CORSAIRS
F2G
THE HISTORY OF THE 1947 THOMPSON TROPHY WINNER # 74
BuNo 88463 F2G-2
When the National Air Races resumed at Cleveland in 1946, Cook Cleland a local ex-Navy WW II hero entered a surplus FG-1 Corsair. The Corsair was no match for the Bell P-39, North American P-51’s and finished a disappointing sixth place. After the race Admiral Halsey asked Cook what it would take to win the Thompson Trophy, the reply was "an F2G Sir". Within days, an F2G was declared surplus and Cook was on his way home with it, and there would be several others to follow. Dick Becker, a fellow Navy test pilot would join Cook’s racing team. Two more F2G’s would follow for a three plane racing team with Becker as the second pilot and Tony Janazzo as third. Everything possible was done to reduce weight and drag. The sub-rudder was removed and the flaps were secured in the up position.
(Wes Hansen collection)
#74 at Cleveland 1947
The airplane was painted a medium blue with white leading edges, a white fusalage center stripe and a blue/white checkerboard cowl. Race number 74 was also painted in white.
Pratt & Whitney R-4360
The brute power of the F2G’s, with their P&W-R4360 engines would take Cook Cleland to the winners circle in #74 and Dick Becker to second place in # 94. The joy of victory however, was overshadowed by the fatal crash of teammate Tony Janazzo flying #84.
(Del Bryan
collection)
Being towed to the start line
Cleland about to pass Becker
(Oil painting by David W. White)
(Del Bryan collection)
Cook, the happy winner of the 1947 Thompson
The 1948 Thompson Trophy Race looked very promising for the Cleland and Becker team. This year, Cleland would fly #94 and Becker #74. The Shell Oil Co. had developed a new aviation fuel called triptane and made it available to Cleland for his Corsairs. Hopes for a back-to-back victory for the team faded when engine backfires dislodged the air intake scoop on # 74 in the third lap and on # 94 in the forth lap, causing both to drop out of the race.
(Bill Meixner collection)
#74 Dislodged air scoop 1948
In 1949, things again looked very promising with the addition of a third F2G flown by Ben McKillen, and the team was again looking for a 1-2-3 victory. Again fate intervened, when Becker qualified at an excellent speed only to have his gear reduction box strip it’s gears at the end of his qualifying lap. Fortunately Becker was directly over the airport when the gear box failed and with his test pilot skills he was able to dead-stick the heavy bird on to the runway.
(Robert Runyan)
#74 out after qualifying
With no way of replacing it before the race, it would be up to Cleland and McKillen to bring the Corsairs back to the winner’s circle. The threat of the two highly modified Mustangs was eliminated when Anson Johnson’s landing gear failed to retract causing him to withdraw and Bill Odom’s crashed fatally on the second lap.
Cleland came in first, winning the Thompson Trophy for the second time. Ron Puckett, was second in another F2G, and Ben McKillen, took third place for a F2G clean sweep in 1949.
When the National Air Races were postponed in early 1950, and later canceled because of the war in Korea, the future of #74 looked grim. Cleland, a member of the Naval Air Reserve volunteered for duty in Korea where he became a hero again. What do you do with no less than three racing Corsairs and no races? Cleland sold the grounded #74 to local collector Walter Soplata.
(Bill Meixner)
Soplata collection mid-‘80’s
With a passion for saving warbirds from the scrap pile, Soplata disassembled #74 at Cleveland Airport and transported it to his property east of Cleveland.
Without buildings to house his collection, Soplata provide the cover he could and oiled the metal parts to the best of his ability. Forty-some years later Soplata sold #74 to the Crawford Museum. With plans for a new museum building to be completed by the end of 2002, the Crawford put #74 into storage while searching for a company to restore it for static display.
(Adam Snelly)
(Adam Snelly)
# 74 coming out of storage
# 74 Wings
Bob Odegaard in North Dakota was chosen for the static restoration. # 74 was put on display at the Cleveland National Air Show during the Labor Day weekend of 1999.
(Al Bush)
# 74 attracted attention at Air Show
Chris. Grasso asst. curator of transportation
answers questions
Work is now in progress to restore this aircraft to be an important part of the Crawford.
Up-dates as they become available
First progress report on # 74
"The disassembly is going good. We just about have the cockpit
stripped out and have started on the tailcone" Casey Odegaard
Second progress report on #74
"Wings and center section are blasted and
corrosion free.Starting on tail cone" Casy Odegaard
(Dave Virant)
(Dave Virant)
Current progress report: On 7 June, member David Virant of Willowick OH visited with
Bob Odegaard at his shop and provided these photos of center section as a progress report.
Please send comments to Bill Meixner
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Updated Friday, October 13, 2006