Jump to content

100 Years #3 - Vought F4U-1D Corsair


Recommended Posts

Hi All

 

Welcome to the "Hump Build"!

 

So far in this battle of 'Me vs Naval Aviation', I consider my score as: Won - 1 (Sopwith Pup), Drawn - 1 (Fairey Swordfish), Lost - 0 (I've only done two), so it's still all to play for.

 

Going on my experiences with the previous two builds, I must admit to a certain degree of trepidation on opening the third bag of this collection.

 

It's a Vaught F4U-1D Corsair, one (and last) of the various aircraft piloted by Robert Hampton "Hammy" Grey, a Canadian who was listed as MIA in August 1945, and was posthumously awarded the VC.

 

The kit itself looks to be an option of the A02044 boxing, with the moulds themselves dating back to 1964!

 

Don't know about you, but if I bought (or was given) A02044 in modern packaging with exciting artwork, only to find the parts were over fifty years old, I wouldn't be too chuffed.

 

But anyhoo, as I now see these multi pack collections as where old moulds come to die, I'm prepared...

 

The two sprues are sparse

DSCF5848.jpg

But I can't seem to find a badly represented Lewis or Vickers anywhere?

 

Mocking it up, it sort of looks like what it's supposed to

DSCF5850.jpg

 

With the highlight being the surprisingly thin and transparent (albeit ill fitting) canopy

DSCF5851.jpg

 

Which is a shame, as the cockpit detail is

DSCF5849.jpg

Not even an IP.

 

Never mind, plenty more to engage the fettler.

 

Wing intakes and engine could do with some TLC

DSCF5852.jpg

 

Majestically cantilevered tail wheel and arrestor hook framework has been... simplified

DSCF5854.jpg

 

Engine cowling vents are ...er ...streamlined

DSCF5853.jpg

Etc, etc.

 

 

OK, so, Question Time again:-

 

I don't mind about the panel lines or flaps demarcation, landing gear or other detail irregularities (I can work on those), my main concern is about the shape being approximately correct?

 

Is there anything that requires major structoral surgery before I commit?

 

The instructions indicate that the extremities of the wings be removed beyond the wing tip lights

DSCF5856.jpg

But they seem to go to the edge of the light already?

 

(yes those two buttresses are for the bombs...)

 

I'm sure there will be more questions along the way, and I'm sure you all will have answers to all of them!

 

 

Comments and suggestions welcome

 

Cheers

Steve

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by ProfSparks
  • Like 2
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks are generally good in the shapes from the photo’s. The vertical stabilizer should have a slight offset to the port. This is for compensating torque from the R-2800 turning that windmill out front. Wingtips i would just file and sand to a flat square profile from the rear of the light back. Thats my initial thoughts. Your on your own with the invisble cockpit. The engine while detailed isn't right to my eye. I think its missing the magneto’s and other bits out front on the crank housing. Cowl flaps as you’ve pointed out are ummm insufficient or nonexistent to say the least. The wing vents are baffled, angled, and screens are visible. The wings should have more fabric detail outboard of the fold lines. Though you're correct no lewis gun on these 😉. Thats what i can see from your photos. I hope that helps a little ? 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your captions are quite funny! Seriously though, did someone pay you to take that kit off of their hands? Are you sure you wouldn't rather build the Tamiya 1/72 corsair? Tell you what, send me your address and I'll send you a 1/48 Tamiya corsair( I only build 1/48) to keep you from hurting yourself on the one you have. :idea:

  • Like 2
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Much as I admire your perseverance Steve, that is an awful kit, imho. I built one last year & ended up cross kitting it with an old Frog Corsair kit, mainly because the canopy shattered as I took it off the sprue. :( Lots of rubbing off of rivets later & it sort of came up OK, I hope you can manage better with yours, by the look of your other efforts, you will. :)

Steve.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the first kit I ever built, receiving two of the MPC boxings for my ninth birthday. If you bother to paint it, it'll be better than my effort!

