CORSAIR NEARLY COMPLETE

Air Classics, Jun 2004 by O'Leary, Michael

Vintage Fighters' Corsair project near s flight after a five year restoration

Brad Hood's team at Vintage Fighters in Sellersburg, Indiana, is making great progress on Charles Osborn's Goodyear FG-1D Corsair project reports James P. Church. Located at the Clark County Airport, Vintage Fighters took delivery of the aircraft from previous owner John Roxbury in September 1999.

The Corsair, BuNo 67070, had formerly served with the Fuerza Aerea Salvadoreana as FAS 201. The nearly five-year restoration effort reached a milestone on 15 September 2003 with the first engine runs and the project is now in its final stages of completion. Remaining tasks include applying the fabric covering on the port wing, fitting replica machine guns, and fabricating portions of the engine's induction system.

It is hoped to have the aircraft flying within the next few months, after which it will be sent to Sky Harbour Refinishers in Goderich, Ontario, Canada, where John Edward and his crew will apply the paint scheme of Lt. Ira Cassius Kepford. Ike Kepford was a highly-decorated 16-victory ace with VF-17, the famous Jolly Rogers. His well-known mount (#29, BuNo 55995) was perhaps the most famous and photographed aircraft of the squadron and the restoration will be painted as it appeared late in Kepford's combat tour - in a tri-color camouflage and the fully tally of 16 Japanese flags. With any luck, the aircraft may debut at this year's EAA AirVenture Convention, at Oshkosh where it certainly will be in competition for the coveted Grand Champion Warbird award.