The Official 1943 70th Anniversary Group Build

Sub:

Nice to see my medical experiments on the front page, but I think my Avenger was the first kit completed for the GB: January 4. The truck and the tank were quickies, great fun and very interesting kits to mess with acrylic weathering techniques. The Accurate Miniatures Avenger was a pretty serious project. If the idea is to lead others to completed builds, I'd guess it would be of more interest than my Zvezda and Tamiya antiques.

Eric

The "Birdcage" is indeed a WWII term and a quick look at the original F4U-1 reveals a very heavily framed cockpit which pilots didn't like. (It was put on because the Corsair was one of our first planes that revealed the badly understood "compressibility" in testing and the thought was to increase strength in the frame all-round.) Added to the huge nose it made for poor ground handling which was a serious problem for carrier use, especially when added to dicey oleos. So it was that Corsairs first saw carrier service with the RN and the Marines got a better fighter than the Navy. After the fact the Navy started to refer to mid-late production F4U-1s with an improved cockpit as the F4U-1A. Tamiya calls the "Birdcage" the F4U-1(1/2) which is a term I never saw but may have been used. Anyway, it comes before 1A and the cockpit difference was the only major change inside the original run. Marine pilots were delighted that the Navy couldn't get the Corsairs to fly off carriers because they knew they'd have never seen a first line fighter until the Navy got the first pickings. (That's also why the RN got Corsairs so early and were just as happy as Marines - they could dump their Seafires which were never good carrier planes until the very late marks.) The 1A served over a year until replaced by the more powerful 1D in mid-44 and finally the F4U-4 in early 45. The Hellcat, while an inferior plane in performance, was very forgiving and almost perfect the mass produced "junior birdmen" arriving to fill the new fleet carrier squadrons and matched nicely with the Zero. When Kamikazes showed the "need for speed" the Navy took another look and put Corsairs on carriers where they stayed long after the Hellcat was retired.

Eric

It was named the "birdcage"-in reference to the "caged" (framed) canopy, a nickname given in WWII, not by Tamiya.

It might just be a way for the model companies to promote the models, add a snazzy name to make it sound special.

Nathan T

Birdcage- in reference to the framed canopy.

I had never heard of this as well, I looked at pictures of them and didn't think it looked much different than some other of the planes

Birdcage- in reference to the framed canopy.

Welcome aboard, Ghostrider! You are added onto the front page. Can somebody enlighten me on one thing? This is the second time I have heard the Corsair called "Birdcage," but had never heard it before a few days ago. What is this in reference to?

Checkmate, Ebergerud, and Rigidrider- Updated the front page, feel free to check and make sure I got everything right!

Thanks guys,  -Budd

If it's not too late, I'd like to join in.

I've got the Tamiya F4U-1/2 birdcage Corsair, which I plan to paint in the VF-17 livery.  If I'm not mistaken, that should fit into 1943.

Sub, good to see you back. I was begining to think we had lost you as well.

Checkmate - Gosh that build looks familiar... Oh wait, I struggled on and off with the South Dakota version of that kit for a while. Yours turned out worlds better than mine, though! I think part of it is because I chose the boring Deck Blue/Navy Blue scheme that it had it 44. Makes for a very boring looking model. Yours is quite eye catching though.

-Budd

Thanks Sub, Welcome back. Before I started "Gabby's Jug" I knew very little about the man. I've always been a WW2 history buff, but I didn't know we (as in our little town here) had WW2 & Korea ace. So this made building the jug even more interesting than it already was. They have a 4 lane highway running from Oil City to Franklin PA (it's only 7 miles) named the Colonel Francis Gabreski Highway. A little bit of trivia for everyone here. LOL

Thanks Sub. Good to see you back here. Will have finished pics of the Yak up soon...(I know, said that before..).

Hey everybody! Sorry, I had another one of my mandated away sessions, but I should be back for a while now. It will take me a few days to get around to updating the front page, but it will happen!

Rigidrider- Awesome work on the Stukas! The weathering is spot on. And the idea for the scene is a great one. These behind the scenes stories of the war are what really bring it to life.

