Corsair F4U...any of them racing ?

[First time Juke]

Hi !

Seeing yesterday this Zenos video of flying a Corsair :

http://www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com/F4U.html

I suddenly realized that them are no longer racing...ever ?

rgds,

Juke

[speeddemon]

Re: Corsair F4U...any of them racing ?

No, Juke. The last Corsair to race was the F4U-1 "Super Corsair" that crashed @ Phoenix in 1994.

I'm wracking my brain trying to think about this, but the 'best' Corsair year had to have been 1984. "Super Corsair", "Big Richard", Blue Max", "Old Blue", and "Wart Hog". And I think all of them qualified and raced, too.

[First time Juke]

Re: Corsair F4U...any of them racing ?

Hello Speeddemon,

Wasn't it Super Corsair that caught fire ? Pilot baled out.
I think I saw a pic of that back then.

rgds,

Juke

[King]

Re: Corsair F4U...any of them racing ?

Hello Speeddemon,

Wasn't it Super Corsair that caught fire ? Pilot baled out.
I think I saw a pic of that back then.

rgds,

Juke

Ya shoulda been there, scary sight!!

[speeddemon]

Re: Corsair F4U...any of them racing ?

Yeah, the radio transmissions are pretty bone-chilling too.

[AirDOGGe]

Re: Corsair F4U...any of them racing ?

I saw the Super Corsair's final moments on a television show well before I heard about it....It really hit the ground hard!

I was so bummed to find out that such a fine and unique bird was gone forever....Thank God that kevin was able to escape (though he was badly injured in the process).

A very good write-up of the unfortunate event can be read here:

http://www.warbirdaeropress.com/articles/bail_out.html

The stock corsairs added a nice element to the races...A shame that we don't see even one out there at Stead anymore....Maybe someday we will be "blessed" again.

[matt]

Re: Corsair F4U...any of them racing ?

ya, i have that segment on realtv recorded, flames over 100 feet long!

[First time Juke]

Re: Corsair F4U...any of them racing ?

Matt,

That is a hazardous situation..the toxic fumes enter the cockpit too and temperatures are high.
Looking at that Septemper Props mayday video...it is evident that the pilot is pulling up all the altitude he can to ensure he has enuf altitude to bail out in case the fire intensifies...am I right ?

rgds,

Juke

[matt]

Re: Corsair F4U...any of them racing ?

since i'm not a pilot, or race pilot for that matter i honestly don't know. i can only say that if i were in that situation i would trade speed for altitude for two reasons, to slow down to land, and by time to decide what runway would be best to land on. it's also my understanding that the pilots are asked to land on runway 32 or 8 (depending on where they are on the course)so as to keep 14 and 26 open for the other planes.

[ShaneDog]

Re: Corsair F4U...any of them racing ?

Does anyone know where the remaings of the airframe are now, if there was anything left of it?

[King]

Re: Corsair F4U...any of them racing ?

Does anyone know where the remaings of the airframe are now, if there was anything left of it?

The airplane flew straight into the ground and still under some power. Not much left at all. I have seen a memorial for it that used what was left of a prop blade.

[Unregistered]

Re: Corsair F4U...any of them racing ?

It's buried on the Air Museum grounds in Chino - We had a hell of a party and buried it near the spot it was born (fighter rebuilders). Very sad but very happy Kevin was still with us.

[Bear Wrench]

Re: Corsair F4U...any of them racing ?

I think the old Super Corsair race trailer is still sitting in the weeds, wasting away behind one of the hangers at chino...kinda sad.

Stacy