[image type=”rounded” float=”none” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” src=”5459″ alt=”fighter log”]

Online Edition No: 2  April 2015

Just click on the tabs below to read the various articles.

[tab_nav type=”four-up” float=”none”][tab_nav_item title=”Welcome”][tab_nav_item title=”Hangar Log”][tab_nav_item title=”FofTFC update”][tab_nav_item title=”TFC Corsair at 70″][tab_nav_item title=”Flying Legends”][tab_nav_item title=”New in Store”][tab_nav_item title=”Competition Time”][tab_nav_item title=”Your Feedback”][/tab_nav][tabs id=”4″][tab active=”true”]Welcome to our Fighter Log – April 2015.

With the  Airshow  season rapidly approaching preparations   are   increasing both  for the  aeroplanes and our arrangements for Friends of TFC.

In this  edition:  Hangar  Log, Corsair History. Competition – win a Gold Pass, Flying Legends  information links.

We will  have a stand at the  May  Duxford airshow  and would  love to see  you all and talk about  old aeroplanes!

Finally congratulations to Paul Taylor the  winner of our  Easter Competition who found their way around all the  features of our  website to answer the questions correctly.

 

 

 

 

[/tab][tab]Some News from the Hangar

 

This month we  have a  largely pictorial up date.  Work  continues apace with  engine runs being our latest  must  do.

The Wildcat and Bearcat have both had successful  runs,  the Bearcat  having finished   its previously  reported  maintenance.

A look around the hanger shows we are  busily  preparing for the  coming airshow season:

The  Gladiator  after a winter of detailing  and maintenance

The P 40C  is coming back together after transfer to G  reg and engine  checks

  You can never  have too many P40’s, the P 40F is  having some final preparations before the  start of the May  airshow season.

and finally   our  baby  Spit in readiness for her  first test  flight of 2015.

[/tab][tab]IMPORTANT: We  know a lot of you will have  memberships due  for renewal around  the  time of  Flying Legends.  You should receive an email notifying that  your  subscription is due  for renewal.

When you renew online this year you will receive an email membership  to print out with your  name and  number on it.  You will also receive a  certificate with the  code  for receiving your  10% discount on any FofTFC merchandise bought online.

If you have received a  renewal  notification renewing online  before  you attend Flying Legends is the  best  way to avoid delays at the  airshow.[/tab][tab]Corsair  Feature:  Reprint from a  1996 Fighter  Log feature back in the  days of  black and white printers:

Since arriving with TFC in 1986 the FG-1D Corsair paint scheme has always been less than accurate. While the markings were correct, the aircraft’s overall colour left much to be desired; nowhere near the correct Glossy Sea Blue of an FG-ID and nothing at all like the 3-tone scheme (similar to the TFC Hellcat) of an early F4U-1A.

With the scheme being painted on by her former owner in 1980, by 1996 she was looking very shabby. With rebuilt parts painted the correct colour blue and others in the ‘wrong ‘ colour blue the aircraft looked like patchwork and clearly needed repainting. Ironically in 1981 the Corsair had won the “most improved Warbird” at Oshkosh, soon after it was painted; still, it takes all sorts I suppose.

Since joining TFC, my colleague Gareth Simons and I have been going on and on (and on) about changing the colour scheme to something more fitting. We did some research and found some great schemes but the Boss reminded us of King and Country and went for a Royal Navy aircraft. October 1996, flying season over, Pete Rushen as blunt as ever says ‘Get on with it’.

Great. One ground crew, one load of paint stripper, one Corsair. Just great. Wondering why we hadn’t kept quiet about it, off we went. As a last ditch attempt to change Stephen’s mind I’d stripped the fuselage back to bare metal but left on the US Star and Bar. “It is no longer an American Aeroplane ” said Stephen. Which was okay by me because Gareth got blamed for it.

After a winter of paint stripping and constant abuse like “The Fury will be flying by the time you’ve finished” we finally neared the end, the outer wings were removed and also prepared for painting.

With the help of Dave Reader I researched the scheme Stephen wanted and passed it on to Pete “Get that Corsair finished” Rushen.

The Corsair ‘s new yellow nose is very much in evidence in this shot; for those of you reading in black and white, it ‘s the end with the prop attached... Paul Bonhomme can just be seen lurking in the cockpit

 

The new scheme is for an aircraft from 1850 Squadron Fleet Air Arm on board HMS Vengeance in 1945. The most striking (or alarming) part of the scheme is the nose ring and engine cowlings which are painted bright insignia yellow. Why this was done, remains uncertain so if any friend knows drop us a line.

1850 Squadron was formed at Brunswick, Maine on 1st August 1944. Flying the Corsair IV, the Royal Navy Version of the FG-1D the Squadron arrived in the UK towards the end of the year on HMS Reaper. In early 1945 1850 joined HMS Vengeance and the British Pacific Fleet. After completing weapons training and dive bombing practice in India the ship entered the war zone in August as part of the 13th Carrier Air Group but was too late to see combat or take part in any operation. Staying in the area until early 1946 the Squadron returned to the UK and disbanded in August 1946.

With the scheme completed we will now spend the rest of our lives removing fingerprints from the gleaming paintwork which , it seems to attract in large growing numbers, and finally we’ll apply the service stencils all over the aircraft.

The Aircraft wears a correct and accurate colour scheme which finally does justice to TFC’ s Corsair.

You can also Download here: [wpdm_package id=’11282′][/tab][tab]The  guys  over at  the Flying Legends Website  and Facebook sites  have recently updated  who is  coming to Flying Legends 2015 they  do  this as  soon as aeroplanes are   confirmed and not  just a rumour!.  We will also carry  articles and background features  here.[/tab][tab][prompt type=”left” title=”Sale Time” message=”\grab a Bargain” button_text=”Discover More” button_icon=”” circle=”true” href=”http://fighter-collection.com/cft/sale-time/”] Newly available:

[/tab][tab]

Win a Gold Pass ticket to  the Sunday  Flying Legends  2015 show.

If you purchase any Friends of TFC  merchandise online between April 20th 2015 and before the end of the  Duxford May 2015 airshow  you will automatically  be entered in a  draw to win a Gold Pass pass at Flying Legends 2015.  The  winner will be drawn in the traditional TFC way.[/tab][tab]Have we got it right?

Do you like the layout of our new Fighter Log? Let us know, just click HERE[/tab][/tabs]