Archive for the ‘Walk-around’ Category
Walk-around: F4U-5 Corsair
Forum member Kevin Johnson (MIflyer) sent in this wonderfully detailed walk around report of an F4U-5, along with a veritable plethora of of photos. Sorry it took me so long to get it posted, Kevin!
It’s hard to over-emphasize the romantic attachment that Americans have with old warbirds, especially those of WWII vintage. A lot of folks remember the 1940’s as the last time when the United States truly was united in purpose, moral direction, and a sense of patriotism. Whether that’s true or not is a topic for a different discussion, but the fact remains: we love our fast, loud, nostalgic machines. As a pilot, I attend quite a few local fly-ins and other aviation-related events, and nothing gets people out to the airport like warbirds sitting on the ramp.
At a local Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in back in August, I was surprised to find a gleaming gloss-blue Corsair parked in the grass. I always carry my camera to the airport because one never knows when a surprise visitor like this one will show up. Good modeler that I am, I set to work taking close-up photos of the airplane. In the process, I inquired with a few pilots and found out that a local businessman had recently purchased the aircraft. I sought him out and asked a few questions. Warbird owner/pilots may get treated like celebrities by airshow visitors, but I’ve found that they are unfailingly amiable and love nothing more than to talk about their airplane to a fellow pilot.
