Vought F4U-2 Corsair 02731 United States Marine Corps

These are 1/72 scale decals for the Vought F4U-2 Corsair, BuNo 02731, assigned to VMF(N)-532, United States Marine Corps — a second example of America's rarest Corsair variant, serving alongside "Midnite Cocktail" and the other F4U-2s of this pioneering Marine night fighter squadron.

The F4U-2 was a specialized night fighter conversion of the F4U-1, with only 32 aircraft converted — making every surviving example a rare and significant subject. The defining modification was the addition of an AN/APS-4 airborne intercept radar pod on the starboard wing, enabling pilots to detect and engage enemy aircraft in total darkness. One of the six .50-caliber wing guns was removed to save weight, and the cockpit was equipped with red lighting to preserve night vision during the demanding intercept missions that defined the F4U-2's operational life.

VMF(N)-532 was one of the U.S. Marine Corps' first dedicated night fighter squadrons, operating from island bases in the Central Pacific including Tarawa and Roi-Namur. Flying in pitch-black skies over Allied-held islands, the squadron's crews hunted Japanese night raiders that had previously struck with near-impunity after dark, bringing the fight to the enemy at a time and in conditions where few other Allied aircraft could follow. The work was dangerous, technically demanding, and largely unsung — but it fundamentally changed the calculus of night air defense in the Pacific.

A companion piece to BuNo 02624 "Midnite Cocktail" and an equally rare subject from one of the most specialized and overlooked missions of the Pacific War. Please allow some time for decal printing and shipping.