Warbird Information Exchange

F4U in the weeds!!!

J973:

Good day!!

Would you mind explaining to the WIX Warbird audience what exactly is FAH 609 doing for about 3 years now "in the weeds"??

If putting duct tape on the control surfaces is restoration, I hope your only connection with the Corsair is making comments about it over the internet! I don't believe I've ever seen such a thing done and called restoration!

Bombardier, you apparently never worked for David Tallichet

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

Wow... speechless

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Cheers,
Peter

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jajajajajaja zorro!!! THAT´S NOT RESTORATION!!!

you just covered the rudder with green tape!!!! a kinder boy can do that!!!!

did you do someting to the corrosion??? did you paint primer before??? and by the pictures i see i didn´t last more than a month. explain to us, what material was that?? how long did last?? how much was it???? probably no more than $5 boxes.

other restores can explain to you the correct process for a proper restoration.

JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJA!!!!!!!!!! NICE JOKE!!!!!!!!

+1. Clamoring for the aircraft to come to the US is NOT the point of this thread and is degrading to those trying to preserve it. The aircraft means more to the people of Honduras than it would ever mean to anyone here. I would hope that we could support people trying to preserve the aircraft where it is, rather than being selfish and clamoring for what isn't ours.

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Matt

While i agree with all of you about my previous comments, i must ask: If its a national treasure, is it the main aircraft of the museum? ANd how many people visit that muesum yearly?

It really burns me on the inside seeing a corsair like that, but it makes me feel worse when it belongs to a museum.

As for zorro: If you wanna make change, become a part of the museum instead of you demanding them to do work for you. That way you could actually lead the restoration effort with the museum.

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My racing will fund my warbirding. Hopefully...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/ChristopherDeshongRacing
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisDRacing

wildchild you have said wise words.

1st: this museum is in a country that lack the enough money for even medicine for their hospital. look in newspapers websites to see that this country lives in real crisis. this probably means that they may not have enough for museums or other cultural institutions, so the have to work on their own to gather money, i think just visitor.

2nd:legally all museums must have a document that says they are the only allowed to protect and restore the airplane. this one i think has it, so they are the legal "owners of the plane.

3rd: manteinance now a days is very expensive. the corsair of colling foundation costed around $ 1 million dollars!! some others probably more. that´s money!! have you ever thought that if you think your car is expensive to maintain, how hard is to maintain a plane in this country??? go around spare stores and you will see hoe much they cost.

4th: this one is not the only plane outside in the world!!! there are many others!!! why he bothers with that??? i can get many other pictures of them!!!

Message edited for violation of personal attack rule by Scott WRG Editor

FROM COLLING FOUNDATION!!!

i don´t know if this topic shoul be here or as a new topic, but use it as a reference of how hard is for classic owners deal with authorities.

Warbird Operators in danger again!
FAA Moratorium on Living History Flight Exemptions (LHFE)
Recent actions of the FAA in Washington is increasingly
hostile to historic warbird operators across the United States.
This Memorial Day we are reminded of all of the sacrifices made by our nations veterans. But the FAA wants to take away our Veteran's ability and yours to fly in their historic aircraft.
We need your support and help!

When the FAA says they would like to "re-evaluate" the Living History Flight Exemption (LHFE) - it is easy to guess what that means. It means the FAA is looking for ways to greatly restrict or all together stop issuing LHFE exemptions. Collings Foundation and the entire warbird community need your help to protect our freedom to offer flights in these aircraft. Without this exemption from the FAA we cannot offer rides to the public. The Wings of Freedom tour and flying of most historic aircraft will end without public support.

One would assume that something as drastic as a moratorium would have been precipitated by a major problem, like the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but it was not. In fact all of the LHFE operations that have ever taken place have a perfect safety record, there has not been one accident, fatality or serious injury that has taken place during an LHFE flight.

The FAA Moratorium (FAA-2011-0286) that was established on March 23, 2011 has had a profound negative impact on not only the LHFE operators, but also on the veterans, their families and the public have all been deprived of experiencing historic aircraft. This Memorial Day reminds us of all of our nations heroes that have left us. The Veterans Administration estimates 1,000 WWII Veterans pass away each day. The Vietnam Veterans Association states that an average of 390 Veterans that served in Vietnam pass away each day. This totals 10,758 Veterans each week that pass on, so our time is limited to personally honor these brave men. From the start of the Moratorium until the proposed open meeting we will have lost 645,000 veterans, many of them missing the chance see or fly on “their” airplane. Time is running out for Vietnam Veterans, as only 850,000 of the 2.7 Million that served “in country” are still alive!

Currently, aircraft that have a LHFE exemption are also at risk as there is no guarantee from the FAA that these letters will be renewed (especially considering recent actions taken by the FAA). The FAA has proposed a rule change involving the LHFE. The issues that the FAA have brought forward are virtually the same issues that has already been addressed at a conference in Oshkosh ten years ago at a meeting chaired by Director of Flight Standards, John Allen.

