Lake Michigan F6F recovery and restoration thread

Taras · **Joined:** Sun Jun 13, 2004 4:49 pm **Posts:** 89

We are hoping the "bird cage" Corsair and the Hell diver.

Taras

mh53eflyguy · **Joined:** Thu Dec 10, 2009 3:30 pm **Posts:** 98

Ooops, it works now. I had mistakenly changed the permissions on all those pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19178908@N02/4192468053

Cheers!

mh53eflyguy · **Joined:** Thu Dec 10, 2009 3:30 pm **Posts:** 98

Taras wrote:

We are hoping the "bird cage" Corsair and the heck diver.

Taras

By Chance (ha!) is that the "Bird Cage" Corsair in Lake Sebago or in your neck of the woods?

RMAllnutt · **Posted:** Sun Dec 20, 2009 3:28 pm

mh53eflyguy wrote:

Taras wrote:

We are hoping the "bird cage" Corsair and the heck diver.

Taras

By Chance (ha!) is that the "Bird Cage" Corsair in Lake Sebago or in your neck of the woods?

The one in Lake Michigan.

Cheers,
Richard

Warhawk · **Posted:** Sun Dec 20, 2009 5:21 pm

mh53eflyguy wrote:

Ooops, it works now. I had mistakenly changed the permissions on all those pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19178908@N02/4192468053

Cheers!

Much better. Thank you.

mh53eflyguy · **Joined:** Thu Dec 10, 2009 3:30 pm **Posts:** 98

Warhawk wrote:

mh53eflyguy wrote:

Ooops, it works now. I had mistakenly changed the permissions on all those pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19178908@N02/4192468053

Cheers!

Much better. Thank you.

....While you're in there, snoop around at the nearly 300 other Hellcat pictures and enjoy!

mh53eflyguy · **Joined:** Thu Dec 10, 2009 3:30 pm **Posts:** 98

RMAllnutt wrote:

mh53eflyguy wrote:

Taras wrote:

We are hoping the "bird cage" Corsair and the heck diver.

Taras

By Chance (ha!) is that the "Bird Cage" Corsair in Lake Sebago or in your neck of the woods?

The one in Lake Michigan.

Cheers,
Richard

Gotcha... Wishful thinking on the Sebago one, I just hope that some day it will see the O2 again, and the remains properly given back to the family. I know there was some sort of litigation recently with it, but I remain hopeful.

Steve Nelson · **Posted:** Mon Dec 21, 2009 4:07 am

The only problem with displaying a Wildcat, Hellcat or Avenger with the wings folded is that it makes the plane difficult to see. At one time the Air Zoo had their FM-2 and F6F diplayed with one wing folded, and the other extended. Of course you'd never see one like that in "real life," but it makes a good compromise for display..conserves space and shows visitors how the wing fold works, while still allowing them to see the whole aircraft. Of course, the fighters have manually folding wings. I'm not sure if an Avenger's wings can be folded independently.

SN

Taras · **Joined:** Sun Jun 13, 2004 4:49 pm **Posts:** 89

There were and still are people in government positions who for many years tried to stop, caused great delay, the recovery of this Hellcat. They used every nonsensical justification full of bovine excrement they could think of to try to stop it. One once said it was better to leave the airplane "in-situ" so that some archeologist could study it in "100 to 150 years from now." These people have done great harm to the people of the United States of American with their shallow, narrow minded, abuse that sought nothing but control over what belongs to all of us. They are simply vile sad people who sit behind desks and throw darts at those that live life in the real world and make a difference. This airplane has already shown that if these people had their way so much history would never have been known and forever lost to time.

For all who helped to overcome those people I wish to offer you the most sincere Thank you. You never gave up. We unlike them know that we have made this country better for we have lived.

Taras

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyn1PKni4pg

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

Taras wrote:

There were and still are people in government positions who for many years tried to stop, caused great delay, the recovery of this Hellcat. They used every nonsensical justification full of bovine excrement they could think of to try to stop it. One once said it was better to leave the airplane "in-situ" so that some archeologist could study it in "100 to 150 years from now." These people have done great harm to the people of the United States of American with their shallow, narrow minded, abuse that sought nothing but control over what belongs to all of us. They are simply vile sad people who sit behind desks and throw darts at those that live life in the real world and make a difference.

Thankfully, most of those people are now gone or out of power, so the real work can begin. I know you can't talk about specific projects in the future, but any more W.W.II aircraft recoveries planned for 2010?

Taras · **Joined:** Sun Jun 13, 2004 4:49 pm **Posts:** 89

Yes, the Otay Helldiver and perhaps the Lake Michigan F4U.

Owen Miller · **Joined:** Fri Aug 27, 2004 9:28 pm **Posts:** 614

Well said Taras!!!!!!!

Remember folks. The Navy needs sponsors for these recoveries.
People like the Taylors of Enterprise Rent-A-Car and a couple of
others I probably ought not name are making a HUGE difference.
The Navy does not have the funds to do this. Anybody out there
in the warbird community that can secure a sponsor is doing a HUGE
service.

People bitched and railed against the Navy on this board for years.
They pretty much have their ducks in a row now the way y'all
wanted. Let's work WITH them and help them out.

TimAPNY · **Posted:** Sun Jan 03, 2010 4:02 pm

Owen Miller wrote:

Well said Taras!!!!!!!

Remember folks. The Navy needs sponsors for these recoveries.
People like the Taylors of Enterprise Rent-A-Car and a couple of
others I probably ought not name are making a HUGE difference.
The Navy does not have the funds to do this. Anybody out there
in the warbird community that can secure a sponsor is doing a HUGE
service.

People bitched and railed against the Navy on this board for years.
They pretty much have their ducks in a row now the way y'all
wanted. Let's work WITH them and help them out.

what has happened in 2009 I did not think I'd see ever happen let along so quickly. I hope 2010 allows me to help out with restorations and maybe recoveries in a small way through some extra in my wallet.

I also hope to see some of these aircraft transferred to private hands so that they can become living history to complement those in the museums. Things are moving forward and I have hope they will continue. I think if that door opens many more recoveries will happen.

Tim

shepsair · **Posted:** Mon Jan 11, 2010 6:00 pm

Hi all

At the start we only had 25910 written/recorded as going to VF-38 in the Pacific - not much and not really 100% accurate as the aircraft record cards have been known to have errors.

Having researched/located and have now written to the families of a dozen pilots of VF-38 who flew the Hellcats from the Solomons in 1943 and have started getting feedback.

We now know 25910 served alongside a number of other Hellcats all in the 25xxx to 26xxx block with VF-38. Currently the first known recorded flight for 25910 was July 43 and the last one is in December 43 - so Guadalcanal/Munda/Espiritos Santo are all part of the island hoping career of 25910 during this time.

It is thought 25910 returned to the States in March 1944 as a 'war weary airframe' - not surprised.

Now to side the side number (or confirm it was '2') - Oh and find a picture of her in the Solomons!!!

I am sure Pensacola are happy with this development! (They do know).

regards

Mark

mh53eflyguy · **Joined:** Thu Dec 10, 2009 3:30 pm **Posts:** 98

She's on her nose as promised!

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