The Corsair Maker- Bringing the Vought Corsair to the fleet was a daunting challenge that spanned nearly three years.

When the first production Corsairs exited the Stratford factory in June 1942, Guyton, as seen here, was tapped to manage the flight and production test program. Armament was improved to six wing-mounted .50s, displacing the wing fuel tanks now placed forward of the cockpit which necessarily was moved rearward by 32 inches. Overall length was increased, armor plate added, landing, arresting and tail gear improved, aileron control enhanced, and a new version of the R2800 engine was incorporated. But those significant improvements unearthed numerous idiosyncrasies that would take an extended period to make the Corsair acceptable for carrier operations

- By Stan Piet.

Bringing the Vought Corsair to the fleet was a daunting challenge that spanned nearly three years. Key behind those efforts was the talent of Vought test pilot Boone T. Guyton. Like many of his 1930s contemporaries, Guyton was enamored with the exploits of Charles Lindbergh but felt that pursuing a career in aviation was an economic hardship his family could least afford.

Fortunate to attend college in St. Louis, Guyton arrived in the 1935 job-deprived Depression with little opportunity other than a local teaching position. Fortune arrived in his mailbox just in time to redirect his entire career as the Navy was sending out packets to new graduates about the recently instituted Aviation Cadet Program. With a strong academic and athletic background, the Pensacola training was a perfect fit for Guyton, ranking 10th in his graduating class that had a 44% washout rate. He was posted to NAS North Island and saw service on the carriers Lexington and Saratoga with VB-2 and VB-5 and various port facilities, cementing his knowledge of naval fighter and bombing practices.