Warbird Information Exchange

theres a couple of books called Corsair units over Korea i believe. Very good insight on the units that went over.

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

BuNo. 121974 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... Nov50.jpeg
BuNo. 122189 #15 F4U Corsair, Detail & Scale Vol. 56, Bert Kinzey
BuNo. 123180 #17 My collection & http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... _1950.jpeg
BuNo. 123183 #19 F4U Corsair in Color, Fighting Colors, Jim Sullivan, Squadron/Signal Publications
BuNo. 123185 My collection.
BuNo. 123188 #22 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... _Korea.jpg
BuNo. 124443 #13 F4U Corsair, Warbirdtech Series Vol. 4, Barrett Tillman. Wrecked 3 Dec. 1950 Kimpo Airfield, Nosed over. F4U in Action, Aircraft Number 145, SquadronSignal Publications.

You may want to look at Night Wings USMC Fighters 1942-1953, Thomas E. Doll, Squadron/Signal Publications.

Regards,

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45-47=-2

Guessing the new paint scheme of a certain Germany based Corsair just got easier!

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Life's a Pitts

To add to Mike's list, here's my best account of what photos exist of VMF(N)-513 Corsairs so far...

#1
#5
#6
#10
#11
#13 BuNo.124443
#15
#16 BuNo.123191
#17 BuNo.123180
#19 BuNo.123183
#20 BuNo.12318-
#21
#22 BuNo.123188
#27
#41

also:
BuNo.121974
BuNo.123185


Looking at the list of side numbers, it strikes me that the number '41' seems a little out of place amongst the group. Seeing that BuNo.124541 is the only F4U-5NL so far identified among all of the other F4U-5N's, it makes me wonder if the squadron might have assigned it this unique number to make it readily identifiable amidst the group. It is in fact the last two digits of BuNo.124541's Bureau Number, although Bureau Numbers generally had no bearing on the selection of side numbers during the Korean War. For now I think the number '41' might be the most logical choice to match with BuNo.124541 unless/until we come across a photo that 100% matches this plane showing another specific side number.

I'm betting somewhere there's a higher resolution version of this photo with a discernable BuNo!...

_________________
Rob Mears
'Surviving Corsairs' Historian
robcmears@yahoo.com
http://www.robmears.com

Here's a list of VMF(N)-513 Corsair combat losses from Joe Baugher's excellent website. It looks like the F4U-5NL version may not have been such a rarity amongst the F4U-5N's. This is a great study of Bureau Numbers, but alas no side number cross references.

F4U-5N
• 121832 (VMF-513) lost in Korea Oct 17, 1950
• 121892 (VMF-513) crashed at Yonpo Airfield, Korea Dec 10, 1950.
• 121226 (VMF-513) MIA on intruder mission, Korea, Nov 20, 1950.
• 122018 (VMF-513) crashed on takeoff, Korea, Sept 22, 1950.
• 123152 (VMF-513) in takeoff accident at K-18, Kangnung, Korea Jan 23, 1952
• 123176 (VMF-513) went missing after mission completion, Korea, Oct 29, 1951.
• 123179 (VMF-513) ran out of fuel, last seen heading out to sea after pilot bailed out Sept 27, 1950.
• 123180 (VMF-513) pilot bailed out near Taegu, Korea after engine failure Oc5 23, 1951.
• 123188 (VMF-513) engine failed after takeoff, forced to land at K-18 Kangnung, Korea Jan 12, 1952.
• 123202 (VMF-513) napalm tank hit by ground fire and crashed near Kuhwha, Mayhon-ni area of Korea May 27, 1951.
• 124456 (VMF-513) ditched due to fuel exhaustion near Kimpo Field, Korea Aug 14, 1951.
• 124491 (VMF-513) in bad takeoff from Pusan, Korea Jun 4, 1951. 124492 (VMF-513) hit by AAA Apr 22, 1951.
• 124503 (VMF-513) lost power after takeoff, destroyed at Pusan Feb 20, 1951.

