text: With its distinctive gull wing and long cylindrical fuselage, the F4U Corsair had the visual appeal and panache of a thoroughbred race horse. Combined with its high speed, superb gun package, ruggedness, and external armament options, the Corsair was arguably the best single-engine fighter in the Pacific theater. Many survived combat encounters with extensive damage, yet brought their pilots safely back to base. Photo credit: Bruce Gamble via Frank Walton