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Doing my SLUF research at NAS Pensacola museum...

Navy Chief

Navy Chief

Senior Member
Well,

I spent four hours in the aviation museum library this morning, researching A-7 squadron information. I had wanted to determine which models of the Corsair II were flown by all the SLUF squadrons, based at Lemoore and Cecil Field. From the information I went through, I couldn't find out exactly which squadrons flew the A/B model. Apparently some did not, but flew the E model only. But I DID determine some actual BUNOs flown by each respective squadron. I filled out six pages of BUNOs; enough to depict correct numbers for repaints, whoever decides to do them. I will have the information. I discovered through my searching today, that I was missing two books for my A-7 Corsair collection. I found them on Ebay and Amazon.com, and ordered them immediately. Tomorrow, I will take the outside tour of the flight line display aircraft, and more pictures of the inside displays. Am hopeful the museum will allow me to take closeup cockpit Corsair II cockpit pictures. The only cockpit I can get close to right now are the simulators, and those panels are covered with plexiglas to prevent kids from messing with them.

I feel like a kid in a candy store!

NC
 
I'm in Pensacola right now! My father and I drove down from Atlanta earlier today. We'll be at the museum tomorrow all day. Look for two people with Nikon Cameras! (D2Xs and D3), hope to see you there
 
MenendezDiego said:
I'm in Pensacola right now! My father and I drove down from Atlanta earlier today. We'll be at the museum tomorrow all day. Look for two people with Nikon Cameras! (D2Xs and D3), hope to see you there
Click to expand...


I'll try to find ya, but am not sure about identifying the type of cameras! I'll probably be wearing a yellow sweatshirt that says Navy Chief...... You'll probably see me first!

Am going to take the outside tour at 11 AM. Highly recommended.

After that, I'll probably be in or around the museum library.

NC
 
I'll have a light khaki jacket on. I'll be looking for the yellow shirt lol. When you say outside tour, you're talking about the grouping of aircraft by taxi-way Alpha next to 25L? If so, is it tour only? I'd like to venture out myself and just take it all in at my own pace.

Diego
 
MenendezDiego said:
I'll have a light khaki jacket on. I'll be looking for the yellow shirt lol. When you say outside tour, you're talking about the grouping of aircraft by taxi-way Alpha next to 25L? If so, is it tour only? I'd like to venture out myself and just take it all in at my own pace.

Diego
Click to expand...
Last time I was there, the gate was open so my dad and I walked around for around 20 minutes before someone working in one of the hangers came over and told us we weren't supposed to be there. This was several years ago, so they may have tightened security. :ernae:
 
That's too bad, I was hoping we would be able to just explore back there for a few hours. That, and get really close to the flight line and take some photos of incominb birds :)
 
MenendezDiego said:
I'll have a light khaki jacket on. I'll be looking for the yellow shirt lol. When you say outside tour, you're talking about the grouping of aircraft by taxi-way Alpha next to 25L? If so, is it tour only? I'd like to venture out myself and just take it all in at my own pace.

Diego
Click to expand...

If it's allowed, I would like to do so myself. But don't believe you can do that......
 
MenendezDiego said:
I'm in Pensacola right now! My father and I drove down from Atlanta earlier today. We'll be at the museum tomorrow all day. Look for two people with Nikon Cameras! (D2Xs and D3), hope to see you there
Click to expand...

A D3! Will you adopt me?

Have fun at the museum. Great place. I have filled up many a card with images.

Have a beer at the Cubi Bar and Cafe for me.

VCN-1
 
When it comes time for repaint artists to do their "thing", I will have more than enough color illustrations and BUNO information of ALL the USN squadrons that ever flew the Corsair II, and I can provide whatever you need. Just ask!

NC
 
Diego,

Apologize for not finding/meeting you today, but my experience at the museum today was nothing short of amazing!