Ebergerud - What a story! I really need to look some more at what the Aussies did in the War. I was just in Malaysia and was reading there about how it was liberated by them late in the war. Somehow these things just don't get talked about much in America. Great model too! I love how the running gear looks.

Checkmate - Gosh that build looks familiar... Oh wait, I struggled on and off with the South Dakota version of that kit for a while. Yours turned out worlds better than mine, though! I think part of it is because I chose the boring Deck Blue/Navy Blue scheme that it had it 44. Makes for a very boring looking model. Yours is quite eye catching though.

Nathan  - Beautiful work on the Yak. Maybe it's my partiality to Russian things, but I love the look of it! And while I don't know a direct translation, a lot of planes and tanks in Soviet WW2 were "sponsored" by villages or communities to show their patriotism. So when their planes/tanks have writing on the side like that, that's normally what it is.

greentracker - Nice work on the Jug so far, the paint job came out really smooth!

Great work, everyone!

-Budd

Thanks, Ken.  Gabreski was an admirable pilot.  Your model will be a nice tribute.

checkmateking02

That turned out really well, Ken.  At what point was he flying this machine?  It must have been before the one with the invasion stripes.

Thanks CMKing

I'm calling it "November 26, 1943 Oh Seven Hundred Hours". Since this is a 1943 GB, I thought it would be good to make it the morning of the day he became an ace.

Gabreski recorded his fourth and fifth kills to become an ace that day 

That turned out really well, Ken.  At what point was he flying this machine?  It must have been before the one with the invasion stripes.

A few pics All I need to do is Get Gabby's Decals (Their ordered) Touch up a couple of places, and a clear coat

Gabby's razorback jug is almost done. I don't have any new pics from my last update, Anyhow, right now, I'm waiting on Gabby's decals and some glue to dry so I can put the engine/propeller/cowling on

Thanks, Bish.  In some ways, ships are less of a headache than planes!

Now thats a very nice ship Check. really admire what you ahve done in such a small scale. Shes a real beaut.

Thanks, GAF.  Toured the Alabama back in '09, and was impressed by it.  I nearly bought a kit in the gift shop, but didn't know anything about Navy paint schemes, so I passed.  A couple of years later, I stumbled on WEM's Colourcoats and Snyder & Shorts webpage, and that was all I needed.

I took a look at the 360 tour, and that's a nifty sight.  I wish I'd taken more photos when I was there.

Thanks, Rigidrider.  I think the combination of blues the Navy picked make for a very attractive ship.

Nice job on the Alabama!  Being from there myself, I may have a certain partiality towards your build.

If anyone is interested in seeing her as she looks today, try the virtual tour.

http://www.alabama360.com/ussalabama/tw_ussalabama.html

What a beauty!

Photos of completed Hasegawa's 1:700 USS Alabama BB-60, in no particular order.

Calling it done.  Thanks to Sub for hosting the build.  I was glad to have a reason to get after this model.  I'll continue to be interested in seeing what everyone else comes up with.  Good luck in building, and thanks for looking. 

Thanks, Lt.  I appreciate your comments.  Good luck with your projects, so you can get started here!

Here is a shot of the top and bottom of the Kingfishers.  I ran a dark gray acrylic wash into the white undersides, and a black wash on the top.  I didn't know they changed the back of the penny.

And the Kingfishers in place. 

That finishes up the Alabama.  I'll post completed photos soon. 

Great looking builds so far.  I love the Yak.  The progress on the Alabama has been fun to watch and it looks great.

I hope to start my build a little closer to summer as I've got a few projects to finish up first.

checkmateking02

That's a nice idea.  And I didn't know he was from PA.  

Yes, His parents emigrated from Poland and had a little mom & pop store. I think I know where it was. Well there was a store there a lomg time ago.

That's a nice idea.  And I didn't know he was from PA.  

checkmateking02

Moving it right along, there, Ken!  Nice to see a Gabreski plane in an early scheme.

 Yep, I'm gettin there Thanks CMKing I thought it would be different, If it turns out really well, I've been having thoughts of giving it to our local museum. Bcause this (Oil City, PA) is his home town; and it's where I live.