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WIP - Tamiya 1:32 Vought F4U-1 Corsair "Birdcage" #60324 - FINISHED


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Cheers guys.......and happy 4th July 😃

Have been back to modelling for about a year now after a long break since childhood. I have a lot more patience now!!

Completed about half a dozen 1/32 scale models now, each better than the last in my humble opinion. Been looking at a lot of forums / youtube and slowely progressing in my abilities.

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Just saw this and wanted to say that your Corsair is coming along nicely.  It has to be Tamiya's best 1/32 kit yet. 

 

As for the spar issue, it's a common problem that many builders have missed. The solution is to sand them down as you found out. 

 

If you haven't glued the flaps in place yet, it'll be easier to paint the model with them off and then attach them afterwards. Otherwise, it'll just need some careful masking around them. 

 

Carl

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

So, it's been a while since I posted (or made any progress on my model), silly little things like a family holiday to Spain (Fathers 80th b'day) and Car Fest North got in the way :) Well, I survived both and have been back a few days and actually got some paint down on the model.

I had planned to decant the paint from rattle cans......never tried that before, and I'm sad to say that I bottled it...........so the exterior has been done from rattle cans and loads of PlayDough snakes. Using the 'snakes' gives a good enough for me feather to the edges. I think that an old model will be used as a paint mule when I try decanting spray cans, just didn't feel confident enough to try it on this model and mess things up. BTW, what do you guys use to clean up an airbrush with after using paint from a rattle can (Tamiya TS paints).

Now the paint has dried I have also got a gloss coat of varnish on (also rattle can) Winsor & Newton.

Give that a day or so to cure and then I can get down to the stencils/decals and then try my hand at a bit of basic weathering..........little nervous of this as weathering is definitely not a strong point for me yet.

 

So here is as she stands just now: As always, comments and critique gratefully accepted.

33.jpg 34.jpg 35.jpg  38.jpg 39.jpg 40.jpg 41.jpg36.jpg 37.jpg

 

 

 

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A quick question to those who have gone before me on this model......or those 'in the know'

 

What is the best/correct finish for this model..........matt......satin......gloss ??

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Just found this thread. She looks great, you say you’re a novis but you really don’t  seem to be. I would dearly love to build this kit but alas there are only so many kits one can buy before you actually need to build them. You’re doing a great job on this one.  As for your question about gloss/semi gloss/ or Matt . Probably Semi gloss at this scale? That’s what I used on my 1/24 Messerschmitt and probably what I’ll use on my current Lancaster.

whatever you decide I’m sure it’ll look brilliant. I’ll follow along if you don’t mind.

 

All the best.

 

John.

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So here we are, almost completed the decals, just a whole bunch of tiny ones to go.

Made a rather large boo boo early on, the 'roundel' on the top side.........got some Tamiya panel line wash on it and when I went to remove it with thinners I found that I also remove part of the white star..........never knew that would happen. Guess I learnt something new that day. There is no 'spare' so will have to patch it up and live with the result. I have seen that some people spray these roundels on but I do not think my masking skills are up to it and also worried I will make a bad situation worse by damaging the decal even more with the tape. Guess it will just have to be "battle damage".

42.jpg

 

Once I've got the rest of the decals on, then I will try weathering. I have been using Tamiya Panel Line Accent so far, but that requires X20 (which I cannot get) or thinners/turpentine to remove excess . This also removes the varnish and I'm not so happy with that, although that's no great issue. What varnish do you guys use? An enamel varnish?  (I currently use Windsor & Newton in satin / matt/ gloss).

I have ordered Flory washes which are due for delivery in the next day or so, so I'm going to switch to those as it appears they are water based so will not damage anything. Once the weathering is done I can then add all those little bits which I normally break off (antennas, wheel wheel doors etc)......I'm way too clumsy when there are little 'break off'able bits.........lessons learnt the hard way so leaving them til the absolute end 😉

 

So here she is as things currently stand

43.jpg 44.jpg 45.jpg 46.jpg 47.jpg

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Well, my Flory washes showed up this afternoon...........and boy are they good. Sooooo much easier than the Tamiya Panel stuff I've been using 'til now. Slap it all over with a brush, let it dry, and then rub it off with a SLIGHTLY damp kitchen towel. I cant believe I never bought this before now!

 

Slapped it all over:

1.jpg 2.jpg 

 

Let it dry for half an hour.......and then started to rub it off:

3.jpg

 

Does this....and the following pictures look about right to you guys......only ever done a few panel lines before and never a whole model (rivets and all).

