Author Topic: Only F4U-1 in the world pulled from bottom of Lake Michigan  (Read 1027 times)

Offline BrownBaron

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Only F4U-1 in the world pulled from bottom of Lake Michigan
« on: November 08, 2010, 06:44:36 PM »
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2010/11/08/dnt.il.ww2.plane.found.wgn?hpt=T2

I'm unsure if this truly is the only surviving F4U-1 in the world. Saxman should be able to provide insight.
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Offline CHAPPY

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Re: Only F4U-1 in the world pulled from bottom of Lake Michigan
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2010, 07:06:37 PM »



Offline Guppy35

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Re: Only F4U-1 in the world pulled from bottom of Lake Michigan
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2010, 07:10:06 PM »
The only one recovered at this point.  There are a couple of Royal Navy early Corsairs in a New England lake that went down during training.  MoD won't allow recovery as the pilots went down with the planes.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2010, 07:13:18 PM by Guppy35 »
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Offline Saxman

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Re: Only F4U-1 in the world pulled from bottom of Lake Michigan
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2010, 08:27:59 PM »
(Image removed from quote.)



Don't make me beat you over the head, Chappy.

I thought one of the New Zealand museums had an F4U-1, I remember seeing photos recently of a Birdcage Hog at some museum down there.
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Offline CHAPPY

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Re: Only F4U-1 in the world pulled from bottom of Lake Michigan
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2010, 08:31:37 PM »
 :cheers:

Offline oakranger

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Re: Only F4U-1 in the world pulled from bottom of Lake Michigan
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2010, 08:40:26 PM »
Put it back where it belongs, bottom of the lake.   :D
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Offline Guppy35

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Re: Only F4U-1 in the world pulled from bottom of Lake Michigan
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2010, 09:15:11 PM »
Don't make me beat you over the head, Chappy.

I thought one of the New Zealand museums had an F4U-1, I remember seeing photos recently of a Birdcage Hog at some museum down there.

Later model that someone backdated with the early canopy.  Not a true early Corsair
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Offline Masherbrum

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Re: Only F4U-1 in the world pulled from bottom of Lake Michigan
« Reply #7 on: November 08, 2010, 09:23:26 PM »
Later model that someone backdated with the early canopy.  Not a true early Corsair

Correct, aside from this latest "lifting".   The oldest Hogs were 1A's and both NZ Hogs (nos. 50000 and 10508) are restored/ing 1A's.   
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Offline Reschke

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Re: Only F4U-1 in the world pulled from bottom of Lake Michigan
« Reply #8 on: November 09, 2010, 09:14:44 AM »
That one should (IMO) go to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola so they can put it on display. Preferably painted up in the colors of VF-17 in their early rides...pretty please!
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Offline Vudak

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Re: Only F4U-1 in the world pulled from bottom of Lake Michigan
« Reply #9 on: November 09, 2010, 11:13:27 AM »
The only one recovered at this point.  There are a couple of Royal Navy early Corsairs in a New England lake that went down during training.  MoD won't allow recovery as the pilots went down with the planes.

A New England lake, as in Northeast United States?
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Offline JOACH1M

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Re: Only F4U-1 in the world pulled from bottom of Lake Michigan
« Reply #10 on: November 09, 2010, 11:19:17 AM »
I live in Michigan and never heard of this? :headscratch: ima go scuba diving more!! :D
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Offline Guppy35

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Re: Only F4U-1 in the world pulled from bottom of Lake Michigan
« Reply #11 on: November 09, 2010, 11:32:49 AM »
A New England lake, as in Northeast United States?

Yep, Lake Sabengo or something like that.  Considered war graves by the British MoD so no recovery.  Photos of the condition of one of the -1s shows it to be in remarkable condition considering the time down there.  Sad since the remains could be returned to the families.  Glad we don't do it that way in the US. 

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Offline JOACH1M

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Re: Only F4U-1 in the world pulled from bottom of Lake Michigan
« Reply #12 on: November 09, 2010, 11:34:58 AM »
Yep, Lake Sabengo or something like that.  Considered war graves by the British MoD so no recovery.  Photos of the condition of one of the -1s shows it to be in remarkable condition considering the time down there.  Sad since the remains could be returned to the families.  Glad we don't do it that way in the US. 

(Image removed from quote.)
It saddens me to see planes not recovered, I want them to fly again.  :salute
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Offline ROX

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Re: Only F4U-1 in the world pulled from bottom of Lake Michigan
« Reply #13 on: November 09, 2010, 01:00:07 PM »
I live in Michigan and never heard of this? :headscratch: ima go scuba diving more!! :D

Dude--take in a newscast or crack a newspaper once in awhile...seriously.

They have been pulling WWII navy aircraft out of Lake Michigan at a rate of about one a year for the last decade.  The last one was a F6F last year off Waukegan Beach.  There are WWII aircraft all over Lake Michigan, mostly in the lower half of the lake and especially numerous from Kenosha down to Lake Forrest or so...thickest area from Zion to Waukegan's South Beach.  There are also some on the Michigan side of the lake.

In January of 1942 the navy re-fitted a side-wheeled excursion steamer into an aircraft carrier for use in Lake Michigan.  The Navy wanted something that they could practice cv takeoff's and landings because they knew the war in the Pacific would be hugely a navy operation and came to the sad realization that they had extremely few pilots trained to do so.  Rather than have this done at sea, jeapordizing craft and crew to more U-Boat & Japanese sub attacks than necessary, they converted the steamer to a cv (without elevators or a sub-deck aircraft hangar) and it was "based" out of Chicago's Navy Pier...but the planes came from Glenview Naval Air Station (Glenview NAS was a long range anti-submarine aircraft base during the Cold War, but since decommissioned and is now apartment complexes) would take off there and land on the converted "cv".  When those planes were lost/crashed they called it a day and went back to Chicago.  "The Wolverine" (IX-64) and their might have been another one, not sure.

They would not only practice cv take offs and landings they would do live-fire strafing runs on stationary as well as towed targets, especially off the beaches of Zion, Waukegan, and Highland Park, IL.  Sometimes off the beaches of town off the Michigan coast as well.

Evidently the Navy didn't take "losing" these aircraft all that seriously because they made little or no attempt to locate or raise the wrecked aircraft during the war years.  When the compliment was lost to inexperience, engine problems, etc., they'd just fly in more navy birds.

It was scrapped in 1947.  Darned shame too...what a hech of a floating museum that would have been.   :salute


Offline Westy

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