Goodyear FG1-A Corsair IV KD431Photographed on 15 September 2005 in the RNAS Yeovilton museum.
Built at Akron, Ohio by Goodyear Aircraft Co as FG-1A, Buaer n.o. 14862, c/n 1871.
22/08/1944 - first test flight at the Goodyear factory, Akron, Ohio
23/08/1944 - second test flight at the Goodyear factory, Akron, Ohio
10 or 11/1944 - delivery to Lockheed, Glasgow, Scotland
8/11/1944 - No. 23 Maintenance Unit (MU), Aldergrove
15/01/1945 - No. 48 MU, Hawarden
16/01/1945 - to Stretton
06/1945 - 1835 Sqn, Eglinton
29/07/1945 - to HMS Premier
31/07/1945 - to HMS Patroller
09/1945 - 768 Sqn at RNAS Ballhalbert
17/09/1945 - to HMS Premier
10/1945 - 768 Sqn, RNAS East Haven
07/12/1945 - last known deck landing
03/07/1946 - to Cranfield College
06/1963 - to Fleet Air Arm Museum
11/1999 - moved to FAAM restoration hangar for inspection
01/2000 - project begins to remove 1963 paint
04/2005 - work completed
09/08/2005 - roll out ceremony to return aircraft to display in FAAM.
I have a copy of the fascinating book giving a detailed description of the paint removal from this aircraft and all the many mysteries that were thus revealed - highly recommended! This is therefore probably the only WW2 aircraft in the world to have been restored painstakingly to its really original condition.
Picture added on 22 December 2010 at 08:23
