David H

Yes this is of tremendous help for me. Some of the kit windows are "flashed over" partially. I was gonna block sand the exterior, clean out the flash, then pack the windows from the backside with ApoxieSculpt. Also, i'm almost completely switched over to lacquers and acrylics now, so the choice of Mr Color H315 is just a nice bonus for me. -d-

I think of the Hasegawa kit more as a "Carefully Orchestrated Disappointment", or "Polystyrene Trainwreck" Myself. -d-

Very nice job, Markus!! Mine is in the final stages right now. Having to put on those decals on the missiles is an exercise in patience. david

Looks nice on the sprues from what i can see. My only qualm being i really wish the inlet ring was cast as a separate piece, to make cleanup of the intakes easier. -d-

I heard the Fine Molds D-Cat is very very nice model, but i prefer the somewhat dysfunctional A- model, mainly because of paint schemes. -d-

Looks great so far. Personally i always preferred the lines of the P-63 over those of the -39. -d-

Its funny- Valom does a meticulous job at surface detail and instrument panels, and then they're asleep at the switch at handling something like a one piece inlet on the front end, to avoid sanding and filling a nasty seam on what should be a more or less perfectly round hole.

The photography is fantastic, but its not very often that you see a 72nd scale instrument panel that looks that good. -d-

I think you managed to capture the profile of the -4 fuselage better than either Academy or Hasegawa. The Hasegawa , while better at the front end, has the pronounced "Beer Gut" lower rear fuselage that makes the fuselage look porky. -d-

And chicks will dig it. Maybe. -d-

The *Production* Corsairs had what is called a single-slotted flap. When the flaps extended, hinges below the underside allowed them to translate down and *slightly* aft. As the flaps came down, the flat rectangular panels, called "Cove doors" hinged upwards. This created a defined "Slot" or airway, allowing air to flow from the wing underside, thru the slot, and then over the extended flap. This re-attached the airflow that tends to go turbulent and de-laminate towards the wing trailing edge. This is a very efficient design, also seen on the F6F Hellcat....and even the F-14 and F-18! It has many of the lift-enhancing attributes of Fowler flaps, but is far less mechanically complicated, which is very important in the far more abusive carrier based environment. -d-

I was hoping i'd be able to get this suggestion in before the fuselage went on the wing, but it may still be relevant. It does depend on the antenna configuration of your finished model (there were several), but i'd like to suggest re-building the forward antenna post from a material like brass rod, and drilling out the rectangular notch that the mast is supposed to rest in so that the mast can be made maybe a third over length and solidly "buried" in the upper fuselage. The Tamiya installation in all three scales is ridiculously weak, and the antenna mast is tall enough and brittle enough in plastic that it will easily break away. Interestingly enough, Vought engineers had similar troubles with the real antenna post breaking off and the problem was never completely cured until the -4 and -5 versions came out. -d-

I am finding this fascinating to watch. I don't know very much about the -4 Corsair compared to the earlier variants, but i did build the Monogram Corsair as a young lad at least twice. I have the same book you are using for reference, and i thought about taking my Hasegawa/ Mania F4U-4 and giving it similar treatment. I also like how you fabricated the stainless steel "Dishpan" that goes behind the engine. -d-

Beautiful model! Aussie Mustangs are not done very often; in a way they're a forgotten chapter in the P-51 History, much like the Brewster F3A was in the Corsair life cycle. -d-

Nice-looking Cutlass you've done there Thomas. I built several of the Fujimi kits many years ago, and its a super little kit- in fact i'd say its one of Fujimi's best efforts- but the combination of the tall nose gear strut, drop tanks and slats makes the "end game" kind of tricky... especially if its painted in a delicate natural metal finish. Have you seen the film footage on Critical Past.com, depicting the Cutlass recoveries, culminating in the infamous crash? Its actually very interesting to watch. -d-