During our recent visit to the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton, England, we had the opportunity to see an ultra-rare variant of Chance-Vought’s mighty Corsair. This, for us, was worth the price of admission alone. Much like works of art, historic aircraft also require conservation, preservation and/or restoration too. Such efforts, of course, require dedication and significant work, not to mention financial investment, to ensure the continued vitality of the past. Commensurate with those attributes, significant expertise and a conservation culture are also required. Too often, rare or even unique aircraft have simply been restored and repainted without consideration for their historical accuracy. In most cases, such aircraft also receive a shiny new coat of paint, with the original surface finish removed entirely from the airframe – unwittingly (or not) destroying a significant aspect of the exhibit’s historical authenticity. Thankfully, this was not the case for Corsair Mk.IV KD431 – a true time capsule – and the only former Fleet Air Arm example to have survived in complete condition.
This Corsair, following a painstaking effort to remove an inauthentic, 1960s-era paint scheme, now appears in its original, factory-applied livery, dating from July 1944. It is likely the only Corsair in the world which still retains its original surface finish for all to see. For those wishing to learn more about this conservation process, we highly recommend obtaining a copy of Corsair KD431: Time Capsule Fighter, a masterful book on the project written by the man who orchestrated it, David Morris, Curator of Aircraft at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. The book describes, in elegant detail, every step in the aircraft’s conservation – it is a fascinating read! That being said, we hope you enjoy the accompanying photos (and captions) along with the video clip we filmed during our visit.
To gain appreciation for the philosophy behind this Corsair’s conservation, one need only read the book’s description. It neatly explains the spark which drove the museum to embark upon this groundbreaking endeavor.
“Would you ‘restore’ an expensive piece of antique furniture by stripping it down to the bare wood, and then re-coating it in a high-gloss polyurethane varnish? If you did, then at a stroke you’ve probably wiped its value from several thousand pounds down to a few hundred and destroyed its original character. The same principle holds good for vintage aircraft restoration and preservation. At the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton is a rare Second World War Chance Vought Corsair fighter aircraft. To fully understand the aircraft and unravel the myths and truths surrounding KD431, an enormous research task lay ahead. Thousands of hours of painstaking detail work were required to achieve what initially looked like an impossible goal. The skill and patience of all those concerned were eventually rewarded, but not necessarily with the results expected or, at times, wished for. The end result was the revealing of what is probably the last truly original Corsair fighter left in existence and one of very few Second World War aircraft displayed in such original condition.”
To purchase the book
Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.
Love your works on old planes!!!
Great article! What a treasure! I will be leaving UK from Gatwick next month and would like to stop by Yeovilton so what would be the best route from London? Also would like to meet the gift shop manager/buyer regarding our custom Corsair caps made specifically for air museums. See http://www.tilleystreasures.org and let me know if it’s possible. Thank you! I look forward to hearing from you. “Cheers!”
You would need to contact the museum directly regarding any purchasing. Likewise travel to Yeovilton depends on your preferences, so we suggest you look up the details online for both. The Museum’s website advises how to get there, and how to contact them: https://www.nmrn.org.uk/visit-us/fleet-air-arm-museum
There are trains from Waterloo station to Yeovil Junction every hour.
Take a taxi from Yeovil Junction to the FAA Museum – the drivers know the destination quite well.