Vought F4U-4 Corsair, F-AZVJ / 9418, Corsair Warbirds
This picture is © Martin Laycock and may not be used or published without permission.
Registration: F-AZVJ
Construction Number: 9418
Code Number: 97264 / 210 / B
Model Vought F4U-4 Corsair
Operator: Corsair Warbirds
Airport: Duxford (QFO / EGSU), UK - England
Photographer: Martin Laycock
Date Taken: 09/07/2005
Date Submitted: 04/05/2009
Christophe Jaquard's stunning Corsair taxying out at Flying Legends 2005. She was delivered to the US Navy on 22 October 1945 and put straight into storage, she remained stored until at least the latter part of 1948. The first recorded service that she saw was with VMF-223 in January 1950, she was later operated by VMF-225, VMF-211, VMAT-20 and VMA-332. Her last opeational years were with the Naval Air Reserve Training (NART) squadron in St. Louis, Missouri from July 1953-February 1955 followed by the NART in Olathe, Kansas from October 1955-June 1956. During October of that year she was officially struck off charge and flown to Litchfield Park, Arizona for storage and subsequent disposal. She was purchased in 1959 by entrepreneur Bob Bean from Hereford, Arizona along with another twenty-one Corsairs with the intention of overhauling them for sale to Honduras. Eventually only nine aircraft were supplied and the rest including this one were stored outside in Tolleson, Arizona on the outskirts of Phoenix. She remained there until being put up for sale in the early 1970's. She was purchased by The Pacific Warbirds Museum in Half Moon Bay, California in 1973 and was owned by them for four years until acquired by Eugene Akers of Ramona, California. During 1984 Charles Hall also of Ramona California offered to restore the aircraft in exchange for a half share in the aircraft Mr Akers agreed but seven years into the restoration he decided to sell his interest in the project to Cecil Harp of Lodi, California. She made her first post restoration flight in February 1992 and was operated by Hall and Harp until Januray 1996 when she was sold to her present owner Christophe H. Jaquard of France. She is currently based at Dijon-Darois and is a regular performer on the European air display circuit.
Picture ID:1171491