Chance Vought and Sikorsky Aircraft Division of United
Aircraft Corporation formed as result of April 1939 reorganisation
within UAC, upon which Chance Vought moved
headquarters to Stratford, Connectictut. From 1936 concentrated
primarily upon manufacture for the US Navy,
major programs including the SB2U Vindicator scout-bomber,
OS2U Kingfisher observation aircraft, and F4U
Corsair single-seat naval fighter. Of the massive production
of the wartime Corsair, which continued until 1952,
Vought alone built more than 7,700. Vought-Sikorsky
products
XPBS / VS-44
at this time included the Sikorsky-designed VS-
43 and VS-44 flying-boats and the historic VS-300, the
world's first fully practical helicopter, from which the production
R-4 and R-5 and later designs were developed.
Vought and Sikorsky were reconstituted in January 1943
as separate manufacturing divisions of UAC, so that Sikorsky
could concentrate on helicopter development and
Vought on combat aircraft, primarily the F4U and OS2U.
After the war, Chance Vought Aircraft Division moved to
Dallas, Texas, in 1948-1949, and produced its first jet
fighter for the US Navy, the F6U Pirate. On 1 July 1954
the company became independent of UAC, under the new
name of Chance Vought Aircraft Inc.
