Jump to content

Airfix (Otaki) Corsair 1/48


85sqn

Recommended Posts

Hi folks, 

 

I saw this group build abit late but thanks to Rich for letting me participate. So I have a couple of these Airfix repops of the Otaki kit from decades ago. Overall the detail on the outside of the kit is quite good and certainly looks like a corsair. Inside though its abit sparse, landing gear + wells are lacking and the engine looks really quite bulbous and odd. I'm thinking about making this into a flying pose with flaps and gear up, a pilot inside and maybe a prop blur or maybe a rotating prop with a small engine. Will be mounted on some clear rod.

 

It will be a Fleet Air Arm machine- not sure on the exact a/c yet but I have Fundekals set plus many other FAA decal sets. I haven't done any from Victorious yet so that could be on the cards. Other airframe I may do could be Dicky Corks JT269 or Ronnie Hays. As usual 3 CO vents will be added. I've already trimmed the wingtips and some clear sprue will be made into wingtip lights.  will probably also need to add some fuel filler caps to the wings an fuel vents underneath. The gunsight is solid plastic so that will need some clear plastic and the windscreen armoured glass added.

 

Here's a photo of most of the components:

Airfix Corsair

I have a resin R2800 for the Tamiya kit- I think I may just use a Tamiya engine in this kit and save that as it does look lovely. Droptank is also from Tamiya and the pilot I believe is from a Tamiya Spit. He's wearing his shorts and shirt with a B-Type flying helmet which is perfect for a naval aviator in the tropics. (The B-Type looks very similar to a naval C-type helmet).

 

Well I guess that's it for now. more to come!

 

Nick

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello @85sqn ... I have built multiple Arii Corsairs Over the years. When i was younger i considered these the best available until the Tamiya’s showed up. The only major down sides are these. The engine is bad i used to replace these with Monogram P-61 engines but there are enough resin ones now if you choose to replace yours. At the least you should make the magnetos look more realistic, not the two half grapefruit that they are. Two the cockpit its more like the type in a 4-5 than an early one. I used to cut them up to expose the lower fuselage as thats correct for the type. Three the landing gear can be a bit fragile if not handled with care. Ask me how i know that 🤬. Otherwise these are fairly good models. 

 

Dennis 

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers Dennis,

 

I also noted the pilots headrest does not lie flush with the bulkhead and is slightly forwarf so this will be adjusted too!

 

Nick

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi folks,

 

small update from me. Just abit of fettling really, I’ve adjusted the pilots headrest to fit against the fuselage and am trying to get the pilot to fit. Some sanding of his bottom to get him in the seat. Looks like his needs to come down a shade and wrist rotated to grip the control column.

41952548424_f20c6fe063_b.jpg

 

Wings have been trimmed and need cleaning up:

41952549384_a377f98bf8_b.jpg

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

welcome aboard and good to see you're off and running with this build.

 

There's heaps of AM stuff around for these or can be used with these. I like the colour scheme you've chosen (or will be), I built the Tamiya one in a few years back as a Victorious bird. I must admit I threw though most of it away and replaced it with AM stuff. There's heaps of AM stuff around for these or can be used with these.

 

Well good luck with the build, I hope you enjoy it and look forward to seeing her in the gallery.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mind if I sit just over here Nick?  I've brough me own beer...

 

What more to say - an FAA Corsair....  I finished a Tamiya one recently as a Victorious bird - DJ Sheppards Iceberg Kite.

 

Good luck, this will come out loverly...  What colour primer are you going for (hoping to sound like I know what I'm talking about)...

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your more than welcome Phil! I can't promise this will be expeditious but I'll crack on as best I can.

 

Having a look again at the fundekals sheet, I'm going to have to mask and spray all the roundels as they've used red in some of them. Will probably use the '7 D' decals as they are a slightly unusual font. 

 

Probably black for an undercoat again- Stynylrez seems to be my preferred choice lately.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Hi guys,

 

slow progress with me at the moment as I am still waiting for my electric motor to be delivered. In the meanwhile I have been playing some more with the wings. The gear door don’t fit particularly well and the forward doors are really quite undersize so I have to take some filler to it. Here’s a before photo:

28109843307_247cbc6ea5_b.jpg

I have also done some work on the fuselage CO vents from a piece of spare sprue. Holes just need to be drilled a little bigger:

 

42928956462_9fa8d0b816_b.jpg

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've found the U/c doors on most models don't actually fit properly when you try to do them closed. Probably why they often supply a set of "closed" ones for if you want the U/c up. A few bits of scrap sprue in those holes should help save you on filler and make the cleaning up easier.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi folks,

 

I went for filler on the doors Rich. Needs a little more clean up but coming along. In the meanwhile here’s some of what I’ve been up to, need to work out how I’ll fit the motor and prop.

