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

[Ole-Timer]

The adventure begins :Cool: !

:corsair

Scale Poo Poo alert!

That rear frame didn’t really exist as painted, just in case you care... :Scared:
Looks to be a doubled piece of plexi that was unpainted.

[brk6188]

Now you detail guys surely have to eliminate that clear tape, hatch pull tag ? I don't know what that large molded circle represents, in front of the windshield -- some sort of hatch ? I added a Red button, within that circle, that has a shaft that goes thru a piece of alum tubing in the hatch and has another button on the bottom -- pull up to release hatch, no need to spring load it. It represents a refueling cap to me but am sure it isn't scale ! You guys could do a scale device I am sure.

[Ole-Timer]

Yup...
That’s the main fuel tank access cover and the filler cap was located as indicated in red.
Many Corsair squadrons used the white tape forward of the cockpit to keep fuel from leaking over the windscreen.
From what I see in photo’s, VMF-213 mechanics figured out how to properly seal their filler necks and eliminated the leak issues, and so quit using the tape. They were also careful to not over fill the main tank and cause the crazy fuel spill stains seen on some other squadrons birds!
I was originally going to apply the fuel tank tape to this model but realized through squadron pictures and actual pics of Gus’s Gopher that it wasn’t being used anymore.
Way to go VMF-213 mechanics! :Cool:

[theoldALFER]

OT,

You are correct about the “scale poo poo” alert. For years modelers were painting “braces” to look like metal when in fact it was actually doubled up plexiglass.
That being say, I’m going to go with the:
a) Most people don’t know....
b) This is foam SemiScale
c) Hey, FlightLine painted it first!
c) If I get this anal about this, the landing light has gotta go...
d) Yes, the wing step is going to be filled in.
e)All of the above

But Keep up your comments because this bird deserves to be done up RIGHT! :Cool:

Thanks for your input.

TOA

[Austang]

Wow! - RC Castle!? You must not be in US. Those guys charge an additional $125 to ship to US. Motion RC landed my Bubbletop at my door for $399. Regardless, the quality of this bird is well worth the money! You'll love it! Good flying.

Nope, not in the US, I would have got it from MRC if I was, but postage from US to AUS was much higher last time I checked. :(

[Ole-Timer]

One other tidbit for cowling sake.

For anyone who wants to add cowl flaps. The hydraulic actuators that opened and closed the cowl flaps on real Corsairs leaked oil and that also ended up streaking back the fuselage and spattering the windscreen.
To at least eliminate the windscreen from getting smeared up, the top cowl flaps routinely had the actuators disconnected and the flap wired closed. This was such an issue, later model Corsairs had the upper most cowl flaps eliminated.

[Ole-Timer]

OT,

You are correct about the “scale poo poo” alert. For years modelers were painting “braces” to look like metal when in fact it was actually doubled up plexiglass.
That being say, I’m going to go with the:
a) Most people don’t know....
b) This is foam SemiScale
c) Hey, FlightLine painted it first!
c) If I get this anal about this, the landing light has gotta go...
d) Yes, the wing step is going to be filled in.
e)All of the above

But Keep up your comments because this bird deserves to be done up RIGHT! :Cool:

Thanks for your input.

TOA

Alf,
I’m pretty sure on Melmac there are no landing lights in the leading edge!
They’re all equipped with Grimes lights there ...LOL

Wish we did have some wee ones ;)
Crazy as it may sound, I’ve considered fabricating one...

I did make a pitot tube out of aluminum.

[theoldALFER]

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I like it!
”Material list” for said pitot tune ???
Mucho grass-e-arce. :Silly:

[theoldALFER]

OT,
Say, the little red circular “items” on the wing in the National Insignia - fuel filler caps?:Confused:

[Ken Smith]

I filled in the step and I painted the rear window because it looked out of place. Didn’t know that on the full scale it didn’t exist.
See even a blind squirrel can find a tree sometime.

Ken

[Ken Smith]

OT,
Say, the little red circular “items” on the wing in the National Insignia - fuel filler caps?:Confused:

This model had leading edge fuel tanks, as to where the caps were not sure haven’t seen them marked in any photos. See number 9 on right wing I think it says 52 gallons. Just noticed this isn’t a Birdcage, I will look some more

[RichJ53]

This model had leading edge fuel tanks, as to where the caps were not sure haven’t seen them marked in any photos. See number 9 on right wing I think it says 62 gallons. Just noticed this isn’t a Birdcage, I will look some more

2 X 62 gallon wing tanks on page #8

Lots of good information in this model manual
Rich

[Ole-Timer]

I like it!
”Material list” for said pitot tune ???
Mucho grass-e-arce. :Silly:

Alf, I used a piece of 3mm aluminum tube 100mm long and added an old nose from a sidewinder missile sanded to fit.
Lots of old parts in a box here from decades of plastic model building. Always helps scratch building stuff. Here is a picture of an actual Corsair pitot tube to help in shaping the fin.

