WIX Archives
Re: FG-1D for F4U-7 trade
Posted by Rob Mears on Sat Nov 16, 2002 04:21:40 PM
In reply top Re: FG-1D for F4U-7 trade posted by Jim Bates on Fri Nov 15, 2002 02:51:25 PM
"So Mr. Ortner traded the ex-Goodyear FG-1D to the USMC Museum? I always heard the the FG-1D came direct to the USMC Musuem from Goodyear. Or did the USMC Museum have two FG-1Ds over their history."
There were actually two FG-1D's that belonged to the USMC during the early 1970's.
To begin with, in 1964 the USMC was given the F4U-7 (133710) which wasn't a Corsair type operated by the USMC. It was traded to Ortner in 1971 for his FG-1D (92013).
Goodyear had an FG-1A (13459) that had been snagged from US surplus in 1952, and displayed (hung from a crane) inside the Goodyear plant in Akron, OH for many years. It was eventually taken down and stored on site, being rolled out for the occasional company event. During February of 1975, Goodyear decided that the plane would be better suited for museum display and was donated to the USMC Museum.
At the same time that Goodyear decided to donate their FG-1A to the USMC Museum, the USMC took the opportunity to trade the ex-Ortner FG-1D to the US Naval Museum in exchange for an F4U-5N (122189) that the Navy had in storage at NAS Cherry Point. Now the Marines would have an FG-1A and an F4U-5N, both of which were authentic Marine Corsairs.
The USMC delivered their newly acquired FG-1A (13459) from the Goodyear facility directly to Wally McDonnell's Aero-Sport Inc. at Chino, CA for restoration to static condition. It remained there until 1981 when Col. Joe Payton, who was the head of the USMC Museum at the time, personally relocated the FG-1A from Chino to the USMC Museum's facility in Quantico, VA. He led the completion of the restoration and the aircraft was finally put on static display inside the USMC Museum at Quantico.
The US Navy took delivery of the ex-Ortner FG-1D (92013) from the USMC and displayed it from 1975 until 1980, at which time another FG-1D (92246) was donated to them by the estate of the late Wayne Thomas Jr. The ex-Thomas FG-1D became the Navy museum's new (and current) display while their original FG-1D (92013) was sent to Tennessee for a fresh static restoration. In 1988 following the restoration, BuNo.92013 was relocated to the Washington Navy Yard in Washington DC for display.
Clear as mud? :)
Rob