FAA Corsair II JT-410 HMS Victorious, 1945 - finished

[trickyrich]

ok as mentioned the design studio already has another build underway....I get bored if I'm not building something!!!

I have already started this build so a quickish update.

The base model will be the Tamiya's F-4U1A Corsair, I'll be using EagleCal decals for the scheme. This build will go nicely with an Avenger II I built for an earlier FAA GB.



there will be lots of extras thrown in....most due to a big Margarita night....don't ask!!!






I have done quite a bit of prep work on various parts...



The undercarriage has been built up and modified for the PE bits, it does look a lot better!



i had before and after photos, but the card in my camera crapped out!!

The seat frame was replaced, new brackets for the foot rests, mould marks in the main wheel wells removed along with new PE bits fitted.



The wing tips have been clipped, I still need to remove a wee bit more to get the scale right (need to remove 4.3mm for 1/48th), but first I need to fit new clear tip lights. The lights actually need to be moved in about 1.5mm further into the wing!



The new resin cowling may seem a bit of over kill but it is surprising just how much there is to be seen! The mod kit has a new front and cowling flaps along with the brackets.




The first scary job was to cut up a perfectly good cowling! The front section was removed at the panel line.



Now because I loss a bit of plastic in this process I needed to add a “shim” to keep the length and profile right. It looks a bit rough but it needs to be slimmed down a bit, as it is it gives me plenty of meat to work with.



I think it’s going to look amazing when done, the engine is being replaced with a resin one.



I now have more seats than I know what to do with, I like the MDC one as it looks right, so will use that.



I needed to remove part of its resin frame to fit. It’s just resting there at the moment but it should look great once in and painted.



The MDC mod kit has the correct sidewalls for the FAA aircraft (they have the correct FAA radio gear) so the kit ones needed to be ground off. Plus the detail on them is really nice. I’m not using a AM cockpit just the MDC bits and Eduard PE.




Plus the inner wings are now together as well, so they need to be cleaned up as well

Well I’m now at the painting stage, so I have a big painting day planned for tomorrow. I need to wish all the resin bits (and plastic) then as usual undercoat of steel Metalizer paint before the colour coats. For these I will be going with Interior Green for the cockpit and YZC for everything else.

[FAAMAN]

Watching this one very carefully :) :) :)

[Old Wombat]

If it turns out half as good as the Avenger it should be awesome!

[trickyrich]

Hopefully I can entertain with this build....

Well it does seem like ages since I updated this build, I haven’t forgotten about it. I have been doing quite a bit since the last update but for some reason can’t really get into this build. It’s a cool aircraft and I haven’t built one before but as i mentioned I just don’t seem to have the motivation like with the Thunderbolt, right up to the very start of this build, which is for a GB, I was tossing up whether or not to build one of theses……anyway this will be a big update to catch up on where I'm up to.

The cowling as mentioned in the previously update was cut up for the new resin bits, new internal bits were added to the cowling ring and cowling flaps along with control wire (??). There’s quite a bit of difference with the original and luckily most of it will be seen.




A wee bit of paint and the start of some painted detailing and they don’t look too bad.



The undercarriage has been painted and weathering/detailing has started.



The mod specific to the Mk. II have been completed, the wing tips have been clipped and tip lights added.



Plus there are a couple of tiny air intakes added to either side of the fuselage, a third need to be mounted at the bottom of the fuselage, there is also a identification light that needed to be added to the upper port side wing near the tip. It’s just sitting there at the moment but will be glued in place once painting is complete.



The interior has been painted and weathering and detailing started, since these photo’s were taken I have done quite a bit more and it's almost together. It doesn’t look too bad but I may leave the canopy closed for this build.




The wings are altogether and wheel wells painted, just some detailing to do there.



The prop is pretty well done as well, just some decals to do.



I gave up doing anything more to the cockpit, looks quite nice as it is, so closed up the fuselage. Once that was dry enough the wings then went on. The wing/fuselage join is not 100% perfect like the Thunderbolt like at least it didn’t require any filler!




The rest of the AM bits arrived during this time, the new Quickboost U/C covers which I thought maybe an overkill, are actually really nicely detailed. Much better that the original ones and quite a bit thinner!



The engine was the other new AM part, a Quickboost item, even out of the packet it looks much better!

http://i1356.photobucket.com/albums/q722/trickyrich62/Vought%20Corsair%20F4U%20STGB/DSCF3083_zpsx9z5yada.jpg

First off the resin plug and backing/mounting plate was removed, the engine sits further forward than the kit one. Plus I had to add pushrods and glue on the extra bits.



