Official FlightLine F4U-1A Corsair 1600mm (63") Wingspan

[nuts-n-volts]

I posted a ways back about using the engine and wheels from the FMS Tigercat. Now, I know it is not perfect match for a Corsair's engine. But, it's pretty close. Way better than flat cylinders! And I don't have a 3D printer. The engine will bolt right up to the foam firewall. Had to recess all the way around the sides just a bit to get it to clear completely. Quick job with a dremel was all. Also, had to trim about 3/8ths inch off the rear of the plastic cowl to clear the rockers. Cool thing was that I didn't need to mod anything else. Even the cowl mounting lugs fit perfectly! But, there was one problem that resulted in a bigger decision. Even though the engine fit great, the motor was rubbing on the inside of the fake engine. It was because of the extreme right offset. Now stay with me...

There were no prop fighters that had right thrust in the engine mounts. They typically had an offset in the vertical fin to account for thrust. Imagine getting a very long Merlin at a couple degrees right in a Spitty or Mustang! Some did have down thrust like the two mentioned. But, the big corsair was built straight on with the cowl and the aircraft's centerline. I figure if it was good enough for them, I can get her to fly too! Sure will look a whole lot better.

I decided to go straight! After measuring the holes in the offset mount, I found it took 4.5mm back to the right to get the rear of the motor where it needed to be. It also did not need a vertical movement as the mounting holes are slightly angled and the 4.5mm to the right would also give me just enough down movement to get the straight line I wanted and remove the slight down thrust. I made a new X-mount out of some scrap 6 layer ply. Luckily, the hole re-alignment was not quite enough to interfere with the mount bolts and the motor. I do have to assemble the new X-mount with the 2 right bolts already installed as their length precludes putting them in later. No biggie. The motor mount opening was just barely big enough to accept this mod without having to do any more. All in all, not too bad.

[davegee]

I wonder if it would help to remove the magnet and repaint, let it thoroughly dry then replace the magnet. Maybe reverse the magnet and metal so that the magnet is on the fuse and the metal piece is on the hatch. Just brainstorming....

Grossman56

Dan brings up a good point. Since the magnet on the hatch is just to help facilitate removal or access to what is underneath it, if you have a more powerful magnet to pull off the hatch with just a piece of non-magnetized metal on the underneath side of the hatch, might that solve the problem?

[Grossman56]

I wonder if it would help to remove the magnet and repaint, let it thoroughly dry then replace the magnet. Maybe reverse the magnet and metal so that the magnet is on the fuse and the metal piece is on the hatch. Just brainstorming....

Grossman56

[davegee]

Amazing! Good headwork on using the magnet on the inside and another one to pull the hatch off from the top. Very unexpected results with the magnet on the paint! But maybe hand painting that little square with a good brush that doesn't leave brushmarks, or very little of them, might be your solution.

Cheers

davegee

[Elbee]

The magnet is .25" cube. It magnetized the paint immediately when sprayed. I saw the pattern and cracked up.

[davegee]

HI Ya'all, so, I am airbrushing more Sea Blue (Ammo by Mig) and I get this strange artifact in the paint. It dawns on me that location is a magnet location for the battery hatch. Logic dictates there is ferrite in the Sea Blue paint. I grabbed a bigger magnet and held it next to my waste airbrush alcohol bottle and sure enough all the pigment in the bottom moved left-right-up-down. Remarkable to me, but paint gets its color from all types of places. Not sure how to fix the mark, will try hand brushing it in or Tamms said, hey just leave it. It is a good story. Best, :LB

That is a strange one, with that pattern and everything! Fortunately, it is very small on a particular panel that could be masked off and resprayed or hand painted so as to leave no trace, other than this photo. I had not come across this phenomenon before!

Good luck, whatever you do!

Davegee

[Elbee]

HI Ya'all, so, I am airbrushing more Sea Blue (Ammo by Mig) and I get this strange artifact in the paint. It dawns on me that location is a magnet location for the battery hatch. Logic dictates there is ferrite in the Sea Blue paint. I grabbed a bigger magnet and held it next to my waste airbrush alcohol bottle and sure enough all the pigment in the bottom moved left-right-up-down. Remarkable to me, but paint gets its color from all types of places. Not sure how to fix the mark, will try hand brushing it in or Tamms said, hey just leave it. It is a good story. Best, :LB

[davegee]

Dave,

1) The picture I posted shows the blues much lighter than actual. So, you might be correct, Sir.

2) I believe it was done to change the intensity and contrast of the white when the wings were folded up while the aircraft were stored on the deck of an aircraft carrier.
Lower visibility from the side angles and from the top downward.
Not that you can easily hide a carrier, but a reflection off the white to a recon aircraft or boat would be easier to see from further away, I am certain.
Reference photos I used for my F-18C are the same. The folded portion of the underwing is painted gray like the upper surfaces.

