downwindleg/Aros ESM 50cc F4U Corsair Build (Electric Conversion)

[downwindleg]

I like that version of the tri color scheme, much more scale. The Marines Dream scheme is fairly accurate in that it matches the real plane but, as often is the case, the paint job on that restoration isn't necessarily accurate. Having worked on "scale" colors before, I also know that a paint scheme can sometimes be based on a faded example as opposed to factory fresh. In scale competitions, you have to "prove" through photographs or other documentation that the colors on your entry are accurate. We don't have to worry about that of course, but it's still enjoyable to be accurate. :corsairBrad

[Aros]

Yeah there's a great deal of excitement to try to match the colors to the original as closely as possible, especially for giant scale. Of course the more effort, time and money (and passion) you put into the model, the more tragic and heartbroken you are if and when her "time comes".

:Scared::Crying:

But if that keeps us from detailing then maybe we're in the wrong hobby, ya know? LOL

I've never truly detailed anything beyond basic cosmetic improvements. Certainly nothing that would be worthy of static contests. Hell, I still have yet to invest in an airbrush system! (I know, for shame!) But this bird deserves a solid detailing effort so I will step up to the challenge and look forward to taking my time adding realistic details and weathering over the next few years!

Brad has already seen this but for the rest of you reading the thread, check this out. Now THIS is top-shelf detailing (the model is the ESM 50cc Corsair), and I love the back story!

http://bestpilots.typepad.com/my_web...-gianakos.html

[Grossman56]

Just some trivia about Pappy Boyington and his plane. The marines were not assigned a particular plane as they did in the Air Corps, they just got whatever was available. The shots of Lulubelle/Martha were more for publicity shots. He never did fly Lulubelle in combat if I remember right and he actually preferred the old 'bird cage' style Corsairs.
I'm using Frank Walton's books as reference, he ought to know, he was there.

Grossman56

[downwindleg]

Here's some trivia about Pappy Boyington that as a Pacific Northwesterner I appreciate. Prior to joining the AVG to fight for General Claire Chenault, he was on the wrestling team at the University of Washington. Because, among other muscle groups, when your training for wrestling, you really build up those neck muscles. In combat, he developed a technique of tightening up those neck muscles in a high G turn against an enemy. When the other pilot would temporarily "grey out" from the G forces, Pappy would shoot him down because he was able to retain the blood in his brain from the tightened neck muscles. Kind of like an "internal G suit".Of course he was still known as Greg Boyington at that time. The Blacksheep gave him that nickname because he was so much(10 years) older than them. They actually had a Welcome Home celebration for him September 17,1945 in downtown Seattle after his release from a Japanese prison camp. 5,000 people attended. BTW Grossman56, I also have a copy of Once They Were Eagles among many others on the subject of Pappy and Corsairs in general. It's almost as if it were my favorite plane or something.LOL Great book!!

[Grossman56]

Actually got to meet him just before he passed, I had Baa Baa Black Sheep and bought Tonya and got him to autograph them. Too cool!

Pappy in the middle. This was at Boeing field in Seattle, one of my best memories was there was a guy in an authentic WWII marine corp aviator outfit. He had everything, Pappy asked if he had the right skivvies, gotta love it!!


Grossman56

[downwindleg]

Yeah, I saw Pappy at Reno back in the 80's but never got to shake hands with the man, let alone an autograph on his book. I was too busy being awestruck!! Also met the Japanese pilot who shot him down. He was selling a book at Reno called Bye Bye Blacksheep. People didn't know quite how to take that but he showed me newspaper pictures of he and Pappy shaking hands and said they had mutual respect for each other as fellow warriors. Brad

[TiredIronGRB]

I rebuilt a LX Corsair and did it up as Lucybelle...