I spent about 1 1/2 hours in the research library, and was then introduced to retired Master Chief Frank Turchi, who is in charge of the Maintenance Publications Library. Frank took me on a personal tour of the Restoration Hangar. Incredible. He opened the nose access door of the A-26 they are restoring, and we climbed up inside! He, along with another volunteer, were the ones who restored all the instrumentation, along with several other areas of the aircraft! I was introduced to several of the other volunteers throughout the tour. We went out on the flight line, and I took several pictures of the many aircraft parked out there, including the actual C-130 that trapped and made takeoffs onboard the USS Forrestal. Probably the most interesting aircraft I saw (off to the side of the restoration hangar) is the Hellcat that was recently pulled from Lake Michigan. It still stinks from all the sea life that clings to it. Most fascinating. I did not expect to experience what I did today. Unbelievable.

NC

Am posting pictures in the picture section!
 
Did you get some Corsair II cockpit shots? What condition were they in? I visited a museum someplace once that had an A-7, and I was appalled at the condition of the cockpit. When those planes were operational, it was a matter of pride to keep those cockpits clean. Remember “42 Day” inspections? Between the AE, AT, and IWT shops, we were responsible for all the cockpit panels. We would removed them, one by one, take them back to the shop, remove the knobs, remove the face plate, re-paint the face plate with flat black paint, touch up and/or mask off the white lettering, screw the face plate and knobs back on, and reinstall. Those cockpits were sharp looking after a 42-Day! And the museums just didn't have the time or whatever, to look after them that well.
 
PRB said:
Did you get some Corsair II cockpit shots? What condition were they in?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I was not able to take cockpit shots, mainly because the canopy actuator was of course not serviced, and obtaining a brace to hold the canopy open, plus just getting a ladder to position up against the aircraft, etc.....was too much of a hassle. I did manage to get a LOT of great information for Prowler that he needed; not only for the SLUF, but for other projects he is working on. And I now have another contact at the museum for future reference material requests! I did manage to crawl up an take a look at the Corsair cockpit on the flight line, but the unlock handle would not turn. Rather than try and force it (and possibly break the handle) I left it alone.

Oh yes, I remember those inspections. For the AMEs it was the 40 day. We had one AME1 who was busting to make CPO at the time (not me, someone else) who came up with the "bright" idea of removing the ejection seat for corrosion prevention EVERY 40 day inspection. Well, for a while we had to do just that. Just imagine the workload that caused? We also had to remove the armor plates that the pilot's feet rested on. If you remember correctly, those screws were NOT in a most opportune place. One had to almost literally stand on one's head to get to some of them. And if one stripped (which they often did), then you had to take off MORE panels to access the nut plates. Every darn 40 days we went through that crap. Well it all came to a screeching halt when the next Wing Corrosion Audit Inspection came. They found out we were removing the ejection seats every 40 days, vs 210 day inspection cycle, and stopped it immediately.

NC
 
Rgr 40-day. I think the "42-day" was the F/A-18... Dang memory is useless! :icon_lol:
 
Navy Chief said:
Diego,

Apologize for not finding/meeting you today, but my experience at the museum today was nothing short of amazing!

I spent about 1 1/2 hours in the research library, and was then introduced to retired Master Chief Frank Turchi, who is in charge of the Maintenance Publications Library. Frank took me on a personal tour of the Restoration Hangar. Incredible. He opened the nose access door of the A-26 they are restoring, and we climbed up inside! He, along with another volunteer, were the ones who restored all the instrumentation, along with several other areas of the aircraft! I was introduced to several of the other volunteers throughout the tour. We went out on the flight line, and I took several pictures of the many aircraft parked out there, including the actual C-130 that trapped and made takeoffs onboard the USS Forrestal. Probably the most interesting aircraft I saw (off to the side of the restoration hangar) is the Hellcat that was recently pulled from Lake Michigan. It still stinks from all the sea life that clings to it. Most fascinating. I did not expect to experience what I did today. Unbelievable.

NC

Am posting pictures in the picture section!
Click to expand...


No worries, I had a blast! Funny though, some random old guy with a USN hat was looking at me funny, I was about to say, 'Navy Chief?!', then I realized he was not wearing a yellow sweatshirt lol. That is so amazing you got a little private tour. I ended up taking the 2PM outside tour, and felt like I was in jail the whole time, especially when we drove by VF-213's CAG bird. I wanted to get off the bus soo badly. Anyways, I'll be posting my photos in the new section, looking forward to seeing yours!

Diego
 
Hey, look what came in the mail from Amazon.com just ten minutes ago...
 
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