Famous American Racers
1949 Third Place Thompson Trophy Winner
1949 Tinnerman Trophy Winner
Print Size 12x18
Limited Edition $60.00 Signed by Cook Cleland.
Open Edition $18.00 signed by the artist only.
Cook Cleland has done many things. He was a dive-bomber pilot and ace in WWII, a fighter pilot in the Korean War, and an award winning air racer. None of these accomplishments have been a small feat for the two-time Thompson Trophy winner and local hero. Cook Cleland with his positive attitude, skill, and with the right opportunities has achieved much in his lifetime.
The most powerful Corsair ever built was the Goodyear F2G powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-4360-4 Wasp Major engine. Impressed with the brute strength of the Goodyear F2G, the primary test pilot Don Armstrong dubbed the Corsair "Homesick Angel".
Cook purchased his fourth and final Corsair F2G-1 illustrated above from Navy surplus. Cook intended to use the Corsair for spare parts to service his other two racers #74 and #94 in the 1949 National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleland however gave teammate Ben McKillen Jr. the honor of flying this aircraft in both the Thompson Trophy in which he won 3rd place and in the Tinnerman air race taking 1st place that year.
Cleland's #57 Corsair BUNO 88458, Civil Race #N5588N was Goodyear's last production series of the F2G-1. The Corsair was stricken from naval records at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland on December 31, 1947. On January 7, 1948, the Corsair was flown to Bush Field in Augusta, Georgia for temporary storage before it was available for sale and conversion to a first class racer.
Cleland's engineer, Lenny DeFranco was responsible for painting #57. The racing number 57 that was assigned to the racer ironically was the same number that was used by the famous three-time Thompson Trophy winner Roscoe Turner in the 1930's. Respectfully DeFranco wanted to do something different with the number to make it totally different from the style used by Roscoe Turner.
DeFranco recalled that late one night at 2:30AM, he and Art Barker were eating hotdogs at Cleland's Air Services. Before them sat a bottle of Heinz 57 ketchup. While chewing on their hotdogs the thought "That's it!" came to DeFranco and the number 57 was painted like the 57 on the ketchup bottle.
1949 proved to be the last year of the Cleveland National Air Races. Cook Cleland flew #57 one more time in 1950 in an air show over his own airfield in Willoughby, Ohio. Cook preformed marvelous aerial maneuvers for the spectators before landing and parking the aircraft for his last time.
Cook's air racing came to an end as the Korean War drew him back into flying Corsairs in combat for the United States Navy.
Over the years the records of #57 were misplaced and its origin became a mystery. Sean Dedolph, Cook Cleland's grandson discovered Cook's U.S. Navy logbook, which authenticates the origin of this Corsair.
By 1995, #57 changed hands a half-dozen times until Bob Odegaard purchased it. Odegaard spent over 12,000 hours to restore the Corsair as it is today. Corsair #57 won Odegaard the prestigious Rolls Royce Aviation Heritage Trophy in 1999 at the Reno National Championship Air Races.
Corsair #57 has been described as the most beautiful of the post war racers. This Goodyear F2G-1, #57, has been reborn to its past glory to relive today. Odegaard flies this Corsair at many national air shows and millions have had the unique opportunity to hear the roar of the huge Pratt & Whitney as Bob flies for the spectators. Its beauty and grace, along with its brute strength will inspire all and hopefully inspire a young man or woman to follow into aviation and carry on the inspiration that Cook Cleland beheld and lived in his rich life as an American Naval Aviator and a famous air racer.
This is a
rare color photo showing all three of
Cook’s racers.
Here is #57 as it is taxied.
This is sweet!
If
you are interested in all three of the Cleland Racers and if you order all three
together I can assure you a matching numbered set. All three prints with
matching numbers are available for $140.00 plus $5.00 for shipping. That is a savings of $40.00 for the set.
Cleland and a copy of the Thompson Trophy at the Pensacola Navy Museum.
2-14-07