FG-1D Corsair
Military History
The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. During World War II, demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and Brewster-built aircraft F3A. 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 by Vought, in 16 separate models, in the longest production run of any piston-engined fighter in U.S. history (1942-1953).
The Corsair served in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines, Fleet Air Arm and the Royal New Zealand Air Force, as well as the French Navy and other, smaller, air forces until the 1960s. It quickly became the most capable carrier-based fighter-bomber of World War II. Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II. The U.S. Navy counted an 11:1 kill ratio with the F4U Corsair. As well as being an outstanding fighter, the Corsair proved to be an excellent fighter-bomber, serving almost exclusively in the latter role throughout the Korean War and during the French colonial wars in Indochina and Algeria.
*The photo above is the WHF FG-1D Corsair BuNo 92050 as it looked during it's military career in the United States Navy. Photo Courtesy of Jack Cook, taken at NAAF Salem, OR ~ 1957
Read more information on the FG-1D Corsair from the free online resource 'Wikipedia'.
FG-1D - Constr #: 3311 - BuNo: 92050 (U.S. Navy)
| Date | Squadron | Squadron Name | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 May 12 | Acceptance | Akron, OH | |
| 1945 May 14 | Delivered | NAF Columbus, OH | |
| 1945 May 22 | NAS San Diego, CA - (Start of Tour 1) | ||
| 1945 Jun 26 | Pool-CASU F-20 | NAS San Diego, CA | |
| 1945 Aug 10 | Pool-CASU F-35 | NAS San Diego, CA | |
| 1945 Sep 10 | Sitkoh Bay | NAS San Diego, CA | |
| 1945 Sep 14 | Pool-CASU F-12 | NAS San Diego, CA | |
| 1945 Dec 27 | NAS San Diego, CA | ||
| 1946 May 29 | NARTU | NAS Seattle, WA | |
| 1947 Nov 15 | NAS Jacksonville, FL | ||
| 1947 Dec 2 | NAS Jacksonville, FL - Overhaul | ||
| 1947 Dec 10 | Pool - A & R | NAS Jacksonville, FL | |
| 1948 May 10 | NARTU | NAS Minneapolis, MN - (Start of Tour 2) | |
| 1949 Oct 4 | A & T O & R | NAS Jacksonville, FL | |
| 1950 Jan 18 | NAS Jacksonville, FL - Overhaul | ||
| 1950 Feb 16 | NARTU | NAS Seattle, WA - (Start of Tour 3) | |
| 1951 Oct 28 | NAS Jacksonville, FL | ||
| 1952 Mar 4 | NAS Jacksonville, FL - Overhaul | ||
| 1952 Mar 12 | O & R | NAS Jacksonville, FL | |
| 1952 Mar 21 | A & T | NAS San Diego, CA - (Start of Tour 4) | |
| 1952 Mar 25 | FASRON 691 | NAS San Diego, CA | |
| 1952 Dec 2 | MTG-10 | Pac El Toro Pool FFA | MCAS El Toro, CA |
| 1952 Dec 4 | VMFT-10 | MCAS El Toro, CA | |
| 1952 Dec 24 | VMFT-10 | MCAS El Toro, CA | |
| 1953 Apr 10 | NART | NAS Gross Ile, MI | |
| 1953 Jul 10 | CNART | NAS Dallas, TX | |
| 1954 May 20 | NART | NAS Seattle, WA - NAAF Salem, OR (Seattle Auxiliary Field) | |
| 1954 May 31 | Status Change from A4 to P | Ground Instructional Purposes | |
| 1954 Sep 9 | Stricken from Inventory Code 2 - Depr | Hrs Flown: 1,491.7 |
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| 1960 Oct 28 | Ferry Flight (3 hops) to Longmont, CO (Civilian) - Arrival: 1960 Nov 10 |
| 196? | Private Ownership - ???? - Jim Colbern |
| 1963 | Private Ownership - LaPorte, IN - Aero Enterprises, Inc. - Registered as N6604C |
| 1963 | Private Ownership - Broomfield, CO - Robert Mitchum |
| 1969 | Registered as N194G |
| 1970 | Private Ownership - Broomfield, CO - Aero, Inc. - Modified as Air Racer |
| 1977 Jan 12 | Private Ownership - Denver, CO - James R. Axtell - Placed in Storage |
| 1999 | On Loan: Wings Over The Rockies Museum - Lowry AFB, Denver, CO |
| 2012 Dec | Private Ownership - Lake Forest, IL
- Corsair Historic Military Aircraft, LLC. - Maintained and Operated by Warbird Heritage Foundation under a Bailment Agreement - Began Restoration to Original Config and Airworthy Condition - Estimated 3 - 5 year Project |
| 2021 Jan 31 | Restoration Complete |
| 2021 Mar 9 | First Flight |
SPECIFICATIONS
| Manufacturer: | Goodyear Aircraft Corporation |
| Model: | FG-1D (Vought F4U-1D equivalent) |
| Year Built: | 1945 |
| Constr # / Plant: | 3311 / Akron, OH |
| BuNo: | 92050 (U.S. Navy) |
| N-Number: | N194G |
| Engines: | One |
| Pratt & Whitney R-2800 | |
| 2,250 HP | |
| Length: | 33 ft. 4 in. |
| Height: | 15 ft |
| Wingspan: | 40 ft. 11 in. |
| Weight: | Empty: 8,694 lbs. |
| Max Takeoff: 11,093 lbs. | |
| Performance: | Range: 1,015 miles |
| Ceiling: Over 37,000 ft. | |
| Max Speed: 425 MPH | |
| Armament: | Six Browning M2 .50 Caliber Machine Guns |
| 2,000 lbs. of bombs or rockets. |
GALLERY
Explore the photos of our aircraft on this page by clicking the play arrow, or click on the square in the upper right hand corner to go to full screen. Once on the page, click play. To return to this page, click upper right hand button again. In full screen mode, you can double click the image to get a close-up view.
Historial Photos
Photo Courtesy of Jack Cook, taken at NAAF Salem, OR ~ 1957
Restoration
In December of 2012, the Warbird Heritage Foundation began a project to restore the Goodyear FG-1D Corsair, BuNo 92050, to its original configuration and airworthy condition. The aircraft had been modified as an air racer in the 1970's. The modifications included replacing the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine with a more powerful R-2800. The ends of each wing were also chopped off. The aircraft had sat idle in storage since 1977 when we took delivery. We estimate this to be a three to five year restoration project. You can follow along with the restoration activities by clicking the button below.
FIRST FLIGHT
POST RESTORATION
Warbird Heritage Foundation’s Corsair (BuNo 92050) is airworthy again and has taken to the skies. After an extensive and enduring eight year restoration, Mike Schiffer conducted the first post restoration flight on March 9th, 2021. A special thank you to Sam, Shawn & Charlie at Tab-Air for their dedication. We would also like to acknowledge AirPower Unlimited, Anderson Airmotive, Avionics Place, Ezell Aviation, Max Aero, Tromblay Tool and Chris at ToolWorks.
Most of all, Thank You to all who have served and continue to serve our country. This is a tribute you.
Photo Courtesy of Douglas J. Tomas
More First Flight Photos
All photos in this gallery courtesy of Scott Slocum
Photos added October 2022
Photo Courtesy of Scott Slocum
AVAILABILITY
Our FG-1D Corsair is available for airshows and special events. For additional information, please contact us!