F4U Corsair content ITT

This guy was taking his plane to a nearby show this weekend and wanted to come early and keep it in our hangar so I nabbed some shots.















This model was a night fighter and had shrouds placed over the gun barrels so the flash couldnt be seen at night.







And some last minute touching up so the feds didnt bug him.




His friend and insurance guy was there with him and said The friend left alabama ten minutes before the corsair in a Piper Navajo. The corsair caught up to him mid flight and did a few rolls around the navajo and left him and got to our hangar 30 minutes before the friend. A few stats he spouted off; Econo cruise is at 260 knots and gets 100 gallons per hour there. It couldnt lay down all its power on the ground because the rudder couldnt hold it straight, and there are only 22 of them running in the world.


Sorry some of the pics were so random, I was rushed.

 

Close the hangar doors and tell him somebody kypped his "ensign eliminator"....

 

Thanks for the pics man, I love those freakin things. I used to watch Baa Baa Black sheep all the time. "I get you next time Boyington"

 

Awesome! My son's friend has a grandfather that was a crew-chief for the Black Sheep Squadron.

 

WOW " Like the T Bird paint job on His Bone Dome" No way the hangar floor is that Clean, dont you guys do any work"

 

Haha, its a flight school run by Middle Tennessee State University, we do alot of work but usually nothing major.

 

Does the FAA really care about paint on such a small area? Not a pilot here, please enlighten me. I'm sure it was a joy to look at up close.

 

THANKS for the pics... Now that's a hotrod...
Smokey

 

Pure Hot Rod of the skies...

 

No, not really. It's not a hazard to safe flight operations. I think it's more of the "Holy crap! I gotta fix that!"

Thanks for the pictures. Now that's a hotrod.

 

Thanks for sharing, I get to see some interesting planes come and go at the airport I work at but haven't seen one of those drop in yet.

 

I still get appaplectic looking at those! swissmike said it best Pure Hot Rod of the skies! Maybe I watched too much Black Sheep squadron as a kid!!

 

absolutely beautiful

 

Thanks! There was a Corsair Reunion at the factory they were built in a few years ago in Stratford, Ct. I think 8-9 of them flew in. Very impressive airplane.

 

"Whistling Death" is what the japs called them in WW2. Awesome bird. Awesome engine.

 

You've got to love the bent-wing"Whistling Death" here is an earlier model

 

Those radial engines sound awesom! 2000 HP I believe. The guy who taught me how to fly piloted one of those in WW2. Had some wild stories too. Nothin like vintage War Birds. Those young guys had brass balls. We all owe them.

 

Dad repaired and maintained Corsairs during the Korean War while serving on the Kearsarge. He has a couple stories, but doesn't tell them much. He can quote all the performance specifications from memory if you ask... he's 79.

 

The Corsair's always been my favorite plane - simply stunning !

 

all time favorite aircraft.traditional big time

 

I knew that name sounded familiar.Did a little research and found that Phillip DeLong was not only a WWII ace with 9 confirmed kills but also shot down 2 Russian YAK fighters in one day in April 1951 during the Korean War.Interesting reading.

 

"Old Hog Nose"

 

WOW! Can you amagin the ride.

 

Hands down, absolutly my favorite plane ever made. These planes are a thing of beauty. Seeing one in flight is even better. At one point I was considering painting my truck that shade of blue just cause of the Corsair... if you have anymore pictures please post... Thanks for posting

 

A Graveyard of Whispering Deaths

Thought I'd share this short story with other HAMB/Warbird lovers....
During WWII New Zealand's air force (RNZAF) was supplied Kittyhawks and Corsairs from the USA on a lend-Lease program....at the end of the war they were not needed by the US and were ordered scrapped/destroyed....
As a 4-5 year old kid (1959 - 1960) I remember driving past the Rukuhia airfield, which was just a disused farmer's field, with my folks and peering into a graveyard of airplanes....it was the highlight of any trip in the area. These planes were flown there at war's end, abandoned and were slowly scrapped out. I remeber they were there for quite some time....and have become the stuff of legends amongst warbird lovers here in New Zealand...I don't believe any survived...perhaps just 1 or 2 of the 400 plus airworthy planes...

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and a good friend of mine and also a hot rodder, racer and warbird lover sent me these three pics of Rukuhia...the very place I'd seen as a kid...priceless...

 

A 2000 HP tail dragger. Pratt and Whitney radial engine R2800 (CI) 18 cylinders, 2 rows of 9 cylinders, each cylinder 2 spark plugs. 2 magnetos. Supercharged (that was to maintain the power rating to altitude ) 100/130 octane gas. Oil is added by the gallon to radial engines and they ALWAYS leak. The joke is if there isn't a pool of oil under the engine after it sits overnight then it's out of oil.
The coolest part of running up a big radial is standing out on the ramp when it goes to full power and you feel the drumming in your chest.
A classic.

 

Warbirds rock, so much personality and history.

 

Too, too cool!!!!!

 

Thanks for the pics and history, awesome. How did they fire those up? Same as the B17 with explosive charges. It would take one hell of a starter and battery system otherwise.

 

"Cleared for take-off!"

Thanks.