raid in 1942.
VMF-216
And, of course, if this volume covers the Solomon Islands campaigns, it wouldn't include tours in other carrier tours.
We look forward to the Pacific campaigns volume.
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