Would appreciate a little feedback before I seal her all up and call her done...........thanks in advance.

 

Once I sort of weathered some armour, but when I varnished it it seemed that a lot of the weathering 'disappeared'. Is this 'normal' and so you weather them  a little too much so that its gets knocked back a bit when sealed up?

 

5.jpg 7.jpg 9.jpg

 

10.jpg 11.jpg12.jpg

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Nice work she's looking the business. 

 

I find with the flory washes you need to really rub it back to leave a subtle finish. It does go patchy and some bits are hard to remove. I'd give it another quick rub to tone it down a bit but it's your model so feel free to ignore me 🤣

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Looking grand!  I’ve been using Flory washes for a while now. You can airbrush them too to get rid of bubbles that sometimes occur using a brush.  Iv’e found folk like their weathering all different ways so I say do what makes you happy. 😀 Also I find that Flory isn’t quite as good for NMF, I still tend to use Oil paint washes for those.  I havn’t noticed any loss of Flory when I Top coat though. It sometimes gets more pronounced even. 

Keep up the great work sir.

 

Johnny.

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Any further comments from anyone regarding the finish for this model, should it matt or satin? I've had a couple of people say each so now unsure which way to go?

Someone said a 'flat finish', what is your interpretation of that?

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8 minutes ago, Starspell said:

Any further comments from anyone regarding the finish for this model, should it matt or satin? I've had a couple of people say each so now unsure which way to go?

Someone said a 'flat finish', what is your interpretation of that?

fairly new two tone, period color

satin finish

Vought-F4U-1-Corsair-the-early-productio

 

 

your subject is like this

Quote

However, by the time that Bunker Hill was available for shakedown of its air group in July 1943, VF-17 had F4U-1s that had been repainted by the Navy rework/repair facility at Norfolk, Virginia in their version of the new multi-color scheme

F4U-1+%25238+VF-17+USS+Bunjer+Hill+July+

from http://thanlont.blogspot.com/2011/06/brief-f4u-corsair-oriented-history-of.html

 

one on the islands ended very grungy,  and matt

 

Vought-F4U-1A-Corsair-VMF-214-on-Marsden

 

 

I'd suggest pretty matt, you can always buff the varnish to give a slight sheen.

 

HTH

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1 hour ago, Antb said:

Nice work she's looking the business. 

 

I find with the flory washes you need to really rub it back to leave a subtle finish. It does go patchy and some bits are hard to remove. I'd give it another quick rub to tone it down a bit but it's your model so feel free to ignore me 🤣

@Antb Thanks for the compliment and suggestion for the Flory, I'll look at it again in the cold light of day tomorrow and see how I feel :)

 

53 minutes ago, The Spadgent said:

Looking grand!  I’ve been using Flory washes for a while now. You can airbrush them too to get rid of bubbles that sometimes occur using a brush.  Iv’e found folk like their weathering all different ways so I say do what makes you happy. 😀 Also I find that Flory isn’t quite as good for NMF, I still tend to use Oil paint washes for those.  I havn’t noticed any loss of Flory when I Top coat though. It sometimes gets more pronounced even. 

Keep up the great work sir.

 

Johnny.

@The Spadgent Thanks for following me along this journey and your helpful comment(s). Haven't been doing this for too long yet so all the comments /suggestions go a long way to giving me the confidence that I'm heading in the right direction and doing things at least "almost right" 😁

 

@Troy Smith Photos are a great help, for some reason I never think to look at Google to try find the answer :( I find it so frustrating trying to wade through all the rubbish stuff and so I ask my questions to all you kind knowledgeable people here. Noted your suggestion for  a matt finish.....never knew you could buff it slightly....live'n'learn...... :thanks:

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45 minutes ago, The Spadgent said:

seems to be a mix of all three. Your choice kid. Either way it’ll look awesome.

 

KD431 is a special case, being that it remained untouched until the early 60's, and the had a coat of polyurethane gloss slapped one, 30 years later this was carefully peeled and scraped off to reveal the original wartime paint. 

There is a great book on the restoration,  KD431, the Time Capsule Corsair,

in short

https://www.fleetairarm.com/aviation-museum-past-projects.aspx

Quote

Corsair KD 431 - A Ground Breaking Project

Aircraft Details

Goodyear Built - FG1-A Type

Serial Number - KD 431

Bureau Number - 14862

Build Date - July/August 1944

U.S Contract Number - 1871

Factory Build Number - 1871

Can an aircraft that was re-painted many years ago be returned to its original paintwork: presuming it survives beneath the later layers?

