Developed as a carrier-based fighter, the Vought F4U Corsair was widely used by the United States during the Pacific Theatre during the Second World War. The Royal New Zealand Air Force began operating the Corsair in early 1944 and by the end of the war, the type equipped thirteen fighter squadrons in the Southwest Pacific and in New Zealand.

The Vought F4U Corsair was developed as a carrier-based fighter aircraft in 1940–41 by Chance Vought and entered service with the United States Navy in 1943. It also served with the naval air services of a number of countries including the Royal Navy and the French Aéronautique navale.

Following the entry of the Empire of Japan into the Second World War in December 1941, and its rapid advance through the Pacific during the first half of the following year, there were major fears that New Zealand would be invaded. The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) had relatively few aircraft and these were mostly obsolete. Unable to source new aircraft as the British and Americans prioritised their own needs for the time being, the RNZAF's initial focus was therefore defensive arrangements. Towards the end of 1942, the invasion risk had receded and the RNZAF developed plans to field up to twenty squadrons, many intended for offensive operations.^[1]

The United States had overall responsibility in the South Pacific theatre of operations and initially saw New Zealand's role purely as a defensive one. However, Air Vice Marshal Victor Goddard, the Chief of Air Staff in New Zealand and leading the expansion effort of the RNZAF, convinced the United States that New Zealand could play an offensive role in the theatre, if it was given suitable aircraft. For this, the RNZAF was reliant on the United States to update its obsolete inventory as British aircraft output was heavily stretched with its commitments to Europe and North Africa. Eventually, the United States agreed to supply 540 modern aircraft to the RNZAF under a lend-lease scheme and integrate the squadrons into the United States command structure in the South Pacific.^[2][3]

The first deliveries of lend-lease Corsairs began in March 1944 with the arrival of 30 F4U-1s at the RNZAF Base Depot Workshops on the island of Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides where they were assembled for the first RNZAF unit to operate the aircraft in the South West Pacific, No. 20 Squadron. This arrived on Espiritu Santo in April where it began converting to the F4U-1. After further training at Guadalcanal, the squadron became operational from Torokina on Bougainville Island the following month. However, faulty racks for its bombs meant that it was unable to initially carry out its fighter-bomber role.^[4]

By the time the Corsairs arrived in the Southwest Pacific, there were very few Japanese aircraft left in New Zealand's allocated sectors of the Southern Pacific. Despite RNZAF squadrons extending their operations to more northern islands, they were primarily used to provide close support to American, Australian, and New Zealand soldiers fighting the Japanese. At the end of 1945, all Corsair squadrons but one were disbanded.

No. 14 Squadron was given new FG-1Ds and in March 1946 transferred to Iwakuni, Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force.

Surviving RNZAF Corsairs were returned to New Zealand and stored at an RNZAF aircraft dump at Rukuhia for later disposal.^[5]

Only one airworthy example of the 424 aircraft procured survives: FG-1D NZ5648, displayed at Ardmore as part of the collection of the New Zealand Warbirds Association.^[6] It was one of 32 Corsairs purchased by a Hamilton garage owner when some of the Corsairs at Rukuhia were disposed of in April 1949 and was placed on display while the rest were melted down. It was subsequently sold to an overseas buyer and spent the next several years in North America before going onto the United Kingdom. It was purchased by a New Zealand company in 2004, and after a change of ownership in 2023, it underwent restoration and is in flying condition.^[5]

• Bentley, Geoffrey (1969). RNZAF: A Short History. Wellington: A.H. & A.W. Reed. OCLC 816504017.
• Duxbury, David; Ewing, Ross; Macpherson, Ross (1987). Aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Auckland: Heinemann Publishers. ISBN 0-86863-412-3.
• Jenks, Cliff; Laird, Malcolm; Listemann, Paul (2008). The Dauntless in RNZAF Service. Boe Cedex: Allied Wings. ISBN 978-295263819-7.
• McClure, Margaret (2012). Fighting Spirit: 75 Years of the RNZAF. Auckland: Random House New Zealand. ISBN 978-1-86979-610-5.
• McGibbon, Ian, ed. (2000). The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Military History. Auckland: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-558376-0.
• Ross, J. M. S. (1955). Royal New Zealand Air Force. Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–45. Wellington: Historical Publications Branch. OCLC 912824475.
• Wright, Matthew (1998). Kiwi Air Power: The History of the RNZAF. Auckland: Reed Books. ISBN 0-7900-0625-1.

Category:Aircraft in Royal New Zealand Air Force service Category:New Zealand military aircraft Category:Royal New Zealand Air Force squadrons