Looking for Info on this Rare Corsair

rwright142 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 14, 2005 6:46 am **Posts:** 45

Can anyone share anything about this rare Corsair?
I believe it may be an early racer because it has no gun ports and notice the structure under the cowl. Could that be an induction air unit since there are no intercooler inlets?

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Fri Oct 26, 2012 8:07 pm

FG-1, BuNo.13481. This shot was apparently taken I would guess in early 1946 just before Cooke Cleland's first foray into air racing after WWII. The paint scheme was finished out as "Lucky Gallon", race number '92' before the actual races took place.

Here's a photo accredited to Paul Bridgford showing the plane after receiving further markings, but before the red flashes were added.

Cleland of course followed up in 1947-49 by acquiring F2G Super Corsairs with which he eventually used to sweep the championship.

Most folks don't know that substantial fuselage components of FG-1, BuNo.13481 still survive in storage. It also served with VMF-214 'Blacksheep' squadron during the last half of 1944, although this was after the squadron had reformed at MCAS Santa Barbara after Boyington was shot down. That still ought to spice the conversation up a bit. You heard it here first!

C VEICH · **Joined:** Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:40 pm **Posts:** 1470

28 minutes Richard!

rwright142 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 14, 2005 6:46 am **Posts:** 45

Thanks Rob and thanks Chad for suggesting I post it here! LOL You guys are awesome!

Rob, I will I post this on my Corsair Information Forum here: http://f4ucorsair.freeforums.org but if you object let me know and I will remove it.

rwright142 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 14, 2005 6:46 am **Posts:** 45

Here's some more info found here http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/CrupiRay/11420.htm:

06/30/2012. Produced under the BuNo. 13481, this aircraft was delivered to the USN in early 1945, the following year it was sold to Cook Cleland Air Service of Willoughby, Ohio. It was registered as NX69900, named Lucky Gallon, and listed as Racer number 92. In 1950 it was badly damaged in high winds on the ramp at Willoughby, in 1953 the wreck was added to the Walter Soplata Aviation Collection at Newbury, Cleveland, Ohio. By 2000 only the forward fuselage and some parts survived, the remainder had been scrapped.

rwright142 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 14, 2005 6:46 am **Posts:** 45

More info from the Warbird Registry http://www.warbirdregistry.org/corsairregistry/fg1-13481.html:

rwright142 · **Joined:** Wed Dec 14, 2005 6:46 am **Posts:** 45

More pictures from around the internet:

Here is one of the last pictures known to exist of this rare, beautiful Corsair mostly intact.

Cook Cleland's 1946 Thompson entry, FG-1D NX69900 (Race #92), on the long steady slide to oblivion. The forward fuselage is all that's left today, part of the late Walter Soplata's collection outside Newbury, OH.

51fixer · **Posted:** Sat Oct 27, 2012 5:12 am

rwright142 wrote:

Cook Cleland's 1946 Thompson entry, FG-1D NX69900 (Race #92), on the long steady slide to oblivion. The forward fuselage is all that's left today, part of the late Walter Soplata's collection outside Newbury, OH.

Interesting to see the Vertical Extension from the F2G added at the base of the vertical and rudder.

Dan Jones · **Posted:** Sat Oct 27, 2012 7:12 am

Good eye! Never noticed that until you pointed it out. Makes you wonder if they weren't planning on hanging a -4360 on it.

Wildchild · **Posted:** Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:29 am

You know if Walter Soplata got it, something tells me that the rear half and wings are still in existence...

cooper9411 · **Posted:** Sat Oct 27, 2012 12:23 pm

Wildchild wrote:

You know if Walter Soplata got it, something tells me that the rear half and wings are still in existence...

There is a lot more on the property than what people think there is!!!!! :shock:

C VEICH · **Joined:** Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:40 pm **Posts:** 1470

I've looked at pictures of Lucky Gallon I don't know how many times and not once did I ever notice the additional scoop under the cowl. Strange because it was the first thing I noticed in Richard's pic of the airplane shown in all white! A paint job makes all the difference I guess.

kennsmithf2g · **Posted:** Sat Oct 27, 2012 10:13 pm

Wildchild wrote:

You know if Walter Soplata got it, something tells me that the rear half and wings are still in existence...

In a conversation I had with Walter at a model airplane swap-shop, he said that he sold for scrap the wings and rear half.

Kenn

kennsmithf2g · **Posted:** Sat Oct 27, 2012 10:24 pm

51fixer wrote:

rwright142 wrote:

Cook Cleland's 1946 Thompson entry, FG-1D NX69900 (Race #92), on the long steady slide to oblivion. The forward fuselage is all that's left today, part of the late Walter Soplata's collection outside Newbury, OH.

Interesting to see the Vertical Extension from the F2G added at the base of the vertical and rudder.

If you look in the registry at the pictures I took of #74 (bu88463) when she was in storage at Crawford, there appears to be a tail with the sub-rudder in the first picture.

Kenn

cooper9411 · **Posted:** Sun Oct 28, 2012 12:16 am

kennsmithf2g wrote:

Wildchild wrote:

You know if Walter Soplata got it, something tells me that the rear half and wings are still in existence...

In a conversation I had with Walter at a model airplane swap-shop, he said that he sold for scrap the wings and rear half.

Kenn

Yes he did sell the rear half (of another plane with wings) but he did say to me that the major parts he still had on the property

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