Warbird Information Exchange

Hi,

I remember reading an article back in the 80's (maybe Air Classics) about someone finding a Corsair up in the rafters of an old hanger or something like that. Article said, " Corsair had not been civilianized or restored since war storage".
Is there any truth to this or just me loosing my mind? If true, which Corsair?

Thanks,
Mike

My guess is that they were talking about the USMC Museum's FG-1A (BuNo.13459). It remained with Goodyear at their Akron plant up through the mid-1970s. For a while they had it suspended from a crane inside one of their wooden hangars. The photos I've seen of it in that configuration looked very much like a "Corsair stored amongst the rafters". While there it remained 100% original (including the early type rocket rails), just as it was when pulled out of Navy storage around 1952. I'm personally amazed that there we ANY -1A model Corsairs still floating around as late at 1952.

Goodyear eventually donated the plane to the USMC Museum, and they contracted with Wally McDonnell in Mojave, CA to refurbish the plane for static display.

It's currently stored at the defunct USMC Museum grounds awaiting the rumored reopening of the museum at a more accessible area of Quantico, Virginia.

_________________
Rob Mears
'Surviving Corsairs' Historian
robcmears@yahoo.com
http://www.robmears.com

The only time I've seen Rob stumped was with the fate of the "Napolean" Corsair......we still have to track down what barn it's sitting in!

Wasn't there also a Corsair, or a good chunk of one at least, found in the rafters of one of the airship hangers out in California?

Cheers,
Richard

PS. Anyone know the details of the corsair center section at the former Goodyear facility in Akron. Jim Harley mentioned it to me once.

Guys,

There are still many here in Akron that think there is a U-bird still in the hanger or that it went missing. I have explained time and time again it is at the USMC Museum, but they don't believe me.

I have asked everyone I know about the Napoleon F4U with no luck. This included some local county officials. No joy...

As for the chunk at the Museum. It is still there. In fact I think it is built into the Museum wall. I also understand it may not be on public display anymore. I've never been to the Museum, so maybe a trip is in order.

Jim

Wasn't there also a containerized F2G in a hangar some years ago? A long term storage test or something?????

Yea the ex-Champlin now MOF bird.

Jim

Okay you peaked my curiosity, what the he** is the Napolean Corsair. I have read just about every post on the old board and all of them on this board, but the 'Napolean Corsiar' does not ring any bells. What is the story???
TIA

If you can dig up a May 1987 Air Classics magazine, you can read the 4 page story with photos.

Long story short: In May 1946 the town of Napolean, OH buys (what appears to be) an F4U-1D from the government for $265 to be used as a war memorial at the high school. Supposedly the aircraft had less than 100hrs in the logbook.....

....since then I've kept it in a barn, er, uhhh, I mean it's ultimate demise or location is not known

Now don't go rushing to the phone and calling the town of Napolean and digging for public records. Alot of that happened after the article! Nobody, to my knowledge, has uncovered the history of it since

I think it is now on display in a park in Springfield. I saw it in the background on an episode of the Simpsons...

Jim