marine air wrote:
The Soplata F7U Cutlass is still sitting where it has always been the last several decades. It is about 99% complete including engines installed etc. It would be nice to see it go to one of the aircraft carrier museums or another nice museum. It's awesome to see up close.
Actually to be specific, it would be nice to see the Soplata F7U Cutlass go to the USS Midway museum in San Diego. I was there this summer after having been once before ten years ago. It is impressive how well looked after their aircraft and artifacts seem to be. Lots of volunteers working , docents and guys giving lectures. They have so many representative types that the only aircraft I could think of that they don't have are the F7U Cutlass, T-28C , and maybe a T-34 B or C.
The Midway is about to display 129565 on deck once she is painted. The volunteers in Dallas at the Vought Heritage Foundation did the cosmetic restoration on her.
Soplata’s F7U is far from 99% complete unless only the “big parts” are considered. The aircraft was componant stripped prior to Walter obtaining it from NARTU South Weymouth. The process of disassembly for transport was effected by the minor destruction of several areas of the multi-piece spar, which for a flyer is “major destruction”. Although this does not prevent the aircraft from being displayed, it does ensure that it will never be a candidate for flight.
A museum not familiar with the type would have their hands full in trying to effect the repairs to cosmetically display this aircraft without the ability to access a parts horde or tap another airframe for parts. The restoration problem with any Cutlass, whether it is being restored for flight or for static display, is the delamination of the Metallite surfaces, and the utter degradation of the magnesium skin componants. With a “for flight” restoration, such as ours, the question is moot - we have to do what we have to do to repair/replace these parts. The problem lies with a static restoration where the funds expended will often exceed the museum’s allocation for that one individual aircraft in the restoration que. With the Soplata F7U, the aircraft never appeared in Gull Gray/White during its service career, so to effect a restoration commensurate with the provenance of the aircraft, “bondo” is not an option as it was for the Cutlass displayed at NMNA, or the impending Midway display aircraft. I am hoping to acquire the Soplata aircraft, as many of the needed componants are on hand or will already be being duplicated for our other restoration efforts.
In any event, this rare aircraft deserves to be saved, and cosmetically restored in a fashion that will honor Walter’s effort, as well as the men who flew and maintained her.
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