I've built two Tamiya 1:32 Birdcage Corsair.  I can highly recommend thIs particular kit.  On that note, I've recently built a F4U-1A 1:32 Revell Baa Baa Blacksheep Corsair.  The Revell kit is no way near the Tamiya and or Trumpeter kit, I purchased the Revell for nostalgic reasons.

Toshi

Thanks Toshi,

I was at a local model shop today and ran across a Trumpeter F4u-1D and scooped it up. I don't know how this kit compares to the more expensive Trumpy F4u, but given the price it seemed a great kit to learn on (albeit, still bloody expensive). I've also decided to pull the trigger on the Birdcage kit, but will hold off on it until more skill seeps into my fingertips. One humiliating build at a time!

Go here:

https://www.scalemates.com/search-solr.php?fkSECTION%5B%5D=All&q=1%3A32+F4U+Corsair

Some may have reviews listed, others don't. Good luck.

@BlackSheepTwoOneFour

OMG!! TY!

Toshi,i built the 21st Century Toys 1/32 Corsair kit and while not as good as a Tamiya kit it beat the old Revell kit and only cost 10 bucks!   

Good grief! $ 185 for a little Whistlin' Death????

Buy the Revell kit. It is a classic, nostalgia aside. No major faults and a great way to get into scratch building details.

Here's my opinion, and I'd hope Mike Thompson could chime in wherever he is.

Pay someone $ 185 to do all the work for you.

Or pay $ 25 or so and use the rest to buy some books, watch some TV reruns, and have at it.

1/32 is a great scale, the Corsair is a great aircraft, pay her some respect.

I'm not sure what country you are in,but DO NOT pay those prices for those kits.I just did an eBay search,they can be had for much cheaper,also many of the online retailers have it cheaper

Sealmodel.com for example

I would NEVER pay anywhere close to those prices for a 1/32 kit of the Whistling Death - let alone any model kit no matter the scale. LOL!

Yeah as the guys said here, if you're set on the Tamiya kit HobbyLink Japan has both of them for half that much:

Tamiya F4U-1A

Tamiya F4U-1 Birdcage

And Lucky Model has the Trumpeter kit for forty bucks US... 

Trumpeter F4U-4 

They may take a little longer to get to you but I'd consider the saving to be worth it. 

I jumped on Amazon and immmediately cancelled my order for the Birdcage. If the cancellation works out I'll reorder it on SealModel. The price diff is enough to afford me a decent book about this warbird or the Revell kit if I can find the one mentioned here. Truthfully, the quagmire of choices is making my head spin. I didn't realize so many kits have been offered over the years. My fault I suppose. It's a reckoning for being out of the hobby for so long.

BTW, I live in the Inland Empire of SoCal and do my best to help out the local shops—within reason of course—but these prices seemed exhorbant to me. It's what prompted me to tap y'all for some guidance, so I'm grateful for everyone's advice and entertaining responses. Especially about the prices :)

Anyway, I already purchased the older Trumpy 1D at a local hobby store, with the intention of getting the Birdcage one way or the other. This way I can display the F4u in both folded and extended configs. 

Heh... Amazon. Never order any model kit from Amazon.com. You can find the same kits far cheaper elsewhere. I never can understand why anyone want to order from them. They charge way too much for model kits.

Have you tried asking your LHS owner if he can order one for you? A lot of times they will if you tell them you want to support the local hobby store.

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Heh... Amazon. Never order any model kit from Amazon.com. You can find the same kits far cheaper elsewhere....

Have you tried asking your LHS owner if he can order one for you? A lot of times they will if you tell them you want to support the local hobby store. 

Gotta agree with this.  Also, if you get on your local hobby shop's good graces, sometimes they'll even throw a little discount your way on top of that.  Sometimes my LHS does that and sometimes they don't.  It depends on who I'm talking to behind the counter.  

Eric

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

Heh... Amazon. Never order any model kit from Amazon.com. You can find the same kits far cheaper elsewhere. I never can understand why anyone want to order from them. They charge way too much for model kits.

 

Have you tried asking your LHS owner if he can order one for you? A lot of times they will if you tell them you want to support the local hobby store.

 

Yuppers. Heard and heeded. Amazon has great deals on some items, but I'm quickly learning elsewhere is wiser in the kit arena. I've inquired with the different LHS's when making purchases. It's all over the board though. Some come in lower, others higher and it gets more muddled with different kits. The $185 Tamiya is from a LHS and Amazon was actually cheaper ... as of this morning, SealModels.com is better yet. Thanks to y'all I can afford better paints, detail kits, etc., with the price savings.

I'm like you in that I like to support my local shops first and foremost but there are times when ordering off the 'net can't be beat in terms of pricing.

I just subscribed to the free trial of Amazon Primea couple of weeks ago.  I'm going to see if there are any kits out there at great prices that I can get with free shipping.  

Eric

echolmberg

I'm like you in that I like to support my local shops first and foremost but there are times when ordering off the 'net can't be beat in terms of pricing.

I just subscribed to the free trial of Amazon Primea couple of weeks ago.  I'm going to see if there are any kits out there at great prices that I can get with free shipping.  

I'm a bibliotaph, so having a Prime account goes without question. I've saved a ton over the years in the shipping costs alone. In some areas my wallet might be with Amazon, but my heart will always be with brick & mortar LHS's.  

Another benefit of the Prime account is all the old shows that come with the account. I just watched several series about WWII aircraft, war campaigns and recently the return of Patrol Boat Yankee (PBY Catalina) to its San Diego birthplace.

Another great place to find deals on kits is at contests. All of the ones I have ever been to have had a vendor area...some better than others. Anyway, take lots of cash!!! Not many deals on still very new kits, but the Trumpeter Corsairs, for example, can easily be had for $40 +/- all day long! Vendors are also a bit more willing to haggle if you bundle a few kits together...just don't insult em!!!

Just a little side note,i saw a you tube video of Pappy Boyington on the show What's my line from the 50's.

I saw a Zvezda PE-2 on Amazon for $215.00 after i ordered one on Squadron for $31.99.

@ fermis :: The only model contests I've ever attended have been at conventions. Funny enough I got first place for my first ever entry. A spaceship built out of corrugated cardboard for the body, coat hangers for pipes, and for the greeble, a score of Star Wars snaptites that KB Toy & Hobby was blowing out for 75 cents each. Anyway, I was 16 then and since I've never returned, I must've decided to retire while I was on top :D

Kidding aside, I'm not that hip on current events but plan to attend shows again. The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum is around the corner from me, so that's happening for sure. I'll also be looking into the IPMS and even attending Wonderfest(?). 

@ seastallion53 :: I just learned that Pappy used to radio the Japanese to taunt them to come out and play. Can't be certain it's true but what a great story nonetheless. They should make it into a TV show. A bunch of fighter pilots stuck out in the South Pacific ... man I loved that show. What scale was that Zvezda? Have you finished it?

1/48, still waiting from Texas for it.they used that taunting story on the TV show from the 80's

CyberGolem

@ seastallion53 :: I just learned that Pappy used to radio the Japanese to taunt them to come out and play. Can't be certain it's true but what a great story nonetheless. They should make it into a TV show. A bunch of fighter pilots stuck out in the South Pacific ... man I loved that show. 

That TV show was called Baa Baa Black Sheep starring Robert Conrad as Pappy. It aired back in the late 70s. You can still find the TV series on DVD.

I remember the show but was too young to remember the details. The opening song and the wailing siren was the one thing that stuck though.