Vought
Corsair
F4U-5NL
F-AZEG
Zandotti Mathieu\AJBS Les Casques de Cuir
A remarkable survivor with a long military career. Built in 1951, F-AZEG served with the US Navy and Honduran Air Force before returning to France, where it became one of Europe’s best-known flying Corsairs.
FROM NAVAL FIGHTER TO FLYING LEGEND
Built in 1951, this F4U-5N Corsair has enjoyed a remarkable military career, including service with the US Navy during the Korean War and the Honduran Air Force during the 1969 Football War.
After years of military and civilian service, the aircraft was acquired by Jean Salis in 1986 and brought to France, where it became part of the Les Casques de Cuir collection at La Ferté-Alais.
Following an extensive ten-year restoration, F-AZEG returned to the air in May 2018. After almost four decades at La Ferté-Alais, the Corsair entered a new chapter in 2026, appearing at Air Legend in a striking new colour scheme inspired by the French Aéronavale’s (Navel Aviation) Corsair heritage.
✈ AIRCRAFT FACTS
AIRCRAFT
STATUS
LOCATION
OWNER
ROLE
BUILT
Airworthy
Cerny-La Ferté Alais, France
Zandotti Mathieu\AJBS Les Casques de Cuir
Navel Fighter
1951
DIMENSIONS
LENGTH
WINGSPAN
34 ft 7 in (10.54 m)
41 ft 0 in (12.50 m)
PERFORMANCE
ENGINE
MAXIMUM SPEED
RANGE
ARMAMENT
Pratt & Whitney R-2800
408 mph (656 km/h)
1,120 miles (1,802 km)
Four wing-mounted 20mm AN/M3 cannons
Built at Dallas
F-AZEG was constructed by Chance Vought in Dallas, Texas, in 1951, as Bureau Number 124724. It was one of the late-production F4U-5 family, representing a significantly developed version of the Corsair compared with the aircraft that had entered combat during the Second World War.
The F4U-5 introduced a more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine, a revised cockpit and numerous aerodynamic and systems improvements. F-AZEG was completed as an F4U-5N, the radar-equipped night-fighter version, and subsequently winterised to F4U-5NL standard.
Unlike the earlier Corsairs, the late F4U-5 family was armed with four 20 mm cannon and could exceed 400 mph. Its enormous radial engine and distinctive inverted-gull wing gave the Corsair its characteristic combination of power, speed and appearance
Service with the US Navy
Bureau Number 124724 entered US Navy service on 26 September 1951 and was assigned to Composite Squadron VC-3.
The aircraft operated during the Korean War era, flying from US Navy carriers as part of the night-fighter role for which the F4U-5N had been developed. Its radar equipment and powerful engine made the type particularly suited to operations after dark.
Following its US Navy career, 124724 was placed into storage in Arizona. It was subsequently struck from US Navy service in 1956, ending its first military career after only a few years.
Today, F-AZEG’s 124724 / NP-22 markings recall this important period of its history and its association with VC-3
Service with the Honduran Air Force
In 1956, the Corsair was transferred to the Fuerza Aérea Hondureña, where it became FAH-600.
Unlike most of its contemporaries, 124724 continued flying for more than two decades after leaving US Navy service. It remained in Honduran service until 1978, giving the aircraft an unusually long operational career.
Its Honduran years also placed the Corsair in the turbulent military history of Central America. FAH-600 was among the Honduran Corsairs associated with the 1969 Football War with El Salvador, making its story rather more than that of a surviving museum aircraft.
After being retired by Honduras, the aircraft returned to the United States and entered civilian ownership. It was eventually acquired by Jean Salis, beginning its next chapter in France
Restoration and Return to Flight
Jean Salis acquired the Corsair in 1986 and brought it to France, where it became part of the historic aircraft collection at La Ferté-Alais.
After many years of flying, F-AZEG was grounded in 2007 for a major restoration. The work was extensive, requiring the aircraft to spend almost a decade on the ground before it was finally ready to fly again.
On 9 May 2018, F-AZEG returned to the air at La Ferté-Alais, once again wearing its US Navy VC-3 markings as 124724 / NP-22.
In 2026, ownership of the Corsair passed to Mathieu Zandotti, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the aircraft’s long history. In September 2026, F-AZEG emerged in a striking new French naval-inspired colour scheme.
A REMARKABLE SURVIVOR OF THE CORSAIR ERA
From its construction by Chance Vought in 1951 and service with the US Navy to its years as FAH-600 with the Honduran Air Force, this Corsair has followed an extraordinary path. Acquired by Jean Salis in 1986, it became part of the historic collection at La Ferté-Alais before undergoing an extensive restoration and returning to flight in 2018. Today, F-AZEG enters a new chapter, following its change of ownership in 2026 and the unveiling of a striking new French naval-inspired colour scheme at Air Legend. The new markings provide a fitting connection to the Corsair’s later service with the French Aéronautique navale, while ensuring this rare F4U-5NL remains an active and distinctive presence on the European airshow circuit.
