Aussie Corsair Soon To Fly

VH-III, Flyer.

Thank You very much, Andy !

So the last Corsairs to fly there may well have been the Royal Navy examples that were flown onto carriers and dropped out at sea?

VH-III, Flyer.

I think you’re right, Pete, about a Corsair not flying in Australia since the war unless some USN carriers visited before/during/after Korea. A long way for them to come once coming off station though. Either way…

And what Australian “VH-???” civil registration have this “Corsair” ?

To reply in short, the news crew was not invited, they sniffed out the story! I have never contacted anyone re stealing thunder, I responded to a facebook pm which contained not a lot of sense in which I suggested I considered it a privelige to post info on a restoration I had plenty to do with, that’s it and anything else is not worth repeating! I will attempt to post pics as soon as I can get access to emails following the first flight. Dave, I don’t think there has been a Corsair in Oz since the end of WW2 so to many of us its pretty exciting, til next time, best regards,Pete

No idea

So let me ask the question…… why was a major national TV news crew invited into the project to make a national TV story….. then people involved on it as weve seen on this forum….. not expect people around the country to share the news online once it came out… as i said before it was all over facebook yesterday…….. so whose to blame in the sharing of the project news then?

‘Containing’ news is darn near impossible these days, but I can certainly understand why the team that put in years of work and funding might wish to ‘go public’ at a time of their choosing.

Sadly, it is almost inevitable that some ‘eager beaver’ will whiz in for the scoop.

Tin Triangle….Yes it does matter it seems.

Ozfury has just contacted me and told me i was not nice to steal his thunder on the release of the news.

I replied that considering the link was sent out nationally on the internet and smothered across facebook last night on forums, just how was i stealing his thunder?
And i wasnt aware who Pete was until just told recently. So ive told him next time maybe have the media report it better and tell others to hold off if he wants to announce news here firstly.

Does anyone know how long it has been since a Corsair last flew in Australia? Would the last one have been a British Pacific Fleet Corsair? Or were there visits form postwar examples to Australia on carriers too?

I wish the team all the best, I used to often gaze longingly at this aircraft when it was stored in No. 6 Hangar at RNZAF Base Wigram, back in the day.

Erm…does it actually really matter who posted the link first, and quite when the aeroplane was built? It’s a Corsair, about to fly, and in unusual and striking markings to boot. Surely cause to cease the bickering and celebrate this achievement? :confused:

I view the Corsair as WW2 era and that it to me. …. i wasnt aware until Pete came on and said that this actual aircraft was built Post War.

Ch 9 has made the error and i merely reposted what they told the world.

So there you go i learnt something today.

OK, lets keep the arguments on Private Message please.

‘Daniel’, regardless of what the press say it is, I think you are enough of an enthusiast to know better. Arent you?

Bruce

And here we go Pete and Dave aka Scooter, quote directly taken from Channel 9 news story on the Corsair – highlighted the bold section for you too all whinge about…

“DARWIN DREAM: One of the world’s rarest and deadliest warbirds will soon retake to the skies above Darwin. A local aviator and his team of enthusiasts have spent the last 17 years restoring the World War Two fighter plane, with a rich history and one hell of a story.”

Whoever “Pete” is in having a go at my comment you MAY wish to actually Pete …..go and reread that news story done by Channel 9 ….as their words are its a “WW2 fighter”…

So with your attitude, I am expecting you to be promptly getting onto Ch9 TV in Darwin and demanding they rewrite their story which i used as a intro…and tell them they made a error and should of said 1947 post war era Corsair too?
The link and story was all across facebook pages i saw… yesterday with people discussing a WW2 fighter…. only the purist will say actually its 1947 but… to the average in street which is news is aimed at, its a WW2 aircraft.

Good luck to you guys Pete, I know many people are waiting with baited breath for the first flight. Blue skies ahead to all!

Also thanks for posting your pictures as usual much appreciated.

Also are you really surprised at who posted the first post not me! Bull at a gate?

The first production F4U Corsairs were built during 1942, the AU-1 ground-attack variant for the USMC were built during the Korean War, and the last Corsairs built were the F4U-7s for the French Navy, built during 1952.

However, this 1947-built one is an F4U-5 (due to the “cheek” oil-cooler inlets), and thus is fully a “POST-WW2” bird, as all of this variant were built after the end of the war.

Well, “WW2 era” is close enough for me!
This looks like a lovely restoration, and it’s a rare treat to see a warbird emerging in unusual, but historically accurate markings from a lesser-known post war air force. Well done to all concerned!

Hi All, its a shame Phil didn’t check his details before sprinting to get the first post in, the Corsair was built in ’47 so its a little late for the war but we moved it on sunday morning from the rest. shed to the airport for engine runs & taxi tests, I will hopefully get in before Phil to announce the first flight but don’t like my chances, cheers, Pete