Aviation Buff Speaks to Rotary Club of North Jackson
Aviation buff, pilot, historian, and insurance professional Frank Kimmel spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at its March 28, 2017, meeting. The subject of Mr. Kimmel's presentation was the F-4U Corsair fighter plane. The Corsair was a hero of the US forces in the South Pacific during World War II. It is a sturdy and fast fighter that helped "turn the tide" in the Pacific War. According to Mr. Kimmel, the Corsair is arguably the best fighter plane used in WWII. In his opinion, the Corsair is superior to the P-51 Mustang fighter that performed a similar role in the European Theater. The superiority comes from its ruggedness; i.e. its superior ability to withstand damage from enemy fire. The Corsair has an air cooled rotary engine while the Mustang has a water cooled engine that can be readily damaged with a bullet to the cooling system. The Mustang is more fuel efficient making it more suitable to its primary role escorting bombers on their long runs into the European heartland. The Corsair conversely was more effective in the carrier based rple for which it was designed.
Mr. Kimmel also showed a video of him flying his Corsair that has been rebuilt. Of the 12,000 Corsairs built in WWII, only 24 are considered airworthy and only 10 can fly at any one time.
We thank Mr. Kimmel for his very interesting and informative presentation.He is shown below during his talk with his Corsair.
Mr. Kimmel also showed a video of him flying his Corsair that has been rebuilt. Of the 12,000 Corsairs built in WWII, only 24 are considered airworthy and only 10 can fly at any one time.
We thank Mr. Kimmel for his very interesting and informative presentation.He is shown below during his talk with his Corsair.
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