WIX Archives
Re: In Honduras it flew as FAH-607
Posted by Amado Aguiluz Ferrari on Wed Oct 01, 2003 08:42:54 AM
In reply top Re: In Honduras it flew as FAH-607 posted by Ryan Harris on Mon Sep 29, 2003 06:42:35 PM
Ryan:
The Honduran Air Force (FAH) acquired ten F4U-5 Corsairs in 1956. Nine F4U-4s were purchased between 1958 and 1961, for a total of 19 Corsairs.
The Collings Foundation Corsair, F4U-5NL BuNo. 124692, was received on 27 March 1956, and registered as FAH 607. The pilot which ferried the aircraft to Honduras, Major Enrique Soto Cano, reported engine problems (vibration) through the flight.
Although we have not found the service record for FAH 607, the aircraft suffered a crash landing at the Tegucigalpa airfield in 1956, due to engine trouble.
As Carlos Rodriguez (my colleague from the Museo del Aire de Honduras - Honduras Air Museum) has mentioned, FAH 607 was the first Corsair withdrawn from the flight line.
The Honduran Corsairs had an impressive service record. In July 1969, there were eleven serviceable Corsairs, all of which were active during the 100-hour war between Honduras and El Salvador, mostly on the ground attack role.
F4U-5N (BuNo. 124715), FAH 609, flown by Captain Fernando Soto Henriquez, shot down one Salvadoran Cavalier F-51D Mustang, and two Goodyear FG-1D Corsairs the same day.
Two F4U-4 Corsairs were destroyed in landing accidents (one fatal), FAH 611 in 1974, and FAH 617 in 1977. The remaining Corsairs, except FAH 609 which remains in the Museo del Aire collection, were returned to the U.S.A. a few years later. Any further information on the subject or about other about Honduran warbirds, please let us know.