Customer Reviews

Whistling Death: The Test Pilot's Story of the F4U Corsair

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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Boone Guyton includes a lot of interesting information on the development history of the Vought Corsair. The narrative is conventionally done, starting with its role in the Pacific war, then a little bit on his getting started in aviation and in the Navy, and finally his flying experiences with Vought.

Some unexpected and appreciated extras included his description of reassembly testing of Vought dive bombers in pre-war France and his experiences with the "Flying Pancake".

His two accidents flying the Corsair, as well as the loss of some friends, vividly pointed out the hazards of the test pilot life.

Overall, a very good read, interesting and well written.

Mr Guyton was one of the primary Corsair test pilots from the experimental model all the way up to the Korean War and provides many details about the process Vought went through to improve the design over time. I thought the section on testing new aileron modifications on a dailly basis was particularly interesting. He basically had a tape measure extended between his knees. He also had a gauge on the top of the stick that measured the amount of lateral force he was applying to the stick. His job day-after-day was to move the stick an inch to the left and then record the roll rate and the pressure reading in a log book. Then move it and inch to the right and record. Then an inch and a half to the left. Then and inch and a half to the right... He was on a regular diet of airsickness pills. He told stories of having to open the canopy to eject his breakfast and hoping that his mechanics wouldn't find the evidence on the tail group. Very readable book. The sections on dive testing were thrilling and terifying as well. I can't imagine pushing a plane over into a dive that nearly killed you the prior day.

Simply put, this is a wonderful first person account of the author's experience in the development of the Corsair. A great read.

This well crafted book gives us a view of the development of one of WWII's most advanced aircraft.
The author's skill comes through to a level you can almost smell the oil and feel the airplane.

It was very enjoyable read, with detail and well written. Anyone interested in the development of one of the finest and longest produced fighters of WW2 and Korea would find this fascinating.

This book is about the development of the Corsair(My favorite airplane). It is well written and is hard to put down. It is very thorough without being overly technical with a good mix of personal glimpses and specifications. A good aviation read!