Testors F8F-2: my first Corsair

[DMC]

Okay, did a little cockpit fettling.  The top two photos are of the Hobbyboss -1 cockpit.  Not bad but could use belts and a little more detail.  Eduard make a nice cockpit fret for this Hobbyboss kit.  

 

Bottom two are of my scratched cockpit with the Eduard set for the Academy kit.  This was my first full, colourized, cockpit set and I have to admit I'm now a convert.  The console top and IP fit almost perfectly even though I had made up the cockpit before I ordered the Eduard set. I managed most of the fiddly bits easy enough but broke one and lost one to the "monster" so not bad.  I've a couple of the even smaller bits yet to add but am holding off until just before I fit the assembly into the fuselage.  

 

In the bottom photo the cockpits are placed in the fuselages.  Curiously, Hobbyboss have omitted the bottom motor mounts which are the only ones that would show once the fuselage is buttoned up.  The kit top mounts also seem a little on the thin side to me.  Also, could probably have cemented them to the bottom of the bulkhead so the would be visible through the well opening.

 

I didn't waste to much effort on the intakes as only the very ends show a little.  The lower mounts are clearly visible as is the silver tank.  There will be a few more bits to clutter the wells up but impossible to even attempt to match the intakes, tubing and wiring of the 1:1. 

 

Time now to close up the fuselage halves.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis 

 

 

 

 

 

[DMC]

Yes, finally closed up the fuselage halves and did a little work on the cowling (Mr Surfacer 500 to the rescue).  Scribed the lower starboard wing and removed the kit pylons and replaced them with scratched ones.  Also opened up the shell ejection chutes.

 

Had a little experiment with plunge moulding the wingtip nav lights.  I used a mould that I'd already used for another app and a scrap of clear Pet G.  The male mould was shaped from an ice lolly stick.  Bit surprised that it worked the first time so I made another to be sure.   With a correctly shaped mould both wingtip lenses can be made with one plunge.  No polishing necessary and a small dot of red or blue (green?) will do for the bulb. 

 

Make this set-up and you'll never have to carve and polish toothbrush handles (or similar) again.  Ten minutes and your done.  Teardrop wingtip lenses (F-86) might also be made this way.

 

Not my idea, however.  Mr Temma did something like this on his extensive F6F build.  The link is on my other device and I will edit into this post as soon as I can switch over.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

Mr Temma’s F6F Hellcat build. I think the nav light bit is on page 4.

 

http://www.geocities.jp/yoyuso/f6f/f6fe-1.html#bottom

 

 

Edited February 24, 2018 by DMC
Link

[DMC]

Re-scribed both wings and cemented them to the fuselage.  I used a #11 Xacto blade with just the very tip broken off.  As a guide, I mostly used a 6" metal rule except for special shapes and then I used .040 styrene with cut-outs, etc.  Doing the wings before I cemented them to the fuselage made a much easier job of it.  As an experiment, I scribed one wing, top and bottom, on the bare plastic and on the other I primed it (Humbrol spray) first and then just made a couple of light passes right into the primer.  I much prefer the latter method as the scribed line looks a little finer to me. 

 

http://paulbudzik.com/tools-techniques/Scribing/scribing.html

 

This is my third attempt and I have to say I'm okay with complete re-scribes now except, perhaps, for larger multi engine kits which are no doubt quite difficult to handle.  I have a Monogram B-26 Invader that I hope to get started on this year and the question I ask myself is re-scribe or leave the raised panel lines alone.

 

The fit on this kit isn't too bad but in the photos you'll see certain places were Mr Surfacer will be necessary.  Overall, however, I'm pretty pleased with the results so far.  Next, before painting, will be detailing the engine and LG and then vacuum forming a new canopy. 

 

Cheers and thanks for looking

 

Dennis

 

 

 

 

[DMC]

 

Although the Quickboost P&W is not as not as detailed as Vector's and is definitely undersized it will do as very little of it can be seen buried as it is deep in the Bearcat's cowl.  Not the best picture but I've cemented in the pushrod tubes (would like to know their correct diameter) and painted it up.  Looks ok, what can be seen of it.

 

What practically drove me to distraction was working out how to fashion the wiring loom/ring.  I spent several hours and tried a couple of ways and finally ended up drilling a strip of .030 styrene and shaping it to fit around the redactor case.  The wire leads were salvaged from a bottle of wine that had a wire cage around it.  The spacing is not correct and as you can see, it is very fragile.  I'll probably do another now that I have more or less sorted out how to do it. It was a proper nightmare, however, 36 holes to drill (how handy was that Tamiya drill), and then 36 wires to cut and CA into the styrene strip.  

 

Cheers

 

Dennis 

 

 

[DMC]

Hello all

After spending a ridiculous amount of time attempting to attach the wire to the ring harness first, and having little success, I gave up and, using CA gel, just cemented them into the pre-drilled holes and bent them in.  The harness was next and then the scratched magnetos.  Took about an hour and a half and I could kick myself for not trying it that way in the first place.  Not perfect but it's acceptable as is the paint job.  Next one should be an improvement based on what I learned from doing this one.  

 

Can't see very much with the cowl and prop in place anyway.

 

The LG looked a bit ropey so had a go at trying to improve them.  Not happy with the results, I went ahead and scratched new ones (top).  Should look okay painted up and with the Barracuda resin wheels. 

