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Texas Trust Credit Union gift to help Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation transport replica plane

Half-scale Corsair to be available for mobile tours

ARLINGTON, TX (April 20, 2015) — Texas Trust Credit Union has donated a truck to the Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation that the group will use to transport a restored half-scale F4U Corsair, a plane that it exhibits for educational purposes.

The Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation oversees some of the aerospace industry’s most prized historical artifacts. The gift from Texas Trust will help facilitate the foundation’s educational program connected with the Corsair, which Chance Vought Aircraft originally manufactured during World War II.

The Dodge Ram 1500 dual-cab truck being donated will enable the Foundation to transport the plane to events such as air shows and parades and educate the public about the history of the Corsair and about Vought’s role in the aerospace industry.

The presentation of the truck was made to more than 200 Texas-based Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation members at the foundation’s annual meeting in Grand Prairie, Texas. The keys to the truck were presented to Jim Ross, the Corsair’s caretaker and curator.

“The Corsair was one of the most impressive fighter planes ever built,” said Ross. “The foundation is thankful to Texas Trust for providing us with the means to transport the Corsair and enable us to continue educating the public about the historical significance of this great plane.”

Texas Trust Credit Union is closely aligned with the Vought Heritage Foundation. The credit union was started by Chance Vought Aircraft employees in 1936. Many of its original members had a role in manufacturing the Corsair.

Facts:

  • Chance Vought Aircraft is the second oldest aviation company in the industry, founded in 1917
  • Chance Vought Aircraft was acquired by Northrop Grumman in 1995 with continuous operations in DFW
  • Jim Ross is the curator and caretaker of the half-scale Corsair owned by the Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation
  • The  Corsair was the first American fighter plane to top 400 miles an hour and the first to house a 2,000 horsepower engine
  • The Corsair was a major challenger to the Japanese during WWII, with 2,140 enemy aircraft destroyed in air combat
  • Corsairs were flown in combat by the U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy, the British Royal Navy and the New Zealand Air Force.
  • Famous Corsair pilots include Lt. Col. Gregory (Pappy) Boyington, Lt. Ken Walsh, Lt. Bob Hansen, CDR Tommy Blackburn, Lt. Ira (ike) Kepford, and Col. Charles A. Lindbergh.
  • Corsairs were still in active service with foreign nations 38 years after the prototype first flew in 1940
  • The Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation oversees the restoration and care of a number of military aircraft, which are on display at museums throughout the country.

The Half-scale Corsair

  • The replica of the F4U Corsair is half of the plane’s original size, with full instrumentation; it is 16.5 feet long with a 21-foot wingspan
  • With its 100 HP Continental engine, it can be flown
  • The half-scale Corsair is smaller than a Cessna or Piper Cub. It was built after the war and was never involved in combat
  • The half-scale Corsair weighs approximately 840 pounds, compared to the full-scale plane that weighed 17,000 pounds

About Texas Trust Credit Union

Texas Trust, one of the largest credit unions in North Texas and the 17st largest in Texas, provides financial services that enable members to build brighter financial futures. As a full-service financial institution, Texas Trust offers checking, savings, mortgages, credit cards, CDs, Money Market accounts, IRAs, and investment and insurance services. Its business services include SBA and conventional loans, electronic payment cards, checking and money market accounts, merchant card processing, online banking, insurance and the Employee Solutions Network. With assets of $880 million, Texas Trust operates in Dallas, Tarrant, and Henderson counties, as well as parts of Ellis and Johnson counties. It has 15 branches in Mansfield, Grand Prairie, Arlington, Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Hurst and Athens. Texas Trust is a federally insured financial institution. Deposits up to $250,000 are insured by the full faith of the federal government through the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). For more information, visit TexasTrustCU.org.

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