NACA photo.
This F4U-1 ‘Birdcage’ served with NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics), for 1:1 scale wind tunnel testing, before being transferred to the U.S. Navy.
NACA photo, 18JUL1951.
Photograph from July 1951, F4U-4B with NACA tail band. The retired Corsair was put to use by NACA to research ‘control rates’.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist First Class Chris Fahey, 10NOV2009.
In 2009, this F4U-4 was barged from Naval Air Station North Island, California, to the USS Midway Museum in downtown San Diego.
Photo via A and T Recovery, November 2010.
In 2010, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District, approved the recovery of a F4U-1, with birdcage style canopy, from Lake Michigan.
Photo via A and T Recovery, November 2010.
As normal, the government red tape caused the permitting process to take several years, but in this case the reviewers of the permit admitted they enjoyed the process: “It was the most entertaining and historically interesting application review and permit issuance project I’ve had the pleasure to work on. My father delves into the world of warbirds – vintage military aircraft now mostly operated by civilian organizations and individuals – so I had some background knowledge of single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft flown during World War Two.”-Kathleen Chernich, East Section of Regulatory Branch’s Permits and Enforcement Section, and eventually the recovery project manager
Photo via A and T Recovery, November 2010.
Video montage of news reports about A & T Recovery’s efforts to recover not just the F4U, but F4F, F6F and a Dauntless, and the Red Tape nightmare A&T Recovery had to go through to get them done:
See what happened to the Lake Michigan Corsair by clicking here.
Video from 2012, Honduran air force personnel volunteer to wash one of their F4U ‘gate guards’:
Video from 2012, F4U Corsair flies with AV8B Harrier, MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina:
USMC photo by Lance Corporal Christopher Johns, 26APR2014.
Korean conflict era F4U on display during the 70th anniversary celebration of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, April 2014.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Eric Lockwood, 22MAR2016.
In 2016, the remains of a F4U Corsair were presented to the Naval History and Heritage Command, in Washington DC. It was one of two Corsairs that failed to return from a ground attack mission on a Japanese military base on northern Kyushu. The wreckage was discovered by a fisherman.
USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist First Class David R. Krigbaum, 06MAR2016.
Officials with Saiki City, and Oita Prefecture, gave the remains a respectful ceremony before handing them over to the U.S. Navy.
USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist First Class David R. Krigbaum, 06MAR2016.
Video, F4U Corsair arrives at Edwards AFB Air Show, September 2017, unfortunately no audio:
Michigan Air National Guard photo by Technical Sergeant Dan Heaton, 07JUN2019.
Here volunteers work on an F4U wing at the Selfridge Military Air Museum at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, June 2019.
Video interview with volunteer at Selfridge Military Air Museum, explains why it’s his dream job:
RETIRED USN CRAFTSMAN RECALLS DAYS OF BEING PAID TO BUILD GIANT MODEL PLANES!
VEHICLE I-D: NASA CANBERRAS, B-57B ‘HUSH KIT’ & WB-57F RIVET CHIP/SLICE
PAINTING A P-51 MUSTANG WITH VINYL DECALS?