Race
57, Goodyear F2G-1 Corsair
In March of 1944, Pratt & Whitney
requested a F4U-1 Corsair from Vought Aircraft for evaluation
of their new P&W R-4360,28 cylinder engine. Vought transferred
F4U-1, BuNo 02460 (Birdcage Canopy) to see if the airframe and
engine were compatible. The tests proved successful and Goodyear
Aircraft of Akron, Ohio was given the F2G program.
N5588N, Race #57, was tested at Port
Columbus, Oh. and NAS Patuxent from 10/45 to 7/46. After being
stricken from Navy records in January of 1948 the aircraft was
purchased by Cook Cleland, supposedly for spare parts. The aircraft
was flown by pilot Ben McKillen Jr. in the 1949 Tinnerman and
Thompson Trophy Races.
After passing through a number of owner
the aircraft was acquired in 1996 by Robert Odegaard of Kindred,
ND. who restored it to be the only flying F2G Corsair. |