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Revell 1/48 F4U 4 Corsair


davidsm

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Hmm, I'm guessing that this a a rebox of the old, as in 1960's, Monogram kit. I didn't know of a Revell rebox but they have done most of the others so quite possibly. Maybe edit your ppst to ask if this is the case.

If you want fun, then why not, but it's apparently of their working parts era and not accurate.

Look up the old monogram kit.

eg - http://retroscalemodeling.lefora.com/2012/08/12/two-monogram-f4u-4-corsairs/

Revell of Germany did rebox Hasegawa's F4U-7 though.

If you want a mojo restorer Corsair, try the Tamiya F4U-1, accurate and easy to assemble AFAIK.

HTH

T

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Tamiya don't do an F4U-4 though, only various earlier Corsairs, so it all depends what you actually want. If you want a good mid-priced 1/48 Corsair of any version, get the Tamiya one, If you want a good cheap 1/48 Corsair, get the Otaki / ARII / Matchbox kit for about £5 off eBay.

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I first built the kit back in 1967 as part of the whole set of naval aircraft with all the goodies i.e. folding wings, retracting landing gear, sliding canopies, etc. I recently bought the re-release for my son to build, and of course as simple as the kit is I had to build the diddly parts. Great memories, I even played with the kit once it was built just like I did as a young boy. To make a long story short it is a fun build, more accurate shape wise than the Hobby-Craft debacle, and for a builder who has been out of the game for awhile, a great kit to get back into the game with. When you get this one under your belt then try the Tamiya. Messing up on the Monogram vs the Tamiya will have much less problematic results, plus you can start out with a simple spray job to get the airbrush skills sharpened. Most of all, just have fun, and this is a fun build.

Cheers

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I first built the kit back in 1967 as part of the whole set of naval aircraft with all the goodies i.e. folding wings, retracting landing gear, sliding canopies, etc. I recently bought the re-release for my son to build, and of course as simple as the kit is I had to build the diddly parts. Great memories, I even played with the kit once it was built just like I did as a young boy. To make a long story short it is a fun build, more accurate shape wise than the Hobby-Craft debacle, and for a builder who has been out of the game for awhile, a great kit to get back into the game with. When you get this one under your belt then try the Tamiya. Messing up on the Monogram vs the Tamiya will have much less problematic results, plus you can start out with a simple spray job to get the airbrush skills sharpened. Most of all, just have fun, and this is a fun build.

Cheers

Agreed. Great fun and good overall shapes OOB. Cockpit detail limited to a pilot that gets glued to a bulkhead. Biggest difficulty is that the canopy frame is molded onto the fuselage with clear part separate.

If you wanted to get a little fancy, you could add a cheap (True Details) resin cockpit, and perhaps some decent wheels, maybe a vac canopy.

I built my first one in the mid-70s, still do one every 10 years or so for pure enjoyment (sometimes with working features, sometimes not).

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I first built the kit back in 1967 as part of the whole set of naval aircraft with all the goodies i.e. folding wings, retracting landing gear, sliding canopies, etc. I recently bought the re-release for my son to build, and of course as simple as the kit is I had to build the diddly parts. Great memories, I even played with the kit once it was built just like I did as a young boy. To make a long story short it is a fun build, more accurate shape wise than the Hobby-Craft debacle, and for a builder who has been out of the game for awhile, a great kit to get back into the game with. When you get this one under your belt then try the Tamiya. Messing up on the Monogram vs the Tamiya will have much less problematic results, plus you can start out with a simple spray job to get the airbrush skills sharpened. Most of all, just have fun, and this is a fun build.

Cheers

True enough Randy, but in the ebay link David posted, the kit is £15 post paid, and you can get the Tamiya one for £15 plus post [so about £18] if you look on ebay, maybe even less if you wait.

Retro kits are alright at retro prices, but in this case for not much more cash you will get a lot better kit!

True, you can pick up the kit cheaper, but unless you really want an F4U-4, for a cheap Corsair, get the old 1/48th Otaki/Arii/Matchbox/Airfix kit, i got one cheap for a project, and was very impressed.

If you really want a retro F4U-4, then get the Hasegawa kit, which is a rebox of a kit originally tooled by Mania.

sprue shots and info here - http://modelingmadness.com/scott/allies/us/f4u4preview.htm

Agreed. Great fun and good overall shapes OOB. Cockpit detail limited to a pilot that gets glued to a bulkhead. Biggest difficulty is that the canopy frame is molded onto the fuselage with clear part separate.

If you wanted to get a little fancy, you could add a cheap (True Details) resin cockpit, and perhaps some decent wheels, maybe a vac canopy.

I built my first one in the mid-70s, still do one every 10 years or so for pure enjoyment (sometimes with working features, sometimes not).

From the link I put above - http://retroscalemodeling.lefora.com/2012/08/12/two-monogram-f4u-4-corsairs/

Around 1983 Monogram reworked the old kit, replacing the original one-piece "black nickel" wheels with usable 2-piece ones, and adding a very serviceable full cockpit. All subsequent reissues have had both new features, even those in the retro or heritage or historic boxes or whatever they call them. If you have to build this kit, you want to start with one of the post-83 reissues.

So unless you get a really old kit, you'll get a pit and wheels.

Finally, David, if a mojo restorer F4U-4 is what you want, and are not going to get to hung up on total accuracy, The Hobbyboss kit may be worh your consideration, Tom Cleaver, who does build a lot of kits, says this

Unlike the naysayers, I think this is the best F4U-4 available at present in 1/48. While it is not perfect, its imperfections are either easily straightened out or ignored without further effect. I would place the kit second behind the Tamiya early Corsairs and ahead of the later Hasegawa Corsairs in terms of overall kit design and fit, ease of assembly, and final look. The kit is a bit “fiddly” but nothing that can’t be handled with “some modeling skill required.” Highly recommended to those who like Corsairs and are willing to put a tiny bit of effort into minor corrections.

full review - http://modelingmadness.com/review/korean/cleaver/usn/tmcf4u4.htm

also review here by out own Mike

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234932848-f4u-4-corsair-early-version-148-hobby-boss/

Conclusion

With the exception of the too-wide cowling opening this is a really nice kit that's packed with detail, and should build into a good looking model. If you can live with the cowling issue, it will look great out of the box, otherwise, you'll doubtless need to pick up the aftermarket replacement.

Which can be picked up it seems for about the cost a Tamiya kit from a quick look at ebay now...

cheers

T

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Yes, the kit is a bit overpriced but it really comes down to how detailed a kit the modeler wants, skill level, and how much work they want to put into it. I didn't know he was looking specifically for the -4. A good middle ground would be the old Otaki kit, accurate shape wise and an easy build. As to the dash 4? The Hasegawa would be a good call. Once again it is up to the individual modeler. Remember, one mans treasure is another man's trash. The old Monogram kit for what it is is still valid in my opinion as well as being a piece of modeling history. By the way, monogram did upgrade the wheels, but now they will not retract into the bays because they are too large. Revell's attempt to put "lipstick on a pig" and raise the price I guess.

Cheers

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Looks like I might go for the Hobby Boss kit. I'll be honest the only reason I wanted the Revell one is the fact I wanted the flying bulls decals lol

You can get those on ebay, Flight Decks, or check out rare-plane detective on line, they get some HTF decals at reasonable prices. Best of luck with the build, and most of all, HAVE FUN! That's what this hobby is supposed to be all about.

Cheers

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