Some of the information in the FAA's notice is erroneous and meant to mislead the public (in a negative way). The current staff at the FAA chooses to ignore the existing policy and is using this opportunity to rewrite the regulations. (To see article written by Aero News regarding this issue click here).

Examples of the FAA and DoD hostility include the LHFE exemption program moratorium, the recent change of how the airworthiness certificates for former military jet aircraft are issued and the attempt to modify the Title 10 Section 2571 to prohibit any transfer of Government aircraft or parts for any purpose other than static display (see April's eNewsletter regarding Congressman Michael Turner). We are certain that changes in the LHFE program are just another way to limit warbird operation.

The FAA is hosting a public meeting to discuss LHFE in Washington DC, June 26th thru June 28th. The FAA is looking for input from the public. If you would like to see historic aircraft continue to fly in honor of our Veterans and be able to experience flying in these aircraft your support is needed. Tell the FAA and your local representative to leave the existing LHFE alone. This policy should be expanded, not contracted. It is important to present a cohesive front to the FAA before the rules become more draconian.

Talking Points (for FAA letters):

1) Leave the current LHFE policy alone.

2) Allow operators to offer aerobatic flight.

3) Allow operators to let the passenger manipulate the flight controls.

4) Allow "replica" aircraft like the Me-262 to receive an LHFE exemption.

5) Remove the unnecessary provision that forces us to have arrestor gear for the
F-4 and TA-4

6) End the unnecessary moratorium immediately and process the Collings Foundation's requests as expeditiously as possible.

My god can we get a vintage airplane enthusiast in charge of the FAA?

_________________
My racing will fund my warbirding. Hopefully...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/ChristopherDeshongRacing
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisDRacing

It is interesting that someone who expresses a desire to improve the condition of an aircraft is treated in a hostile way.
Lets examine a few things here.
An Aircraft sitting on dirt or grass will be attacked by corrosion and degrade its metals far quicker than one on concrete or asphalt. The further one is from organic matter such as grass, weeds, pollen and other organic materials that float in the wind the better it is for the aircraft.
Put it inside a building where moisture and organic material are kept away from it and it will last much longer without suffering metal corrosion.
Sunlight will degrade the fabric material on the flight control surfaces and the plastic of the canopy. The longer it sits outside in the sun the greater the degradation.
These are all facts.
Can an improvement be made at all in it's display?
It would not take millions to move it or to build a concrete pad to display or to even build a building for it.
Many museums across the world have faced these issues with their artifacts.
Instead of casting stones perhaps funding should be sought to improve the display of all these aircraft. I'm sure there is some way of doing something.
Don't complain about those complaining, do things to help the display of the aircraft.

_________________
Rich Palmer

Remember an Injured Youth
benstear.org
#64- Stay Strong and Keep the Faith

BOOM BOOM, ROUND ROUND, PROPELLER GO

Don't Be A Dilbert!

51fixer

i am being harash to zorro because he has been harrash to these people. for sure, they don´t want to have the plane out but as you have said, instead to be saying they are people they don´t work, DO THINGS TO HELP DISPLAY OF THE AIRCRAFT. he has done anything, they treated him as a friend before but he became a bitter enemy for facts he doesn´t know directly on the field.
the plane was outside in front of the Air Force Officer Club for about 25 years. they received the plane once the museum started its activities. they had it under a bulding, not hangar, for about 6 years but last year it was moved aparte because a donator gave them mural about the history of honduran aviation an a stearman was placed inside. you know that a stearman is made of fabric and is more delicate than the corsair. for this, the plane was moved out but it doesn´t it wont be back in a bulding for expositions. problably they are making activities to obtain money, or cash, as i said, to continue the proyect.
in what i don´t agree is that if you don´t give your hand, how is that you demand them to work??? zorro has never helped. some friend i made recently from there will send me photos and data about this proyect and you will see they have done good things with small capital. they don´t have sponsors, regular donators, or government support, they just depend on visitors and schools that pay just $1.50 per visit, this mean, for $10,000 they need around 6,666 visitors a year, beside they have to pay workers or public services.
as all the proyects, they need VOLUNTEERS, sponsors or donators. you can see it in many museums or aviation proyects, without it, they die.
they have a facebook page, check it, and you will see they do big things with little.

A Stearman on the face may be more at risk to the elements but has a value of $80,000 to $120,000 typically in flying condition.
A Corsair is worth up to $2.5 million dollars as a flyable A/C.
The parts needed to repair or restore a Stearman are plentiful and reasonably priced compared to parts and repair costs for the Corsair.
I would have the F4U under cover in a heartbeat personally.
I don't present this opinion because of the people involved in this discussion but because I've worked on both of these types of aircraft and know that a Corsair deserves the protection due to its value, it's history and the cost to repair and restore.

_________________
Rich Palmer

Remember an Injured Youth
benstear.org
#64- Stay Strong and Keep the Faith

BOOM BOOM, ROUND ROUND, PROPELLER GO

Don't Be A Dilbert!