Corsair and P47 updates

Hi Dave

You don’t think I would come over without making contact do you!!

Trip has been delayed by various uncompleted tasks on the homefront and I will contact you once they are all in place again.

Kindest regards
John P

Thanks John. I didn’t realise that several P47’s are being restored at once. Ooh, sounds even better than I thought. 🙂

How did your trip to NZ go by the way. I was hoping to make contact but that was the weekend this website went down for a couple of days and I wasn’t able to get in touch – sorry mate. Did you get to see anything interesting over here?

Hi all

Re the P47

This and others are progressing in NSW but I suggest you contact Robert Greinert who is doing the restoration to get an update – he posts on this site occasionally.

Regards
John parker

Excellent info Dave! Thanks for the links as well 🙂

No, I believe it was because the RNZAF allowed the use of RNZAF Base Whenuapai (and possibly RNZAF Hobsonville) as locations for ‘The Rescue’ (1988). I think a couple of A4K’s also appeared in it.

Also Bristol Freighter NZ5910 appeared too. This was just before it was sold abroad. I’m not sure if it was flown by the RNZAF or by a civil operator for the film.

The film was total American crap, in the worst traditions of Iron Eagle style of aviation related films, sadly. It was about some kids who take on some ‘baddie’ Asian army to rescue their Dad, a Navy Seal who couldn’t do it for himself!!! Oh dear.

I think you are confused over movie titles as The Rescue involved Navy Seals, but it wasn’t called that. Here is the IMDb link
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095981/

Rob, have you seen the Corsair details on Phil Treweek’s site? It lists serials for the supposed parts with Ross Jowitt. You’ll have to scan down to the Corsair link from here.
http://www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/aviation.html

I can’t remember exactly, can anyone remind me… this Corsair was donated to the RNZAF Museum by Walt Disney Corp after the RNZAF co-operated in the filming of The Rescue. But had Disney owned the plane for some time (ie was it in the props department?) or did they purchase it specifically for the RNZAF Museum? I was wondering if it had actually been seen in any films?

I always heard it was a trade for use of the RNZAF’s A-4 Skyhawks for the movie “Navy Seals”. Let me know if I’m wrong on that one.

The disassembled Corsair actually belonged to John Mullen in St. Louis, Missouri. Warbird collector Peter Thelen of Ft. Lauderdale, FL was brought in to serve in the intrest of Walt Disney Studios. He actually purchased the plane from John Mullen to secure it for the trade, then brokered the deal with the RNZAF Museum. That was September of 1987 as I recall.

That would be excellent OZ. Photos of that project are extremely hard to come by.

Thank you both. It will be good to see the Corsair finally airborne. It used to live in the same hangar as where I worked when I was based at RNZAF Wigram, and I spent many a lunch hour staring at it and its stablemates (including an Avenger, a Bristol Freighter and an ack-ack gun!) and thinking how wasted it was sitting hidden away there. In the end a good result – the museum got a P40 and the Corsair will take to the air again.

I can’t remember exactly, can anyone remind me… this Corsair was donated to the RNZAF Museum by Walt Disney Corp after the RNZAF co-operated in the filming of The Rescue. But had Disney owned the plane for some time (ie was it in the props department?) or did they purchase it specifically for the RNZAF Museum? I was wondering if it had actually been seen in any films?

Hi Rob,Dave & enthusiasts,I work part time on the Corsair so can give you a quick update.Most of the structural work has been completed including extensive reskinning on the wings,reskinning the tailplanes due to exhaust gas corrosion inside,remanufacture of elevaters,etc.As most parts on the Corsair are unique it has been very difficult to find a good supply however the boss has over time developed some good contacts.At the moment we are manufacturing the RH lower oil cooler/air inlet duct panel which is fairly complex and are progressing with systems installations.All of the landing gear is installed as is the miles of hydraulic tubing and the bulk of the flight control systems.As far as I know there is no set delivery date but I will ask Nobby if he minds me posting a few pics,regards,Pete

I know the Corsair is still progressing well. The QEC (firewall forward) section of the plane arrived at Ezell Aviation in Breckenridge, Texas not long ago where I presume it will be restored and returned to Australia. I haven’t had the greatest luck corresponding with the restoration crew in AUS, but I do receive the occasional update from a couple of other sources who are more intimate with the situation. It doesn’t sound like the plane will fly in the very near future, but the work is apparently continuing at a steady pace.