Goodyear FG-1D Bureau number 92436
Bureau number 92436 was built in Goodyear’s Akron, Ohio plant near the end of World War II. Accepted by the U. S. Navy on July 10, 1945, 92436 was soon shipped westward to the Alameda Naval Air Station, California. Not long afterward 92436 was transferred to Ewa field Hawaii and assigned to VMF-213 “The Hell Hawks”. During its service with VMF-213 92436 was used for aircraft carrier training, flying off U.S.S. Saidor
Stored at Litchfield Park, Arizona
Later in 1946, this aircraft was assigned to the Naval Reserve Training Command operating from their facilities at Squantum, Mass., Denver, Colorado, Jacksonville, Florida, Grosse Ile, Michigan, and Dallas, Texas. Finally in 1957, 92436 was released from U.S. Navy Reserve service and stored at Litchfield Park, Arizona.
Edward Maloney purchased the aircraft
October 1959 saw this Corsair sold to AluMet Smelters, and this might have been the end of the story for 92436 had it not been for the intervention of Mr. Edward Maloney who purchased the aircraft for his burgeoning The Air Museum, for $650.00. Bureau number 92436 remained with The Air Museum until 1973 when it was sold to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, who campaigned the aircraft on the air show circuit in the colors of VMF-112 and later in Royal Canadian Navy colors as #147 and then as #115 in honor of Robert Hampton Grey, Receiver of the Victoria Cross.
In 1997 the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum made the decision to sell 92436 in order to help the museum rebuild after a terrible fire swept through the museum nearly destroying the facility. By 1999 92435 was in the ownership of Brian Reynolds of Olympia, Washington, and was again regularly seen on the air show circuit until 2002. At that time, the decision was made to take 92436 out of service for repair work and an engine change.
Restoration began
It turns out that since leaving U.S. Navy service, 92436 had never underwent a complete overhaul and what was intended as an engine change and repair turned into much, much more. 92436 was transferred to John Lane’s Air power Unlimited shop in Idaho and the restoration began. Extensive repair to items including the cockpit, the tail cone, outer wings, wing fold mechanism and removal of a door for access to a jump seat behind the pilot, and wing flaps were but a few of a long shopping list of items requiring attention during this restoration.
Finally in May 2014, after 11 years of restoration work, 92436 made its debut and first post restoration flight. Today the Corsair flies again in the markings of VMF-213 from 1946 and may be seen and appreciated at Brian Reynold’s Olympia Flight Museum in Olympia, Washington. When it appeared at the 2014 edition of the Reno Air Races, 92436 had accumulated only 13 hours of flight time since the restoration.
