FAS FG-1D Folks:
Good Day!
..well not actually missing as we were once lead to believe, but it spent some time hiding in a Missouri farm, U.S, until c.1980s. Reason why it did not appeared/showed-up in US N Reg until c. ’95. as poss Buno 67087. More details of this fascinating/rare ‘gull grey sample’ and the story of its whereabouts since its landing accident at El Paso, TX, on May 6, ’57, while on a ferry flight fm Litchfield Pk, NAS, AZ to Ilopango AB, El Salvador. The pilot was a young Lt, named Gilberto Sanchez Ponce. Photo via Wix.
p.s We’re some 99.9 % sure on this Aug 2015 that it made it S.of the Border, spend some time pasturing & later came back to the U.S under a coat of light blue paint c.1982.
By: Zorro9 - 30th August 2015 at 04:32
Meddle:
Good Day!
Tks for the info & data.That nature DNA will prob show S.W Missouri, Midwest USA area since it spent there some 15 yrs or so.
FAS FG-1D Folks: Good Day! It was some 79 degrees (F) & sunny in the Midwest today..for Aug temps… that’s a plus around here!
Back to our FAS 201 tale. Did Lt. Gilberto Sanchez Ponce come back to fly FAS 201 once fixed?? Did FAS 201 got fix in place?? We do not believe so. By March ’58 when the fund$$ were authorized for the repair FAS was also struggling with FG-1D parts & maintaining the 19 aircraft already at home. Five more airframes were ordered just for parts plus the repair of FAS 201 c. March ’58. The five spare FG-1Ds took a long time to arrive, so long that FAS was forced to contract IRAN maint for about 7 aircraft of the fleet with SALAS of Costa Rica c.May ’60, (Now COPESA) plus placing some 10 aircraft in long temp outdoor storage. Drawing via AEC. c. 2012. 2 B Cont…
By: Meddle - 29th August 2015 at 21:22
You could probably figure out where its been by the pollen, spores and soil particles within the airframe. 😎
By: Zorro9 - 29th August 2015 at 12:33
p.s …How the elusive FG-1D FAS 201, poss Buno 67087 looked after its landing accident (ground loop), at El Paso Municipal Airport c. May 1957.
Then, the saga of its whereabouts began here after being left semi-abandoned on a far away tarmac corner for a year or so. The aircraft did not just go “puff” into the thin air as originally told. The level of aviation research/details are there, for the F4U/FG-1D folks & IPMS modelers…if an effort is made. Quite by chance, we made a few findings for this audience to see & decide! Tks for a few F4U FP Forum folks that provided details,drawings & pics fm across the pond to make things a bit more clear. Photo B. Baker. c. May ’57.
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August 29, 2015 at 3:39 am