RainierHooker Posted October 22, 2021 Share Posted October 22, 2021 (edited) F4U-1 “Bubbles” After grinding away on one particularly difficult short-run model I decided to pull an “easy” kit out of the stash. I selected Tamiya’s 1/72 scale F4U-1 “birdcage” Corsair. Of course, the subject I chose to model ended up being a challenge in itself. “Bubbles” was a particularly well photographed Corsair based at Guadalcanal in 1943. Sources disagree on whether she was assigned to the USMC’s VMF-124 or VMF-213 but I am inclined to believe the later. Regardless, her very well used appearance and distinctive weathering pattern (apparently she was a leaker) drew me to attempt to duplicate her as closely as I dared in a model less than 6 inches long. Built out of the box with addition of Eduard seatbelts and some scratchbuilt details such as the engine spark plug harness out of fine wire. Antenna wire is EZ-Line. Paints are mostly Vallejo Air Acrylics, with some AK and Tamiya colors here and there. Weathering was a combination of acrylic washes, AK chipping mediums, salt, and Tamiya weathering powders. Edited October 22, 2021 by RainierHooker grammar 41 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted October 22, 2021 Share Posted October 22, 2021 Lovely build. Excellent weathering. I will always be amazed at how large an aircraft the F4U is. I guess it had to be to support that big Pratt and Whitney and the six guns. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainierHooker Posted October 22, 2021 Author Share Posted October 22, 2021 (edited) More beauty shots of this greasy pig: Edited October 22, 2021 by RainierHooker 27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vultures1 Posted October 22, 2021 Share Posted October 22, 2021 Outstanding!! Superb finish and weathering, beautifully replicating the original - well done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelh Posted October 22, 2021 Share Posted October 22, 2021 Always love a Corsair. You've captured the grubby look perfectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ad-4N Posted October 22, 2021 Share Posted October 22, 2021 Amazing job!!!!!!!!!!!!! Proof positive photos are the best reference! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire31 Posted October 22, 2021 Share Posted October 22, 2021 Superb build and weathering (with the photos as a robust insurance against any misplaced remarks about 'over-weathering'!) Kind regards, Joachim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sky Keg Posted October 22, 2021 Share Posted October 22, 2021 Corsairs are SUPPOSED to look this way. 😍😉 Very nice!!! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanmi Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 I like the finish, I think you achieved the weathering look, loved it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheyJammedKenny! Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 Beautiful paint job on this--so many variations in tone! You'll need to provide us a lecture on how you got from point A to B on this, because the effect is persuasive. The only thing that makes the top views NOT look like the real thing is the depth of the panel lines, but that's not on your account. One thing that surprises me about this version of the Birdcage F4U is the little bump-out up top. I'd never seen that before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Gee Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 (edited) Excellent work! I never realised how dirty these things got and going by the original photos you've nailed it. Edited October 23, 2021 by Jay Gee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnl42 Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 Wonderful build and amazing weathering. Your skills are infinitely better than mine! I see in the 1st photo that Bubbles was hardly unique in leaking. I expect the mechanics were more interested in keeping aircraft in the air rather than oil-tight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 What a cracking model, superb weathering and very well matched to the original aircraft. Love the tonal differences too. Great work Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheyJammedKenny! Posted October 23, 2021 Share Posted October 23, 2021 No such thing as "oil tight" on a big piston! The nearest you can get is to slow the rate of leakage, but by design, these big engines become tighter as they heat up. When they are run up on the ground, they tend to splatter oil, and the prop carries it backward along the external skin. It's not as obvious on contemporary warbirds, because the owners wipe them down frequently, but you can imagine how it would have been under the circumstances of Guadalcanal, which was a touch-and-go campaign for the U.S. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainierHooker Posted October 23, 2021 Author Share Posted October 23, 2021 Thanks all for the kind words and encouragement. 22 hours ago, TheyJammedKenny! said: Beautiful paint job on this--so many variations in tone! You'll need to provide us a lecture on how you got from point A to B on this, because the effect is persuasive. The only thing that makes the top views NOT look like the real thing is the depth of the panel lines, but that's not on your account. One thing that surprises me about this version of the Birdcage F4U is the little bump-out up top. I'd never seen that before. I don't know about a lecture, but I can provide a brief rundown... First the aircraft was sprayed with flat black, and then Vallejo "Aluminum" working from the center of individual panels, making a gradient near the edge. Sort of preshading in reverse. Over this went AK "Worn Effects" which when dry was oversprayed with Vallejo "M-495 Light Grey" in the same manner as before making gradients with tending to be heavier on paint near the centers of panels. Some light chipping was done when this layer was dry. One light coat of the "Worn Effects" went on over the gray and a few grains of salt were sprinkled here and there once it was mostly dry. A pretty well thinned Vallejo "M-485 Blue Gray" was then likewise sprayed over the gray where appropriate (topsides and the bottoms of the outer wings). Again working on gradients of the amount of paint from panel to panel. Chipping with salt removal and the "Worn Effects" followed. Gloss coat, decals, and matte coat were done as normal. After the matte finish had dried I applied various washes of various brown and gray acrylics thinned with water, this is also when I did the oil staining and streaking, the latter accomplished by putting a dab of thinned acrylic brown and shooting it with an unloaded airbrush. For the final step I really brought the fading and tonal gradients alive with what is quickly becoming a favorite product in 1/72 scale: Tamiya's Weathering Master powders. I mostly used their "Burnt Blue", "Gray" and "Snow" powders but used various browns here and there. I applied with the provided tool as well as cotton buds and the digits on my hands. For this step especially, I channeled Bob Ross and remembered that there are "only happy accidents". If I got bit too wild with one color, I would tone it down with another, or just lick my finger and smear it around a bit. Or both. Once I finally finished playing with colored powders, I sprayed on one last matte coat and called it done. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan31 Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 Wonderful job on the weathering, very convincing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 This a beautiful job. I had to scroll back to the top to check the scale, I thought I'd read 1/72 but was becoming more convinced it was 1/48. That really is a superb result. 👍 Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomLover Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 Wonderful build! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted October 24, 2021 Share Posted October 24, 2021 Yes, I did think it was overdone until I saw the real one. You nailed it perfectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArmouredSprue Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 Superb models, painting work and weathering. Exceptional photography to top up the fine work. Very well done mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 What the others have said- an incredibly realistic replica! If you had taken b&w photos of your model, you would be hard-pressed to tell it from the period photos of 'Bubbles!' Mike @TheyJammedKenny!, The blister on the birdcage F4U-1 canopy was added to allow the installation of a rear-view mirror; don't think those rear quarter transparencies did much good, especially as the armor plate on the backrest probably prevented much of a view behind for the pilot. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 Bravo Bravo …. Well done on your Vought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis95 Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 Very well executed. Took me a few tries to make sure it wasn't some Photoshop trickery in your first 2 posts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2lefthands Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 Love it! Your procedure sounds time consuming, but the effect is stunning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moskiman Posted October 25, 2021 Share Posted October 25, 2021 Incredible weathering. How much time would you say you spent on it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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