Were they actual WWII survivor's or replica's?
If real they would be quite valuable.
The Corsair has been one of my favorite planes going back to watching this in the 70's.
All the Corsairs used in the series were genuine World War 2 production models, although many of the last production series were not sent to front line units in time to see combat. As with many other aircraft of the time, production ceased immediately upon the ending of hostilities. Wholesale cancellation of production contracts for almost all types of war goods were immediately cancelled upon Japan's surrender. The first Corsair flew in 1940, last built in 1944. Their last use by US combat forces was in the first year or two of the Korean War. Afterwards many were given to Central and South American Air Forces. Most of the types that you see flying on tv or in movies or at air shows or are in museums today are the ones that were salvaged from those turned over to Central and South American Air Forces and then reclaimed by private citizens when they became obsolete for them also. A truly 100% authentically restored Corsair in modern times would be sold for more than $2 million per unit. Last year I talked to a Corsair owner at an Indiana airshow and he was offered 5 million for his totally authentic combat veteran aircraft and turned it down.
shareThe F4U was produced until 1953, not 1944.
shareThe French navy used Corsairs until 1964 and others in South America until 1969.
I was kind of surprised that they weren't reintroduced in Vietnam's early years along side A-1 Skyraiders
Simple, they aren't just two piston-engined taildraggers, the Skyraider was a vastly more modern powerful attack aircraft than the Corsair.
Although they both had 2000HP engines, they were attached to vastly different fuselages with much different systems.
The Corsair was much faster, making it a better fighter, but for ground attack the Skyraider carried four times as much weight, had an autopilot and electronic bombing systems and advanced radars. I.E. a newer generation of aircraft.
A squadron would have to use four Corsairs to match the load of one Skyraider and the Corsairs would still be inferior in many ways, not even being able to carry things like 2000lb bombs.
To use the Corsair alongside the Skyraider in Vietnam would be more of an anomaly then having Wildcats flying alongside Corsairs at the end of WWII.
And of course the Skyraider was really only an interim platform anyway, being replaced as soon as possible by the Skyhawk, Intruder, and Corsair II as jets became the military standard.
There are no full size replicas available of Corsairs as seen in the series. There are smaller scale (50-75%) replicas, but they would have looked ridiculous next to regular sized actors.
shareOne of the Corsairs used in the show resides in the Planes of Fame museum in Chino, Ca. It is not a trailer queen and flies at several airshows throughout the year.
shareOne of the Corsairs used in the show resides in the Planes of Fame museum in Chino, Ca.
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