EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville Township Supervisor Frank Miles announced today that restoration work on the US Navy A7E Corsair II on display at Edwardsville Township Community Park has started. On Saturday, June 10, volunteers from the community and the Flight Deck Veterans Group met to begin the restoration work which began with scrubbing the aircraft.
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Volunteers used power washers and scrub brushes Saturday to remove 25 years of dirt and debris off the aircraft.
“The aircraft is in phenomenal shape given the minimal maintenance it has received,” said Flight Deck Veterans Group Local Project Manager Larry Thatcher. “It’s amazing what a good scrub down can do for an aircraft.”
“We are grateful to the community for helping us raise the funds necessary to restore this historic aircraft in the manner it deserves,” said Supervisor Miles.
Restoration work will continue on Saturday, July 1, with volunteers patching and priming the seams and underwings with paint. Additional volunteers are welcome and may contact the Township Office at (618) 656-0292 for more information.
In October, Edwardsville Township approved a contract with the Flight Deck Veterans Group, a nationwide nonprofit organization based in Tennessee for the restoration of the historic aircraft on display at Township Park.
The Flight Deck Veterans Group restores aircraft as a part of its mission of veterans serving veterans and to pass on the history and legacy of veterans and flight deck operations. The restoration effort will be comprised of both national and local volunteers.
For more information on the airplane restoration project, please visit the project website www.missionpreservation.org.
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