LTV Restorations

[bdk]

Are there plans to make a Vought Collection open to the public?

That is a restoration site only, not a display site. Once the aircraft are completed they go to a museum for display. Which museum a plane goes to depends on who owns the plane to begin with.

Last edited by bdk on Fri May 01, 2009 3:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[mustangdriver]

Oh ok, I thought they were going to eventually open a museum

[Ztex]

No plans that I know of.

Most of the aircraft are allocated to other museums when restorations are finished.

The Frontiers of Flight at Dallas Love Field has an F-8, A-7 and the Regulus on display that came out of that shop.

The Pancake is destined for the NASM. I think the Pirate is going to Pensacola.

etc...

[famvburg]

IIRC, the XF5U used R-2000s, not R-2800s.

Did this thing ever fly?

-WC

It flew very well and led to the development and construction of two F5U fighters using the R-2800 engine, which, unfortunately, never had the chance to fly before the Navy ordered them to be destroyed when they decided that propeller aircraft were "out" after WWII.
I believe even Chas. Lindbergh flew the V-173 around CT.
Jerry

[The Inspector]

I've always wondered exactly what was the eventual plan (if any) for the REGULUS 2? A 'drone' with retractable gear and folding wings and an afterburner. I know the original design was for a submarine mounted missle (any idea where that idea came from??) but not enough deck on a sewer pipe to use gear, and if the planned uses were deemed impractical or unworkable @ that time in the 50's/ early 60's-

[RareBear]

The Regulus II (not a development of the Regulus I, but an entirely new missile) was a Mach 2 cruise missile. Landing gear was added to some for recovery, as training airframes. The project was cancelled in 1958 after only 54 airframes were built. The advent of the Polaris ICBM made it seriously obsolete. The remainder of the missiles were used by the Navy and Air Force as supersonic drones. A number were used in the testing program for the Bomarc missile.

[A2C]

Didn't the F6U get rescued from a bombing range?

[Jerry O'Neill]

The F6U was rescued from a New Mexico bombing range by personnel from the New England Air Museum. I believe it was at White Sands but I may be mistaken. The aircraft had long sections of it's skin torn open by primer cord explosive charges during testing. It looked like some wild pirate had taken revenge on this "Pirate" with a huge sabre.

Sad part was, while the airframe was being recovered in October 1979 by the NEAM volunteers, a tornado ripped through the Museum back in Connecticut and the was told they were needed back immediately, so they only had the fuselage and horizontal loaded on the truck. They departed with out the wing and landing gear. With all the turmoil in CT, it was many years before they could go back and get the wings, and by that time it was scrapped. Sad sequence of events.

If you'd like to read about this F6U's last flight, which did not go well, pick up a copy of "Whistling Death" by Boone Guyton. He made the the last flight in it and never wanted to see the plane again!
Jerry

[retroaviation]

I know where there is an F6U oil tank. I wonder if they'd need it for this restoration since it's only going to be a static display?

Gary

[Jerry O'Neill]

Gary;
You can contact them at:

heritage@voughtaircraft.com <heritage@voughtaircraft.com>

Website: www.voughtaircraft.com/heritage/

Maybe they could use it!
Jerry

[bdk]

As of 5/21/09. Not all my photos uploaded so I'll add a few more later tonight.

F4U????FG-1???? Corsair (too many different parts to know for sure!)






F6U Pirate






VE-7




V-173




F-8 Crusader



<EDIT> Added 3 more photos...

Last edited by bdk on Wed May 27, 2009 11:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Ztex]

Thanks for the update...

I gotta say that I don't care for them putting your logo on all of their airplanes though... ruins a nice paint job...

[bdk]

Durned taggers!

[retroaviation]

I realize it's not my Corsair, but that early model (either an FG1D or F4U-1) looks odd to me with that four bladed prop installed.

Gary

[bdk]

I realize it's not my Corsair, but that early model (either an FG1D or F4U-1) looks odd to me with that four bladed prop installed.

I think the accessory cowl is F4U-4 or later as well, so there is a big lump behind the cowl flaps which could never sit flush on the bottom if retracted. I believe they borrowed Cavanaugh's FG-1D nose bowl to make a copy out of fiberglass. Made from wrecked parts with essentially no budget and with lots of fiberglass and bondo I think it was the best they could hope for. It is a shame the VE-7 wasn't built to fly, they really hit the mark with that one. It is a work of art. They also built the Pirate's wing from scratch, so what they lack in money they make up for with gumption.