F4U-4 97286 Prior to Bob Bean - Deployments & Combat Tours?

jollyrogerf14 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 06, 2013 11:55 am **Posts:** 50

Awesome Mark!!!!!!
Thanks for the great pics! I've not seen most of these! Keep 'em coming if you can

!
Maybe we'll get lucky and come across a pic of 97286.
I've been wanting to make a model of Her for my Uncle. He knew Merle Gustafson quite well. I grew up in Tallulah, LA, and got to hang around the "Angel of Okinawa" very often. Merle had planned to take me up in Her, but he passed away before I could get a ride

. I've made a couple of models of Her for my Uncle; one in the scheme Merle had, and one in the Gray over White w/ Blue wings (Olathe scheme). Now I would like to make him one in a scheme She wore back in the 40s or 50s.
I've been searching for years, but have had no luck.
Anyway, thanks for the great pics and hope to see more!

V.

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2645

jollyrogerf14 wrote:

One curious thing though, I searched and searched, but have been unable to find any info on VF-191 flying corsairs, let alone any photos. All info I've found states they flew F6Fs then to F8Fs and then F9Fs.

When I did a search for VF-191 http://collections.naval.aviation.museu ... /Query.php I didn't get any VF-191 Corsairs either.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7863

Your much welcome even though it's costing me with J Cook :wink:

hope they help a bit, upon further research I don't believe VF-191 had use of Corsairs (could be wrong, won't be the first time)

F4U-4 Corsair CVG-19 VF-192 CV-37 USS Princeton c 1951 (BuNo's close here on this one)

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7863

Might as well give you some USS Boxer F4U-4 shots to review as well. In case your research finds 97286 did indeed serve on the Boxer for a while.

M

F4U-4's from VF-791 in flight over Southern California. USS Boxer (CV-21) c 1951

F4U-4 Corsairs of VF-884 in flight over USS Boxer (CV-21). 1951

F4U-4 Corsair of VF-791 in attack flight on highway bridge southwest of Wonson, Korea USS Boxer c 1951

F4U-4 Corsair aircraft of VF-791 after hook failure in landing on the on the deck of USS Bataan (CV-29).

F4U-4 Corsair of VF-791 USS Boxer c 1951

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7863

And while I'm at it, one last post of F4U's in formation. Good stuff isn't it? Glad we still have photos like these still with us.

F4U Corsairs and AD Skyraiders off the carrier Boxer (CV 21) pictured in flight off Korea.

F4U-5Ps of Composite Squadron 62 (VC-62) and F4U-5N night-fighters of Composite Squadron Four (VC-4) assigned to the USS Midway

Four (4) F4U-4 Corsairs from VMF-671 from the flight deck of USS Valley Forge (CV-45) flying in formation in the Mediterranean Area 1951

Four (4) F4U-4 Corsair aircraft of VF-14 1949

raconnel · **Posted:** Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:34 pm

Mark,

While you are on a (Corsair) roll, do you have anything on VF-23? My father in law flew with them off the Boxer during the Inchon invasion.

Thanks,

Richard

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2645

raconnel wrote:

Mark,

While you are on a (Corsair) roll, do you have anything on VF-23? My father in law flew with them off the Boxer during the Inchon invasion.

Thanks,

Richard

You can do a search here, http://collections.naval.aviation.museu ... /Query.php
Search by Squadron (VF, VMF, etc.) or by location (NAS XXXX) or by aircraft type (F4F, F6F, etc.) or anything else you can think of.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7863

Or he can also ask guys like me and I'll be happy to help him search in other archives as well as the NMNA archives. And FWIW those are VF-23 photos USS Coral Sea 1949 in the Med Sea and not Korea.
http://www.wings-aviation.ch/21-USNavy/ ... -23-01.png

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Thu Aug 08, 2013 2:13 pm

Notice the match?

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Thu Aug 08, 2013 5:25 pm

That VMF-113 F4U-1A #007 is butt ugly!! I swear FHC must be
trying to pick a worse scheme than the FW-190 paint job! Why not Joe Foss's F4U
if they want 113, or the one Lindberg flew of maybe Seattle ace Herb Valentine of VMF-312??

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

V:

Nice thread of a surviving F4U!

Included is a colorful pic of this bird. Buno 97286 prob AZ c. 1960s. All kinds of schemes & markings fm Olathe NAS! Via AEC.

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Fri Aug 09, 2013 11:18 pm

It'll never happen, but how amazing would it be if Kermit's F4U-4 was pulled off of static display one day and put back in the vintage Olathe scheme. The crazy paint on this plane has garnered so much curiosity and attention by all segments of the aviation community over the years, its pretty astounding. Modelers, profile artists, photo collectors, warbird historians, etc., I think a huge swath of enthusiasts would get a big kick out of seeing old number '5' resurrected and back on the flight line again.

jollyrogerf14 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 06, 2013 11:55 am **Posts:** 50

Rob Mears wrote:

It'll never happen, but how amazing would it be if Kermit's F4U-4 was pulled off of static display one day and put back in the vintage Olathe scheme. The crazy paint on this plane has garnered so much curiosity and attention by all segments of the aviation community over the years, its pretty astounding. Modelers, profile artists, photo collectors, warbird historians, etc., I think a huge swath of enthusiasts would get a big kick out of seeing old number '5' resurrected and back on the flight line again.

Oh, that would be outstanding!!!! That gorgeous Olathe scheme. That would fit right along side F4U-4 97359 in the VMFT-20 Scheme! :supz:

Robbie Stuart · **Posted:** Sat Aug 10, 2013 8:12 am

Rob Mears wrote:

It'll never happen, but how amazing would it be if Kermit's F4U-4 was pulled off of static display one day and put back in the vintage Olathe scheme. The crazy paint on this plane has garnered so much curiosity and attention by all segments of the aviation community over the years, its pretty astounding. Modelers, profile artists, photo collectors, warbird historians, etc., I think a huge swath of enthusiasts would get a big kick out of seeing old number '5' resurrected and back on the flight line again.

Rob that's a great idea! Old Blue does not deserve to be sitting there, she needs to be flying, He1l, I would come out of Warbird retirement, & go back wrenching! :drink3:

Robbie

fah619 · **Joined:** Sun Sep 25, 2011 8:50 am **Posts:** 33

JR14:

Good day!

Any chance to come up with a better resolution of Buno 97286 on this picture??

p,s Cowlings numbers are fm L-R: 11, 7, 5, 4, 2, 1 Tail code "F" Oakland Calif c. 1954. Tks

Warbird Information Exchange

F4U-4 97286 Prior to Bob Bean - Deployments & Combat Tours?

Who is online