Next a nice coat of Aluminium..gee nice and shiny!!



Have also added spark plug wiring…looks a bit naff, but all together it look ok. I still have to finish painting and detailing but that should be nice and quick.

The end result should look rather nice, way better than the original!




Again one of the details that is very vague with the FAA Corsairs is the additional fresh air and exhaust scoops. As seen in the last update I have added the fresh air intakes to the fuselage. Next was the exhaust outlet, I though at first it was a small outlet. But thanks to a build by another member it turns out this is quite a bit bigger scoop/outlet. None of the photos show this detail very well at all, but after seeing this scoop and relooking at the photos it makes sense. So some quick work with some brass and we have a new exhaust outlet, actually think it looks pretty good. A wee bit of artistic license was required, as I could not find a photo of it….  It has been filled and cleaned up since the photo.



Well the rest of the model has been cleaned up, all the panel lines have been re-done as required, plus the wing tank fillers caps have been moved. There well wells may change colour as well, either Sky (ANA620) or Interior Green or stay the same! Details of the exact colour they should be are a bit of the scarce side!!! Depending of the the local Rivet Counters say may change things!!!

I hope to have the initial aluminium base coat done before I head back to work. With luck I’ll have her done by end of next break which will be nice……as I sooo need to get back to a build that inspires me!!

[Tophe]

Impressive détails... :) :)

[Kelmola]

What's the opening in the fuselage at the trailing edge of the wing piece? Did the Corsair have the "bottom window" for carrier landings too (there is Interior Green paint instead of Zinc Chromate at the inner side which implies it opens directly to the cockpit)? That isn't very apparent from photos at least (no surprises considering the gullwing hides it pretty well from the usual angles).

[trickyrich]

What's the opening in the fuselage at the trailing edge of the wing piece? Did the Corsair have the "bottom window" for carrier landings too (there is Interior Green paint instead of Zinc Chromate at the inner side which implies it opens directly to the cockpit)? That isn't very apparent from photos at least (no surprises considering the gullwing hides it pretty well from the usual angles).

Yeap it was a window below where the pilots feet were, it was deleted on late production -1A's. It was there originally for bomb aiming purposes, Brewster Buffaloes and early Wildcats from memory had them as well. In the Corsairs that had them fitted they were later either left as is or blacked out.

I didn't know they were every there as well at first either, there are very few photos showing these window.

[FAAMAN]

Nice work, certainly coming along :)

[DFZ]

Very nice work going on here! :)

Zen
 

[trickyrich]

well back to the grindstone with this beasty!

Have quite a few new distractions very near the bench and I’m trying to fight the urge to play with them…



I’m only showing this one as it is pure resin porn!!!!  I’m trying desperately not to start this one and save it for the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations (WWII) GB….but it’s sooooo hard!!!! Would show more photos of the model....but I may have an accident!! 

Anyway, have been quite busy with these past few days, have finished the engine even though some of these photos were taken a bit earlier today. The plug leads are pretty crap and way too short, but when all together you really don’t notice, so will leave as is!! (the Eduard set will not fit on the Quick Boost engine!)



Still had a bit of painting to do....




All together it looks quite nice, I do really like the Vector cowling bits!

The wheel hubs and done, they’re a sort of whitish Lt. Grey, no reference literature or photo’s on what they should have been so a bit of artistic license and common sense used!



The new resin wheel & PE covers have their undercoat, as mentioned I wasn’t that convinced that the resin ones were worth, but with some paint on they look so much better than the kit ones and much more realistic in thickness!




I’ll be building this one with the canopy closed as the dust bunnies have enough homes! I forgot to buy the Eduard masks so have had to do my own…I hate this job!





So first up on the painting is a nice coat of Non-Buffing Aluminium. She does look really nice just like this!!





Next up a coat of YZC on the areas I’m going to wear. I’m trying something new again with this build. For areas that have more abrasive wear on the paint I will paint YZC, I will then “chip” this off. Once done I’ll give the whole thing a coat of “chipping solution”, before the main coats. What I’m aiming for based on all the photo’s I have is a finish where the areas subjected to airflow wear you’ll be able to see Aluminium and YZC where it has worn off, but in other areas where the paint has chipped off due to normal wear-n-tear you’ll see plain aluminium. Hopefully it’ll make sense when done!



With luck all the major painting will be done tomorrow, I’ll be using LifeColor paints so it should be a very quick process….I hope!

