Warbird Information Exchange

A couple of years ago I remember thread here on WIX that had something to do with a Corsair in Napoleon Ohio. I was flipping channels tonight on TV, and our local PBS station had a show on about the Toledo Area during the war, and the contributions that Toledo companies, and people made to World War II. At about the 46:40 minute mark of the stories is a segment on the Corsair that was flown into Toledo Metcalf Airport, and then ferried from there to an Alfafa field near Napoleon, and then taxied and eventually towed to one of the schools in Napoleon. Pretty interesting story, and kindof a Paul Harvey Rest of the Story to what was mentioned here on Wix.

Here is a link to the whole show, click on the video, and wait for it to load. Skip ahead to the 46:40 point if you wish to see the Corsair segment, or watch the whole thing, it is all very interesting and alot of History in my part of the country that I never knew anything about.

http://www.wgte.org/wgte/watch/item.asp?item_id=3506

If you watch the last segment, it is about a man named Roger Durbin who was/is responsible for the World War II Memorial that was opened in 2004 in Washington DC. His son Peter Durbin was my high school English teacher, and Rogers Grandaughter Melissa (Peter Durbin's) Daughter went to school with me. Roger passed away before the Memorial was completed. He was a humble man that did not want recognition for his efforts, but wanted everyone to remember the sacrifices that were made.

_________________
Regards

Eric Rogers

Wow! Great find Eric. Besides the old Air Classics article, I've never see a shred of info on this airplane, and nobody on the forum has ever had any info either (the subject has come up a few times). Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like there's much hope of a miracle barn find somewhere in the Ohio countryside.

_________________
Life's a Pitts

The airplane was scrapped in 1952. Everybody enjoy those pop cans out there.

I spoke with the man who scrapped it. He pulled his pickup up and cut it into pieces small enough to fit the bed. The engine prop and intruments were sold.

He took it to the junkyard and buried it with a bulldozer, smashing it flat.

I spent 2 years locating it hoping to recover it back in the late 1980's

Thanks for the link. I'd read that article too, and thought "Wouldn't it be cool if that thing's hiding in a barn somewhere." What a shame that they just cut it up like that.

Anybody have a link to the stills from the video of the Corsair's journey to Napolean? I've been collecting Corsair photo's off the net, and I'd like to snag those.