This Corsair is painted to represent an aircraft of VF-84 based on the Aircraft Carrier USS Bunker Hill. It was flown by US Navy Ace Lieutenant Commander Rodger Hedrick, who finished the war with 12 confirmed victories and 4 damaged aircraft to his credit. Hedrick had previously flown with the famous VF-17 “Jolly Rogers”. The primary mission of the Corsairs of VF-84 was to stop the desperate Kamikaze attacks that were wreaking havoc with the Pacific Fleet.


This Corsair is painted in the late war Pacific scheme of overall Glossy Sea Blue. This quickly weathered to a satin, and then flat medium blue color in the blistering South Pacific sun. You will occasionally see this aircraft depicted with a host of kill markings under the cockpit, but photos of the real aircraft do not reflect this detail. The wings and vertical tail are emblazoned with the upward facing white arrow, which was a tactical symbol identifying aircraft attached to the Bunker Hill. The white graphic detail in front of the cockpit represents a white tape that was applied in the field over the panel seams to keep leaking fuel from running up onto the canopy and obscuring the pilots vision. This is one of the most popular and iconic of all F4U Corsair schemes.