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CORSAIR/Bu. 88458

Vought Corsair Bu. 88458 WRG #0015799

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Bureau #: 88458
Construction #: 6166
Civil Registration:
  NX5588N
  N5588N
  Model: F2G-1 Corsair
Name: None
Status: Airworthy
Last info: 2012

History:
Delivered to US Navy as Bu. 88458, 19??.
Cook Cleland Air Service, 1949-1969
- Registered as NX5588N.
- Assumed identity of Bu. 88457.
- Flew as racer #57.
- Placed 3rd in 1949 Thompson Trophy Race.
- Won 1949 Tinnerman Race, flown by Ben McKillen, Jr.
Cleveland Tool & Die Co, Chardon, OH, 19??.
- Stored for planned display.
- Trucked to PA for planned restoration, abandoned, 1964.
- Disassembled, hulk stored, Van Sant, PA, 1972-1980
Harry Doan/Doan Helicopters, Daytona Beach, FL, January 1983-1988.
- Stored disassembled.
Don Knapp/D.K. Precision, Fort Lauderdale, FL, February 1989-1990.
Lone Star Flight Museum, Galveston, TX, 1990.
- Stored disassembled, awaiting rebuild.
Greg Morris & Jack Reynolds, KS, 19??.
Robert J. Odegaard, Kindred, ND, March 2, 1996-2008
- Restored to airworthy, August 1999.
- Flown in Cleveland races scheme as #57/Sohio.
Race 57 LLC, Chandler, AZ, February 2009-2012.
- Registered as N5588N.
- Based in Stellar Airpark, Chandler, AZ.
- Restored to airworthy, February-December 2011.

A note from Larry Perkins:
Race 57 is based at Stellar Airpark in Chandler, Arizona along with a collection of flyable classic aircraft. The Super Corsair is flown regularly by Larry Perkins, pilot for Collectible Aircraft LLC.

A ten and one half month restoration of Race 57 was completed in December, 2011. Eloy based Arizona Aeropainting Owner Don Copeland is one of the best of the best aircraft painters and Race 57 shows it. No expenses were spared. The aircraft owner wanted the Super Corsair to be perfect and he is still looking for an imperfection. Don Copeland and his son, Chris, did an excellent job laying out the stripes. Laying out the red, white and black sunburst stripes on the bottom of an inverted gull wings had to be a challenge. They did not cut any corners. The only people who would ever see the striping on the landing gear doors when the landing gear is retracted would be the mechanic doing the landing gear retraction test. But, Don and Chris wanted it to be perfect so they waited until the landing gear was overhauled and reinstalled. They then retracted the landing gear and laid out the stripes on the doors to perfectly match the striping on the bottom of the wings.

Julie White recovered the elevators and rudder in her Aero Services shop at Eloy. Julie's workmanship is unsurpassed. She not only attached the fabric with the original recessed wires, but she also rib stitched the fabric to the rudder and made metal cap strip fasteners for the elevators. John Lane sent gap seal material for the elevators and rudder to Julie. To say the least, Julie's fabric job will never be a concern! The pinking tapes are absolutely straight and no seams are visible. Julie's recover job is a work of art!

Robert Odegaard rebuilt the landing gear, did all of the restorations inside the engine cowl and supervised post restoration reassembly of the aircraft. Robert is a mechanical genius.

The most common reaction that is heard since the restoration is, “Wow”. Almost everyone who walks through the hangar door and sees the freshly restored Super Corsair says, “Wow”

Race 57 is the only stock F2G still flying in the world and it is a historical treasure. The Super Corsair may do demonstration flights at the Reno Air Races for the enjoyment of people who love aviation history, but it probably will not race again.


Source(s):
Chapman, John & Goodall, Geoff, Edited by Paul Coggan - Warbirds Directory,Warbirds Worldwide Ltd., Mansfield, England, 1989.
Goodall, Geoff - Warbirds Directory-4th Edition, 2003.
Federal Aviation Administration
Photo Source(s):
Timothy Cox Photography
Jack Cook Collection
Jim Buckel
Chuck Gardner
Mark Silvestri
Kurt Gearhart via Larry Perkins

Research Assistance:

Rob Mears
Larry Perkins

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