[FAAMAN]

Weren't the interiors of Corsairs,(apart from the cockpit which was green zinc chromate) that very odd salmon pink/grey colour?

[trickyrich]

Weren't the interiors of Corsairs,(apart from the cockpit which was green zinc chromate) that very odd salmon pink/grey colour?

The early -1's models were and from what I can gather some of the very early -1A models were too. Sometime during the early run of the -1A's Vought changed to YZC and Int. Green cockpits.

Though I have also read that for a time the very front section of the main gear wells were often left in the Salmon colour!

Around late 44 YZC was dropped and everything was painted Int. Green.

[FAAMAN]

Thanks for the info mate :) :)
The reason I asked is somewhere in my reference pile I have a colour pic of an RN Corsair on deck on it's back in the crash barrier and it's wheel wells were salmon, it was even commented on in the pics' descriptive text.
Just can't find the bl*#&y mag/book  at present.
BTW amazing build coming along beautifully!! :)

[Old Wombat]

Loving the build, mate, but "Corsair II"??

Corsair: Yes!


Corsair II: No!


I love the Corsair but the SLUF it ain't!

[GTX_Admin]

What's the opening in the fuselage at the trailing edge of the wing piece? Did the Corsair have the "bottom window" for carrier landings too (there is Interior Green paint instead of Zinc Chromate at the inner side which implies it opens directly to the cockpit)? That isn't very apparent from photos at least (no surprises considering the gullwing hides it pretty well from the usual angles).

Yeap it was a window below where the pilots feet were, it was deleted on late production -1A's. It was there originally for bomb aiming purposes, Brewster Buffaloes and early Wildcats from memory had them as well. In the Corsairs that had them fitted they were later either left as is or blacked out.

I didn't know they were every there as well at first either, there are very few photos showing these window.

Whilst perhaps not the best of examples (given they show crashed Corsairs), the following show the window:

[apophenia]

Corsair II: No!

   Corsair Mk.II ... FAAese for F4UA-1

[trickyrich]

Loving the build, mate, but "Corsair II"??

Corsair: Yes!


Corsair II: No!


I love the Corsair but the SLUF it ain't!

whilst Corsair Mk.II is the more correct way of designating the FAA Corsairs, just having Corsair II was/is equally acceptable as long as it is proceeded by the FAA or F4U-1A bit.

Those are unfortunate bit great photos of the underside windows and additional detail you don't get to normally see!

The top photo judging by the markings and colour scheme would be an F4U-1, the main wheel wells would be that aweful "Salmon" colour, interestingly the inside of the gear doors is white!

The lower RNZAF one has the well wells the same colour as the undersurface. I wonder if she was the bird that was rebuilt with the tail from another aircraft? Looked like something out of Frankensteins lab but a very interesting subject...would have liked to have built her.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234997068-the-two-in-one-kiwi-corsair-tamiya-148/

[trickyrich]

oppps I just realised I have forgotten to up date this...and are she's actually finished!

ok very quickly what went on and then some nice photos.

I planned to use a chipping fluid to help give her the worn look I was after, but the stuff wouldn't airbrush on and the finish when brushed on was pretty poor (even though I know I'd wear most of it off) so I went and used the "salt" method…bad idea!!

So with the salt on the main colours were applied.



The original reference pattern was wrong so parts required to be redone…….already you can see the issues I was to have with the salt!

Markings were painted on and the salt removed, the finish is what I was sort of after, I still had further touch-up work to do at this stage. She didn’t look to bad for the moment!




The last thing I did before heading back to work was to give her a clear gloss coat.

On returning to this after a week this was how she looked!!




Wherever the salt was underneath it made the surface turn white, even rubbing back did not help. At this stage it was either total strip back or the bin, but after some though and a couple of experiments I decided to continue on.

The magic fix was Tamiya’s Flat Clear Lacquer out of a rattle can! Whatever the original reaction was it only affected the acrylic paints I was using, the clear lacquer seemed to seal it?



So with that sorted just the small final details and she was done. An d now….well the more I look at her the happier I am with how she tuned out in the end…..paint issues aside.

Please enjoy.

[GTX_Admin]

 :)

[FAAMAN]

Excellent, just excellent!! :) :) Congrats on a fine job  :)

[Weaver]

That's one great-looking model: well done!  :)

[ysi_maniac]

Five stars :) :) :) :) :)

btw: I love Avenger too!  :)

[Old Wombat]

Sweet!

[DFZ]

Very good work! :)