"DJFawcett26" wrote in message
...

Actually, the major driver for the inverted gull was finding a way to make
clearance for the HUGE prop so runways and carrier decks didn't get
chopped up.
All the drag reduction trades and benefits were a natural fall out of the
design.

Keep in mind, the wings could have been put have been put at the 90 and
270
position and achieved the same benefit. But the prop would have went
chop,
chop.


The F6F had the same engine and similar propeller but didn't go chop chop
without the inverted gull wing.