Warbird Information Exchange

Sad F4U News!

A few of us aviation enthusiast fought hard circa 2002 to bring this gem under shelter while sitting on outside display at the FAH Museum at Tegucigalpa. Honduras.

Now, the current administration is letting it set outside again where the elements are slowly taking their toll.The enclosed photo was taken c. 2006 while under shelter... showing already bubble canopy damage due to the angle of exposure to the morning sun.

We'll attempt one more time to bring this matter to the attention of proper authorities and explore the possibility of placing this valuable warbird at least under shelter before it becomes a victim of neglect at the mercy of the elements! Photo Ennio Devoto

Send her to Stratford We will take good care of her. Hell we might even restore her to fly!

_________________
Andrew King
Air Museum Director with no Museum to Direct
Open to Suggestions

CB13:

Good day!

I know all of you guys would give Buno F4U-5N 124715 excellent care! Tks

A few years ago, there was an offer by the Smithsonian to help with the restoration in the U.S and then fly it to different airshows as the last WW II piston fighter aircraft involved in air-to-air combat. (100 Hr War with a FAS P-51 Cavalier & couple of FAS FG-1D c. July 1969). Both type of aircraft bit the dust!! The fine offer was declined.

It's still in flying condition on outdoor display since April-2011... waiting for the end of the Mayan calendar according the to present museum administration to take some action & see what happens!

Bravo!

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Always looking for WW2 Half-Tracks and Parts.

FAH 609 Buno 124715:

Good day!!

FAH 609 as seen c. June 2009 now with both ailrerons missing during a FMAH display. We have made proper contacts with higher authorities about the current neglect status of a famous/historic aircraft.

Every effort is being made to bring this gem at least under shelter for now. If the
folks museum administrators (FMAH) fail to cooperate, someone else within the Honduras AF, (FAH) will move it for them. Photo via S2.



p.s (FYI) My previous request to bring FAH 609 under shelter was censored by the FMAH folks.

I agree that it should be taken to Stratford , CT for TLC. It's still under warranty so bring it to us

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

FAH 609 Buno 124715 Folks:

Just an update of this famous warbird!

We are making slow progress via diplomatic channels to preserve, restore and move under shelter this valuable aircraft. We are that small voice of warbirds enthusiast that will speak for this particular aircraft.

It is indeed sad that the current museum admin folks (FMAH) are just letting it fall to pieces.

We'll make other contacts with the Smithsonian, Seatlle Museum of Flight, Stratford Museum, Meier Motor Division of Germany and the Red Bull folks to see if they will be interested in restoration/preservations talks with the current FAH admin folks before the elements and corrosion do their number!!

In the picture below, FAH 609 as it seats today vigilant at the FMAH museum ...but silently asking for help. We encourage you to let these museum folks know via the link below that we still have time to save this valuable aircraft from destruction.

http://www.catrachowings.com

so this looks like another case of bribery on a public official and we can get this puppy home!

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S.

FAH 609 Folks:

Not so fast!! But something is cooking around here!

Why would the individuals in charge of protecting and preserving valuable aircraft all the sudden will place an airworthy F4U-5N in 2012 outside its hangar at the mercy of the elements??

The aircraft was doing fine in Oct 2005 inside its hangar, with ailerons in place and no damage to its canopy by the sun rays. I'' ll let the enclosed photo speak for itself. Photo via E.H

I like that one! That was good.

Maybe aircraft manufacturers in the future can take a lesson from the business model of the world's richest man and supreme exploiter of all the "angles." Instead of selling their products outright, they could simply lease or "license" the use of their aircraft to customers while retaining full ownership rights. Something like, "yes, yes, yes, you paid for the "license" for the use of the basic Boeing 787, but that allows you only to taxi it around the ramp. Now, if you really want to make some money with it and fly it with paying passengers, you must pay for a Client Access License or CAL for each and every passenger seat on the aircraft as well! SUCKER!!!"

_________________
“To invent the airplane is nothing. To build one is something. But to fly is everything!” - Otto Lilienthal

Natasha: "You got plan, darling?"
Boris: "I always got plan. They don't ever work, but I always got one!"

Remember, any dummy can be a dumb-ass...
In order to be a smart-ass, you first have to be "smart"
and to be a wise-ass, you actually have to be "wise"

forum guest:
i greet you in a very sad way in defending the people zorro7 or carlos planas is irrespectfully discrediting. i had the honor to shake the hands of the piloto who made the merits of making this airplane historical. he supported closely the foundation that is keeping it legally under a decret by the national congress, so the status that the foundation has is supported by all the requirements needed in this country, it not just a fan club as mr carlos planas is. all the members are high professional aviators who gives their time and effort without any payment, they are volunteers for the cause, being as historical guides to the public and schools that visit the museum, something mr planas has never done, just sit in a computer 2,000 kms away complaining for other´s effort, beside that he has not given a mimimun effort in money to the cause. as you know, the grow of a museum is always slow if you do not have a support from the government, everthing will depend on how many people enter. the fact that the airplane is out momentairly is for economical reason, not that they want to have it out by their will. right now, in the hagar, are placed some mural and other historical and more delicate things that show the public the history of our aviation, and so far, nobody has complained to see the plane out because they understand the reasons. the future proyects of the musem is to continue bulding more space to have the plane again in a proper hangar but it will take time, effort and patiente, all the volunteers of the proyect are giving, not like mir planas, just sitting in a computer looong far away, with a drink, not even sweeting!!! as the volunteer do there. i recently visited them and they were working even under the rain!! not like mr planas, comfortably sitted in his house.
as i know, he has just visited the museum 2 times in 10 year of the existance of the museum paying just 2 dollars!!! that´s all what he´s done for them!! he is not even a former FAH pilot!! he´s done nothing else!!! how can he "rescue" the plane 2,000 km way????
as i said before, i knew the pilot, talked to him, and if he was very confident in these people running the museum, why distrust in them??? never pay atention in someone who has never made a direct effort to the proyect.
beside that mr planas, as advice, do not use other´s pictures without their direct permission because you will have serius legal problems in copyright if you do not know, because i am sure you did not do it. i will contact the administrator in that case.

LMAO.., I can not wait to get sued by the country of Honduras!! LMFAO!!!!

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S.

FAH 609
it would be really good if you, mr planas, get $15,000 to build the "hangar" not "shelter" for the plane in the museum because that is the aproximatly cost of the edification, not just $50 a year as mr planas is intended to give to he museum. the total proyect edification is around $1.5 million, according the space that i saw. So, it not an easy task and being seated 2,000 km away, "comfortable" in front of a computer pushing other beside making ireasonable critics if he does not know how to bouild even a wall. as a soldier, i learned to make critics to someone who has his shoulder next to me with the neck sweet as me. former militars probably understand me very well, not the ones that did not have the necesary courage even to get into that world.
beside that mr planas, i see that you will not be well received in that museum again, sorry for you.

MUSEUMS
here i show you the air museum in uruguay where they have planes OUTSIDE, and they are not deteriorating as mr planas is saying is happening with a corsair in honduras. this show that others do by their own policy to have planes outside probably for economical reasons. got to the link to see it.
http://www.artemercosur.org.uy/aeronautico/index.html

here i show you the museum in chile, that has an area where the planes are OUTSIDE in a permanent exhibition and they are no DETERIORATING as mr planas thinks. why don´t you discredit these museum too mr planas, they have also historical planes out too!!!
http://www.museoaeronautico.cl/espanol/recorrido.php