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Dates |
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Constructed as a FG-1A by Goodyear. |
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Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Navy with BuNo 13481. |
12 August 1946 |
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To Cook Cleland Air Service/Cook Cleland, Willoughby, OH with new c/r N69900. |
12 August 1946 |
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To Cook Cleland, Willoughby, OH keeping c/r N69900. |
From 30 August 1946 to 2 September 1946 |
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Raced as #92, named Lucky Gallon.
Competed at the National Air Races Cleveland in the Thompson Trophy Reciprocating Division race. The primary pilot was Cook Cleland. Qualified in 6th place with an average speed of 361.809 mph. Raced in the B Feature race. Finished in 6th place with an average speed of 357.465 mph. |
Circa 30 August 1946 |
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Photographer: Unknown
Notes: Photographed at the National Air Races at Cleveland, OH. |
1946 |
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1946 |
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Photographer: Stephen J. Hudek Collection
Notes: Cook Clelands 1946 entry in the Thompson Trophy race. Lucky Gallon went thru many changes during the race weekend. It was eventually painted in this cream and maroon paint scheme. Photo from the Steve Hudek collection. |
1946 |
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Photographer: Pete Bowers
Notes: Veteran Air racing photographer/historian Emil Strasser took this excellent image of Cook Cleland and his FG-1 Corsair at the 1946 National Air Races. This plane would undergo several different changes in markings as the event progressed. It arrived in overall white paint scheme. Eventually it would be cream and maroon by the time the Thompson Trophy race came on Labor day. |
1946 |
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Photographer: Pete Bowers
Notes: Another photo of Cook Clelands FG-1 Corsair as Labor Day weekend progressed in 1946. The name Lucky Gallon has been added. |
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Photographer: Unknown |
1946 |
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Photographer: Phil Krause Collection
Notes: Color photos of post-war racer are rare. Phil Krause was a fellow historian and member of the Society of Air Racing Historians. I spent many a Friday night-Saturday night at the bar at the Holiday Inn at Cleveland Airport talking about air racing. His father knew Russ Hosler and as a young guy Phil got to know him as well. Phil had many colorful stories to share and he was of course very interested in the No. 55 Kingcobra that was sponsored by Hosler aircraft in 1948. Phil passed away several years ago and I recently acquired some images from his collection. I thought this one of Lucky Gallon was very unusual. It is after Cleveland in 1946 and now has the City of Painsville Logo on the fuselage. I am not sure who is standing by the wing. Maybe someone knows. |
1946 |
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Photographer: Steve Hudek Collection
Notes: Cook Clelands 1946 entry in the Thompson Trophy race. Lucky Gallon went thru many changes during the race weekend. It was eventually painted in this cream and maroon paint scheme. |
1946 |
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Photographer: Steve Hudek Collection
Notes: Cook Clelands Corsair as it arrived at Cleveland in 1946. It appears to be in an all white paint scheme. |
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Photographer: Stephen J. Hudek Collection
Notes: Marge Hurlbert used Cook Clelands Lucky Gallon for a speed record attempt. City of Painsville was the name given to the Corsair for that attempt. Leo J. Kohn took this photo of the airplane as it was starting to fade away. |
Circa 1950 |
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Damaged.
Badly damaged in high winds on the ramp at Willoughby, OH. |
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Photographer: Stepen J. Hudek Collection
Notes: The further deterioration of Lucky Gallon can be seen in this photo from the collection of Steve Hudek. Most interesting is the US national insignia under the wing! |
From By 1953 to By November 2020 |
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To Walter Soplata Aviation Collection, Newbury, Cleveland, OH.
Survives here as a wreck consisting of the forward fuselage and other parts.
 View the Location Dossier |
14 October 1955 |
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Civil registration, N69900, cancelled. |
By November 2020 |
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To Vultures Row Aviation, Cameron Airpark, Cameron Park, CA.
View the Location Dossier |
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Chuck Wahl comments (8 May 2022): Well right now its actually almost fully disassembled. Gonna be a few years before you can start to see an airframe again. The cockpit fuel bay is completely apart. Center section is getting ready to come apart for new spar caps on the spar. Any other Lucky gallon pics please send. Everything helps for the recreation of that paint scheme. |
