Tue Jul 22, 2008 9:41 pm
Great Job! Glad to see it on the ground and going to get some love. Man, that aircraft looked bad when I saw it a few years back.
Tim
Tim
Tue Jul 22, 2008 9:49 pm
Well done Jerry & company..... 
Lynn
Lynn
Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:04 pm
Good job! Here's hoping that someplace under cover can eventually be found for it...
Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:10 pm
Good work, thanks for saving a pole plane.
Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:11 pm
Many thanks to everyone involved in the lift of Corsair FG-1D BuNo. 92460!
I didn't have a lot of time to take photos, but here's a link to a few of mine!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11465521@N ... 956720231/
To sum up today's events; we arrived about 2:30 to start prepping for the lift. Winds were forecast 12 knots 90 degrees to the aircraft. A little worried since several tons swinging in the breeze could prove a little dangerous. I decided to wait the arrival of the crane from Quick Pick Crane Services. He told me that it should be no problem as long as we have tag lines on the tail and wing tie downs.
We were a GO!
Once the aircraft was rigged, we attacked the bolts. Now we've been spraying loosening agent on them regularly since last November and then trying a wrench every couple of weeks. We only managed to get one nut off. Today we were forced to cut three of the nuts off using a torch. Care was taken to not damage the bolt threads as they would be needed in the future to bolt the aircraft back on the pylon.
With tension on the Corsair we had to rock the airframe fore and aft and wing to wing using the tag lines to free the flat steel plate from the pylon. It loosened up and she "flew" off her perch at about 6:15 PM EST and over to the waiting truck chassie. Now using several experts, the empty weight with no landing gear and such was estimated at about 6,000 lbs. Well the crane operator said the lifted weight was 9,000 lbs!
A little off don't you think! No problem since the crane had a 20 ton capacity.
A truck chassie was located by Tim Brady of Three Wing Aviation Services, which by the way, had several employees involved in the lift.
Tim and his friend modified the frame by welding a steel plate on it with four holes that matched the pylon's bolt pattern. When the Corsair was lowered onto the frame we discovered that the outer dual wheels were rubbing the lowest part of the wing. We lifted the nose slightly and placed a 6X6 under the pylon mount. this raised the nose enough to clear the outboard tires by about one inch. Although the aircraft isn't sitting flat on the steel plate, it is bolted tight to it.
Once the aircraft was tightened down, the crane repositioned to between two hangars and the Corsair was towed over to the crane. There is no gate that the aircraft would fit through and it would take some time to work on folding the wings, so it was decided to do a second lift over some trees and one corner of the hangar and down onto an airport driveway.
Now the area where we were placing the Corsair was about 45-50 feet wide. The aircraft would fit, but it was tight. We had to lift it and swing it around with one long tag line on the tail to keep it under control. The chassie was towed around to another gate and then repositioned under the Corsair. Once lowered and bolted to the frame at about 7:15 PM EST, we packed up and were done for the day.
The next step is to have an outside person evaluate the airframe so that a plan of action can be drawn up and refurbishment plotted out.
It was a long road, but quite a relief to see it secure and on the airport!
Many thanks to everyone involved. It was a real team effort and everyone worked well together to solve the little hurdles we had to jump over.
The knots are now out of my stomach and I'm breathing a lot easier now!!!!
Blue skies,
Jerry
PS: Thanks for posting those photos Jorge! I wish I could've taken a lot more.
BTW, I'm the one with the yellow hat on the middle of the group photo!
I didn't have a lot of time to take photos, but here's a link to a few of mine!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11465521@N ... 956720231/
To sum up today's events; we arrived about 2:30 to start prepping for the lift. Winds were forecast 12 knots 90 degrees to the aircraft. A little worried since several tons swinging in the breeze could prove a little dangerous. I decided to wait the arrival of the crane from Quick Pick Crane Services. He told me that it should be no problem as long as we have tag lines on the tail and wing tie downs.
We were a GO!
Once the aircraft was rigged, we attacked the bolts. Now we've been spraying loosening agent on them regularly since last November and then trying a wrench every couple of weeks. We only managed to get one nut off. Today we were forced to cut three of the nuts off using a torch. Care was taken to not damage the bolt threads as they would be needed in the future to bolt the aircraft back on the pylon.
With tension on the Corsair we had to rock the airframe fore and aft and wing to wing using the tag lines to free the flat steel plate from the pylon. It loosened up and she "flew" off her perch at about 6:15 PM EST and over to the waiting truck chassie. Now using several experts, the empty weight with no landing gear and such was estimated at about 6,000 lbs. Well the crane operator said the lifted weight was 9,000 lbs!
A little off don't you think! No problem since the crane had a 20 ton capacity.
A truck chassie was located by Tim Brady of Three Wing Aviation Services, which by the way, had several employees involved in the lift.
Tim and his friend modified the frame by welding a steel plate on it with four holes that matched the pylon's bolt pattern. When the Corsair was lowered onto the frame we discovered that the outer dual wheels were rubbing the lowest part of the wing. We lifted the nose slightly and placed a 6X6 under the pylon mount. this raised the nose enough to clear the outboard tires by about one inch. Although the aircraft isn't sitting flat on the steel plate, it is bolted tight to it.
Once the aircraft was tightened down, the crane repositioned to between two hangars and the Corsair was towed over to the crane. There is no gate that the aircraft would fit through and it would take some time to work on folding the wings, so it was decided to do a second lift over some trees and one corner of the hangar and down onto an airport driveway.