If the original paintwork can be revealed, is it a financially feasible exercise and what will it add to our understanding of the aircraft?

In 2000 it was decided to use the Museum's Corsair FG-1 to pioneer this "whole aircraft" method of paintwork conservation. We believe this ground breaking project to be the first of its kind in the aviation Museum world.

Using techniques familiar to archaeologists and forensic scientists this project has revealed, after three years of painstaking work, a unique, time capsule aircraft. Inch by inch, layer by layer, the entire aircraft has been scrutinised, researched and carefully stripped of the paint finish applied in 1963, when the aircraft was first presented to the Fleet Air Arm Museum.

 

THE RESULT- A Corsair in as near to totally authentic and original condition from 1944 as it is possible to achieve. Paintwork, markings, stencilling, even the scratches and wear marks from the period are all original.

Of the forty or so remaining Corsairs around the world (some in flying condition, some on display in Museums) there are no known examples in their truly original condition other than the Fleet Air Arm Museum's Corsair KD 431.

View of KD 431 after three years painstaking work. All of the paintwork, markings, scratches and wear marks are authentic and original from 1944-45

 

But, the finish is  ANA623 Gloss Sea Blue overall, and matting or satin is just wear.

 

@Starspell

Quote

Photos are a great help, for some reason I never think to look at Google to try find the answer  I find it so frustrating trying to wade through all the rubbish stuff and so I ask my questions to all you kind knowledgeable people here. Noted your suggestion for  a matt finish.....never knew you could buff it slightly....live'n'learn..

 

looking for photos is a lot easier when you know what you are looking at, I have some idea how much period color there is,  and there not lots, so I have some idea what is what.

worth pointing outn we hav as site members some noted researchers on US types, who have notifications below

 

I also have @Dana Bell recent books on the Corsair

http://www.hyperscale.com/2014/reviews/books/f4u1vol1bellbookreviewse_1.htm

http://www.hyperscale.com/2015/reviews/books/f4u1vol2bellbookreviewse_1.htm

the cover of the 2nd volume is probably what you are looking for finish wise

CorsairVol2_1.jpg

 

one thing you may want to consider, is the metal covered parts of the airframe tend to shinier and smoother than the fabric bits, so maybe use a dead flat matt on the fabric, and a slight sheen on the metal parts/

 

you should be able to buff paint or varnish with some soft cloth, try old worn cotton T-shirt , and as with any new technique,  practice on scrap or an old model first

 

Possibly missed in the link, the scheme you are doing is the 'Norfolk@ variation

http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2010/01/ww-ii-color-scheme-anomaly.html

 

this is @Tailspin Turtle blog,  

also worth a read

https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2012/12/early-world-war-ii-usn-paint-and.html

 

Steve, as you  can see it's quite possible to go down the research rabbit hole here....(or like me, after too much time down said hole, popping up randomly to post more than you wanted to know...) 

 

 and your model looks very good after the flory wash as it is, :goodjob: 

 

As for varnish, Windsor and Newton are rated, the galleria acrylic is supposed to be very matt, I have some, IIRC it had a slight sheen

again, test on scrap

 

cheers

T

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Well, here she is, all done. Finished with a matt coat of Windsor & Newton rattle can varvish.

It's been a fun/nice build and I'm happy with the finished result. The build progressed smoothly and fit was good with very little need/use of any filler which is a pleasant change from the last couple I've done. Had a few hiccups along the way but they were self-induced (didn't read the destructions properly.......note to self, read everything twice to be sure you get it right).

 

Not sure whats up next, nothing has been procured yet, though got my eyes on a couple of things 🤤. Might go for a car next, never done one of those yet (not that I've built that many models to start with 😏, only about 10 so far).

Anyways, I digress a little...........here she is.....comments, both good or bad, greatly appreciated as these will let me know where I need to improve on whatever my next project turns out to be.

1.jpg2.jpg3.jpg4.jpg5.jpg6.jpg7.jpg8.jpg9.jpg10.jpg11.jpg12.jpg

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Thanks for the kind words......and yes, I am pretty proud of this one, probably the best I've done yet.

Looking thru the ones I've made before now I can definitely see my progression through this, what is slowly becoming, compulsive hobby. The missus is currently quite happy that this is finished and that I currently do not have another model to start on. She thinks I shall now have time to do all the things she wants me to do around the house. Wrong........tho maybe I'll get a few of them done before I start something else 😁

 

I'm thinking of something with NMF, something to challenge myself with.

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