Pilots, Vintage Plane guys...

[trader220]

Silly question but I am cooking up some long range plans.

How often does a Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair come up for sale in flight worthy condition? What are your thoughts on this particular vintage WWII plane?

What about a PBY Cat ?

Just trying to tap the minds of some of you guys here.

Thanks

[IROC]

I love WW2 Corsairs. I seem to remember watching a TV show (or reading a page on the internet) about an air show that featured some still-flying Corsairs. From what I remember, it seems that they are very rare. I think you could count the number of flight-worthy planes on two hands.

[crustychief]

I donate some time at the San Diego Museum annex, we are currently working on a corsair that was flight worthy before Katrina. It was in hangar that got swamped with seawater, sadly it will never fly again. The spar is an aluminum laminate and was penetrated during its bath.

http://webzoom.freewebs.com/cafcorsair/Restorations_USA.html
Here are some others.

[KNS]

There are actually more Corsairs flying today than there were 30 years ago though the number is still small compared to Mustangs. Probably around 150 flyable P-51s in the world today vs about two dozen Corsairs. I had heard that somebody is manufacturing the main wing spars (a very complicated and beefy structure) of the Corsair now - so we should see even more of them take to the air in the future.

On a side note, I met Pappy Boyington many years ago at an airshow. I asked him for his autograph (which I still have) but he was a little annoyed that I didn't buy one of his books - being about 13 at the time I didn't have the cash on me.

Edit: crustychief, sorry I don't know the name of the outfit making new spars, not cheap I'm sure. Perhaps the museum would look into it...

[gwood]

I remember reading that while they were filming the Black Sheep TV show they owned every flyable Corsair in the world.

[KNS]

Being curious, I checked Wikipedia, there are at least 30 flyable Corsairs in the world with many more in storage or under restoration. Cool!

[IROC]

This site has some good info and also a listing of many of the remaining planes (under "Living Legends"):

Welcome to f4ucorsair.com

[daepp]

Originally Posted by KNS

Probably around 150 flyable P-51s in the world today

I had no idea there were so few. I have seen SO many at local air shows over the years...

[KNS]

There may be more than 150 Mustangs flying these days, back in the late seventies there were perhaps a hundred *flyable* with many more tucked away in storage. As their value went up it became more financially viable to bring back more of them to flying condition. After the war you could pick up a P-51 (with full tanks!) for around $1,500 bucks. In the 70's they were worth around $100,000 to 150,000. Now beautifully restored examples will fetch a million.

Actually, 150 flying warbirds of any make (except perhaps T-6s) is a pretty high number.

[mossguy]

But what about the Catalinas?

Best,
Tom

[trader220]

Anyone flown one of these things?

[varmint]

haven't seen a catalina for sale in a while. last one was 1.5 million. the interior had been kitted out like a yacht. a rich executives toy. you'd think they would cost more. but they are maintenance pigs. 10 hours of work for every hour in the air. few can afford that kind of upkeep. like boats. most guys who buy them end up begging someone to take it off their hands.

other rode hard put away wet ex firebombers show up form time to time. there was that black and red one that i used to see at oshkosh. beautiful plane.

[tcar]

Originally Posted by trader220

That's got to be the biggest prop ever on a single-engined plane.

[rouxroux]

In the late 70's, I used to go into a little grass strip Just off of I-20 in Tallulah, La. There was a gentleman there by the name of Merle Gustafson who owned a very nice F4 and also was doing T6-Zero conversions. He used to fly CAF shows all the time. He died in a welding accident in the 80's and I think his plane wound up in Florida. It was called the "Angel of Okinawa"....Here's a pic of it from "Back in the day"

[IROC]

Originally Posted by rouxroux

He died in a welding accident in the 80's...

Good heavens.

[Jim Bremner]

Originally Posted by tcar

That's got to be the biggest prop ever on a single-engined plane.

It was, and the reason for the bent wings? the landing gear could only be so long to handle the hard aicraft carrier landings. The bent wings are to give more room for the props

[ODDJOB UNO]

Originally Posted by varmint

haven't seen a catalina for sale in a while. last one was 1.5 million. the interior had been kitted out like a yacht. a rich executives toy. you'd think they would cost more. but they are maintenance pigs. 10 hours of work for every hour in the air. few can afford that kind of upkeep. like boats. most guys who buy them end up begging someone to take it off their hands.

other rode hard put away wet ex firebombers show up form time to time. there was that black and red one that i used to see at oshkosh. beautiful plane.

maint. pigs is pretty much the summation of ANY VINTAGE PLANE!

heres a few items you need to include:

1) machine shop complete
2) 1-2 guys that are real machinists
3) a tool crib
4) lots of tools and some real mechanics
5) a hanger
6) lots of insurance
7) an instructor
8) alot of time on yer hands
9) a HELL OF ALOT OF PESOS
10) and a HELL of a good understanding of INTERGRANULAR CORROSION! why? because most if not all marine and navy planes were based around salt water!

and if ya fly it more than 20 hours a year..........I'LL BE AMAZED!


a PBY?????????????????? are you nuts? ask me how i know from my 1946 grumman mallard experiences.

beautiful to look at.............as long as its somejuan elses and i'll take pictures thank you very much i'm not interested EVER in a ride!

i honestly dont know what would kill you faster or yer bank accounts.......a vintage plane or hookers and coke!

[varmint]

don't forget that the "real mechanics" and "real machinists" you're talking about will all be pushing 70.

[ODDJOB UNO]

theres not a damn thing parts wise made for them. everything will have to be FABBED!

if it was me spending YOUR MONEY.........................

i would find the highest production number model of plane still flying that you like. find other owners and get in cahoots with them, as they have already been down this bad road before you.


also i would buy a LANDBASED plane as INTERGRANULAR CORROSION will NOT BE AS MUCH OF AN ISSUE!

P-51's would be a good start, if ya have to have a real mccoy fighter. we have a real one based here that actually is in WWII D-DAY markings and was built in feb. of 1944. i think it got 12 kills on the fuselage. hes on his 3rd engine. last engine built by hendrick motorsports. anythang RARE model(low production #'s) will be the downfall of your marriage/bank accts/your health.

in other words if yer not bill gates......................you havent a CLUE how many pesos you will be pooing out yer arse!

like i said..............if ya get 20 hrs of flyboy time per year ..........i'll be AMAZED.

[rattlsnak]

ive seen several at shows and such, but a few months ago i ran across one in a hanger in Cinncinnati, ( KLUK ) and owner let me climb up in it. it is really MASSIVE!! and you're right on the prop, its huge.. standing in front of it, the prop spinner was 2 feet over my head.