Naval Air Museum 2014

[APG85]

A few from yesterday in no particular order. Many have been seen before. A beautiful museum...

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[Snake45]

I wonder why the USN painted their F4U-4 in a USMC scheme. And why it has the VMF-312 WR code on the right side of the fin, but not the left?

Very cool photos, though. Thanks for sharing them!

[APG85]

A few more...

[Matt_in_NC]

I have not posted in some time, but this thread got me thinking...the pictures are phenomenal, and I appreciate them as this is a museum I have not yet visited...BUT! It appears that BOTH Corsairs they have on display are wearing spurious schemes. I understand funds, etc, but does the NMNA really not have the where-with-all (sp?) to display a bent wing bird in its original markings??? The FG is wearing faux Boyington markings, and I'm pretty sure the -4 never wore that paint scheme during WW2...possibly post-war? The Corsair was a huge part of US Naval aviation history, and I personally think it should be represented a bit more accurately. I know these are older restorations, but still...thoughts?

[Snake45]

I'm pretty sure the -4 never wore that paint scheme during WW2...possibly post-war?

It needs red stripes in the emblems, otherwise it's a pretty accurate representation (well, the right side, anyway) of VMF-312 in Korea. VMF-312 had several markings variations and this looks pretty close to one of them. One thing they did get right--the checkerboards didn't go all the way around the nose, just down to the lower portion of the "veritical" part.

[Snake45]

I wonder why the USN painted their F4U-4 in a USMC scheme. And why it has the VMF-312 WR code on the right side of the fin, but not the left?

Just took another look. The WR might be on the left side of the fin, too, but possibly obscured by the struts and prop blade of a biplane in the foreground.

As Emily Latella used to say..."Never mind!"

[APG85]

From the museum website (which is one of the best aviation museum websites I've seen):

F4U-4
"Among the last batch of production F4U-4 Corsairs delivered by Vought, the Museum's F4U-4 (Bureau Number 97349) was accepted by the Navy in 1946, serving in both Navy and Marine squadrons. Stricken from the Navy inventory in July 1956, it arrived at the Museum in 1985 and is displayed in the markings of the VMF-312 "Checkerboards."

The WR was on both sides of the tail...


FG-1D
"...one of them was the Museum's aircraft (Bureau Number 92246), which entered service in June 1945, and flew primarily with the Naval Air Reserve until stricken from the Navy's inventory in 1976."

http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/

[Snake45]

From the museum website (which is one of the best aviation museum websites I've seen):

F4U-4
"Among the last batch of production F4U-4 Corsairs delivered by Vought, the Museum's F4U-4 (Bureau Number 97349) was accepted by the Navy in 1946, serving in both Navy and Marine squadrons. Stricken from the Navy inventory in July 1956, it arrived at the Museum in 1985 and is displayed in the markings of the VMF-312 "Checkerboards."

Very interesting! Joe Baugher's list says:

97349 (c/n 9503) planned sale to Honduras AF not completed. Was noted in 1974 at Tucson Inn Motel, AZ, later to USMC Muesum, Quantico VA, loaned to Pima Air And Space Museum, Tucson, AZ. The plane at National Museum of Naval Aviation marked as 97349 is actually 97142.

And, of 97142:

97142 (c/n 9296) to civil registry as N3771A, sale to Honduras AF fell through. Now on display at National Museum of Naval Aviation as 97349, civil registration N4802X reserved Apr 3, 1984. At Pima since at least Mar 1995.

97349 can only be considered "Among the last batch of production F4U-4 Corsairs" if you don't count the F4U-4Bs and -4Ps, construction of which continued well into 1947. So it might be considered among the last of the "straight" -4 Corsairs.

[Kyleb]

Excellent pictures and an excellent museum.

Two questions:

Does anyone know the real story about the "Zero". There are a couple of pretty obvious things that are not right.

What's the story behind the P-40? It isn't an obvious type for inclusion at a Naval museum. Also, the fit of the spinner is a bit puzzling.

[APG85]

Not sure about the Zero.

This is how the museum describes the inclusion of the P-40:

"Never included in Naval Aviation's inventory, the P-40B Tomahawk is displayed to honor those Naval Aviators who joined Colonel Claire Chennault's American Volunteer Group (AVG), better known as the Flying Tigers..."