F4U 'netted'

[A2C]

What if it's a European bird? If for example the Greek Navy owns it, then can Geek Navy claim ownership and demand it returned? They should.

[F2G_lover]

What if it's a European bird? If for example the Greek Navy owns it, then can Geek Navy claim ownership and demand it returned? They should.

It had an American insignia on it. I think it was visible in the video clip somewhere.

[JDK]

What if it's a European bird? If for example the Greek Navy owns it, then can Geek Navy claim ownership and demand it returned? They should.

First, it's probably not.

Secondly, why 'should' they?

It would cost time, money and effort. What's the reward? A piece of junk for a museum. That may be a good result for us, but for most of the world, it's irrelevant.

The days the military did those kind of things as training exercises are mostly over, sadly.

Just my 2d

[A2C]

What's the reward? A piece of junk for a museum.

The reward would be that the US Navy can no longer lord it over everybody with a Navy type airplane.

[JDK]

What's the reward? A piece of junk for a museum.

The reward would be that the US Navy can no longer lord it over everybody with a Navy type airplane.

Works for you. The Greek Navy probably wouldn't see it that way for at least two reasons...

Incidentally, the Greek Navy recently held the record for operating the oldest naval ship type, although it's laid up now.

Anyone?

[Rob Mears]

Just goes to show how removing an item from the free capitalist market completely destroys its relative value. In the free world we would have had a half dozen different individuals from the US and Europe clamoring for the chance to claim those remains for their own. In the microcosm of government ownership, the plane is little more than an obtuse curiousity. Have a cursory look-see, then chop its wings off and haul it somewhere else, out of the way.

If I had one wish for our military museums and the like, it would be to create a council of some sort that would employ the creative engine of the civilian sector to work in its favor, and take advantage of its virtues.

As an example, Gary Kohs (the man who originally finianced the restoration of that award winning FG-1D Corsair a few years back) actually contacted the Selfridge Air Museum in Michigan a number of years ago and offered to restore their forlorn FG-1D that was suffering from the ill effects from years of outdoor exposure. His offer was flat denied!! Now how often does a civilian offer to foot the bill for a project like that in the first place, and what does the USMC Museum or any other government entity have to lose from allowing it to happen - especially when it really needs to happen!?

I'm pretty certain that old saltwater-corroded F4U wreck could have been traded to the civilian sector for some type of favor that would have benefited the USMC Museum. Even if it was just a little favor. Just knowing such a thing might have crossed the mind of the powers-that-be would have been a delight. There's certainly room to grow in that regard, if only the military could trust and establish an avenue for such interests.

[Dave Lindauer]

Any word on the disposition of the hulk after the Navy cut the wings off?

[Robbie Roberts]

What if it's a European bird? If for example the Greek Navy owns it, then can Geek Navy claim ownership and demand it returned? They should.

The Geek NAVY? Man, almost as bad as the 33rd Nerd Airborne... lol... at a speling misstake...

Robbbieee

[hercules130]

Any word on the disposition of the hulk after the Navy cut the wings off?

Sitting in a waste yard in the middle of a construction project on NAS Sigonella, confirmed yesterday.

Gary

[Rob Mears]

Gary, is there any chance of locating the data plate on the left side of the cockpit to try and find a Bureau Number? I imagine its probably corroded like the rest of the airframe, but it would be wonderful to be able to put a story with this airframe. No doubt its one of many planes lost during routine cruise/training ops in the Med during the 1950s, but specifics could potentially reunite a pilot with his lost plane.

[hercules130]

First thing I tried, no go - sorry.

[hercules130]

Found an online copy of VMF-43 log, reported losing BuNo 96942 and 97356 off of Sicily Med coast. Both were -4s.
Anyone know the BuNo's of the 300 or so -4C or any other -4s with 20MMs?

Gary

[Rob Mears]

That thar's going to be a -5 variant I believe, judging from the exhaust indention on the side of the fuselage. The Navy can't have lost many of them out in that area, even with all the Med training ops. I have a list of foreign losses from WWII but nothing beyond 1945 I don't believe. Joe Baugher's site probably has some clues @
http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/

[hercules130]

She wears US markings for sure. My original thought was -5 as well (even labeled my photos that!), I am no F4U expert and am having a hard time deciding if the exhaust cut out is -4 or -5. Have any detailed photos (close up) of both? From what I can discern the -4 was less oval toward the rear than the -5 and also a little lower perhaps?

VF-43 swapped their -5s for -4s before going on the cruise that led them to the Med and the subsequent lost Corsairs. No mention of a -5 loss is listed. Perhaps barking up the wrong tree, not Coral Sea but FDR?

Any help?

Anyone know the BuNo's of the 300 or so -4C or any other -4s with 20MMs?

Last edited by hercules130 on Mon Apr 04, 2011 4:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Rob Mears]

So far I've identified at least three other squadrons equipped with -5 type Corsairs for Med cruises:

VF-174 aboard USS Coral Sea
VF-44 "Hornets", aboard USS Coral Sea
VC-4 / Detachment 3, aboard USS Leyte

No doubt there were more squadrons than just this that made the Med tour.

The cannon-armed -4 model was the F4U-4B. I show the Bureau Numbers as 62915-63071, and 97391-97531, with an additional eight or so aircraft randomly selected from the upper 96xxx range).

As for the exhaust detail, the two photos below show the differences.

F4U-4


F4U-5N