Skyflyer

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I'd like to finish my F4U to look like Boyington's ship, but haven't found any shots showing its markings, etc. Anybody out there have such a pic they can share? Thanks! Jerry

Doug D.

Go to www.dogpile.com and type in Pappy Boyington. A bunch of stuff should be found about him. Included some side plates of his last Corsair. Other than that you'll need to go out there and purchase some books. Good luck and have fun !!! [&:]

CorsairJock

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Which one? As Doug D. implied
, Pappy flew more than one. There have been several kits marketed which had Pappy's most famous one: Lullubelle/ #86 (Top Flite 'red box', Jemco to name 2), and any book on Corsairs is sure to have some pics of one or more of his Corsairs.

BobH

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Ah, an interesting topic. It seems as thought "Lulubelle" was not the corect name after all. I have found ONE Picture where the Ground crew's arm was not in the way of the script. The plane's name was actually "LUCYBELLE" as can be seen on that photograph. As it turns out Boyington had a GF in Tenn. ( if memory serves) and her name was Lucy. I don't remember where on the net I came across that tidbit of info but its there..somewhere. I did the Boyington scheme myself a few years back and found this info AFTER I was done lol!

F4u5

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http://www.acepilots.com/usmc_boyington3.html

michpittsman

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Here's one of those regret stories: In 1985 I believe, I was at Oshkosh and walking through an exhibition barn I passed by Ensign George Gay (the lone survivor of Torpedo Squadron Eight at the Battle of Midway)autographing copies of his book and looking down the line at the end of the aisle sat Pappy Boyington, looking like he was chiseled out of granite, selling autographed copies of Baa Baa Black Sheep for twenty-five bucks! And I had a colossal brain cramp and did not purchase either one!!! DUMB DUMB! Regretted it ever since. You don't meet giants every day; make the most of your opportunities guys...JIM

Old Shep

Re: Boyington's Corsair...He did not have one assigned. Corsairs were used by several squadrons flying off Munda and Vella Lavella and the procedure simply was for pilots scheduled to fly to drive down the flight line and get out in front of a Corsair whose crew chief was signalling "In Service" with a thumbs up. Boyington's picture in "Lucybelle" was posed in a rear area...he never flew that Corsair in combat (which is one way that Mike Kawato, who alleged that he shot down Boyington, proved himself wrong since he said he saw the markings on the airplane as it went down smoking). Boyington flew, on his last few missions, Corsairs with the tri-color scheme carrying the side numbers 883 or 915.
For what its worth
Old Shep

Spent Case

While not exactly actual pics. Here's a review of some 1/32 decals which includes three aircraft attributed to Boyington.

[link=http://m2reviews.cnsi.net/scotts/decals/ce/ce32037.htm]Decal Link[/link]

Ed

Skyflyer

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Thanks, guys. your input is appreciated. Jerry S

scottrc

Old Shep and Spent Case gave the most accurate details. Cutting Edge makes a series of decals for planes of 214 that Boyington flew, plus the staged Lucybell. Also check out Frank Walton's book "Once they were Eagles". Walton was the Intellegence Officer for 214 and has the details of the last mission that Boyington and his wingman flew. Also, the appendix has copies of flight and operations reports which lists what pilot was flying what plane on what mission. Beware, only the hard cover version has this supplement.

To be accurate, you will really need to do some histrical research, and this book is a good start.

Far as colors and location, check out the "F4U Corsair Details and Scale" book obtainable through Squadron Mail Order. 214 swapped planes with other squadrons, all had the tri-color, but they a varied to what national insignia they carried and also varied between F4U-1s and 1As. According to Walton, when they arrived at Munda, they were all flying the birdcage 1's.

Scott

Rebsix

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This info is according to Bruce Gamble's book "Black Sheep". I don't agree with some of the things said about Pappy (and I told Mr. Gamble that when I met him), but it is a great source of information. He doesn't have the Bu#'s from the first tour but here's the ones from the second. As far as I know they were all the 3 tone blue scheme:

17735
17735
17395
17395
17452
17792
17792
17395
17395
17910
17910
17527
17527
17527
17527
17485
17485
17395
17395
17395
17395
17744
17744 4 kills
17883
17883 1 kill the famous #1 picture (my avatar)
17883
17915
17915 1 probable
17915
17915
17915
02723 old "Bird Cage" model
17883
17915
17915 3 kills shot down

WhiteRook

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NO ONE ever talks about the MANY hours pappy spent flying P-40'S.

BobH

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"NO ONE ever talks about the MANY hours pappy spent flying P-40'S."

True enuff.. Boyington flew with the Flying Tigers in China AND he Refed For professional Wresteling after the war among other unusual jobs!

JL1

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He was not well thought of in the Flying Tigers. I heard Tex Hill discuss him briefly at an Oshkosh presentation a few years ago and his main comment was "He (Boyington) caused a lot of damage".

