FG -1D Corsair start up and take off

The Whistling Death

This FG-1D Corsair, owned by the Military Aviation Museum, revved its R-2800 radial engine before taking off from a grassy runway. 

Anyone familiar with vintage aircraft knows how easily discernible the Corsair is. Its famous silhouette aside, this Corsair’s beautiful paint scheme also scored a few more extra points with the crowd. 

The aircraft is painted in the scheme of the famous VF-17 Squadron, “Jolly Rogers,” of the US Navy. VF-17 was the second Navy squadron to receive the Corsairs and was the most successful of them all. Under Tom Blackburn’s command, they became the highest-scoring Navy Corsair Squadron of WWII by destroying 154 Japanese planes in 76 days. 

No wonder the museum picked to pay homage to the VF-17!