The outboard wings indeed had fuel tanks and those are just small screws with built in washers I used to simulate caps.

[theoldALFER]

:Cool: Many thanks, OT.
You keep moving the bar & I keep chasing it. :Cool:

Gotta love this hobby and the folks in it. :Goodbye:

Also have to thank Motion RC for bringing this superb model to the market place. P-39 PLEASE!!!

[Grover54]

OT! - What an artist! I know this was discussed earlier but how did you soften the edges of the paint lines between the colors?

[Ole-Timer]

I really appreciate that. Thank you!

Having only one view of the actual aircraft I wanted to model, I studied many Corsair pictures and in particular paid close attention to the same squadron VMF-213. It’s common for squadron aircraft to share attributes due to having similar maintenance and mission use.

Before going into the paint shop I premixed four different shades of intermediate blue. One only slightly lighter than the original color, one with quite a bit of tint to lighten it for cloth surfaces and things like the top of the fuselage. Two more blues were shades in between these two. I began by masking the cloth areas off and sprayed those with the lightest blue. Removed the masking, Then I backed off and began to lighten other areas with the same like the top of the fuse, wing, n tail edges. Things I saw in photos and using a blended light effect. Once I was happy with that, I further worked it over with the two in between colors, always keeping some distance to create blends. Finally I used a couple light greys to add some odd color here n there.

The sea sponge to the inboard wing worked to kinda duplicate boot marks but sanding that lightly with worn out 240 paper just took all the harshness away and blended that as well.

I have used an old dry brush technique to simulate oil leaks from cowl flap actuators. Regular #2 pencil and brown colored pencil mixed. I get a pile of these two frowned down on a piece of sandpaper then apply it with a 1/2 inch brush.

Since VMF-213’s birds didn’t have fuel spilled all over them, there was no need to run thinner over the paint to duplicate that.

I have had years of practice air brushing models freehanding camo paint and I’m used to backing off to blend color. I shoot nothing but Model Master enamels and thin with mineral spirits. The other thing that helps blend is thinning the paint out so it can be shot lightly over wide areas to soften the look.



This is such a nice model that FlightLine has provided us with, my hat is certainly off to them and everyone on these boards for your ideas and input .
I’m swapping out my pitot tube end from plastic over to brass... ;)

[Ken Smith]

Some good ideas there Ole-Timer, thanks for sharing

Ken

[Aros]

Great stuff there OT, like Ken said, thank you for sharing. For me, I am a huge fan of subtlety when it comes to weathering. Masterful job in that light.

[MrSmoothie]

I filled in the step and I painted the rear window because it looked out of place. Didn’t know that on the full scale it didn’t exist.
See even a blind squirrel can find a tree sometime.

Scale notes, for anybody interested:

The rear window did indeed exist (at first), but did not have a metal frame (the painted vertical frame furthest aft as produced by FL). That was just clear plexiglass of the sliding portion overlapping the fixed plexi of the rear-view (half oval) plexi. I removed the paint from my canopy right before I repainted the frames 50% wider to a scale width -- WAY too skinny as produced by FL.

Vought redesigned the turtledeck beginning with F4U-1 BuNo 17532 (according to Dana Bell's birdcage book) -- this eliminated the rear view half-oval clear panels and added solid (painted) areas to the aft portion of the sliding canopy. One big reason for the the change was the addition of a stronger turnover structure in the turtledeck right behind the headrest. This is described and shown on pages 23-28 of Bell's book.

It's surprising how many of the color profiles for the Corsair include the BuNo (serial), which would tell you if the particular example you are modeling had the windows or not. From what I have read, these windows were of very little practical use (especially compared with a beefy turnover structure which could save the pilot's life).

[Cws]

:Cool: Many thanks, OT.
You keep moving the bar & I keep chasing it. :Cool:

Gotta love this hobby and the folks in it. :Goodbye:

Also have to thank Motion RC for bringing this superb model to the market place. P-39 PLEASE!!!

I will second the motion for a large P 39, Please