F4U-4 97280?

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2636

Anyone know if this wreckage was ever used in a rebuild?

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/corsairr ... 97280.html

zorro9 · **Joined:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 10:11 pm **Posts:** 671

Mike/F4U Folks:

Good day!

Don't know what to say about parts after that tragic accident! Maybe some minor parts were salvageable. I hope the former FAH 619 fuselage could be used to keep others flying!!

over/out · **Posted:** Thu Sep 12, 2013 3:27 pm

I THINK it's at Westpac, and MAYBE the restored wings were loaned to the Tobul -4 for a while to get her in the air a little sooner? Just saying, ...have a good day!

over/out · **Posted:** Tue Sep 17, 2013 2:43 pm

O.K Here's my info; Warbirds International, May/June 2010, Vol.29 #3, Page 43! with "Marines Dream" almost head-on with 2 big wht. U.wing tanks on the cover. You can clearly see on page 43, a Corair's Forward Fusg./main wing sect. facing down with what looks like burn marks on the top left wing/cooler. Check out the P-38s, one looks like the old "Scrap Iron (#?)" and of course HFC's (ex Scatter B. Kid II) being restored. Feel free to confirm...or not...

Thanks

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Fri Sep 20, 2013 11:09 am

I got a pretty good look at BuNo.97280 after the accident and it's very much rebuildable. The main wing spar was intact after the accident, which is always the main point of concern when it comes to gauging the feasibility of a Corsair restoration project. The left wing took the most damage and was shredded outboard of the ammo bays. The right wing was remarkably intact other than the extreme tip and aileron. I believe both outer wings were paired with the old "Kissimmee Corsair" project that was acquired by the Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation in Dallas and restored to static display condition.

BuNo.97280's center fuselage section appeared largely undamaged other than having been torn from the rear fuselage at the factory break behind the pilot's seat. The forward 5 or 6 feet of the rear fuselage section was mangled pretty bad where it separated from the center section, but otherwise it was relatively pristine, other than the vertical tail. The engine and cowling assembly looked almost as if someone had simply unbolted it from the engine mount. Bottom line, as long as someone can locate a pair of unobtainium outer wing panels, BuNo.97280 is an excellent candidate for restoration.

whistlingdeath77 · **Posted:** Sat Sep 21, 2013 5:21 am

What corsair wreck to craig mcburney purchase from ct?

DH82EH · **Posted:** Sat Sep 21, 2013 6:12 am

Rob Mears wrote:

I got a pretty good look at BuNo.97280 after the accident and it's very much rebuildable. The main wing spar was intact after the accident, which is always the main point of concern when it comes to gauging the feasibility of a Corsair restoration project. The left wing took the most damage and was shredded outboard of the ammo bays. The right wing was remarkably intact other than the extreme tip and aileron. I believe both outer wings were paired with the old "Kissimmee Corsair" project that was acquired by the Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation in Dallas and restored to static display condition.

BuNo.97280's center fuselage section appeared largely undamaged other than having been torn from the rear fuselage at the factory break behind the pilot's seat. The forward 5 or 6 feet of the rear fuselage section was mangled pretty bad where it separated from the center section, but otherwise it was relatively pristine, other than the vertical tail. The engine and cowling assembly looked almost as if someone had simply unbolted it from the engine mount. Bottom line, as long as someone can locate a pair of unobtainium outer wing panels, BuNo.97280 is an excellent candidate for restoration.

Hey Rob,
I understand that the spar is a huge challenge to scratch build. What is so insurmountable about building a set of outer wing panels?

Thanks in advance

Andy Scott

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Sat Sep 21, 2013 2:51 pm

Building the outer wing panels is not an insurmountable task, especially these days, but starting with a set of damaged or rotted wings would put a restorer in a far more advantageous position. Aside from the sheet metal and fabric, there are a jillion fittings, castings, and other bits that are a challenge to build from scratch, especially if you don't have a reference point in hand to start with. Think about all of the pieces that comprise just the critical wing fold assembly, etc.

If I was going to build a pair of Corsair wings, I would scour the Earth first for something to build upon before diving in from scratch, or at least borrow an unrestored set from another project to provide patterns and measurements. Beyond that, the average person is going to find that there are essentially no spare outer wing panels available anywhere, even for use as patterns. I remember years ago when Planes of Fame reportedly sold a single spare wing panel they had for $100K...and that was in 1990s dollars. I don't believe I've seen a complete wing panel since that didn't already belong with a particular plane.

With all of that said, considering the technology of today and the soaring investment potential of WWII fighters, the lack of a set of wings is not going to stop a restoration from being completed. Most folks would probably look elsewhere first though, if they were trying to locate a project that could be completed without overcoming a formidable hurdle in the process.

DH82EH · **Posted:** Sat Sep 21, 2013 4:01 pm

That's a really good point about fittings and castings etc.
I think of something with the level of desirability of aircraft like Spitfires for instance. Entire airframes are built virtually from scratch. Lots of them. Maybe that's a driving factor. Once the barrier has been crossed then it becomes more do-able psychologically.

Thanks for the reply Rob. :drinkers:

Andy

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