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

[Aros]

Yeah bring on Father's Day Weekend!! :Cool::Cool:

[Aros]

Yeah that is a great color shot of Pappy and company.

[Grossman56]

That IS a great shot!
They look like they maybe some kind of sandal, possibly picked up in China?

Grossman56

[downwindleg]

Probably something from Zappos..............no wait that's 70 + years later!!!!!!:Confused:Brad nevermind

[Aros]

As you can see by this post's time stamp I can't sleep so I am up thinking about this dang model and all the possibilities!

At first, I was thinking making her into a random Marine or even Navy livery but re-running through this thread, it's clear that this is Pappy's bird. Weathering is going to be substantial and also exponential as the months roll into years. At first, I plan on a fair amount of detailing with the weathering increasing over time, almost like the real thing. I love the idea of painting her silver first, then the actual blue top coats, and physically chipping away at the high weather stressed areas like the LE of the wing, canopy, tail, rivets, et al to reveal the "aluminum" underneath. Of course the easy way is to simply paint on the weathering but something about applying the silver first, then the top blue coats and chipping away seems much more thrilling and authentic.

Rivets is going to be a whole other segment and production all its own. There are several methods to employ for realistic rivets. The burnishing kind, the decal kind, the glue kind, on and on. I may end up using more than one method.

Airbrushing is going to be the real question mark, since I have yet to invest in an airbrush system, it seems foolish to use this beauty as my virgin canvas but at the same time, it may be a good thing since I would be hyper-focused to take my time and do a very good job. And it certainly is inspiration for me to finally pull the trigger (pun intended).

My Scale Wish/To Do List:

• Pappy Boyington 1/5 scale Best Pilot
• Servo-actuated turning head for Pappy (in sync with the ailerons)
• Highly detailed TYS Planes cockpit kit
• Servo-actuated canopy
• High end sound setup (Benedini?)
• Close-to-scale 3 blade propeller
• Detailed Frank Tiano dummy radial
• Functioning cowl flaps
• Detailed decals and nomenclature from Callie
• Added foot holds and other details
• Realistic detailing/weathering

I look forward to the adventure!

[Grossman56]

LAYERS!!!
Todd, the secret to a great paint job, layers!!!!
One thing to keep in mind is the tape used on the nose to seal the panels


Grossman56

[downwindleg]

Hey Aros, this is all music to my ears. Makes it that much easier to "pass the baton" or bent wing.LOL Glad your going with the "aluminum" undercoat.............much more realistic I think. At least you don't have to worry about that with the control surfaces and the outer wing panels. The picture Grossman 56 put up is awesome with great detail. For some reason, they used allot of color film, happily, in the Pacific Theater wheras it was almost entirely black and white in Europe. At that angle you can even see that "trim tab" on the elevator although it's not really a trim tab. I'm sure there's a proper name for it but I will call it a " helper tab" because it kind of eases the force neccessary on the stick to pull up or push down. In case anybody doesn't already know, that connector rod remains fixed so that as the elevator goes down, like in the picture, the tab goes up and vice versa when the elevator goes up there by "helping" with stick forces. Of coarse the counterbalances on the elevator and rudder help with that too. Sorry:Loser:I get a little wrapped up when talking about this engineering masterpiece. Brad

[Aros]

Haha, I love it Brad! You can't talk about this classic enough in my book. As much as I love the sexy lines of the Mustang and the unparalleled outline of the Lightning (both warbirds at the top of my list), the Corsair always held a special place in my heart. The majestic bent wing, the towering prop, the "peacock" flaring on final approach with all her flaps (is there a sweeter-looking warbird on final?)...I could go on and on.

GREAT photo Grossman! That's about as close as I can find for the colors and tone I want to use.

[Grossman56]

Thanks, I just googled F4U Corsair Pocs and you can find all sorts of great examples.

Grossman56

[Aros]

I am really pleased with the amount of quality colorized photos. As a graphic designer, I know the work that goes into accurate color correction/management. That photo TI added is extraordinary from a color management perspective. It absolutely looks like a photo taken yesterday.

[Aros]

Note in that photo Grossman that the 3 layer livery has very little contrast. Now of course it can be argued that it is due to weather conditions in the South Pacific, eroding the paint in quick fashion, but that is what I like. Most R/C models of the Corsair are painted to resemble "straight out of the factory" sheen and contrast. I don't like that. Especially the Corsair. That's why I am going to have so much fun repainting, detailing and weathering this girl.

[Grossman56]

The keyword there is 'fun'
I really enjoy aging my planes when appropriate. So far, the P-51B, the P-40B and the Spitfire Xviii have all been 'aged'

Grossman56

[Aros]

Indeed! Cheers!

[downwindleg]

Hey Aros, if your having trouble sleeping, try counting Blacksheep as they're turning on to the runway from the taxi stripLOLBTW we just had ,finally, our opening day this past Saturday of my field..............about a month and a half later than usual. One of the guys did some video of the field and surrounding area following a Dehaviland Beaver around with a new drone and as soon as they send it to me, I will post it. It was my birthday to cap it off. Brad

[Aros]

Happy Birthday Brad!! :Party:

[Dewey H Lee]

Happy Birthday as well Brad.:Party::Cake::Balloon::Drinks:

[Shirty]

Happy birthday mate :Party:

[downwindleg]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate that...... coming from my fellow "wingnuts" ........#68 and counting.:Cool:Brad BTW Aros, I was thinking about your wish/to do list. You might want to consider using dry transfer graphics like Pro Mark for instance. Don't get me wrong, I love Callie and will always use her wonderful graphics on our "foamies" but for a composite plane like the U-bird with the kind of detail and weathering you are anticipating, you won't get the "shine" of vinyl graphics.....much more scale.

[F106DeltaDart]

I will be watching this thread closely for sure! I have a hangar 9 20CC Corsair waiting to be finished and will be on the lookout for further mod ideas. This is certainly going to be a great looking model when finished!

[Aros]

Very good point Brad! Although I will feel like I am cheating on Callie, lol, you're absolutely right. Dry transfer is the way to go for this model.