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1/48 Kiwi Corsair


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I'm using the Tamiya 1/48 F4U-1 Corsair to build a early F4U-1D Corsair serving with the RNZAF in the Pacific theater. I've finally managed to find the image I wanted of a Kiwi Corsair a F4U-1D (NZ5482) of 3 Service unit based out of Jacquinot Bay, East New Britain PNG in 45.

This will be the look that I'm trying to go for the faded and heavily weather sea blue with replacement panels in non-matching colours, I might have to use a little artistic license seeing as this is the only pic of the aircraft that I have

KiwiCorsair.jpg

I'll be using Venture 1/48 V4880 RNZAF Corsairs Pacific Theater Decals and Ultracast Corsair wheels which are very nicely cast.

V4880.gif

Progress so far

KiwiCorsair03.jpg

Side walls

KiwiCorsair02.jpg

Engine

KiwiCorsair04.jpg

Cockpit

KiwiCorsair07.jpg

KiwiCorsair06.jpg

A bit more progress on the fuselage, you've gotta love these tamiya kits the wing root joins was almost perfect

KiwiCorsair12.jpg

KiwiCorsair13.jpg

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The outer wing panel fit can be "interesting".

Phil

I found the best way for me to achieve a good outer to inner wing fit was to leave out the wing bulkhead on the outer panel and not to use the short spars. This gave a little give when assembling whih really helped.

Looking good so far, the Ventura decals are really well produced and I like the roundel colour which possibly capture the fading prevelant in the SW Pacific.

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Cracking start Steve, your interior green is a very good colour, did you mix it yourself?

It's Xtracrylixs XA1117: Interior Green (FS34151) the cockpit was preshaded then the base colour airbushed then shadows sprayed in, next a wash and finally the ribs where highlighted with the base colour to make then stand out :)

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Hi Steve. Just a quick couple of notes to help with your build.

As NZ5482 was an F4U-1D, the cockpit sidewalls above the side consoles should be black.

The drop tanks would have been white.

Check out my build of 'Lil Audry' also of No.3 SU using a photo from the same sequence as that you have posted. http://rnzaf.hobbyvista.com/rnzafmod.html It's about 1/3 down the page.

I'm doing a major refurbishing of my site at the present time, and hope to have it all updated within the next couple of weeks. Still no Corsair pages other than my No. 14 Squadron ones, but I'm working on it!

Hope this helps,

Pete M.

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Some more progress mainly the pre fading and shading paying particular attention to the fabric areas seeing as they tended to faded rather fast. Also painted the int blue on the replacement rudder as well as painting the drop tanks, they should be white. But I'm trying out something to see if it works, what I've done is preshaded nato black, base colour Lt gray and then I'll post shade patchy white. Sorry the pics are a little dark.

Pre shade and fade

KiwiCorsair15.jpg

Int blue on the rudder

KiwiCorsair16.jpg

Cowl, flaps and drop tanks

KiwiCorsair17.jpg

And the prop

KiwiCorsair20.jpg

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Cheers guys, paints on the shading and fading is pretty much finished, the preshaded worked really well on the fabric surfaces, with the post fading working well on the upper surfaces.

KiwiCorsair22.jpg

KiwiCorsair21.jpg

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Scratching my chin on this one at the moment Steve... Are the last lot of pics overexposed so we can see the subtleties of the paintwork? Judging by the pale cutting mate, I'd say yes. :nerd: Any chance of some more pics with a more standard exposure? Overexposing tends to mess with the color a little bit, and it's making the blues look a bit purply on my monitor... Mind you, it could just be my tired eyes :sleep_1:

You're not bad at this modelling lark, are ya? ;)

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Steve great looking progress there she looks great. I think the way you've painted the kit up should really match the original photo when it's done.

Also, forgive me if you are planning this already but if an aircraft is carrying two different sized drop tanks like that then smaller of the two was filled with Napalm and normally painted yellow so it could be identified by the ground crew.

Cheers

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Ventura Decals are on just waiting for some yellow numbers to finish up, but while I've been waiting I've started to add the paint chipping :)

KiwiCorsair24.jpg

KiwiCorsair28.jpg

KiwiCorsair26.jpg

KiwiCorsair27.jpg

If your wondering the reason the upper port and lower stbd decals look abit rough, thats ventura replicating the ground crews over painting the US markings when they received the planes.

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A cracking build Steve.., but you're cheating mate, you 'ave a piccie to look at..... :whistle: , wait a tic...that's what we all do....Ok :D It's just that you are quite brilliantly making an exact copy....'urry and finish mate I'm liking this one much!!!

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