F2G on the move

Ed Likes · **Posted:** Sun Jan 18, 2009 12:09 am

I watched tonight on the Speed Channel as I have done for several years what is happening at Scotsdale Arizona. Ron Pratt in a matter of about 3 hours spent roughly 2 million dollars. Certainly there is no recession in his neck of the woods.
I think it is great what he is doing, does anyone know what he does or did for a living? He is amassing an outstanding collection of vehicles and aircraft. As of Satuday January 17th he now owns in addition to #57 Super Corsair the 1929 Ford Tri-Motor which was at Pearl Hrbor cost 1.1 million then Serial number 1 55 Thunderbird $600,000 throw in the Jeff Gordon #24 Car for chairity $500,000.
Not a bad nights work I wonder if he has a museum of some type wherever he lives? I have always had champayne taste on a beer budget Mr. Pratt does indeed have champayne taste on a champayne budget.

kennsmithf2g · **Posted:** Sun Jan 18, 2009 12:19 am

Various bits and pieces of #94 survive "above ground"

The engine and prop are at Crawford
The engine mount is on #57
The seat, spinner, at least one wind tip plate (i've seen that one) and at least one of the main gear are supposed to be in private collections.

How much is burried is a matter of speculation. The approximate site is know. When I was a small kid in the early 60's, I seem to remember "aircraft junk" (hey, I was a small kid then....) lying around the revine in the area that looked like could have come from a Corsair like the Cox one I was flying. There are also other aircraft stuff in the area., a Panther and a Neptune come to mind. I say, LETS DIG!!!!!

Tim Adams · **Joined:** Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:17 pm **Posts:** 301

Ed Likes wrote:

I watched tonight on the Speed Channel as I have done for several years what is happening at Scotsdale Arizona. Ron Pratt in a matter of about 3 hours spent roughly 2 million dollars. Certainly there is no recession in his neck of the woods.
I think it is great what he is doing, does anyone know what he does or did for a living? He is amassing an outstanding collection of vehicles and aircraft. As of Satuday January 17th he now owns in addition to #57 Super Corsair the 1929 Ford Tri-Motor which was at Pearl Hrbor cost 1.1 million then Serial number 1 55 Thunderbird $600,000 throw in the Jeff Gordon #24 Car for chairity $500,000.
Not a bad nights work I wonder if he has a museum of some type wherever he lives? I have always had champayne taste on a beer budget Mr. Pratt does indeed have champayne taste on a champayne budget.

He also owns the P-51 Red Dog. He owns one of the largest wood framing and concrete foundation companies in the country, Pratte Development Company.

warbird1 · **Joined:** Fri Sep 21, 2007 6:25 pm **Posts:** 2760

Ed Likes wrote:

Not a bad nights work I wonder if he has a museum of some type wherever he lives?

I've heard that his collection of aircraft will be amassed at Stellar Field in Chandler, Arizona. Whether it will be open to the public remains to be seen. Hopefully, so.

Canso42 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:15 pm

Okay, I'm a bit corn-fused. I know only a handful of F2G's were originally built. How many survive, whole or partial, flying or static and how many are actually souped up post-war F4U's or FG-1D's?

MX304 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:23 pm

I think there are three survivors. The Museum of flight static bird, #57, and #74. The onllt "regular" Corsair with a 4360 installed post war was the POF racer that was lost at Phoenix when Kevin had to bail out of it. The MOF example and #57 are F2G-1s while #74 is an F2G-2. IIRC 5 each of the -1, and -2 models were built.

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:27 pm

Would be nice to see someone make a couple new F2G's for racing and whatnot.

F2G_lover · **Posted:** Sun Jan 18, 2009 4:00 pm

Here are a couple of great articles about the F2G's.

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/F ... s/00a.shtm

http://www.airrace.com/CorsairStatusList2.html

Does anyone know if the blueprints for the F2G are available? I just bought a CD set for the F4U-1 off of eBay, but I haven't got them yet.

It would be great to see at least a couple more F2G's built. I'd love to see a movie about Cook Cleland and the post-war Cleveland Air Races.

kennsmithf2g · **Posted:** Sun Jan 18, 2009 5:30 pm

I don't know about the blue prints, but the Errection and Maintenance Indtructions (AN01-195FA-2) and the Pilot's Manual (AN01-195FA-1) are available

Page from the E&M Manual

F2G Drawing from the National Archives

Goodyear was suppose to have thrown it all away. One of the guys from Goodyear salvaged some stuff from the scrap yard. I believe the MAPS museum has his collection now.

kennsmithf2g · **Posted:** Sun Jan 18, 2009 5:33 pm

The manuals have great comics in them too!

F2G_lover · **Posted:** Sun Jan 18, 2009 7:18 pm

Those are great! Thanks, I'll have to pick those manuals up.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:10 pm

my best friend has the original cowl scoop blue print configuration for 57. the current 1 is not correct. it was eventually supposed to go to oddegaard. his dad's golf course abutted cleland's airport property. their friendship ended when cleland bellied his pby catalina on the golf course.

MX304 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:13 pm

The current cowl was used to ease maintenance. The original cowl would be a real PITA to live with in the real world.

MX304 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:16 pm

Do any drawings exist for the birdcage F4U that had the 4360 installed? Anyone have a few good pics of it?

kennsmithf2g · **Posted:** Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:34 pm

The Vought Hertage has a few pictures of it
http://www.voughtaircraft.com/heritage/ ... -1m_1.html

There is a nice color picture of it in the Pratt & Whitney 4360 Presentation book.

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