Stratford Gate Guard Ready For Removal, Pending Good Winds

It has guarded the entrance to Sikorsky Memorial Airport for nearly 40 years, enduring harsh winters and balmy New England summers. And thanks to the efforts of a group of local volunteers, an FG-1D Corsair will be removed from its concrete pedestal for restoration, assuring its survival as a local symbol of former Stratford-based Chance-Vought Aircraft, original manufacturers of the famous WWII fighter.

Volunteers gathered late last week, prepared to finally remove the aircraft from its outdoor location, but high winds kept the aircraft put for now. "I'm calling it off; the wind is making this too risky," Jerry O'Neill, a leader of the restoration committee, told the Connecticut Post.

O'Neill, along with members of the Connecticut Air and Space Museum are eager to get the aircraft removed and the restoration started. Once lowered, the aircraft will be temporarily relocated to a nearby hangar where workers will set forth on an ambitious project to reverse 37 years of deterioration and bring the aircraft back to pristine condition before it goes back to its pedestal for display.

"With the modern sealing compounds and paints available, we can make it last for another 30 years," O'Neill added.

The restoration effort is being accomplished solely by private donations and volunteer effort alone. O'Neill said funds for the project could be raised by selling commemorative bricks to be placed in a small garden at the base. The labor alone, if it had to be paid for, would cost $1 million or more.

The owners of the aircraft, the US Marine Corps League, were initially worried whether the aircraft would be returned for display once restored. Last fall the league sought a measure to demand a bond from the museum, insuring that it would be returned to its pedestal when the two-year project is complete.

"We want it out where people can see it," former US Marine Corps League Commandant Thomas Kanesky said Saturday. "They don't have the wherewithal to post a bond, but if they don't want a lawsuit they'll put it back up when the work is done. Everyone seems sincere."

Restoration leader O'Neill stated the group hopes to attempt the removal again in June, but for now they will continue inspections and what work they can accomplish in its current location.

FMI: www.ctairandspace.org, www.mcldeptct.org