F4U-5NL
• 124512 (VMF-513) hit by AAA 15 mi NE of Pyongyang Apr 13, 1951. 124516 (VMF-513) crashed Sep 20, 1951.
• 124518 (VMF-513) shot down during attack near Hanp-o-ri, Korea Jul 13, 1951
• 124525 (VMF-513) crashed after engine failure Dec 17, 1951. 124527 (VMF-513) crash-landed after being hit by AAA Dec 14, 1951.
• 124528 (VMF-513) lost during attack near Namchon-jon, Korea Jul 13, 1951.
• 124529 (VMF-513) hit by AAA, pilot bailed out May 27, 1951.
• 124530 (VMF-513) crashed near Masan-ni, Korea Jul 19, 1951.
• 124531 (VMF-513) lost during attack on vehicles near Yang-gu, Korea May 20, 1951.
• 124537 (VMF-513) crashed into hill at end of runway at Kimpo Airfield during bad landing Jun 28, 1952.
• 124550 (VMF-513) ditched near K-8, Kora Jul 10, 1952

_________________
Rob Mears
'Surviving Corsairs' Historian
robcmears@yahoo.com
http://www.robmears.com

I actually have 513s files on a CD 1950-1953. I was in the process of writing a book about night fighters and obtained the files from Quantico (that fell through). The squadron had a number of enlisted pilots that flew the -5N and -5NL.

ACarey, if you get the opportunity see if there is a document showing a list of planes assigned to the squadron. It should be a page that cross references Bureau Numbers with the plane's "squadron number" or side number. It would probably be an enclosure attached to the squadron's deployment orders.

Contacting any surviving pilots or their relatives for log book references and photos might yield a good bit of relevant history for this plane as well. Pilot logs would be the quickest way to determine potential info on specific combat sorties, and match them with a pilot's name at the same time. DFC awardee Cpt. Raymond Smith flew #21 I believe. I'd love to see what his logs had to say.

Rob

_________________
Rob Mears
'Surviving Corsairs' Historian
robcmears@yahoo.com
http://www.robmears.com

I'll take a look.

In addition to the above lists I have found the following:

F4U-5N 121856 WF 4 NIGHT WINGS P.37
F4U-5N 121895 WF 4 FLIGHT JOURNAL JUNE 1995 P.80
F4U-5N 121896 WF 4 FLIGHT JOURNAL JUNE 1995 P.80
F4U-5N 122184 WF ? WARBIRDS DIRECTORY 1988, pg. 287- WARBIRD MARKINGS N65WF
F4U-5N 123176 WF 19 OFFICAL MONOGRAM USN & USMC AIRCRAFT P. 94
F4U-5N 124449 WF 11 FIGHTING COLORS F4U-CORSAIR IN COLOR P.23
F4U-5N 124449 WF 1 F4U CORSAIR IN ACTION- SQUADRON SIGNAL # 145, pg 47
F4U-5NL 124526 WF 5 KOREA THE AIR WAR 1950-1953 by NICHOLLS & THOMPSON P.88
F4U-5NL 124667 WF 13 AIR WARS AND AIRCRAFT, pg. 239
F4U-5NL 124676 WF 5 KOREA THE AIR WAR 1950-1953 by NICHOLLS & THOMPSON, pg. 88
F4U-5NL 12455? WF 15 FLIGHT JOURNAL JUNE 1995 P.80
F4U-5NL 12456? WF 15 FLIGHT JOURNAL JUNE 1995 P.80
There is some doubt about WF 15, 12455? or 12456? and WF 4, 121896 or 121895. The pictures in the article in Flight Journal are not the best. but maybe they will lead to something else.
Another source for data would be the log books of Captain John William Andre who became an ace (June 7, 1952) while flying with the "Flying Nightmares” in Korea. There may be some of his info (his log book which would list other VMFN-513 aircraft he flew) with the American Fighter Ace Association, which was located in Mesa AZ.
I hope this helps,Bill

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The Breaks of Naval Air-Skid Marks in the Sky

What are the odds that the airplane has been completely stripped in its past, meaning, would a gentle sanding now reveal any of its original marking from the 50's??