72modeler

I thought it best not to piggyback the Best F4U Kit in 1/48 topic and start a new one. CFFU- I found a site that had the histories of all of the F2G's as well as their dispositions, the ones that were used in air racing are listed together. If the details in the site are accurate, BuNo 88454 (Which is the one I have always wanted to do. BTW) doesn't appear to have ever been raced, so it is likely the windscreen and canopy are the original ones. I'm still looking for the files/photos I had saved that had great detail photos as well as a conversion article done by a very good builder. You can also go to the Vought website and pull some amazing F2G photos, including the birdcage F4U-1 that was used by Vought to test the concept of adapting the airframe to take the R-4360...a really neat modeling project, as it was painted in the tricolor scheme! Hey, I've been around long enough to know that nobody knows it all or is the final authority, especially me, so I always enjoy learning from others like yourself! Mike http://www.airrace.com/CorsairStatusList2.html I have also included a link to the Vought Heritage website- outstanding text and photos of all classic Vought aircraft; F2G enthusiasts will love the photos in the archives, as well as all of the other classics. I hope you find the site entertaining and informative. http://www.vought.org/ Eureka! Finally found the website that has a 1/32 F4U-1 to F2G-1 conversion along with some great detail photos of the real airplane. Hope this will be useful for possible modeling projects. http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Fea1/101-200/Fea140d-F2G-Williams/00.shtm

Here's the Museum of Flight's F2G-1- probably the most original of all the preserved/airworthy examples- I thought I had a walkaround of it that showed the canopy better, but I haven't been able to find it, yet. Have a ton of references, photos, build and review articles on it, as it's one of my favorite airplanes. I also have a monograph on the F2G's that I will have to dig up, as I think it has very good photos of the airplane, inside and out. http://www.museumofflight.org/aircraft/goodyear-f2g-1-super-corsair

CFFU, What you wrote about production F2G's using P-47D bubbletop canopies might very well be true, but going back and looking at all my F2G photos that showed the w/s and canopy, it looks like none of the F2G-1/2's that were built used them. The w/s on the F2G was flat at the top, with the framework slightly trapezoidal in shape and the canopy arch was very fat and curved with lower frames that did not come to a point like on the P-47. The center panel of the w/s on the P-47D/M/N was shaped like an inverted U, with the framework being parallel; the hood was a fat teardrop shape in plan view. http://www.512thfightersquadron.com/images/WilliamACunninghamP-47_L3_O_at_Mourmelon-le-Grand.jpg http://www.air-and-space.com/20110928 Falcon Field/_BEL7616 20110928 Falcon F2G-2 NX5577N Race 74 left side cockpit l.jpg

Yowzah! That tail section looks like it's still too hot to touch! Very nice! I always liked the 'catamaran' AIM-9 '104 launcher, too! Mike

Well-put, sir! There are modelers, a rapidly dying breed, and there are assemblers....sad to say, some of us model builders, myself included, sometimes are seduced by the 'dark side' and whine and complain if a new release isn't perfect in every way. We need to remember where most of us came from- a Frog or Airfix kit, a ton of putty, sandpaper, and stretched sprue! Mike

Mike E and Corsairfixfouruncle, Found a couple of birdcage Corsair photos with Boyington aboard. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/805581452065844301/ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/805581452065832169/ RIP, Pappy https://www.pinterest.com/pin/576320083534744954/ I have also seen profiles and a photo of Pappy in birdcage Corsairs with 740 and 576 on the fuselages, but no indication of their BuNo's or if he flew them or just sat in them for the photos. Sorry- the best I could do for right now. CFFU- isn't '883' an F4U-1a with the blown hood with horizontal framing? Mike

I saw a color or colorized photo this morning on a website that showed Boyington in the cockpit of a birdcage Corsair, but have no idea what the markings or BuNo were. Maybe doing a search for Greg Boyington birdcage F4U-1 might bear trying. I didn't save the photo, sorry! Mike

I heard from a former UK aerospace friend/enthusiast friend to whom I sent this topic; his reply stated that there was an issue with one of the Merlin engines that was in maintenance/overhaul/ inspection by the firm that the BBMF outsources their engines to, and they wanted to make sure that the problem was isolated to the one powerplant and not the others in the fleet. Does not affect any of the Griffon-powered Spits, according to him. Mike

Thanks, Martin- I was hoping that was the case, as I referred to that site frequently. Mike

Occa, That is good news, indeed! I was able to log onto his Aviation of Japan blog with no problem- hurray, but the American Aircraft for the RAF blogsite still seems to be locked out. Does anybody else have that same problem? Sure am glad that Nick is OK! Poor guy, the emails from all of us that must be piled up in his inbox! He has been missed. Thanks for the report. Mike

It seems the Heller kit has been described as having some shape issues- can somebody educate me as to what they might be? I started a Heller kit years ago, as it looked pretty good to me, and got the airframe together, but stopped at that stage and I don't recall why, as I don't have that model anymore, just two unbuilt ones still in the box. From what I have read and seen of the sprues on the Avis and AMG kits, I'm not sure they are worth the asking price. Could the Heller nose be grafted on a Bf-109E-3 kit at the firewall, the underwing radiators removed and the blisters and fairings removed and the wings re-scribed and the correct oil cooler fitted? I sure do like the C/D versions! I'm guessing the early canopy w/o the armored windscreen is also called for? Maybe AZ Models or Zvezda will get around to them some day! Mike

Christophe, I also stumbled onto a color photo of the B-25 Inglewood assembly line that shows a complete engine assembly and cowling being installed; you can see that the cowling and cowl flap assemblies were painted with yellow zinc chromate before assembly, so would show on the inside surface after the exterior was painted. Scroll down to see the photo. These appear to be early B-25's, as evidenced by the exhaust arrangment; I have seen factory photos of the same engine/cowling assemblies in bare metal without the zinc chromate primer, so maybe late war production and especially those versions delivered in natural metal might have dispensed with the primer. Maybe Dana Bell can shed some light on this subject. Mike http://www.aviation-history.com/north-american/b25.html

This link should answer your question. Mike http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2004/02/stuff_eng_interior_colours_us_part2.htm

Not my era of interest, really, but stumbled upon these when looking for Sperry Messenger photos; a great assortment of detail photos of the WW1-1920's collection at the NASM. I hope you will enjoy them. (Mike, if this should be better in the aviation photography forum, feel free to move it.) Mike http://www.flickriver.com/photos/nostri-imago/sets/72157607680634524/

Remi, I also agree with Darby's comments- very nice job and very attractive scheme. The MPM nacelles sure do look better than the ones on the new-tool Airfix kit, but then again theirs is more Bolingbroke than Blenheim. Well done! BTW, out of curiosity, what paint did you use? Mike