surviving Skyraiders
Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2025 7:10 amJack Spanich used to live in Southern California in the 1960s and early 1970s and he owned a Goodyear FG-1 Corsair. However, he always wanted to get a Spad. After he moved to the Detroit area, he had an opportunity to bid on the French AD.
He only wanted one but the minimum bid was for 10 aircraft so he bid on a lot of 10 aircraft and his offer was accepted. He prepared 5 for delivery back to the States and stored the remaining 5 overseas. N91935 and N91945 flew to the US together, via the UK, Ireland and Iceland, in May 1977, so I thought it would be fun to paint and depict both of them. The French then wanted to buy the remaining aircraft back and Jack resold the remaining 5 back to the French, who in tunr sold them to Gabon. Back in the States, Jack put 4 of the Spads up for sale. Unfortunately, he and his wife were killed in the crash of one of the Skyraiders, N91954, in 1984. The other 4 aircraft are still around and form the core of the airworthy Skyraiders in the US.
935 005 by JanKees Blom, on Flickr
935 003 by JanKees Blom, on Flickr
935 006 by JanKees Blom, on Flickr
He only wanted one but the minimum bid was for 10 aircraft so he bid on a lot of 10 aircraft and his offer was accepted. He prepared 5 for delivery back to the States and stored the remaining 5 overseas. N91935 and N91945 flew to the US together, via the UK, Ireland and Iceland, in May 1977, so I thought it would be fun to paint and depict both of them. The French then wanted to buy the remaining aircraft back and Jack resold the remaining 5 back to the French, who in tunr sold them to Gabon. Back in the States, Jack put 4 of the Spads up for sale. Unfortunately, he and his wife were killed in the crash of one of the Skyraiders, N91954, in 1984. The other 4 aircraft are still around and form the core of the airworthy Skyraiders in the US.
935 005 by JanKees Blom, on Flickr935 003 by JanKees Blom, on Flickr935 006 by JanKees Blom, on Flickr