RNZAF Corsair Engine Start

What A Beautiful Bird

Finally, we get to see an ex-Royal New Zealand Air Force Corsair start up its engine before taxiing. As you would have expected from a Corsair, this one sounds pretty amazing! She also has some incredible history behind her. 

In 1942, when the city of Darwin was bombed and the threat of attack was looming, the New Zealand Government took in battle-experienced pilots into the RNZAF’s first fighter unit known as the No. 14 Squadron.

After negotiations with the US and the Mutual Aid Agreement (Lease/Lend) was signed, the RNZAF began receiving Corsairs, and a total of 237 F4U-1s and 127 F4U-1Ds served with the RNZAF during WWII – including this one!

So far, some people belive that this ex-RNZAF Corsair is the last complete Kiwi Corsair in existence, not to mention the sole airworthy example of its kind.