Brian C. Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 Seems fitting, my final build of 2023 was completed on December 31st, and was a Corsair. I love Corsairs! This is the old Hasegawa 1/48 F4U-4, and is my take on WS18 of VMF-323 during the Korean War. Aftermarket additions are a True Details cockpit set, and BrenGun wheels. Decals are a mix of Aeromaster and Super Scale, all of which performed well. I had a self inflicted issue with the starboard side snake- the head ripped off while positioning it. Thankfully, I was able to line it back up, and melted it together with some Solvaset. I used Mission Models FS 15042 Glossy Sea Blue. The rest of the paint was Vallejo Model Air. The kit itself was fun and easy to build. The cockpit required a bit of fitting, but wasn't all that difficult. I managed to split the True Details instrument panel removing it from the casting block, so I ended up using bits from an old Eduard detail set on the kit instrument panel, which had to be sanded smooth. I did wire the engine, but it really doesn't show well. The BrenGun wheels had a fair amount of pits in them, which was disappointing. A little Mr Dissolved Putty took care of that. I did a black base of Mr Hobby aqueous surfacer 1000, mottled with various grays and hints of hull red. The Mission paint worked well, but was extremely delicate until it was clear coated. Mr Hobby aqueous gloss clear went down before the decals. The maroon color on the cowl was done with Vallejo Model Air red, with a drop of Glossy Sea Blue. The wear was done with Vallejo Metal Color dull aluminum applied by sponge, and with a tiny brush along the leading edges of the wings. I also used a silver artist pencil. Weathering was done with pastels and oils. To achieve a dulled, aged look, I first covered the whole thing with Mr Hobby aqueous semi gloss clear. I then lightly sprayed thinned Vallejo satin varnish at a 90 degree angle, directly above. Once that was satisfactory, I sprayed thinned Vallejo matte varnish on the top of the fuselage, on the high traffic areas on the wings, and by the ammo boxes and gun access doors. Thankfully, I had a good vintage photo to work from for the chipping and wing root wear. It didn't look like this bird had the "MARINES" callout under the port wing, nor could I see any markings on the upper starboard wing, so I left those off. I scratched out some details for the cockpit and canopy. I had a good Corsair cockpit photo that I failed to save and couldn't find again, so I took a little "artistic liberty" in regards to the cockpit and canopy detail colors. Exhaust staining was done with "engine soot" paint, light gull gray mixed with a sand color, black, and straight light gull gray. I tried replicating the vertical streaking sometimes seen in the exhaust staining by using thinner on a stiff fan brush. This was a first try, and I'm fairly pleased with the results, I think. It appeared the gun ports on the real thing were sealed with duct tape, so I used cut strips of duct tape on this one. I did leave the drop tank relatively clean. I'm by no means a rivet counter- the kit is a little dated, but the end result certainly looks like a Corsair to me! It's dark here now, and I was having difficulty taking decent pictures, much less any that really show the subtleties of the weathering and finish. The ones I could salvage follow. Feedback is always appreciated, and have a safe and happy New Year! I look forward to contributing and seeing everyone's builds in 2024- I've really enjoyed the forums this past year. 27 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armorrich Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 Beautiful bent winger. It looks fantastic!! Cheers...Rich 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fubar57 Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 It sure does, well done 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mycapt65 Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 The Corsair is my favorite aircraft. To me the -4 is the definitive version. IMO the Hasegawa kit still is the best looking -4. I'm in the middle of kit bashing one with Hasegawa -5 wings. Scribing the fuselage and back dating the wings has turned into an unpleasant slog. Thank you for reminding me how good the basic model can look. I think I might have to build one like it and back burner the kit bash. BTW I tried the Mission paints and had to give up on them. They were too delicate no matter what I tried. I tried about everything too because I mistakenly jumped in with both feet and bought 500 US dollars worth. I found someone who likes them and got 100 dollars back on them. Be well and Happy New Years 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian C. Posted January 1 Author Share Posted January 1 2 hours ago, Mycapt65 said: The Corsair is my favorite aircraft. To me the -4 is the definitive version. IMO the Hasegawa kit still is the best looking -4. I'm in the middle of kit bashing one with Hasegawa -5 wings. Scribing the fuselage and back dating the wings has turned into an unpleasant slog. Thank you for reminding me how good the basic model can look. I think I might have to build one like it and back burner the kit bash. BTW I tried the Mission paints and had to give up on them. They were too delicate no matter what I tried. I tried about everything too because I mistakenly jumped in with both feet and bought 500 US dollars worth. I found someone who likes them and got 100 dollars back on them. Be well and Happy New Years That kit bash sounds like a bit of work! I learned quickly that I couldn't handle the uncoated Mission paint without wearing gloves- even with freshly washed hands, touching the paint left a discolored mark, and it scratched very easily. I masked off the cowl before adding a clear coat, and the Tamiya tape shockingly didn't leave a single mark. I only have two Mission paints, and that will probably be it. Thanks for the kind words, and happy New Year. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vultures1 Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 Very smart Corsair and great work on the effective weathering - well done! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noelh Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 Like @Mycapt65the Corsair is my favourite aircraft with the -4 being the definitive version. You've done a great job on a well-known bird. I never saw the photo of it on it's nose. I hope the pilot ducked before it inverted. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wlad Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 Very nice Corsair. Well done. Wlad 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remus389 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Great looking model with a cool nose art! 😎👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valleyforge Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Ive built a few 1/72 and Iam moving into 1/48 now and this really does give some inspiration. Super build, love the cockpit detail. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberto Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Lovely Corsair! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian C. Posted January 3 Author Share Posted January 3 (edited) On 1/1/2024 at 2:47 PM, noelh said: Like @Mycapt65the Corsair is my favourite aircraft with the -4 being the definitive version. You've done a great job on a well-known bird. I never saw the photo of it on it's nose. I hope the pilot ducked before it inverted. Thank you! From what I understand, that picture was the end of WS18, it hit a barrier on the USS Sicily and flipped. The pilot was injured but survived. Information was gathered below- http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/84766 Edited January 3 by Brian C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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