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Re: Corsair in Sept/Oct Warbirds International

Posted by Rob Mears on Sun Sep 07, 2003 04:44:39 PM

In reply top Re: Corsair in Sept/Oct Warbirds International posted by Richard Allnutt on Sun Sep 07, 2003 03:18:16 PM

When Mr. Doan's estate sold the FG-1D to John Hooper in 1988, the project did not include outer wing panels. Mr. Hooper sourced a pair of F4U-5 wings seperately to complete the basic airframe.

The FG-1D's accient in 1967 occurred when pilot Alfred Von Schlagel failed to lock the tailwheel on takeoff, resulting in a stall during liftoff. The nature of the accident could easily have meant the "destruction" of the outer wing panels - especially by 1967 standards. When I witnessed BuNo.92399 at Harry Doan's hangar in 1986 there were no outer wing panels to speak of.

Off topic, but still interesting is the fact that Harry Doan at one time had an F4U-1 (BuNo.17995), FG-1D (BuNo.92399), and F2G-1 (BuNo.88458) all in storage at his Datona Beach hangar. He also had a spare set of F4U-4B wings that he had originally aquired to complete the F2G project. The F2G's original wings went with the project when it was sold following Mr. Doan's death in 1987. Those original wings were in terrible shape, and by the time Mr. Odeggard received the derelict Super Corsair, he felt it made more sense to start with new wing panels. Gerry Beck had acquired the spare F4U-4B wing set from Harry Doan years before, and was able to trade them to Odeggard to be reunited with the F2G project. Beck took the derelict original F2G wing panels in trade, and to the best of my knowlege he still has them in storage as part of his second F4U-4 project (BuNo.97320).

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