F4U Corsair
Known as the most outstanding carrier-based
fighter to be used operationally in WWII, the Corsair has become
legendary. Known to the Japanese as "Whistling Death", the Corsair
was famous for its bent gull-wings and its high kill ratios. The
Corsair was the first U.S. single-engine fighter to exceed 400
m.p.h., and had much better performance
than the F4F Wildcat, which was the current top-of-the-line Navy
fighter when the Corsair was introduced. Unfortunately, due to its
very long nose (which limited pilot visibility, especially during
take-offs and landings), it was believed by the Navy high command
to be unsuitable for carrier operations. Typically, when the Navy
had an aircraft that it did not want, it gave them to the Marines
(the F2A Buffalo, and later the F7F Tigercat being further examples). This is what
happened to the Corsair, as they were restricted to land bases. The
Marines were happy to replace their old Wildcats with this hot new
fighter, and soon showed everyone what the Corsair was capable of.
Pappy Boyington and his Black Sheep
Squadron was one of many who used the Corsair's abilities to its
fullest. Later in the war it was proven that the Corsairs could
operate safely off of carriers, and the "bent-wing birds" were used
very successfully in helping to thwart the kamikaze raids in the
war's final months. Demand for the Corsairs was such that they were
also produced by Brewster and Goodyear.
This is part of a
series of 23 caches dedicated to the American Aircraft of
WWII. Each cache is
dedicated to a particular aircraft model and can be logged as an
individual find. The
series consists of 16 regular caches and 7 mystery
caches. The series will
be divided into 5 sub-series, one for each category of aircraft
(
Fighters, Bombers,
Seaplanes, and X-series Prototypes) and a final series
consisting of three of the most recognizable aircraft of WWII.
(P51 Mustang, B17 Flying Fortress and B29 Super
Fortress).
This cache is part of the FIGHTERS sub-series.
The log contains a code used to find the final of this
sub-series: American
WWII Aircraft-FIGHTERS (
GC1BHV4).
FIGHTERS = N40 51.P40/P38
W074
32.
F4U/F6F
This cache is located along a portion of the Randolph
Trails. These
trails are well maintained and easy to walk. There is parking for this cache
located at N40 51.752
W074 32.420.
Trail maps are readily available at most of the trail
heads. Randolph’s trail system runs a 16-mile
course traversing five parks, the Clyde Potts Reservoir
Watershed and 2,000 acres of pristine open space. The trails
link together schools with neighborhoods and connect to
Patriots’ Path at Combs Hollow and Old Brookside. Randolph’s trails should be
viewed as a work in progress as the township continues to
pursue easements and funding to expand our trail network. The
township funds 90% of design and construction costs through
state grants and developer contributions. Over $1.5 million
in state grants and developer contributions has been invested
in Randolph’s trails. Open year round, the trails
can be used from dawn to dusk and are closed at night. During
the winter months, there is no snow or ice removal, providing
a wonderful opportunity for cross-country skiers and snowshoe
enthusiasts.
Beware of Muggles. GZ is in FULL view of
trail. Please
re-hide well.