[downwindleg]

Thought seriously about getting the LX a couple years ago but it was just too damn small!! I was hoping they would come up with a sister bird for the 2 meter LX P-40. Have I mentioned a 2 meter Corsair before? Wrong thread I guess. This is where the big dogs hang out............YEAH!!!!!!! Brad

[Grossman56]

That's right, it's Lucybelle, not Lulubelle, I stand corrected

Grossman56

[bill34207]

If it will give you some ambition, one of the guys in our club did a Top-Flite GS ARF with. Rimfire 50 cc electric 200 amp ESC and running 12s 50000's He's still getting the feel for it but flight times are decent He says he's flying at half throttle and hasn't had it to full throttle yet.Seems to handle pretty well for a 26 pound model.

https://youtu.be/14q08qywrv8

[Aros]

Nice job TI! Looks sweet.

Thanks for the link Bill, he had a nice flight and landing. Hearing the electric motor makes me think I don't want to add additional weight for a heavier wing load but a Benedini sounds system would sure sound sweet in this girl!

I read The Life of Pappy Boyington a few years ago. Wow, what a story. An imperfectly perfect warrior and true Ace. Even flying a Corsair drunk at times! I wouldn't chance that with this model let alone strapping into the real thing! I would probably make it about 50 feet down the runway before ground looping!

I know about how often he flew whatever was available, that's why I am not going to be too strict on precision details as far as exact color matching. An approximation will be enough for me, but I still look forward to the detail/weathering work once she's had a few successful sorties under her belt.

[Grossman56]

We all could probably swap Boyington stories for a couple of hundred pages, but the one that made me shake my head was when he was describing going on long flights. He reasoned that he was surrounded by younger pilots with much better eyesight than his, so he rigged up his Corsair with elastic bands to hold the stick in place and would sit back and fall asleep!!! He had one ear listening to the sound of the motor and could tell if the planes started to gain or lose altitude. He would reach out and tap to stick to regain level flight while sleeping !!
Now Pappy was never above embellishing a story, but makes you wonder doesn't it!!

Grossman56

[Aros]

No kidding! Man, oh man! What a character he was.

[downwindleg]

Definitely a character, ya know that one of the reasons that Frank Walton wrote "Once They Were Eagles" was to counter all the bad feelings among the surviving Blacksheep about Pappy being the technical adviser for the tv series Baa Baa Blacksheep in which he allowed or caused the Blacksheep pilots to be characterized as screwups and misfits. And that they spent most of their time being drunk and running around with nurses. That might have been true of Pappy ,at least the drunkeness, but not the rest. All totally untrue. I heard this verified by the surviving Blacksheep in person at the Museum of Flight in 2002. They all said that the combat footage in the show was mostly accurate but the rest was "bull"! There weren't any nurses even there to run around with. And yes, I read the same account about sleeping 'til he needed to be awake and using up allot of oxygen to offset the hangover. Yet, he still was a five time ace.............go figure. Brad

[downwindleg]

Just had to follow up on my previous comments. Some of our greatest statesmen, patriots, and war heroes were very flawed individuals and in a way, that just made their accomplishments all the more amazing. Brad

[Aros]

Same is true about artists, writers and musicians. Some of the most gifted are and were tortured Souls addicted to drugs/alcohol.

[Aros]

I think this is the color choice I am going to go with. It's darker than the original VMF - 214 but it will get a bit lighter with all the weathering I plan for her.

















































































































































http://www.blitz72.com/2012/06/baa-b...orsair-braill/


Here's what appears to be an accurately colored photo of a F4U-1A from VMF - 214 circa 1943. A hardcore scale guy might be all over this, I just prefer a less contrast livery. (Note the lighter tail, nose and fuse aft of the cockpit).

[downwindleg]

Nice weathering job on the model. The VMF-214 shot really denotes how fast the colors fade in that hot south pacific sun. Notice how much right rudder the pilot has to hold against the torque of that R 2800 ? They had to hold a bunch until they were in the air and climbing out. I also noticed the" marsdon matting" on the taxi ramp. Very cool shot.:Cool: How many days 'til fathers day weekend ?Brad

[TiredIronGRB]

Later in the war they were solid blue, probably painted with a mop.

[downwindleg]

Awesome color shot of the Blacksheep Squadron. Those are some interesting shoes that Pappy has on. Don't exactly look like standard issue but then it's Pappy right? Brad