The FG1D Corsair had the biggest and most powerful engine and the largest propellor of any fighter in history when it was introduced in 1940, it was also the first to exceed 400mph.

Manufacture of the Corsair ceased in 1952 allowing the type to boast the longest production run of any American piston engined fighter. The Corsair first saw service with the US Marine Corps, but it was the British Fleet Air Arm who first operated the aircraft from aircraft carriers.

It proved to be an indisputable air superiority fighter when it was brought in to service in the Pacific and continued to prove its worth through the Korean war.

The history of the TFC Corsair is well documented, at least by TFC historians. A synopsis is included here. The machine was built as a Corsair FG-1D, Bureau No. 88297 by Goodyear at their Akron, Ohio, facility.

The original contract was number 1871, dated 10/16/44 was updated by Amendment 10, dated 12/20/44. She was built as an FG-1D Type Aircraft with a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-8W and with an empty weight of 9,600 lbs.

She was accepted on the 9th April 1945 and was delivered two days later. The aircraft's assignments were many and various and are recorded here to give you a real value-for-money feel:

• Enroute Guam, May 1945
• Aircraft Pool Airwing 2, Guam, June-Sept 1945
• Repair depot, Smar, Oct 1945
• Enroute return from Guam, Nov-Dec 1945
• Aircraft pool, San Diego, California, Jan 1946
• Repair depot, San Diego, California, Feb-Apr 1946
• Aircraft pool, San Diego, California, May 1946
• Naval Air Reserve, Minneapolis, June 1946 - Nov 30 1947
• Aircraft pool, Jacksonville, Florida, Dec 1947
• Overhaul, Jacksonville, Florida, Jan 1948 - Mar 29 1948
• Naval Air Reserve, Memphis, Apr 1948 - Nov 1948
• N/K, Nov 1948 - Aug 1949
• Overhaul, Jacksonville, Florida, Sept 1949 - Oct 1949
• Storage, Litchfield Park, Arizona, Oct 1949 - July 12 1950
• Overhaul, Jacksonville, Florida, July 16 1950 - Aug 1950
• Naval Air Reserve, Minneapolis, Aug 1950 - Sept 17 1950
• Naval Air Reserve, Florida, Sept 18 1950 - May 30 1952
• Overhaul, Jacksonville, Florida, June 26 1952 - Jan 9 1953
• Minor maintenance, Jacksonville, Florida, Jan 9 1953 - Jan 16 1953
• Naval Air Reserve, Columbus, Ohio, Jan 15 1953 - Feb 28 1955
• Storage, Litchfield Park, March 14 1955 - Feb 29 1956
• Placed for sale - Total Flight Time 1652 hours, March 1 1956
• Sold to ALU-MET Smelters, Jan 23 1959
• Sold to Frank Tallman, Jan 9 1960
• Sold to Rosen Novak Auto Co., Feb 18 1966
• Sold to Johan Larsen. Mar 13 1967
• Sold to Dr Louis Antonacci, Oct 30 1978

This account mentions but doesn't make obvious the important part played by movie stunt pilot Frank Tallman in the existence of the machine beyond 1960 when she had been with a smelting company for a year.

Frank performed heroics in liberating the machine, and then went off to rebuild and fly the aircraft, calling it his all-time favourite in his book The Great Planes.

TFC's Corsair flew with the US Navy in 1945 and saw combat in the Pacific before being transferred to the US Naval Air Reserve in 1946. Until March 1997, it flew in the colours of the the first US Navy carrier-based Skull & Crossbones squadron, VF-17, with the personal marking of their ace pilot, Lt Ira Kepford, who was credited with 16 Japanese victories.

The machine has been repainted in April and May of 1997 as KD345 of 1850 Sqn based on HMS Vengeance of the British Pacific Fleet in December of 1945. The scheme is essentially an all over deep blue, with the large British Pacific Fleet roundel and a bright yellow cowling and prop spinner.