PoF Corsair question

Chad Veich · **Posted:** Wed Aug 05, 2009 10:45 am

A couple of friends of mine recently attended a weekend Chino event and were told, apparently by one of the pilots of the Corsair, that the airplane is a F4U-1 model and was originally fitted with a bird cage canopy. I've always thought it to be a -1a model and had always been fitted with a blown sliding hood. I did read somewhere that it did at one time have the early style blown hood with the extra framing going over the top but have never heard from any source that it was ever a bird cage. So, what's the real story?

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Wed Aug 05, 2009 10:51 am

You are correct Chad.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11324

The story I heard was that it was remanufactured during the war after it had an accident and that the birdcage arrangement was changed at that time.

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Wed Aug 05, 2009 11:59 am

It's Bu No is of a F4U-1A sorry but the number don't lie.

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

FWIW, Steve Hinton has confirmed that the POF's Corsair was originally built as a bird cage example. A few years ago, Steve said that they were going to put the bird cage back on the airframe. Is that still in the works? Is that a far away project?

Chad Veich · **Posted:** Thu Aug 06, 2009 1:51 am

warbird1 wrote:

FWIW, Steve Hinton has confirmed that the POF's Corsair was originally built as a bird cage example. A few years ago, Steve said that they were going to put the bird cage back on the airframe. Is that still in the works? Is that a far away project?

He confirmed it was a bird cage or that it had the original blown hood with the extra framework? I was told it was the latter. No offense, I'm just asking because lots of folks get the two confused. Changing from a bird cage to the blown hood (And vice-versa) requires more than just the replacement of the sliding portion of the canopy as the rear decking is different as well.

A2C · **Posted:** Thu Aug 06, 2009 2:02 am

Is Steve a wixer?

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

A2C wrote:

Is Steve a wixer?

Not as far as we know. If he is, it's done anonymously. I doubt it, though, because he doesn't even post on the POF forum, which is his Museum's forum. If he doesn't have the time or will to post on that one, I doubt he would here.

FWIW, Steve did post on the old WWW forum - the predecessor to this one.

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

Chad Veich wrote:

warbird1 wrote:

FWIW, Steve Hinton has confirmed that the POF's Corsair was originally built as a bird cage example. A few years ago, Steve said that they were going to put the bird cage back on the airframe. Is that still in the works? Is that a far away project?

He confirmed it was a bird cage or that it had the original blown hood with the extra framework? I was told it was the latter. No offense, I'm just asking because lots of folks get the two confused. Changing from a bird cage to the blown hood (And vice-versa) requires more than just the replacement of the sliding portion of the canopy as the rear decking is different as well.

Bird cage, like this:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/1206241/

51fixer · **Posted:** Thu Aug 06, 2009 5:50 am

warbird1 wrote:

A2C wrote:

Is Steve a wixer?

Not as far as we know. If he is, it's done anonymously. I doubt it, though, because he doesn't even post on the POF forum, which is his Museum's forum. If he doesn't have the time or will to post on that one, I doubt he would here.

FWIW, Steve did post on the old WWW forum - the predecessor to this one.

I have received emails from Steve concerning info that I have posted over in the Bald Eagle Aviation thread. I wouldn't doubt that on occasion he has seen some other selected things here on WIX. He is probably alerted to things he would be interested in by friends.
Rich

John Ceglarek · **Posted:** Thu Aug 06, 2009 6:27 am

As far as I know, no -1As were build with true birdcage canopy...theyhad the "blown" canopy with the extra framing. So if the BuNo says it was a -1A, then I'm very skeptical that it ever had a birdcage.

John

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Thu Aug 06, 2009 7:39 am

There's no way that it was a early -1 birdcage has a number of folks have pointed out.
It did have I believe the belly view port of the rarly -1As and the models before that.
So maybe that's some folks have assumed it was a -1.
They've also looked into its history with very little luck has they really want it to be a combat vet.
But, thay hasn't been proven except with supposition since other
Corsairs with neighboring BuNo were combat birds.

Django · **Posted:** Thu Aug 06, 2009 10:22 am

The Brazil birdcage is the only survivor, correct?

Chad Veich · **Posted:** Thu Aug 06, 2009 10:27 am

Django wrote:

The Brazil birdcage is the only survivor, correct?

It's the only one currently fitted with a bird cage canopy but it too is a -1a and was not originally a bird cage Corsair.

Django · **Posted:** Thu Aug 06, 2009 10:29 am

So there are no early Corsairs that survived then? What a shame.

There is supposedly one in Lake Michigan, correct?

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