Pirates of the Solomon Sea ‒ A VF-17 hog waits for booty

[Toryu]

 

and waits...

 

Perhaps we should do some maintenance in the meantime...

 

Everybody gone for lunch...

 

While we wait we'll have a look at the original '3' -

 

 

On the left is Ensign Frederik James Streig at Ondoga, New Georgia in November 1943 during his first tour with Fighting 17. His F4U shows four victory flags and no tank sealing yet. In the right picture, taken on Bougainville in February 1944, 'Big Jim' Streig, now a beardless Lieutenant (jg), poses for the camera at the end of his second tour. The Corsair is adorned with six kill marks (5.5 confirmed claims) and shows traces of a stripped-off tape.

 

Afternoon on Bougainville, hot and humid, and still no action...

 

My model was built in early 1977 from the latest Otaki kit just released a year before. I was delighted about this novelty in times of limited 1/48 model choices - a perfect consort for my Monogram Hellcat (here). Many Otaki products of the period surprise with accurate shape and dimensions and a nice surface representation with excellent recessed panel lines. Interior detail, however, is superficial and clumsy.

 

Ten years ago I got it out of storage and surveyed it for improvement. What followed was an upgrading orgy with a dozen new (aftermarket) parts - from nose ring to tailwheel and from canopy to tyres - plus some scratch work (air intakes, position lights, etc). A fresh finish and new decals rounded off the veteran's resurrection.

 

And in the Pacific? No booty today - let's go to the bar!

 

I hope you enjoyed this classic model and the 'Tale of the South Sea'. An overall view of the scenery appears in the diorama RFI section here.

 

Cheers, Michael

 

REFERENCES

CORSAIR ACES – THE BENT-WING BIRD OVER THE PACIFIC, WALTER A. MUSCIANO, NEW YORK, 1979

CORSAIR ACES OF WORLD WAR 2, AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES 8, MARK STYLING, LONDON, 1995

THE JOLLY ROGERS, TOM BLACKBURN / ERIC HAMMEL, PACIFICA, 1997 *

THE VOUGHT F4U CORSAIR – A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE, RAFE MORRISSEY / JOE HEGEDUS, KINGSWAY, 2010

VF-17 'JOLLY ROGERS', FIGHTING UNITS IN COLOR 3 & 4, ADAM JARSKI / ZBIGNIEW KOLACHA, DANSK, 2012 *

 

* Highly recommended - 'Fighting Units in Color' are out of print unfortunately

 

ATMOSPHERIC READING

SOUTH SEA TALES, JACK LONDON, NEW YORK, 1911                       

TALES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC, JAMES A. MITCHENER, NEW YORK, 1946 *

 

 

 

[Gary Brantley]

Now, that's a wonderful resurrection Michael! 🍻  I really enjoyed that South Pacific tale; I imagine that his appearance wasn't the only change made in Jim Streig's life over that year between photos.    Imagine the life he must've led!  Great looking model and a delightful story of its rebirth! 

[VolkerR.]

Great story, great fotos, great model!

[Bullbasket]

Beautiful model with a perfect backdrop. Nice one.

 

John.

[BerndM]

Lovely Corsair and nicely presented.

[RMCS]

Fantastic 

[noelh]

I'm biased off course because the Corsair is a favourite of mine. But that looks great. 

 

You're right about the Otaki kits, simple but often accurate. I have one buried somewhere in my stash. 

 

I also note the little details. Like the way the back of the prop is coral blasted back to natural metal while the front remains in good condition. Something often reversed by modellers. 

 

Very pleasing model and well displayed. 

[F-32]

That's super cool work

[russ c]

Great upgrade on that old kit Michael. really nice work

[Spitfire31]

This isn't 'just' a beautifully realised model and dio – the whole presentation in itself is a work of art, positively oozing atmosphere.

 

It's also a perfect example of how tiny details can add 'life' to a model, such as the offset tailwheel.

 

I'm doffing my hat to this superb miniature recreation!

 

Kind regards,

 

Joachim

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Wonderful Corsair !  … One for Mike @72modeler and @corsaircorp

[72modeler]

Roger that! That is a beautifully built and presented Corsair, and I totally agree that castoring the tailwheel on models really adds to the realism and sit! You can almost hear that hot R-2800 ticking, and smell the oil and hydraulic fluid. The photography is as good as the model. That's a 4.0 job! 

Mike

[corsaircorp]

Hello Toryu !!

I totally agree with my 2 brother in bent wings !!

Really good one especially based on the Otaki one...

Which 2800 have you used on this one, my next otaki one will receive a Quickboost one.

Congratulations my friend, Great Corsair, Great Diorama and great pics !!

Sincerely.

CC

[Andy Dyck]

Very very nice presentation and photography! That’s what I like! 
Please more of those atmospheric photographs on other models!
 

Thx for sharing!

 

Andy

[exdraken]

Fantastic modelling and presentation!

 🏴‍☠️

[Devo]

Nice job.

 

I spent some time in Bougainville way back in 1998! Did an ANZAC Day ceremony. I think there was a Japanese Zero on a pole and a tank at the memorial site.

[Toryu]

On 27/05/2021 at 00:51, corsaircorp said:

Which 2800 have you used on this one, my next otaki one will receive a Quickboost one.

 

Thanks for your kind words Alain, and sorry for the late reply -

I used the Vector R-2800, the same one as for my other Corsair. A picture of the detailed engine here.

 

Cheers, Michael

[Wulfman]

A great build and presentation , cool stuff !

 

Wulfman

[Dr. K]

This is stunning!  Your attention to detail and the history are excellent.  I had to show this to my wife, it is such a thing of beauty.

[kapam]

Extremely fine build and excellently presented!

[Toryu]

Corsairs of VF-17 are a very popular subject. No Corsair expert by any means, I'd nevertheless like to share a few tips about the F4U-1A version that I traced when I built my model.

The first batch received by VF-17 didn't have the closed top cooling flap, it still opened up like all the other flaps. The red border of the stars & bars had already been overpainted with intermediate blue while still aboard USS Bunker Hill in transit to the war zone.

The F4U-1A was not equipped with the two bomb pylons under the wing centre section to carry auxiliary tanks as included in some kits. The inner wheel door of all versions didn't open to a vertical position, it stayed slightly tilted inwards.

Internal colours (most common interpretation): cockpit - Interior Green; main wheel well and engine compartment - underside colour, i.e. White; tailwheel well - Yellow Zinc Chromate and doors - White; landing gear struts - Light Gray. Very early F4U-1A interiors may still have been painted like on the F4U-1.

There are certainly more details that I have overlooked - not an expert as I said, just a modeller striving for accuracy 😀.

Happy (Corsair) modelling, Michael

 

[georgeusa]

Great Corsair.  Great diorama.  Great photography.  What's not to like.  Thanks for sharing.

[Zigomar]

Pretty cool Michael, pretty cool!

[ernestf]

Thanks for sharing, not just the subject in real is full of history, your model kit has its own history too ! amazing build and updates !

 

[FAAFAN]

Nicely done!!! Those Otaki kits are very buildable. You did a great job of resurrecting a great warbird.  Nice touch adding pix of the aviator too! Its always good to put a "face to the name" and look into the eyes of the ace.