HISTORY

• In June 1941, the Navy issued the first production contract for the somewhat revised F4U-1 model and the basic design continued in production until January 1953, at which time over 12,800 Corsairs of all models had been built.
• One of the basic stock Corsairs still fying is F4U-1 Bu. No. 17799 (civil registration NX83782), which belongs to Planes of Fame Air Museum at Chino Airport in Southern California. It first arrived at San Diego, California in August 1943 and was assigned to a Navy fighter squadron (VF84) in the same year.
• In January 1944, the aircraft was reassigned to VBF-14 (a fighter-bomber unit) until being transferred to VBF-98 in February 1945. This aircraft actually saw combat service in the Pacific with VBF-14 and/or VBF-98. The Corsair was dubbed the "Whistling Death" by the Japanese because of the noise that it made in high-speed flight. Between April and June 1945, Planes of Fame's Corsair served with a carrier air support unit (CASU-33) before being withdrawn from active service on August 31, 1945.

DISTINCTION

• The Museum's F4U-1A was manufactured in Stratford, Connecticut and delivered on August 31, 1943. The Museum’s F4U-1A is a WWII Combat Veteran.  During Operation Cartwheel in the South Pacific, it was shared among several USMC squadrons – VMF 217, and most likely VMF-213, VMF-214, VMF-215, VMF-216, and others.  Summer 1944, it was with VMF-441 in the Central Pacific.  It returned stateside and was eventually a prop at MGM Studios.  The Museum acquired it in 1970 and restored it in 1975.  It is one of the oldest Corsairs still flying. Since restoration, the Corsair has taken part in numerous air shows and flown in a variety of Hollywood productions including the movie Flying MIsfits, Baa Baa Blacksheep the television series, Airwolf, Space, an IMAX film and an ABC Wide world of flying video.

SPECIFICATIONS