Warbird Information Exchange

F4U-5N BuNo 123199 VMFN-114 1950

F4U-4 USS Antietam CV-36 1952

F4U-4 VF-43 USS Coral Sea 1952

F4U-5N BuNo 123188 VMA-212 Korea 1951

F4U-5 VF-23 USS Wright 1948

F4U-4B VF-1B

F4U-4 VF-24

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Don't touch my junk!!

WoW Jack, have you got any -4s from VF-653??

What's the story on the VF-24 bird? How did the pilot keep it flying with most of the vertical tail gone?

VF-713 Fighting Aces w/ CV-9 USS Essex in the background.

Shay
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Semper Fortis

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While yes Korean War era. The Ageless Warrior (CV/A-43 USS Coral Sea) never did any cruises to, or conducted operations in Korea waters during the war.

The picture above was taken sometime between Apr.19, 1952 - Oct.12, 1952 while the Coral Sea was on a Med (Mediterranean) cruise. The picture, as Jack mentioned, depicts VF-43 Raider's Rebels (Modex 300) and Marine Sqn. VMF-211 "Wake Island Avengers" (Modex AF 100), who redesignated to VMA-211 during this deployment.

And way in the back is a couple of VF-44 "Hornets" (modex 400) birds.

Shay
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Semper Fortis

Of the three surfaces on an aircraft the vertical fin and rudder are the least important. Besides there is some of the vertical fin and rudder left. I woudn't have wanted to take a wave off in that configuration though.

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"I can't understand it, I cut it twice and it's still too short!" Robert F. Dupre' 1923-2010 Go With God.

Good grief! Nothing could be further from the truth. Of the three surfaces on the empennage, left horizontal stab/elevator, right horizontal stab/elevator and vertical stab/rudder, the one you may definitely not live without is the vertical fin. The R-2800's torque coupled with the gyroscopic force of the 13.5 foot diameter prop makes it impossible to survive without the directional control provided by the rudder/fin. You will certainly find that F4U's along with other piston engine aircraft have made successful returns with almost the entire left or right horizontal stab/elevator missing. This condition can be controlled with judicious use of aileron and rudder along with the help of the trims. Had the vertical stab been reduced much further than what is pictured, the aircraft would have been uncontrollable under high power settings due to the engine/prop physics. The aircraft would have begun snap-rolls probably followed by the pilot exiting the aircraft after reducing power, which would have most likely resulted in a flat spin. In my time, I have never found that an aircraft, piston or jet, minus the vertical stab has ever survived.
The one correct statement here is that a wave-off or bolter in my time, would have been most likely unsuccessful due to the reduced rudder/stab surface area.

amazing how far the pilot's seat cranked up re: 1st pic!! i'd still need a couple of phone books as a booster!!

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

very nice photo's. thanks for posting

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" I am a nobody in aviation, but somebody to my family."

If the aircraft landed this way, I'd say the photo refutes your statement. If so, without a doubt, great airmanship on the part of the pilot. The vertical stab appears completely intact although probably 50-60% of the rudder is missing. What remains appears operable as the rudder is displaced to the left slightly.

The fuselage provides some longitudinal stability/weathervaning. The seas appear relatively calm. Low power setting and presuming a return to the ship at altitude. Looks like he did a great job.

I would agree that a bolter would not be an option. Did carriers of this era have the barricades yet?

Caveat: this presumes the aircraft landed like this and was not chomped-on by the prop of the aircraft behind it.

Jack,

Thanks for the posting ... brought back some 50+ years memories ... my 2nd time in Korea I spent some 7 months at the Koon-ni Range ... On occasion, we would get a nighttime flight of 5 Corsairs .... One "lamplighter" who dropped flares to lighten up the island and the other 4 would do their bombing ... As a matter of fact, I have one of the parachutes (flares) and going to embroider some of my Korean memories ... "old warbirds" ... How time flies by!!

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Jerry
S/Sgt. - USAF Radio Operator '52-'56
C-119 "Flying Boxcar" - Korea & Japan

Volunteer: National Museum of the US Air Force (2007-2016)
LTM 381st Bomb Group Memorial Association

Nice photo's. My grandfather was on CV-43 during Med Cruise 1952. He was a Marine Aircraft Electrician assigned to VMF-211. I'm building a 1/48 Hasegawa F4U-4 as #111. Can I get a copy of that photo? The squadron's AF tailcode markings are unique. The lower bar of the A is even with the bottom bar of the F,instead of being lower as in a normal modex. I've also not found any other squadron that has the red/white prop,wingtip,rudder and tailcone stripes. Where there any BuNo displayed on these aircraft or were they censored?

Jack:

Nice pics again of the Korea era F4Us! Do you have the Marines F4U -5N LK Corsair as #14 0r LE #14? If you do plz post c. 1950s.

Tks in advance

F4U Folks:

Found this interesting B/W pic of night Cats & F4Us c. 1950s. Place Ukn. Photo Navy Archives.