Now the area where we were placing the Corsair was about 45-50 feet wide. The aircraft would fit, but it was tight. We had to lift it and swing it around with one long tag line on the tail to keep it under control. The chassie was towed around to another gate and then repositioned under the Corsair. Once lowered and bolted to the frame at about 7:15 PM EST, we packed up and were done for the day.
The next step is to have an outside person evaluate the airframe so that a plan of action can be drawn up and refurbishment plotted out.
It was a long road, but quite a relief to see it secure and on the airport!
Many thanks to everyone involved. It was a real team effort and everyone worked well together to solve the little hurdles we had to jump over.
The knots are now out of my stomach and I'm breathing a lot easier now!!!!
Blue skies,
Jerry
PS: Thanks for posting those photos Jorge! I wish I could've taken a lot more.
BTW, I'm the one with the yellow hat on the middle of the group photo!
Last edited by Jerry O'Neill on Wed Jul 23, 2008 5:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Wed Jul 23, 2008 12:37 am
Uggg!!!! Boy oh boy did i miss all the fun or what?!?!?!?!
Man I've gotta get my head into the game!
Jerry, i was there earlier, but didn't think the pull off was still going to happen today. I did end up leaving some models in the showcase though.
Good to know everything went to plan. Though i am so sad to have not been there!
Man I've gotta get my head into the game!
Jerry, i was there earlier, but didn't think the pull off was still going to happen today. I did end up leaving some models in the showcase though.
Good to know everything went to plan. Though i am so sad to have not been there!
Wed Jul 23, 2008 12:55 am
jaldo wrote:
NEEEEEROOOM! TAKKATAKKATAKKATTAAKATATATAKKA!!!
NEEERPUTTT...PUTT...PUUTT, er, takka? Takka? Tak, uh?
Had to add the sound effects! Great Job!
Robbie
Wed Jul 23, 2008 6:46 am
Jerry O'Neill wrote:The next step is to have an outside person evaluate the airframe so that a plan of action can be drawn up and refurbishment plotted out.
I have a question for you ... I know you all are still very preliminary with all this, but once work starts will there be any regular opportunities for the public to stop in to see the restoration in-progress?
A good number of years ago I was able to make it up and over to Sikorsky for several of their warbird fly-ins. This was back when Excambian was being restored and, after seeing her all finished and on display up at NEAM I'm still kicking myself for not wandering over to see her while the work was being done.
Wed Jul 23, 2008 6:49 am
I updated the Locator for this one...
http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/LocationDos ... op_of_page
Will the public be able to view the restoration work in progress? If so where will that be done?
Did I get the current location correct?
Mike
http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/LocationDos ... op_of_page
Will the public be able to view the restoration work in progress? If so where will that be done?
Did I get the current location correct?
Mike
Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:16 am
The plans are to have it on some public display, since that would be benificial to fundraising for the restoration. It's always very intersting to view a restoration in progress.
Here's a linkto the Connecticut Post Newspaper article:
http://www.connpost.com/localnews/ci_9965117?source=rv
Jerry
Here's a linkto the Connecticut Post Newspaper article:
http://www.connpost.com/localnews/ci_9965117?source=rv
Jerry
Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:41 am
Very cool. Will she stay as Lulubelle?
Wed Jul 23, 2008 11:41 am
Here you go Mike, this is the building.And you can see not a far move.
Wed Jul 23, 2008 12:07 pm
What do you think if they restore this A/C to a good Static display and see if there is another Museum out there that would exchange it with a Vought ship, this way the A/C that sits at the Stratford/Bridgeport field is actually the one that was assembled there.I don't know the politics of it all but maybe one of you do?
Wed Jul 23, 2008 1:01 pm
Fantastic job guys!!! Good to see her finally getting some care! 
Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:48 pm
At this point in time, it will probably be re-painted as "Lucybelle", which, as we all know, is not really Pappy's ship, just a publicity paint job. But it is well known and honors a famous Marine Corps pilot. It might change but that's a little further down the road.
As far as an "exchange" for a Vought aircraft. I don't think anybody out there would trade what is a striped down, un-flyable FG for a Vought built F4U, especially if they knew it would be going on outside display in a salt environment!
I, for one, would not want to condemn a Vought built model, (or any Corsair for that matter!) to the ravages of out side display. This one has suffered enough and will be repaired and hopefully protected with better treatments before it is returned to it's pylon. Not the best thing as we all know, but it is what the local Marine Corps League insists upon.
I would rather try to locate a Vought built example and have it on inside display at the Connecticut Air and Space Center while keeping the potential damage due to the weather being focused on only one airframe.
Jerry.
As far as an "exchange" for a Vought aircraft. I don't think anybody out there would trade what is a striped down, un-flyable FG for a Vought built F4U, especially if they knew it would be going on outside display in a salt environment!
I, for one, would not want to condemn a Vought built model, (or any Corsair for that matter!) to the ravages of out side display. This one has suffered enough and will be repaired and hopefully protected with better treatments before it is returned to it's pylon. Not the best thing as we all know, but it is what the local Marine Corps League insists upon.
I would rather try to locate a Vought built example and have it on inside display at the Connecticut Air and Space Center while keeping the potential damage due to the weather being focused on only one airframe.
Jerry.