THE LAST FRENCH CORSAIR

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  Author: Patrick Perrin

This little story begins on  the April 18 th,1954, when  the first batch of Vought Corsair AU-1 landed in Indochina. France was engaged in an unsettled war, and desperately needed weapons. Despite the fact that after their delivery flight, all of the AU-1 need complete overhaul, the french airmen look well their planes. So, the HQ orders a special version, for their own use of the Corsair, and the production lines closed with the last of the 94th  of the F4U-7. After the end of the Algerian conflict, the last flight of french Corsairs  occured at Cuers, on September 28th, 1964. Most of the remaining Corsairs were scrapped, those which returned to USA were the same. The Aeronavale (French Aeronautic Navy) has not preserved any one of them, and the remaining in France, BuAer133722, was sold to an American citizen,Gary L. Harris, who promised to keep her flying with the french roundels. After different owners, they returned to USA, where is now flying under US AU-1 colors. Some others french Corsairs were saved:

133693, after different owners, finally crashed on May 15th, 1987, in San Diego, USA.

133704, exposed as AU-1 in the Alabama Memorial, in Mobile, USA.

133710, exposed as AU-1 in the US Marine Corps Museum, in Quantico, USA.

133714, still flying, Hollywood star in the TV serie “Baa Baa, Black Sheep”, flying as C-GWFU in Camrose, Canada .

And that s all, none in France!  

But lots of staff were teached and operational for servicing the type, among them Mr. Seminadis. Back to civilian life, he was director of the Le Castelet Airport (south of France), and the owner of an aeronautic maintenance factory, but always dreaming about warbirds, Mustangs, or... Corsairs. With  his chief of staff, he met Mr. Josa, a former Corsair pilot and Super Etendard instructor among other things. During a dinner, these three characters meet the Argentina Naval Attached in Germany, who was training by Mr. Josa with Super Etendard. Argentina is known in France by using not only Super Etendards, but also Alouette III, Pumas and Pucaras, and in the recent past, Corsairs too. Of course, questions are rolling, like: Is there any Corsair in the country? May be one or two, to confirm in place. What is their aspect? To see! But they are of museum property. Then, after agreement, one thing to do, to go to Argentina, to  see! Once there, transmitting by phone, Mr. Josa was very disappointed: It s a wreck! What about corrosion? A little, but no engine, or others! That‘s not a real problem, if the airframe is in good conditions for restauration. And about the purchase? Well, to respect the law, the plane must be the State property, and to access the conditions of contract, to pay a caution. Conditions of contract are: To built a 1:1 scale mock up (which is now on a pylon, gate guard of an Armada base). Submission in sealed letter. So the contract was sent to a local contact who submitted it. Then, opening the letters of submission, and... disaster! In second position, behind the winner, an US citizen... So, congratulations to the winner, and... sadness! Six months later, ring in the night (shifting hours, of course) the US citizen is unfindable, then, no buyer for the craft, are you still interesting with? Of course, was Mr. Seminadis answer. And then, after many fax exchanged, an agreement starts to emerge, and the last thing to do, the shipping to France. But, it was a naked airframe! Obviously, no engine, no landing gears, no instruments, no hydraulics, no... many others!!! Luckily, the USA have many spares for many warbirds, and the Corsair is no exception, but once again money was required. By the way, US owners of a F4U 7 contact the team for an airframe exchange, but too much corroded, and only the engine cowlings  were exchanged. The war excesses furnished all the missing spares. During all this time, the french navy, by the way of her official magazine “Cols Bleus”, attempt to buy a flyable F4U-7, lauching a public subscription for this. Seeing that she had no plenty money, and no willing for this, the collected money was given to Mr. Seminadis project, which is more efficient than buying a Corsair to send her in Rochefort Naval Base, in the Aeronavale museum, impossible to visit by civilian public! So the reborned Corsair wears the colors of the BuAer133704, 14F6, with the civilian registration  F-AZYS. For french spotters, of course, this choice ask no questions, but because of the origines of the airframe, Argentina colors weren’t a bad choice. But it couldn’t  be possible to have two colors on the same plane, and it is in fact the 95th  french Corsair built! And what a dream for french spotters !!! And  about dreaming , why not an airworthy Pucara, the Antilope association could fly her very well, with lots of engines spares!

F –AZYS waiting for flight in an air show, Bron, 2004.

Rallying behind F-AZKM, a civilian Bronco, Montelimar-Ancone air base, September 2003.

Instrument panel of F-AZYS, the GPS was removed (from”Les ailes de gloire #12”).

F-AZYS at landing.

F4U-5 ex Argentina Navy BuAer 124541, Le Castelet airport, 1995 (BuAer courtesy J.J. Martin, photo JMP)

Fuselage details.

All folded in the middle of the fields, Bron , 2004.

In flight.

NOTE About french civilians registrations:  

F for France, of course, but the other letters have signification too. Todays french civilians aircrafts wear registrations beginning by F-B, F-G or F-H, F-W is for prototypes, F-P for home built aircrafts . Before WW2, civilians aircrafts were registrated in F-A range, so warbirds and others Antics and Classics are registrated in  F-AZ to follow the old line . 133704 is F-AZYS, YS for her owners.

Some web links to know more

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