Hobby Master 1/48 HA8225 F4U-4 Corsair White 203 Ens.Jesse Brown VF-32 USS Leyte Dec 1950

The engine was so massive and produced so much energy that a Hamilton Standard 13 feet 4 inch propeller, the largest of WWII, was required. The F4U was the first American fighter aircraft to exceed 400 MPH. The Corsair was referred to by the Japanese as “Whistling Death” and became a legend in its own time. This aircraft was one of the most distinctive designs with it bent wings making it an icon.

On December 4, 1950 Ensign Jesse L. Brown, the first black to complete the Navy's basic flight training, along with 5 other aircraft left the carrier USS Leyte to support UN troops trapped at Chosin Reservoir. When the flight arrived on scene the enemy had left but Ensign Brown’s aircraft was leaking fuel, probably caused by small arms fire from the ground. Brown jettisoned his external fuel tanks and rockets and attempted a landing in the snow. Unfortunately the landing became a crash and Brown was trapped in his aircraft where he eventually died.