F4u-1A Corsair “Sally” Espiritu Santos , VMF 122
The “Sally” was no ordinary Corsair. It was literally created from the scraps of war: five damaged F4U-1As were pieced together by the engineers of SS-11, a maintenance and support squadron at Turtle Bay, Espiritu Santo, during World War II.
Originally painted entirely in FS 25042 (Sea Blue). It bears the number “894” in white and a white vertical stripe on the keel, probably for friendly fire identification.
This aircraft did not have:
Armament
Arrestor hook
Catapult system
Bomb or rocket mechanism
Initially operated as a dummy/target aircraft, painted in aluminum paint (FS 17178) with black symbols and lines for high visibility. It was used for testing and pilot training.
Conversion to Reconnaissance .
The Transformation of “Sally”
Towards the end of 1944, “Sally” was refitted for reconnaissance missions and painted.
Item Description
Original paint FS 17178 (aluminum), black markings
Operational paint FS 25042 (Sea Blue), number 894 in white, white stripe on the front.
Cockpit Simplified – there might not even be an instrument panel
Manufacturing Flaws Irregular joints, panel variations
Aftermarket options DIY decals for the number and “Sally”, scratch-built modifications.
The Corsair “Sally” is an example of the chaos and ingenuity of the Pacific War. It does not appear in official records as a standard serial number, but its existence is presumed from photographic documents, pilot and builder records, which testify to instances of “Frankenstein” Corsairs — assembled from parts for survival and tactical purposes.
As the need for operational aircraft increased, SS-11 tried to keep as many Corsairs in the air as possible – even if it meant cannibalizing (dismantling) others for spare parts.
“Sally” was transferred to Peleliu, where she served as a reconnaissance ship for a limited time. Due to her home-built nature, she suffered mechanical failure and was destroyed before the end of 1944.
Model: Vought F4U-1A Corsair
Name: “Sally”
Number: 894
Unit: Service Squadron Eleven (SS-11), later in support of VMF-122
Location: Turtle Bay – Espiritu Santo – New Hebrides – Peleliu
Year: 1944
Serial/BuNo: 57797
Condition: Destroyed late 1944
Ideal kits for base:
1/48 Tamiya F4U-1A – for realism and conversion
1/72 Hasegawa or Academy – for conversion testing
1/32 Trumpeter – for full scratch version
Ki-61-II ‘Bubbletop’ By Tetsuya Inoue