Early Corsair receives engine in Australia

摘要

A significant landmark has been reached in the restoration of Bob Jarrett's Vought F4U-1 Corsair BuNo 02270. During April, the aircraft's Pratt 8 Whitney R2800 powerplant was successfully fitted to the airframe, which is currently being worked on at Parafield Airport, near Adelaide in South Australia. The team at Parafield is next planning to rebuild the propellor, canopy frame and engine cowls, as well as finishing all remaining work inside the cockpit. Painting will be undertaken after these tasks are completed. Believed to be the oldest Corsair currently in preservation, it has been under restoration to static display condition since being recovered from a lagoon on Vanuatu in the South Pacific just over 11 years ago. The VMF-231 fighter had to ditch in the water due to running out of fuel while on a training sortie in May 1944. USMC pilot James Vittitoe survived the incident and made his way back to his base at Quoin Hill.