 

The bottom of this page shows the wingtip options - short and short short. My guess is that yours would be the short short wing tips as it is from so late in the war.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, if you can make a success of the Stringbag, then you can make a go of this.

 

Accuracy?  Well, I'm sure there is some somewhere.

 

If I were building it, I would take a file to the front of the cowling and round it off more, as it always looks too blunt to me.  I might also consider replacing the prop, undercarriage, and hook. I would also be tempted to find a different canopy and hack the fuse to fit.  I can never quite believe they moulded the outer canopy frame as part of the fuselage.  Good luck, Prof!

 

Regards

 

Martin

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi All

 

21 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Looks are generally good in the shapes from the photo’s. The vertical stabilizer should have a slight offset to the port. This is for compensating torque from the R-2800 turning that windmill out front. Wingtips i would just file and sand to a flat square profile from the rear of the light back. Thats my initial thoughts. Your on your own with the invisble cockpit. The engine while detailed isn't right to my eye. I think its missing the magneto’s and other bits out front on the crank housing. Cowl flaps as you’ve pointed out are ummm insufficient or nonexistent to say the least. The wing vents are baffled, angled, and screens are visible. The wings should have more fabric detail outboard of the fold lines. Though you're correct no lewis gun on these 😉. Thats what i can see from your photos. I hope that helps a little ? 

That helps a lot, thanks. The vertical stabilizer looks straight on, but it's not a deal breaker like the wings/ landing gear of the Swordfish. I'll see to the wing tips and engine detail, I'll have a go at the wing vents and tail wheel, and cobble together a cockpit impression, but I feel the cowl flaps are going to be the most obvious additions.

Fingers crossed when the time comes!

 

21 hours ago, Nachtwulf said:

Your captions are quite funny! Seriously though, did someone pay you to take that kit off of their hands? Are you sure you wouldn't rather build the Tamiya 1/72 corsair? Tell you what, send me your address and I'll send you a 1/48 Tamiya corsair( I only build 1/48) to keep you from hurting yourself on the one you have. :idea:

Thanks for your kind offer, I think I'll stick to these disposable kits until I feel I've enough experience to tackle a grown-up one :hourglass:. This way, when I fall off (not if, but when) I won't hurt myself on it.

 

6 hours ago, Cookenbacher said:

This is the first kit I ever built, receiving two of the MPC boxings for my ninth birthday. If you bother to paint it, it'll be better than my effort!

 

The bottom of this page shows the wingtip options - short and short short. My guess is that yours would be the short short wing tips as it is from so late in the war.

Ah, excellent, thanks for the link! The instructions on where to cut the wings are as vague as the detail moulded on them...

 

1 hour ago, mike romeo said:

Well, if you can make a success of the Stringbag, then you can make a go of this.

 

Accuracy?  Well, I'm sure there is some somewhere.

 

If I were building it, I would take a file to the front of the cowling and round it off more, as it always looks too blunt to me.  I might also consider replacing the prop, undercarriage, and hook. I would also be tempted to find a different canopy and hack the fuse to fit.  I can never quite believe they moulded the outer canopy frame as part of the fuselage.  Good luck, Prof!

 

Regards

 

Martin

Thanks Martin. Keeping in the spirit of this series of builds I'll be using as much of the kit parts as possible, and scratching other basic parts from whatever I have lying around. I'm confident I can wrangle a better approximation of the undercarriage, hook and wing vents, but the prop and canopy will have to serve as best they can. Unless I break them.

 

 

Time now to delve into the bottomless well of t'Interweb in search of the Truth.

 

I've already found several machines purporting to be KD658, and they're each slightly different.

 

At least they're all the same colour scheme :yahoo:

 

 

Comments and suggestions welcome

 

Cheers

Steve

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi All

 

First up is a start on that interior.

