Bureau No.:  97143

Registration: N713JT

Date of Mfg:  August 1945

AIRCRAFT DATA

Engine- Pratt & Whitney R2800, 18 cylinder, 2,650hp

Propeller- Hamilton Standard, four blade, 13' 2" diameter Top speed- 407kts (470mph)

Empty weight- 9,380 lbs

Maximum weight- 15,200 lbs

Maximum ceiling- 41,000 feet

Maximum fuel- 234 gallons internal, plus (2) 150 gallon drop tanks

Maximum range- 1,983 nautical miles (2,280 statue miles)

Oil capacity- 27 gallons

Armament- (6) .50 caliber machine guns with 2,400 rounds (8) 5" HVAR (high velocity aircraft rockets) (2) 1,000 lbs bombs or Napalm or 15" Tiny Tim rockets

History

The "Korean War Hero" F4U4 Corsair has a legendary history. She served two tours on two different carriers. She has the distinction of flying over 200 combat missions.

Squadron  VF884 (Nose #416 in these photos)

June thru October 1951 Aboard the USS Boxer (CV21), VF884 Naval Reserve Squadron from Olathe, Kansas. This squadron was known as the "Bitter Birds" using the Kansas Jayhawk on their jacket patch. This exact aircraft was flown in combat by the following pilots:

• Lt. Duane Edge from Brondon, Mississippi
• Lt. R. Fritz Schierenberg from Fort Collins, Co.
• Lt. Robert Warner from Pensacola, Florida
• Lt. Bill Wallace

We have in hand their logbook entries showing the types of missions flown and targets struck. While in Korea, The "Bitter Birds" flew 1,519 missions, dropping 750,000 lbs of bombs and firing 3,800 rockets, also 1,400,000 rounds of ammunition. The fighting did take its terrible toll. Eight pilots of VF884 were killed or listed as missing in action, including the squadron's skipper Lcdr. G.F. Carmichael USNR. Normal squadron compliment of pilots were approximately 22 to 24 pilots.