Best 1:48 F4U-5 Corsair - Hasegawa or Hobby Boss ?

[Tiger331]

 

Calling all F4U Corsair experts. I'm wanting to start a F4U-5 Corsair project. I have the Hasegawa kit, which looks very nice but I've heard the Hobby Boss kit now edges it. I understand the HB F4U-4 Corsair has some accuracy issues (wings and cowling) and wondered if these inaccuracies had been carried over to the later F4U-5N variant....I understand the HB kits go together rather nicely. Just looking for some opinions on which kit is now considered the best for a late model F4U ?

 

Thanks 

[Wez]

I can't remember whether the HB -5 features the fabric covered wings of the earlier versions or the correct metal covered wing that was used on the -5 onwards.

[LanceB]

Based on sprue pics on mojehobby.pl, the kit shares wings with the -4, meaning they are fabric-covered, and therefore completely incorrect for a -5/AU-1/-7.  The cockpit bits also appear to be -4 standard, I see a -4 seat but not the bucket seat of the -5 and subsequent.  It looks like someone thought they could just make a new fuselage and cowl for the -4 kit and call it a -5. Build your Hasegawa instead - it may not have all the bells and whistles of the Hobby Boss kit, but it is actually a model of a -5.

[Stephen]

Hasegawa. As already stated the HB -5/7 kits have the wings from the -4 kit which have fabric covered wings whereas the -5 has metal covered wings. The Hasegawa kit has a slight mould seam just forward of the cockpit due to the way it's been moulded but it's easily removed. The HB kits have folded wing options but Wolfpack Design have a set which will accomplish this.

[Tiger331]

Thanks Guys,

 

I've decided to hold on to the Hasegawa F4U-5N since I've found a Wolfpack wingfold set and a Quickboost exhaust set that I forgot about previously. I will opt for the Hobbyboss F4U-4 though (notwithstanding the wing issue - some filler should sort that) for another project. 

 

Cheers

 

Mark 

[Troy Smith]

Hi Mark

the F4U-4 are poorly served in 1/48th.

Tamiya do the definitve (so far) -1, and the Hasegawa -5/AU-1/-7 are overall accurate AFAIK, though their cockpits are too shallow.

 

Different folks will say different things about the best way to a -4,   often trotting out the old chestnut that the Hasegawa (ex-Mania) -4 with a rescribe is they way, and how awful the Academy -4 is.

Actually the Academy -4 is a copy of the Hase -4, with engraved lines and an inexplicable too wide upper spine.

I spnet an 'amusing' few hours trying to fix the Academy, the spine is easy enough, but compared to the Tamiya kit the fuselage, it's deeper and the wrong shape.

I assumed this was another Academy fault, but when I got the Hase/mania -4, it's the same.

the Hobby Boss -4  taped to a  Tamiya -1 is much better match  than the Hase/Mania and Acad taped to the Tamiya -1

Overall despite a few flaws the HB is easiest starting point for a -4 at the moment.

Just to clarify, the HB -4 has the right wings, some early boxings has the clipped wings for a FAA Corsair, but this has been rectified.

 

Corsaircorp has a WIP, where we discuss this in greater detail.  Note the linked AU-1 thread in this as well.

In short an accurate 1/48  F4U-4 will require some degree of work and replacement parts however you choose to approach it.

 

HTH

T

 

 

Edited April 16, 2017 by Troy Smith
spelling

[Andrew D Jolly Rogers guy]

Oh, the -4 is poorly done in almost every scale! I had to do a massive kitbash to do mine in 72nd!!