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Tom Cleaver
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More nostalgia flights @ Chino – F4U-1 Corsair (and a Bearcat)

August 14, 2013 · in Show Reports · · 5 · 2.1K

These shots were taken from the open gunner's seat of the museum's T-6 - the best photo platform possible, turned around facing aft completely out in the open. The nice pretty blue shots were taken in November 2002, a beautiful, perfect day for air-to-air photography, after the summer crud from the temperature inversions goes away. The shots of the with the museum's F8F Bearcat were a year later in November, also from the T-6 - a hazier day with the very last of the Santa Annas bringing a minor temperature inversion.

The -1 is the oldest Corsair still flying. It began life as an F4U-1 "birdcage" and was one of the first to become an F4U-1A on the production line (though it flies today with an F4U-1D canopy). The scheme is more appropriate for a "birdcage" - field-applied "tricolor" - Sea Blue over Blue-Grey and Light Grey. Yes, those windows behind the canopy are for the person brave enough to climb in back there and go riding in the jump seat.

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1  Awesome

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5 responses

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    said on August 14, 2013

    Great photos Tom, thanks for sharing.

  2. I've been photographing many an aircraft during airshows, but having the opportunity to capture them air-to-air is a different ball game altogether. Beautiful shots. What was the chase plane/arrangement?

    • As usual, the photo plane orbits a couple miles south of the field at about 2,000 feet while the Corsair did a flyover of the museum for the "First Saturday" event, then the Corsair came down and we did 3-4 circles together for photography.

  3. Sure looks like Photoshop to me!
    Beautiful, Tom.

  4. Beautifully photographed, Tom!

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