Old Shep

I've spoken at length with Bruce Gamble, who did the really solid accurate and objective work on Boyington and the Black Sheep, and with three members of -214, and with Tex Hill and Dick Rossi of the AVG. Ed Harper, Jim Hill and Tom Emrich all thought Boyington was a superb aviator, but not much of a squadron leader as administrator. Hill and Rossi basically thought Boyington not worth much. Gamble's conclusions in his book about Boyington are well-thought out and agree with what these men told me. "Gramps'" in an airplane was much better than "Gramps" on the ground.
None of this impacts making a good model of "his" Corsair however...just threw it out since the subject sorta drifted off the airplane.
Old Shep

P-51B

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Could you post that photo, or at least the reference? It sounds like a very good resource for a scale model.

hunt91

Jerry,
Ive been trying to do the same thing. I find that there are some discrepencies in
the markings. Some say "Lucybelle" and some say "Lulubelle" some have red around the
American Star and some are just white, some have the name Marines after the star on the
side of the fuse, and some dont. So I am confused as to what his plane really looked like. I
did find however that everyone seems to agree that he always flew a different plane on each
mission. He allways flew the "oldest" plane on the line. I am restoring my Corsair, I have the Top Flight Giant Scale 86" wing with a Brison 3.2 and robart retracts. It has been flown several times, and really flies great. Good luck in your search.

Neil

Skyflyer

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Hi, Neil!

Thanks for the note. I ended up 'cheating' a bit. I took markings from a photo of Marine Corsairs on the USS Coral Sea. I named it "Ol' Retread." I thought that name was particularly appropriate. As you probably know, service personnel who had served in WWII and came back to fight in Korea were called Retreads. F4Us also served in both wars. In the case of my model, I pranged it badly on its first take off, I had to repair so much that the plane needed to be repainted before I would take it to the field again. That was when I did it up as a Marine bird... If you go into my Gallery, you'll see a pic of it. In order to eliminate four lbs. of lead, I used stand-offs to move the engine a couple inches forward. Then I had Fibreglass Specialties make me a cowl long enough for attachment.

Happy landings!

Jerry

wingman371

Just an intersting note I thought y'all would like to know. VMA-214 is still an active Squadron at marine Corps Air Station Yuma. After transitioning from corsairs they flew the A-4 Skyhawk and now the venerable AV8-BD Harrier two. there was a flyby for one of his aniversaries and they buzzed the field with a Corsair and an A1H Skyraider. I am not sure if they ever flew the skyraider or not but it was a definate impressive and powerful loud aircraft. I was stationed with their sister Squadron VMA-513 from 1988 to 1993.

jetmech05

The red around the national ensign was short lived. about six months in the latter part of 43. whether it got painted out once applied I dont know.
And yes VMA-214 is still an active squadron. I'm sure they flew something between the Corsair and A-4's The first time I saw 214 they were in El Toro flying the A-4 that was 74.
I am an ol transport guy, my last squadron was VMAT-202 with the TC-4C.
Thats one airplane you'll never see in a kit, the TC-4C

jonkoppisch

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Probably not what you are looking for but...

jcw111

I have been waiting for a chance to tell this story about Boyington. I was at an aishow In California years ago. Boyington was there sitting at a table with a lady friend smoking his camel cigs and drinking black coffee signing his book. Needless to say I bought the book that he autographed for me. I said thanks you and continued my walk down the line and who should be sitting at another table was the Jap who claimed to have shot him down. Table was complete with his book and a real nice model of his Zero. Did not buy the book but he signed my Baa Baa Blacksheep right next to Boyington's autograph. I guess there was a lot of controversy over this guy that claimed to have shot him down. Anyhow I probably have the only book in existance with both signatures. Lots of fun that day

Jim Whitney

HalH

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VMA-214 flew many a/c between the Corsair and the A4. Panthers, Banshees, and FJ4's. Do a Google on VMA-214 for a nice writeup about the squadron.

da Rock

I've read in a couple of different books that Boyington usually flew the worst looking Corsair that was available that day. His personality type would certainly have done that.

It's rather sad to read the books that came out after his own personal account. Seems he was your basic bar room drunk storyteller. It's also a bit of a shame that his record is almost surely not true. Although, counting just the witnessed victories, it's very good.

jetmech05

I don't know the man. However I do know where he came from.
Don't forget he was a Commanding Officer of a United Stated Marine Corps squadron. In an era that if you didnt get the job done you got a new job, and it wouldn't be a pleaseant one either. In my time a leader was held to a higher standard. The higher the position held, the higher the standand.
Now he most probably told superiors what he thought. that could make him unpopular.
As far as books go: well I was taught to believe nothing of what you read and half of what you see.
Bottom line Pappy earned the Congressional Medal of Honor. Far be it for me to second guess the man 60 years later.
Semper FI