After serving with several squadrons, this Corsair was converted to an F4U-4K target drone with the installation of sophisticated radio-control equipment. It was painted red/orange with pink tail that carried the number 8. Its mission was to be used in Operation Crossroads - the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. It flew on June 24, 1946, with a pilot, on a practice flight and was launched, unmanned, soon after the first bomb test. Instrumentation on board and photographic plates taped to the control stick obtained data on radioactivity. Three more manned flights preceded the final unmanned flight on July 25, 1946, which evaluated the first underwater explosion. Records indicate that exposure of this aircraft to the radioactive cloud was minimal and residual radiation is negligible.
Hobbyboss F4U-4 Easy kit 1/72. Tamiya paints and decals from the bank.
