ProfSparks Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 (edited) 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 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 With the highlight being the surprisingly thin and transparent (albeit ill fitting) canopy Which is a shame, as the cockpit detail is Not even an IP. Never mind, plenty more to engage the fettler. Wing intakes and engine could do with some TLC Majestically cantilevered tail wheel and arrestor hook framework has been... simplified Engine cowling vents are ...er ...streamlined 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 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 April 16, 2018 by ProfSparks 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 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 ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nachtwulf Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 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. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 Actually Profsparks is doing a series from a boxed set of Airfix kits. This just happens to be the 3rd in the series. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amblypygid Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 Good grief, you've saved the best for last! You and Ced should compare notes on some of these stinkers that Airfix keep pushing out in new packaging, Steve. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene K Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 15 hours ago, ProfSparks said: Is there anything that requires major structural surgery before I commit? Hilarious!! Gene K 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 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 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beard Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 I've got a bit of a yearning for Corsairs at the moment but I now know I won't be satisfying it with the Airfix one. I wish you the best of luck. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfSparks Posted December 11, 2017 Author Share Posted December 11, 2017 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. 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 . 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 Comments and suggestions welcome Cheers Steve 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted December 11, 2017 Share Posted December 11, 2017 Oh i forgot to add the three vents installed for exhaust gases in the lower and mid rear fuselage. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfSparks Posted December 14, 2017 Author Share Posted December 14, 2017 (edited) Hi All First up is a start on that interior. Existing cockpit detail removed And using some cardboard as a guide A rear bulkhead was formed Then the front and floor Also the dentists chair got adapted 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 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 April 16, 2018 by ProfSparks 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted December 14, 2017 Share Posted December 14, 2017 Looks great so far 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gondor44 Posted December 15, 2017 Share Posted December 15, 2017 When I first saw the rivets on the wings I thought they were fabric covered I wish you luck with the build Gondor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfSparks Posted December 16, 2017 Author Share Posted December 16, 2017 (edited) 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 Exhibit 1 A lick of non-prototype paint Some cut up decals from the bag of unused things And once the blurry canopy is on, I'll be happy with it. 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 April 16, 2018 by ProfSparks 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted December 17, 2017 Share Posted December 17, 2017 Hi Prof, Great work on the scratched cockpit ! Some tape for seat belts would just set it off nicely. Regards artin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfSparks Posted December 23, 2017 Author Share Posted December 23, 2017 (edited) Hi All Just a flying visit, but seatbelts added! Should be ok once it's all covered over 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 These were sandwiched together to give two sets of vanes Needs some work to get them to sit comfortably, but you get the idea That's all for now. Comments and suggestions welcome Cheers Steve Edited April 16, 2018 by ProfSparks 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted December 23, 2017 Share Posted December 23, 2017 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 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted December 23, 2017 Share Posted December 23, 2017 I agree the intake vanes look great. So far that and the cockpit have improved this considerably. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted December 23, 2017 Share Posted December 23, 2017 Brilliant scratch work on the cockpit and wing inlets Professor! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfSparks Posted January 1, 2018 Author Share Posted January 1, 2018 (edited) 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 Some nonchalant filing later 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 April 16, 2018 by ProfSparks 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike romeo Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 Happy New Year, Prof! Detailing in the inlets looks good. Regards Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfSparks Posted January 7, 2018 Author Share Posted January 7, 2018 (edited) Hi All Managed to slot in some plastic straws And they shouldn't look too bad once meshed over and everything's painted black Also managed to clip the wing tips without destroying them completely 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 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! Comments and suggestions welcome Cheers Steve Edited April 16, 2018 by ProfSparks 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 I'm a bit impressed with what you're doing here, having wrangled one of these myself, I admire your efforts. Steve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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