Got to work on a Warbird today. (Corsair)
Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:00 pm
Tuesdays for me are a real treat. I have no classes and only a work study job at my college library late in the day. So what's a Warbird lover to do in Southern Connecticut? Hop on down to the Connecticut Air and Space Center and see what’s up of course!
As many of you know from Jerry O'Neil's postings about our lovely battered and beaten Corsair, she is now out from the cold and in our slightly less cold storage shack out back. Sadly at this time this is the only place the giant 17 foot wide fighter will fit and will have to stay for now. Right now certain volunteers are busy at work constructing wooden jigs for the wings and other sections of the aircraft. These will definitely aid us in making the restoration a little easier.
As of last Saturday I got the chance to take a drill gun to a Corsair's wing! I ended up popping off three panels from the rear edge of the port wing and we started to get a good look at what we were dealing with. (What would have been the flaps) are nothing more than thin sheet metal supported by a few ribs. I had also noticed that the original connection points to the flaps had been sawed off. Probably when the first refurbishment took place back in the 70's.
Still, today I had the chance to work with a newer addition to the CASC family. An 84 year old gentleman that worked side by side with Joe LoSardo, (Another ex-Vought employee) during the War years, and during the VS-44A restoration. This gentleman today drove up in his vintage Pontiac Tempest, and brought his own toolbox (still with the faded words "Chance Vought" on it)
All morning today I heard stories about when this gentleman was working on the Kingfisher line, and when the museums hanger floor apparently collapsed and sunk in during the War!
He also said he remembered watching them pump mud under the concrete to level off the floor again. All this was going on while I mercilessly pounded on a panel located right behind the cowl flaps, trying desperately to loosen up the 30yr old frozen bolts. But alas...
Slow progress but progress none the less! I try to do my little part and hopefully come Saturday, ill be there again and maybe even take a few pictures!
Just thought id put up something that was happening in my life, Warbird related anyways.
Keep Em' Flying
As many of you know from Jerry O'Neil's postings about our lovely battered and beaten Corsair, she is now out from the cold and in our slightly less cold storage shack out back. Sadly at this time this is the only place the giant 17 foot wide fighter will fit and will have to stay for now. Right now certain volunteers are busy at work constructing wooden jigs for the wings and other sections of the aircraft. These will definitely aid us in making the restoration a little easier.
As of last Saturday I got the chance to take a drill gun to a Corsair's wing! I ended up popping off three panels from the rear edge of the port wing and we started to get a good look at what we were dealing with. (What would have been the flaps) are nothing more than thin sheet metal supported by a few ribs. I had also noticed that the original connection points to the flaps had been sawed off. Probably when the first refurbishment took place back in the 70's.
Still, today I had the chance to work with a newer addition to the CASC family. An 84 year old gentleman that worked side by side with Joe LoSardo, (Another ex-Vought employee) during the War years, and during the VS-44A restoration. This gentleman today drove up in his vintage Pontiac Tempest, and brought his own toolbox (still with the faded words "Chance Vought" on it)
All morning today I heard stories about when this gentleman was working on the Kingfisher line, and when the museums hanger floor apparently collapsed and sunk in during the War!
He also said he remembered watching them pump mud under the concrete to level off the floor again. All this was going on while I mercilessly pounded on a panel located right behind the cowl flaps, trying desperately to loosen up the 30yr old frozen bolts. But alas...
Slow progress but progress none the less! I try to do my little part and hopefully come Saturday, ill be there again and maybe even take a few pictures!
Just thought id put up something that was happening in my life, Warbird related anyways.
Keep Em' Flying
Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:03 pm
cool!
Tue Nov 04, 2008 9:58 pm
Take some pics! Keep up the work Kid!
Tue Nov 04, 2008 11:13 pm
Keep up the good work! Working on a Corsair was exactly how I got started with warbirds about 25 yrs. ago.
Tue Nov 04, 2008 11:59 pm
Sounds like great fun. 
Wed Nov 05, 2008 11:48 am
Good deal. No pics?
Wed Nov 05, 2008 11:55 am
Yeah no pics as of right now. I guess i can make an impromtu unoffical blog about the work we do on this bird. Stay tuned until around Saturday evening or so. Hopefully I'll have more info to tell you guys and alot more pics. Glad to see some people are still interested in more than just photos. 
Keep Em' Flying
Christopher
Keep Em' Flying
Christopher
Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:08 pm
Of course we're interested in more than just photos........we want daily, or even semi-daily, detailed reports, with pictures of course, of every step of the work you're doing. Show everyone just how complicated that Corsair is to work on. Tell us how your ankles and calves are sore from standing at an angle on that stupid wing all day long. Come up with theories like, "they surely issued more Purple Hearts for guys falling off these airplanes than getting shot down in 'em!"
Then, tell us how freakin' cool it is to have the priviledge to work on such a neat piece of history!
Oh, and if we don't see updates to these reports within a day or two, we'll bombard you with e-mails and PMs asking what your problem is.
Gary
Then, tell us how freakin' cool it is to have the priviledge to work on such a neat piece of history!
Oh, and if we don't see updates to these reports within a day or two, we'll bombard you with e-mails and PMs asking what your problem is.
Gary
Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:17 pm
Oh no! Now im in for some real trouble! No way am I ready to take on your mantle Gary! Your the king of informed, updated, and interesting threads! I'm only trying to do my lowly part for the WIX gods...
Oh great! Well theres goes all that book learnin' ive' been doin'!
Keep Em' Flying
Christopher