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As some readers may already be aware, the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California recently received absolute proof that their Vought F4U-1A Corsair flew in the combat zone during WWII. The story behind this discovery is as simple as it is remarkable, and is totally down to the work of one woman, author Michele Spry. Planes of Fame will be hosting a unique, Living History event on August 6th, which will see one of the Corsair’s two known living combat pilots reunited with their old mount. Now here is Michele Spry to tell her tale in her own words…

Read the rest of the story at Warbirdsnews.com

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From the pictures of the logbooks at the Warbirds News link the plane was flown by Ferrill Purdy twice. His first flight in what is the current PoF Corsair was on June 24th, 1944 and was 0.5 hours long. I am unable to determine the scope of the flight from the picture of his log book. His second flight was on July 3rd, 1944 and it was a 2.3 hour long CAP flight. No target was listed in the Remarks in his log book. Wonder if it was a CAP of his own airfield? John Tashjian flew a similar CAP mission of 2.3 hours on June 10th 1944. Both were Marine fighter pilots flying with VMF-441 which was based at that time on Roi-Namur an island in the Kwajalein atoll.

As an aside it is also pretty cool that the Planes of Fame Corsair had been used in the filming of the Black Sheep squadron television series. Up until now its most notable claim to fame.


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There was a recent development regarding this aircraft. One of the pilots who flew it, Ferrill Purdy, was unable to attend the August monthly event that showcased this Corsair. The author who found out the Corsair's lineage started a GoFundMe drive to pay for the aircraft to be flown to Columbia Missouri. She was able to raise the $28,000 necessary to pay for the flight in less than 60 days!!

Anyone in the Columbia, MO area this weekend will be able to see the aircraft and Lt Col Ferrill Purdy at the Columbia Regional Airport on Saturday October, 15th.

- Michele Spry @ GoFundMe

With your help I am proud to announce that together we raised the $28,000 goal that was needed to bring the Planes Of Fame Air Museum to Columbia, MO! I hope you will mark your calendars to come to our FREE public event held at Columbia Regional Airport on Saturday October, 15th! The event starts at 10:00 AM where you will get a chance to meet Lt. Col. Ferrill A. Purdy and this 75 year old Corsair F4U-1A that he flew twice during World War II! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

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