Best, Steve

You're right on the button! As you say, probably hard to hide an aircraft carrier, but I guess they figured at the time that when the wings are folded on the flight deck, that those areas would be less visible than had they been painted white. Of course, that beautiful color scheme (IMHO) didn't fare well in the extreme conditions of the South Pacific, so the entire aircraft were painted the sea blue later in the war. Don't know if that color on folded wings on the carrier was any better, or worse.

cheers

davegee

[Elbee]

Hi Elbee: just from looking at the picture, your colors "seem" to be about right. You know how deceiving a photo and light conditions can be, but I'm liking the colors you have on it. Carry On, my man!!👍

Question: to you and anyone else out there: Why did they paint the underneath of the outer wing panels the intermediate blue that you have as the lighter blue on your fuselage? I know the answer, maybe a lot of others do, too, not sure.

Cheers

davegee

Dave,

1) The picture I posted shows the blues much lighter than actual. So, you might be correct, Sir.

2) I believe it was done to change the intensity and contrast of the white when the wings were folded up while the aircraft were stored on the deck of an aircraft carrier.
Lower visibility from the side angles and from the top downward.
Not that you can easily hide a carrier, but a reflection off the white to a recon aircraft or boat would be easier to see from further away, I am certain.
Reference photos I used for my F-18C are the same. The folded portion of the underwing is painted gray like the upper surfaces.

Best, Steve

[davegee]

Hey all, I airbrushed first layer of Sea Blue. This poor girl hasn't been this blue since last October. (Insert Smilies) I will add a 2nd layer in a day or so after a light wet sanding. The color is certainly not a weathered blue to start. In my picture, the airframe looks to have fairly fresh paint, but it is definitely weathered some. I suppose when the checkers and squadron logo was added, it might have gotten a freshening, don't know. Best, LB

Hi Elbee: just from looking at the picture, your colors "seem" to be about right. You know how deceiving a photo and light conditions can be, but I'm liking the colors you have on it. Carry On, my man!!👍

Question: to you and anyone else out there: Why did they paint the underneath of the outer wing panels the intermediate blue that you have as the lighter blue on your fuselage? I know the answer, maybe a lot of others do, too, not sure.

Cheers

davegee

[Elbee]

Hey all, I airbrushed first layer of Sea Blue. This poor girl hasn't been this blue since last October. (Insert Smilies) I will add a 2nd layer in a day or so after a light wet sanding. The color is certainly not a weathered blue to start. In my picture, the airframe looks to have fairly fresh paint, but it is definitely weathered some. I suppose when the checkers and squadron logo was added, it might have gotten a freshening, don't know. Best, LB

[davegee]

Hugh Wiedman davegee Belching smoke and "Pop-Bang-kachuka-kachuka-whir" What great ideas. Best, LB

A good friend of mine's dad was a marine Corsair mechanic in the Solomons during WWII. The cartridge starter was standard operations for flying from those remote islands back then!

Yes, well said! "Pop-Bang-kachuka-kachuka-whir" is a good approximation! Plus, add copious amounts of black smoke, per Hugh!👍😁

[Elbee]

Hugh Wiedman davegee Belching smoke and "Pop-Bang-kachuka-kachuka-whir" What great ideas. Best, LB

[davegee]

Nice work, I'm expecting black smoke to pour out on startup!

I think he's working on a miniature Coffman Cartridge Starter to fire up that bad boy like they did in the Pacific in WWII!🤣🤣

[Hugh Wiedman]

Bent-Wing Brethren, busy week here, but did get the new exhaust stacks in place. Doing a bit-o-fill and touch up paint. Hope to get the Sea Blue started yet this weekend. More when there is more. Best, LB

Nice work, I'm expecting black smoke to pour out on startup!

[Elbee]

Bent-Wing Brethren, busy week here, but did get the new exhaust stacks in place. Doing a bit-o-fill and touch up paint. Hope to get the Sea Blue started yet this weekend. More when there is more. Best, LB

[Elbee]

I believe ya. I did similarly when I began this project, I then found the Mig Ammo ANA set. I had gotten pretty close, too. In any event you did well. Best, Steve

[EA-6B Geek]

E6. Thanks. Your Corsair is a beauty. I do have a question, which paints did you use and were those ANA (FS) matches? I know about different lighting and many times most photos are not completely color accurate, your tri-color looks good in your pictures. Best, LB

Honestly, I went to Home Depot and matched the model’s original dark blue, and picked out the medium color and the grey from a chart. Guess I got lucky!

[Elbee]

Elbee, enjoyed reading...]

E6. Thanks. Your Corsair is a beauty. I do have a question, which paints did you use and were those ANA (FS) matches? I know about different lighting and many times most photos are not completely color accurate, your tri-color looks good in your pictures. Best, LB

[EA-6B Geek]

Elbee, enjoyed reading your progress reports just now. What a beauty that plane will be. Flew mine this morning with a few other club member’s warbirds.