 

8B76D4E1-4AE0-42D5-AAD8-22A53A963522

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Brass shaft into the prop.  Running through a brass tube for the bearing (to be cemented into the engine), flexi plastic tube from the shaft to the motor shaft (helps witht he lining up).  Circular frame in fuselage to mount motor into..  How are you going to route you power to the motor?

 

Or put it another way....  Talk to @PlaStix about how he did it for his Mosquito diaroma...

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Phil, I drilled a hole through the engine the same size as the motor and mounted it straight in there. The shaft projects into the gearbox so one brass sheath over that will extend it nicely out to the prop. I’m just waiting on some hollow rod to mount the aircraft onto. The wiring from the motor will go inside that to a base where I need to mount a battery and switch. I have a base ordered. I’ve tested the motor with a 9v battery but even aaa propels it nicely. 

 

The corsair is all closed up and wings mounted with a bit of filler here and there. Bit more filling around joins to do and gunsight/canopy to add then she’ll be ready for some paint!

 

28364209507_9f5f491da9_b.jpg

 

I’m in Edinburgh tonight so a trip to Wonderland models may yield the brass rod I need.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

a very tidy solution for the motorway the sounds of it, how are you going to run the wires to the base?  I've seen it done where each wire is run down one undercarriage leg and into the base of the wheel which has a small piece of metal at the bottom of wheel. They will then make contact with similarly positioned metal contacts on the base. This meant that the plane didn't need to be permanently fixed to the base but the prop could be run when you wanted. it was quite a clever solution.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Nick, good and simple solution.  

 

In flight model so how are you going to support it?  

 

If you use brass tube and can get an insulated single wire inside it you could use the tube as one contact and the wire as the other going back to the base...

 

As another thought if the motor is reversible you could use it as a fan to cool your workshop....

 

Btw consider using one of those old phone chargers we all have around the house to power it rather than batteries.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rich that is a really clever idea. So guys what I have done is fit a brass sheath to the motor to allow a solid and positive contact with the prop when the time comes to attach it. I have some brass rod now and the wires can run down through it and into the base. 

 

A base has arrived as well

 

Phil what do you mean with the phone charger- use mains power to drive the motor?

 

 

The aircraft is nearly ready for some primer, canopy to mask, underside vent to go on and some filler to address.

 

43227740722_f0f449879e_b.jpg

I also added some clear plastic card as a gunsight and the glass that it projects onto.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So you need to check it out but yes use an old spare phone charger to provide the power.  You might have to incorporate  some resistors into the wiring in the base and a socket to plug the charger in but use the phone charger to power the motor.

 

You need to know the rating of the motor (volts and amps) and the rating of the output of the charger (volts and amps) then, and hopefully someone on here can do the maths, if my 'O' level physics is right it's  V=IR.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aahh looks like I wont be able to get this done by tomorrow. I've undercoated black, sprayed and masked the roundels and the undersides are sky but there's too much for one day so I'll crack on and post a photo in the standard RFI gallery when it's done. Thanks to those that took an interest and commented!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, 85sqn said:

Aahh looks like I wont be able to get this done by tomorrow. I've undercoated black, sprayed and masked the roundels and the undersides are sky but there's too much for one day so I'll crack on and post a photo in the standard RFI gallery when it's done. Thanks to those that took an interest and commented!

That is such a shame Nick but you're right not to rush it.  Looking forward to seeing the result..

 

Good luck..

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, 85sqn said:

Aahh looks like I wont be able to get this done by tomorrow. I've undercoated black, sprayed and masked the roundels and the undersides are sky but there's too much for one day so I'll crack on and post a photo in the standard RFI gallery when it's done. Thanks to those that took an interest and commented!

that's fine, there'll be quite a few in the same situation. It's better to take your time and do it right rather then rush it for a deadline and mess it all up.

 

The threads will be still open so you can update at any time. There will be plenty members interested in seeing her completed. Thanks for joining use here.

  • Like 1
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...