Corsair Maint. What's Going On Here???

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 12:54 pm

F4U-1 VMF- 213 June 1943
what are these guys doing????

bipe215 · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 12:58 pm

Jack,

Obviously, the framwharmbler has come loose from the kanute valve.

Steve G

Eric Friedebach · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 1:00 pm

Kinda looks like a narrow work platform.

retroaviation · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 1:38 pm

I don't know about the rest of the crew, but it looks to me like the one fella just in front of the gear door is working on replacing an oil cooler.

And I tell you what, that work stand would be a great thing to have, no doubt about it. Soon after I had the honor of working on a Corsair for the first time, I came up with a theory that more Purple Hearts were surely issued for guys falling off the dang things than getting shot down in 'em. :shock:

Gary

cg51 · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 1:45 pm

Looks like a work platform to me as well, by the angled rivet lines it looks like it was made to carry alot of weight.

Versatile · **Joined:** Wed Nov 09, 2005 1:35 pm **Posts:** 636

Looks like one guys is adjusting the tension on the Gull Wing. They have to do that or it starts to look like a Hellcat and you would have to shorten the prop blades. lol

Stoney · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 2:15 pm

What's with all that tape on the wing, its doesn't have that many gun ports!

Jesse C. · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 2:29 pm

Yeah, I would say a working platform with steps in it for weird angles by the looks of the rivet patterns and bracing underneath.

Anyone have maintenance manual laying around? Would be cool addition to a Model Diorama.

CAPFlyer · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2007 2:56 pm

Stoney wrote:

What's with all that tape on the wing, its doesn't have that many gun ports!

It was a standard ploy by several squadrons (not just Corsair either) during WWII. The tape stood out, so enemy pilots would often believe that the plane had more guns than it really did. Don't know that it got any to turn around, but it led to some interesting After Action Reports for sure.

famvburg · **Joined:** Fri Oct 07, 2005 9:41 am **Posts:** 540

Nah, it's that Dimiertz(sp?) guy's fix for a broken engine mount.

Jesse C. wrote:

Yeah, I would say a working platform with steps in it for weird angles by the looks of the rivet patterns and bracing underneath.

Anyone have maintenance manual laying around? Would be cool addition to a Model Diorama.

JDK · **Posted:** Thu May 31, 2007 7:49 am

cg51 wrote:

Looks like a work platform to me as well, by the angled rivet lines it looks like it was made to carry alot of weight.

Look like steps to me. Given the ground angle matches the rivet angle.

Beachy · **Joined:** Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:20 am **Posts:** 1104

Just out of curiosity, what's the ratio of flight hours to maintenance hours on a Corsair? Anyone know? They don't look like the easiest beasts to work on, that's for sure!

Ollie · **Posted:** Thu May 31, 2007 8:03 am

For one thing, it can't be worse than for the old Navajo we ushed to trash around : 40 hours in maintenance for 1 hour of flight.

:lol:

Beachy · **Joined:** Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:20 am **Posts:** 1104

Ollie wrote:

For one thing, it can't be worse than for the old Navajo we ushed to trash around : 40 hours in maintenance for 1 hour of flight.

:lol:

retroaviation · **Posted:** Thu May 31, 2007 8:30 am

My guess would be 10-20 hours of flying to each hour of maintenance, depending on each particular aircraft. They are generally pretty good airplanes, which don't require a ton of repetative maintenance (like on a Merlin engine), but the Corsair is, without a doubt, a difficult airplane to work on. Just with the wing angle and such. Your ankles and calves are pretty sore after working on an engine or one of the engine accessories all day.

But it's still better than working on a Navajo, that's for sure! :lol:

Gary

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