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

 

 

 

[Jbarry911]

Taking my seat here (finally made it to britmodeller). So nice how right you are making this. Can't wait for more.

 

--Jim

 

 

[DJJunis]

Dennis,

This is looking good brother! Just some clean-up hear and there .

 

All the Best!

Don

[DMC]

1 hour ago, Jbarry911 said:

Can't wait for more.

Better get off my duff then, Jim.

1 hour ago, DJJunis said:

This is looking good brother!

Thank you 

 

Dennis

[Johnny1000]

Engine looks good.

 

In the shot with the cowl on, the engine looks like it's straying a bit to starboard, or the cowl to the port. Is that just the pic?

[DMC]

35 minutes ago, Johnny1000 said:

Engine looks good.

Thanks, Johnny, It'll do for my first one, can't really see that much of it.  Next one should be better.

 

39 minutes ago, Johnny1000 said:

Is that just the pic?

Not cemented in yet, it's just in place for the photo.

 

How's the Corsair coming along?  Pics?

 

Dennis

[Martian]

I don't know how I missed this thread but there is some truly fantastic work occurring here.

 

Martian 👽

[Azgaron]

Excellent work so far!

 

Håkan

 

[DMC]

1 hour ago, Martian Hale said:

I don't know how I missed this thread but there is some truly fantastic work occurring here.

 

Martian 👽

Too kind, Martian, but certainly much appreciated.  (My old Blackberry pinging away with each "like".  Wife says "have you got to go out". Ha ha, as if.

 

1 hour ago, Azgaron said:

Excellent work so far!

Thank you, Azgaron.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Johnny1000]

On 5/4/2018 at 10:38 AM, DMC said:

How's the Corsair coming along?  Pics?

Ohhhh, that darned Corsair... 2 steps forward, 2.9 steps back .

 

There were some iffy panel lines that needed some attention before proceeding with finalizing the camo, and that's turned out to be a can of worms, with many rounds of sanding, respraying, and resanding. Then my airbrush started vomiting my many sins, prompting a bit of an exorcism. This led to my accidentally stripping away the red sealing gunk Iwata puts on the nozzle, leading to machine gunning instead neatly atomizing. Finally fixed that with some beeswax. Basically, I've moved forward essentially  zero in the last three weeks...

 

So, I got nothing, but thanks for asking!  

 

-J

 

[CJP]

I just stumbled across this gem of a build - will be following this as well as the F4U-4B - I built one of these many moons ago (30+ years?)when I was just starting to think about detailing and trying to improve the basic kit but nothing like what you are doing here - fabulous work you are doing

CJP

[CJP]

Also will have to give that technique for making the wingtip nav lights a go

CJP

[DMC]

6 hours ago, CJP said:

fabulous work you are doing

Thank you, CJP, welcome aboard 

6 hours ago, CJP said:

Also will have to give that technique for making the wingtip nav lights a go

Haven't tried fitting them yet but I think watchmakers cement might keep them from hazing over.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[CJP]

21 minutes ago, DMC said:

Thank you, CJP, welcome aboard 

Haven't tried fitting them yet but I think watchmakers cement might keep them from hazing over.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

I just bought some Testors Clear parts cement & windows maker to try - hopefully it will avoid that problem - anyone have experience with this glue on clear parts?

CJP

[DMC]

1 hour ago, CJP said:

anyone have experience with this glue on clear parts?

It's new to me.

 

Dennis

[DMC]

The F8F has a number of prominent Cowl fasteners, dzus (sp) or something similar.  Using one of those rivet wheel thingys doesn't give quite the effect I'm looking for so I tried using a small carbide drill to mark the location of the fasteners.  I did it freehand but made something of a mess of it as for the last year I've been struggling a bit with a vision problem.  I needed something to help me locate the fastener position.  This piece of mesh, trimmed off and curved, had just about the right spacing.  The holes are slightly large, about 3/4 of a scale inch and I imagine the fasteners to be closer to a 1/2" so I've ordered another set with smaller bits to do the rest of them.  Around 180 of them.  The bits are extremely fragile and will shatter like crystal if not used carefully. Luckily they are not too expensive.

 

Filling the holes with Mr Surfacer and then sanding that down will leave just a slight depression much more suitable then just a hole.  Those in the last picture need a little more Mr Surfacer and sanding but I think will look okay when finished.   In pics of restored Bearcats, the fasteners are often bright metal where the cowlings have been removed several times but in earlier photos the fasteners are not that noticeable. 

 

Thanks for looking

 

Dennis

 

[Azgaron]

Looks nice! Good tip too!

 

Håkan

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

5 hours ago, CJP said:

 Clear parts cement & windows maker to try - hopefully it will avoid that problem - anyone have experience with this glue on clear parts?

Yes though the version i have has a purple label. It works decently but sometimes not so well. I think it has to do with the surface im gluing to. I recommend cleaning/sanding the mating surfaces to key them. 

Edited May 6, 2018 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[DMC]

This product seems to work okay.  It has a very fine nozzle and is thick enough not to run.  Here is a practice canopy for the F8F with a couple of drops on it.  No haze. Getting that needle stopper back in in the nozzle can be a trail, however. 

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

 

[DMC]

3 hours ago, Azgaron said:

Looks nice! Good tip too!

And another thank you, Azgaron. 

 

Cheers and thanks for looking

 

Dennis

[CJP]

Thanks DMC - another good tip & seems easy enough to find on Google/Ebay

CJP