The Planes of Fame Air Museum, Chino, CA, will begin 2026 with a special program on Saturday, January 3, centered on one of its most significant World War II aircraft: the combat-veteran Vought F4U-1A Corsair. The aircraft was restored to its former glory back in September after a restoration project that lasted more than two years. The Museum opens at 9:00 a.m., with standard admission in effect. However, members will be admitted free of charge. At 10:30 a.m. on January 3, a “Hangar Talk” program will take place in the Maloney Hangar, featuring a series of presentations focused on the aircraft’s history and service, along with archival material and behind-the-scenes context.
One segment covers the 1910 Los Angeles air meet. The event drew very large crowds and played an early role in bringing aviation to public attention. The presentation looks at what happened there and why it mattered at the time. Another talk moves into WWII and the air war in the Pacific. It focuses on General Henry “Hap” Arnold and the problems faced by U.S. air forces, including working alongside the Navy and Marine Corps and fighting in more than one theater at once. There is also a recreated mission briefing based on events at Okinawa in April 1945. The setting is a Marine Corps ready room, where pilots of VMF-323 prepared to fly Vought F4U Corsairs. The briefing explains how missions were planned and what pilots expected before taking off. The Corsair itself is examined in a separate presentation. The discussion follows the aircraft from its early design through combat service. Built between 1942 and 1953, the Corsair flew in WWII, the Korean War, and later conflicts. The final topic looks at a lesser-known aspect of World War II involving German prisoners of war held in the United States. After large numbers of German troops were captured in North Africa, many were brought to camps across the country and used as labor, particularly in agriculture. The presentation explains how the program worked and why it became necessary during the war.
It has been nearly four years since the Corsair last flew over the Museum. During that time, the aircraft underwent an extensive restoration. Work included removing the paint scheme applied for the film Devotion, refinishing sections of the airframe, inspecting and adjusting mechanical systems, and applying a new paint scheme based on the aircraft’s appearance in August 1943, when it left the Vought assembly line in Stratford, Connecticut. If weather conditions allow, the restored Corsair is expected to make a flight over the Museum during the day’s events. The aircraft will be flown by Matt Nightingale, whose restoration team carried out much of the work completed over the past several years. The January 3 program offers visitors a chance to see the aircraft up close, learn about its operational history, click countless photos of it, and witness the result of a long-term restoration effort at the start of the new year.
Food trucks will be on site throughout the day, offering a range of lunch and snack options. Visitors can also choose to dine at Flo’s Airport Café and return to the Museum afterward. Inside the Museum, the gift shop will be open with a selection of aviation-related items, and museum guides will be available to answer questions and provide insight into the more than 100 aircraft displayed across seven hangars. The B-17 will also be open for guided tours. For more information and to support the Planes of Fame Air Museum, visit the link: planesoffame.org.