 

Existing cockpit detail removed

DSCF5876.jpg

 

And using some cardboard as a guide

DSCF5877.jpg

 

A rear bulkhead was formed

DSCF5878.jpg

 

Then the front and floor

DSCF5883.jpg

 

DSCF5885.jpg

 

Also the dentists chair got adapted

DSCF5880.jpg

 

DSCF5881.jpg

 

DSCF5882.jpg

 

It's closer than it was, and once the canopy is on, it'll just be hard to distinguish green blob against a black background.

 

While that's solidifying, I started on the wing radiators

DSCF5886.jpg

 

From walk arounds, one half of the intake looks like slats and the other half is a mesh.

 

I'll have a dig around and find something suitable.

 

 

Comments and suggestions welcome

 

Cheers

Steve

 

 

Edited by ProfSparks
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi All

 

It is important to note at this juncture, that as the original kit was produced with a wholly fictitious (non-existant) cockpit, and in keeping with the spirit of this series, I am completely within the bounds of artistic licence to endow this build with another wholly fictitious cockpit of my own :evil_laugh:

 

Exhibit 1

DSCF5888.jpg

 

DSCF5889.jpg

 

DSCF5887.jpg

 

A lick of non-prototype paint :hmmm:

DSCF5890.jpg

 

DSCF5891.jpg

 

Some cut up decals from the bag of unused things

DSCF5895.jpg

 

DSCF5893.jpg

 

DSCF5892.jpg

 

DSCF5894.jpg

 

DSCF5896.jpg

 

And once the blurry canopy is on, I'll be happy with it.

DSCF5897.jpg

 

DSCF5898.jpg

 

DSCF5899.jpg

 

 

And at the end of the day, that's all that counts anyway.

 

 

Comments, suggestions, and do your hobby how it makes you happy.

 

Cheers

Steve

Edited by ProfSparks
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi All

 

Just a flying visit, but seatbelts added!

DSCF5900.jpg

 

Should be ok once it's all covered over

DSCF5905.jpg

 

DSCF5907.jpg

 

Started on the wing radiators vanes

 

Lengths of thin plastic cut to 2,3,4,5 and 6mm, with slightly thicker cut to 1,2,3 and 4mm

DSCF5910.jpg

 

These were sandwiched together to give two sets of vanes

DSCF5911.jpg

 

DSCF5913.jpg

 

Needs some work to get them to sit comfortably, but you get the idea

DSCF5912.jpg

 

That's all for now.

 

 

Comments and suggestions welcome

 

Cheers

Steve

Edited by ProfSparks
  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great stuff, Prof!

 

I like the homemade intake detail. Consider that idea noted for future use! A piece of circular tube at the inboard end of the intake would just finish it off?

 

Regards

 

Martin

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Hi All

 

Due to a bout of enforced seasonal joviality, progress has been sluggish.

 

I tried shaping the vent clusters individually, but found they were too small to keep a grip on, so ended up glueing them to the upper wings

DSCF5914.jpg

 

Some nonchalant filing later

DSCF5915.jpg

 

I did manage to rescue some straws and table decoration swag that might be pressed into service as the remainder of the wing intakes.

We shall see.

 

 

Comments, suggestions, and a Happy New Year to all my readers

 

Cheers

Steve

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by ProfSparks
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi All

 

Managed to slot in some plastic straws

DSCF5916.jpg

 

And they shouldn't look too bad once meshed over and everything's painted black

DSCF5920.jpg

 

Also managed to clip the wing tips without destroying them completely

DSCF5922.jpg

I'll probably just Silver paint on some lights, should fit in well with the rest of the detail...

 

Anyhoo, and so it comes together

DSCF5924.jpg

 

There's quite a disagreement between the wing roots and the fuselage as to where it should fit, but at least the bucket full of filler will be mostly hidden underneath.

 

After that, it's just the undercarriage and hook to knock up, and the engine cowl flaps to approximate.

 

Then paint.

 

It's nearly finished!:rofl:

 

 

Comments and suggestions welcome

 

Cheers

Steve

Edited by ProfSparks
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...