Here's what I've got: the Academy 1/48th F4U-4B Corsair. No box top as I threw that away when I was consolidating space by putting many of my inexpensive models into plastic bags and boxing them. The F4U-4B was supposed to have been a British variant, but the Navy decided to keep them as the war was winding down. I've considered doing a "what-if" and painting her in British colors, but except for the insignia, I don't think the colors were different from the American version that late in the war.
This was actually a raffle winning at a model convention a couple of years ago. I picked it up as there was very little left. After reading up on it, I found it has some problems such as the fuselage being too wide, especially around the cockpit area. It did have some photoetch with it, so I'm going to use that. First time using photoetch parts on a kit, so it will be another learning experience.
I have begun removing parts and getting things ready. It has quite a load-out, and I'll be using most of that (if not more) to portray this as a ground-attack aircraft being used to support troops pitted against the Japanese defenders of the home islands.
One other thing extra in the kit was a vac-u-formed canopy. I assume the previous owner was going to try fixing the over-wide fuselage. Unfortunately, the canopy now has a crease in its top and I'm not sure if I can get it out, so I may end up using the kit supplied one.
Maybe I can rationalize that by theorizing that they've added extra armor plate around the fuselage to help protect the pilot from the excessive small arms fire it experiences in its ground attack role, since every Japanese on the island seems to be shooting at them. Also, the extra metal helps protect the pilot from the radiation exposure caused by the dropping of America's nuclear arsenal on the Japanese mainland.
"The United States expected to have another atomic bomb ready for use in the third week of August [1945], with three more in September and a further three in October. On August 10, Major General Leslie Groves, military director of the Manhattan Project, sent a memorandum to General of the Army George Marshall, Chief of Staff of the United States Army, in which he wrote that "the next bomb . . should be ready for delivery on the first suitable weather after 17 or 18 August." On the same day, Marshall endorsed the memo with the comment, "It is not to be released over Japan without express authority from the President." There was already discussion in the War Department about conserving the bombs in production until Operation Downfall, the projected invasion of Japan, had begun. "The problem now [13 August] is whether or not, assuming the Japanese do not capitulate, to continue dropping them every time one is made and shipped out there or whether to hold them . . . and then pour them all on in a reasonably short time. Not all in one day, but over a short period. And that also takes into consideration the target that we are after. In other words, should we not concentrate on targets that will be of the greatest assistance to an invasion rather than industry, morale, psychology, and the like? Nearer the tactical use rather than other use." "
"Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki : Plans for more atomic attacks on Japan"
And that's it for now. Thanks for looking!
Gary
PS> Oh, and here's the Mossie! (so far)
"Blimey, Reggie! We're packed in like sardines in a tin!
(This is one of those 40 year old previously-built models I'm restoring from my "yuth".)