Item:
ONSV5855

Original U.S. WWII Artifacts from Vought F4U Corsair Aircraft flown by VF-10 Squadron during Training

Item Description

Original Items: One-of-a-kind set. Well this is definitely something really interesting and special! We've had a few crash artifacts, but these are not related to the downing of an aircraft. This great set is comprised of artifacts removed from the Vought F4U-1D Corsair # 50375, which is owned by the Smithsonian as part of the National Air and Space museum. It's history of display can be tracked at the War Bird Registry:  CORSAIR/Bu. 50375

As indicated by the information at the bottom of the case, these artifacts were obtained from the estate of a master aviation restorer:

F4U-1D # 50375 CORSAIR
FABRIC AND WOOD ARTIFACTS
OBTAINED FROM THE ESTATE OF SMITHSONIAN AVIATION RESTORER
EDWIN R. HOFFMAN

What makes this collection special though is not just what they are, but where they went during WWII. The description at the top of the case is very informative:

The United States Navy donated an F4U-1D to the National Air and Space Museum in September 1960. Vought delivered this Corsair, Bureau of Aeronotics serial number 50375, to the Navy on April 26, 1944. By October, pilots of VF-10 were flying it while transitioning to the Vought F4U Corsair in January 1945 at NAS Atlantic City. VF-10 then returned to the Pacific aboard USS Intrepid and took part in strikes against the Ryukyu Islands, Kyūshū, Okinawa and Wake Island. Finally, VF-10 returned to NAS Alameda where it was deactivated in November 1945.

In November, the airplane was transferred  to VF-89 at Naval Air Station Atlantic City. It remained there as the squadron moved to NAS Oceana and NAS Norfolk. During February 1945, the Navy withdrew the airplane from active service and transferred it to a pool of surplus aircraft stored at Quantico, Virginia. In 1980, NASM craftsmen restored the F4U-1D in the colors and markings of a Corsair named "Sun Setter," a fighter assigned to Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-113 in July 1944, when that squadron was operating from a field on Engebi in the Marshall Islands. This Aircraft is on display in the Boeing Aviation Hangar at the NASM STeven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.

These are from a plane that definitely was used for training by VF-10 during WWII, though the craft was not deployed for combat use itself. This is most likely why it was such a prime candidate for preservation.

The fabric piece and wooden chunk are mounted on a fabric backing inside a very nice display case. Below these two the left is a picture of the ACTUAL Aircraft they came from, when it was on display at the National Air And Space museum. Below it can be seen an example of the legendary SR-71 Blackbird Spy Plane. The case itself measures about 21"H x 17"W x 2 3/4", and is in wonderful display condition. The case appears to be wood, and is glass glazed.

A great example of WWII memorabilia from a known airplane! A fantastic collector's opportunity.

The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contracts were given to Goodyear, whose Corsairs were designated FG, and Brewster, designated F3A.

The Corsair was designed and operated as a carrier-based aircraft, and entered service in large numbers with the U.S. Navy in late 1944 and early 1945. It quickly became one of the most capable carrier-based fighter-bombers of World War II. Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II and its naval aviators achieved an 11:1 kill ratio. Early problems with carrier landings and logistics led to it being eclipsed as the dominant carrier-based fighter by the Grumman F6F Hellcat, powered by the same Double Wasp engine first flown on the Corsair's first prototype in 1940. Instead, the Corsair's early deployment was to land-based squadrons of the U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy.

The Corsair served almost exclusively as a fighter-bomber throughout the Korean War and during the French colonial wars in Indochina and Algeria. In addition to its use by the U.S. and British, the Corsair was also used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, French Naval Aviation, and other air forces until the 1960s.

From the first prototype delivery to the U.S. Navy in 1940, to final delivery in 1953 to the French, 12,571 F4U Corsairs were manufactured in 16 separate models. Its 1942–53 production run was the longest of any U.S. piston-engined fighter.

  • This product is available for international shipping.
  • Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Cash For Collectibles