french Hellcats

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:39 pm

F6F-5s FN 1959

Matt_in_NC · **Posted:** Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:54 pm

Very nice photo. They look well worn. You don't happen to have any of the F4u-7's they operated, do you? Hellcats are great, but I'm kinda partial to things with inverted gull wings!!

Robbie Roberts · **Posted:** Mon Apr 28, 2008 11:36 pm

Hellfrogs?

Mgawa · **Posted:** Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:59 am

In first moment I have seen this topic I think on the model kit manufacturer "french"

ALU · **Posted:** Wed Apr 30, 2008 4:07 pm

Nice picture." french Hellcat" pictures in colour are quiet rare!
Here is some "french Corsair pics". I hope that the links enlisted below will work as it is the first time I post some pictures.

I have gathered dozens of others. Do not hesitate to ask me if you are interested.

ALU.
("Frogman")

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Wed Apr 30, 2008 5:14 pm

Yeah, I would like to see more. Great paint schemes.

Matt_in_NC · **Posted:** Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:20 pm

Thanks for posting the F4u-7 pictures. That is an impressive looking airplane!!! It's amazing to think that they were actually fitted with guided missiles late in their career...talk about a plane come full circle!! I wish I had the link, but there is a model-building article by a guy who helped to rebuild one of the last (the last?) Corsairs built (F4u-7). He talked about how painstakingly they stripped away paint to find how the aircraft was originally painted only to later have the aircraft painted in a spurious U.S. Navy scheme when it went out to the Tilamook museum. They obviously own the aircraft, but come on!!! If I can find the link, I'll post it.

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:46 pm

Yeah, i think its kinda funny that the -7 cant somehow be traded for a -4 from France. Wouldnt they be in more of there respected places then?

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:50 pm

When Tillamook got the F4U-7 the first thing they did was to strip that great paint scheme of and put very plain US generic marling on

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:54 pm

Its unique alright! Its baa baa black sheep scheme! :roll:

Mike · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 8:54 am **Posts:** 3333

Yeah, really sad that they changed original (and very eye-catching) scheme. That was one of my all-time favourite aeroplanes when Lindsey Walton owned it and I used to crew on it in the 1980s.

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:04 pm

and it has it's own website............. :shock:

http://www.paintitboringblueandparkitinthehanger.com

Matt_in_NC · **Posted:** Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:05 pm

AHA!!!!! I found it!! Sorry, as it is a modeling page, (and I didn't mean to hijack this message) but there is a history of the F4u-7 at Tilamook on this page, and the guy who built the kit is still angry with that museum, as he had a hand in the initial restoration of that plane. http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/korean/cleaverf4u7.htm

ALU · **Posted:** Thu May 01, 2008 5:39 am

Great picture of 133722. I will post a picture of this Corsair in duty on a new topic on French Corsairs.
Here is a picture of a sunk Hellcat at Cap Nègre (near St Tropez, south coast of France.)
As I am not a diver, I am not the man who took this picture and I don't know if it is a -3 or -5. It looks like pretty good. A new prop, a new paint and some hundreds gallons avgas.

If anybody have equipment and enough patience to deal with french administration, I am sure it would be better in a museum or in good hands than rotting in salt watter.

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french Hellcats

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