# Last Corsair Kills and F4U vs P-51's



## comiso90 (May 8, 2007)

Corsairs flew their final combat missions during the 1969 "Football War" between Honduras and El Salvador. The conflict was famously triggered, though not really caused, by a disagreement over a football match. Both sides claimed various numbers of kills, and predictably each side disputed the claims of the other

Both Honduras and El Salvador flew Corsairs during the conflict. The Air Force of El Salvador had 13 FG-1D corsairs in it inventory and the Honduran Air Force had a total of 17 Corsairs (nine F4U-5s and eight F4U-4s) in its roster but it is unlikely that all of the fighters from either air force were operational.

The planes were primarily used in ground attack roles and all reports seem to indicate that Honduras made better use of their Corsairs than their opponents. The success of the Honduran Corsairs in the football war was due in large part to their strategy of using the fighters for both strategic and tactical targets. In one notable raid carried out by Honduran Corsairs, they were able to crater the runway of their opponent's principal airbase and, in the process, destroy an El Salvadoran Corsair on the ground. Another raid by the Honduran Corsairs against a commercially run oil storage facility resulted in the destruction of 20% of the Salvadoran fuel reserves.

While aerial combat was rare in this conflict, there were some air-to-air engagements for the Corsair. On the morning of 17 July, a Honduran F4U-5 flown by Maj. Fernando Soto Enrique (then a Capt.) downed one of two *Salvadoran P-51s *that had been attacking two Honduran Corsairs on a ground support mission. Later, on his fourth sortie of the day, Maj. Soto shot down two FG-1D Corsairs from El Salvador in a single engagement. It is ironic that the last dogfighting victories for the Corsair would be over other Corsairs. To this day, Maj. Soto is the only pilot from any Central American Air force to be credited with an air combat victory.

Football War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## syscom3 (May 8, 2007)

Great story!


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## Soundbreaker Welch? (May 8, 2007)

To this day, Maj. Soto is the only pilot from any Central American Air force to be credited with an air combat victory.

That's pretty amazing, since there has been a lot of turmoil there. What if Mexico tried to fight a war?


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## Matt308 (May 8, 2007)

They'd have to stop at noon for a siesta.


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## FLYBOYJ (May 8, 2007)

Soto's Plane...


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## comiso90 (May 8, 2007)

more:

Last warrior Air Classics - Find Articles


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## comiso90 (May 8, 2007)

Great subject for an aviation artist: Corsair slashing through P-51's


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## Matt308 (May 8, 2007)

Lyle?


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## renrich (May 8, 2007)

Good stuff comis, thank you, great picture.


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## renrich (May 8, 2007)

Thanks Flyboy for the picture. Good looking airplane. I guess that story settles the argument about which fighter was superior, Corsair or Mustang? Just kidding!

Reactions: Funny Funny:
1 | Like List reactions


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## FLYBOYJ (May 8, 2007)




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## comiso90 (May 8, 2007)

FLYBOYJ said:


> Soto's Plane...



where did u get that photo?


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## lesofprimus (May 8, 2007)

He could tell ya, but then he'd have to kill u...


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## comiso90 (May 8, 2007)

I think Corsairs could still pull their weight as drug interdicion planes...

Scenereo:
Cessna 414 flying at 300 feet w/o nav lights near Nogalas. 

They refuse attempts at visual communiction

Shells from four 20mm cannons rip through the fusealge

Hell, they should go back into prduction.


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## FLYBOYJ (May 8, 2007)

lesofprimus said:


> He could tell ya, but then he'd have to kill u...


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## comiso90 (May 8, 2007)

Post a pic of u at the controls and i'll be impressed!


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## FLYBOYJ (May 8, 2007)

One miracle a week please....


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## comiso90 (May 8, 2007)

FLYBOYJ said:


> One miracle a week please....



thats why ur the Great Gazoo


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## FLYBOYJ (May 8, 2007)




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## chele01 (Feb 17, 2013)

Hello 

You can chk. this video, here is the last fighting Corsair, in his first engine run up after 30 years. The plane is at this time under restoration, thanks to the Fundacion Museo del Aire de Honduras.


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ruhcKaNLp4_

You can chk. our Facebook 

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Fundación-Museo-del-Aire-de-Honduras/100452266692756

Regards 

A. Eris


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## chele01 (Oct 17, 2013)

Chk the real airplane


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