F4U-1 Corsair – A Pilot’s Favorite Airplane

Chris Avery is an Iraq veteran and accomplished air show pilot. He has more than 5,000 hours of acrobatic flight time and logs 28 years of airshow experience. He had flown numerous classic warplanes, but he said the F4U-1 Corsair is a cut above the rest.

“It’s awesome. It’s easy to fly,” Avery said. “It’s got gobs of thrust. It’s the only aircraft that I know of from that era that you can take off, accelerate to 250 knots and fly at seven Gs until you run out of gas. If you fly it right, it’s unbeatable for an aircraft of that era.”

Avery will flaunt the capabilities of the F4U-1 Corsair at the Cherry Point Air Show this weekend. It is part of the Marine Corps Air Station celebration of the 100 years of marine aviation and Cherry Point’s 70^th Anniversary.

The F4U-1 Corsair is a World War II fighter built in 1945. There are only six left of this airplane model and the Corsair the Avery will be flying was made in Akron, Ohio in 1945.

The F4U-1 Corsair can reach the top speed of 472mph. It was the first ever aircraft to reach more than 400mph in level flight. And Avery aims to showcase that power this weekend.

Avery adds: “It’s got the highest roll rate of any piston-driven flyer. I’ll utilize that and I’ll utilize the great thrust-to-weight ratio and do you guys some big, nice overhead figures and some rolling maneuvers and basically just demonstrate the capabilities of that awesome airplane. And it’s got smoke. It’s the only Corsair out there flying on the circuit that’s got smoke.”

The F4U-Corsair is a significant aircraft around Cherry Point. During the world war, the Corsair is a familiar sight in Cherry Point with pilots flying it for training before going off for the war.

Flying the Corsair for air shows gives Avery a very satisfying feeling. World War II veterans regularly come up to him with their families and share their stories about the war. The families are shocked that they never heard those stories yet their father immediately shared it with Avery. “He relates to me because I’m flying the same kind of airplane that he basically bet his life on and that’s a bond that we have and why he feels it’s OK to open up to me,” Avery said, “That’s why I’m out here doing it. It’s for those guys. It’s to honor them and educate kids on the huge amount of sacrifice that was paid by that generation so that we can have all the stuff that we have today. We’re forgetting at a really too rapid pace.”

One way of cherishing the past is through die-cast airplane models. Scale airplane models of F4U-Corsair reserves as a memorabilia of the bravery and valor of the pilots that flew them. Showcasemodels.com offers museum-quality die-cast airplane models at affordable prices.
News source: http://www.newbernsj.com

Two Marine Helicopters Crash in Arizona

Yuma, Arizona – Seven marines were killed during the collision of two helicopters while training over the California-Arizona dessert on Wednesday night. It is considered one of the deadliest crashes in Marine Corps history.

The two helicopters – an AH-1W Cobra and UH-1 Huey – were conducting routine exercises in the sprawling dessert because it resembles the harsh environment of Afghanistan. The accident occurred near the Chocolate Mountains in the Califronia-Arizona dessert. Marine officials are still conducting an investigation on the cause of the accident.

Five marines were aboard the UH-1W Huey while two were manning the AH-1W Cobra. The Ah-1W Cobra is the Marine Corps main attack helicopter. It carries a pilot and a gunner. The UH-1W Huey is a utility aircraft and carries one or two pilots, a crew chief and a number of crew members depending on the mission. The troops involved in the exercise were set to be deployed in Afghanistan.

“It’s an unfortunate consequence of the high tempo of operations,” said retired Marine Col. J.F. Joseph, an aviation safety consultant. “They’re out there working on the edge trying to exploit the maximum capabilities of the aircraft and their tactics. Just by the virtue of that, in becoming combat ready, these unfortunately are not uncommon occurrences.”

Six of the marines were from Camp Pendleton, the largest base on the West Coast. The last marine was from the base in Yuma. Troops in Camp Pendleton were greatly affected by the incident and marine chaplains were sent to counsel the troops.

source: http://www.miamiherald.com, http://www.mydesert.com

Classic Airplanes and Modern Jets Share the Spotlight

Airplanes enthusiasts in New Zealand are in for a treat! The Royal New Zealand Air Force will celebrate its 75^th anniversary with an airshow at Ohakea on the 31^st of March. Airplane models from the “Classics in the Sky” Tauraga air show will mix with the world’s top military aircraft where “modern world will meet history” in an exciting extravaganza.

A number of vintage aircraft from Tauraga City are expected to be displayed at the event. Classic Flyers director Andrew shared that preparations for the classic airplanes to attend the event are under way, but everything is still very dependent on the weather. However, he is looking forward that Boeing Stearman, Hawk Hunter, CT4 and Dragonfly will be at the airshow.

The Royal New Zealan Air Force will display their past, present and future aircraft. They will show their vintage airplane models like the Spitfire and Mustang. The Air Force will also showcase their newest acquisition like the A109 and NH90 helicopters plus the upgraded C-130 Hercules and P-3 Orions among other military aircraft. The Red Checkers, the aerobatic/precision flying team of the RNZAF will also demonstrate their expertise.

RNZAF Air Commodore Steve Moore says, “It’s the perfect way to celebrate the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s birthday.”

Air Forces from different nations will also participate in the event. The Royal Australian Air Force will send their F-18 fighter jet, which are very rare in New Zealand, and their C-130J Hercules and a Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft.

US Air Force will bring a C-17 Globemaster while the US Marines Corps will display the KC-130 Hercules air-to-air refuelling aircraft. The French Armed Forces of New Caledonia will have the CASA 235 twin-engine transport aircraft at the event while the Singapore Air Force will display one of their C-130.

Seeing the astounding display of modern and classic airplane models will be an incredible experience for every airplane afficionado.

source: http://www.sunlive.co.nz