WIX Archives
Link to F3F from SALT water
Posted by SRS on Wed Jan 23, 2002 11:37:33 AM
In reply top Re: F3F from (fresh) water posted by SRS on Wed Jan 23, 2002 11:27:21 AM
Here's a link to the NMNA site about their F3F-2...
http://www.naval-air.org/AircraftCollection/view_plane.asp?UID=36
Thanks.
: Yes, the F4F Wildcats are from Lake Michigan. The F3F is
: not the same aircraft! It's the 'Flying Barrel' biplane,
: the same type as was reproduced recently in Texas. Their
: F3F was definately in salt water.
:
:
: : : The National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola has
: a
: : b
: : : eautiful Grumman F3F restoration of an original that w
: as
: : p
: : : ulled from the Pacific, off the California coast. Loo
: ks
: : g
: : : ood enought to fly now, but no telling how much of the
: o
: : ri
: : : ginal metal remains, or in what condition.
: :
: : All of the F3F Wildcats and SBD Dauntleses in the NMNA a
: re
: : airframes recovered from Lake Michigan (fresh water).
: I
: : believe there are two of these Wildcats, and three of th
: e
: : recovered SBD's on actual display inside the NMNA (as of
: t
: : wo years ago). Where an airframe exposed to salt water
: wi
: : ll immediately begin suffering the effects of intergranu
: la
: : r corrosion, the same airframe submerged in fresh water
: wo
: : uld actually remain fairly well preserved over the long
: ru
: : n. I dare say the 20+ warbirds recovered from Lake Mich
: ig
: : an so far would all prove to be good candidates for rest
: or
: : ation back to flying condition. I know of at least one
: F4
: : F Wildcat that spent 50 years submerged in Lake Michigan
: w
: : hich took to the skies not long after being hauled up (i
: t
: : was at Oshkosh this past year...for sale).
: :
: : Currently, plans to recover an F6F Hellcat as well as an
: F
: : 4U-1 Corsair from Lake Michigan are underway. This Cors
: ai
: : r constitutes the oldest surviving (complete) example, a
: nd
: : is slated to become the prime Corsair display on the fl
: oo
: : r of the NMNA in the near future.
: :
: : Rob Mears