Fleet Air Arm Group Build

Thanks guys!

I hope to able to pop in occaisonally, but my phone is my main source of Internet right now and unfortunately FSM does not support posting via smart phones. I will do my best to keep up here.

Thank you for understanding!

Yes, FSM has no mobile app. I can read but not post off my Ipod touch ...

I often used to post via my phone but that was back before the forum change, bit of a these days.

Hope to see you back soon Frank.

Darren hope that shoulder gets sorted asap.

Cheers...

Spike190

Hope to see you back soon Frank.

Darren hope that shoulder gets sorted asap.

Cheers...

chaps....

Well it's going to be at least another 2 weeks before i get the Aires cockpit set for the Seafire so i'll finish my Verlinden Biber first and then make a start on the little bits, i can still make the prop, undercarriage, wingfolds ect while waiting... 

Thanks for your kind wishes chaps!  I am on the mend but its a slow process, and quite boring as I am not very active at the moment.  I don't know how long I'll be away from the bench, hopefully not too much longer.

I'll be popping in now and then to see how things are going.  

Nurse did not give you permission to get out of bed you scallawag!

Back where you belong!  Hope you're feeling better soon Darren.

Thanks Buddy, I think she'll put a smile on my face!

Happy Easter Chaps!

Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, have a great Easter! Eat, Drink and be Merry!! 

That is all.

CAG.

XO back on deck!



It's been a crazy few weeks here, but things should begin to slow down in the next few days.  I have been able to get a little bit of work done on the Corsair, focusing on getting the landing gear bays and main gear sorted out, as well as finishing up the engine.  I used the kit supplied engine, and spruced it up with some plug wires and details on the nose of the crankcase.  A few missing details such as drain plugs and data plates were added.



On the main gear, I added some stretched sprue to represent the springs in the upper linkage, some more stretched sprue for the gear retraction bar, a styrene block and formed wire for the tiedowns, and copper wire for the brake lines.



The fuselage is done, waiting for the wings to be added. 



A lot of period photos of Corsairs show some extreme wear on the wing root area, so to accentuate the scuffing I plan to incorporate, I used a riveting tool to add some detail in this area, as well as the inner flap sections.  I didn't feel like riveting the entire model, so I concentrated on the areas which will show the most wear.



And finally, the wheels.  Tamiya has molded the kit wheels based on the FAA Corsair in the UK.  Unfortunately, these tires are way too large, as until recently that aircraft was fitted with tires from an F-4 Phantom.  Although not the greatest photo, this shows KD431 in the FAA Museum with the F-4 Phantom wheels:



And how the Corsair's tires should look:



I had always considered replacing Tamiya's wheels/tires in the past due to their almost invisible tread pattern, but all of the AM replacements looked so thin compared to the kit parts, and now I know why!  So, on this build I am replacing the kit parts with some new wheels from CMK.



Beautiful detail on these, especially the wheels themselves.  And, finally a comparison shot of the kit tires vs. the replacements:



Quite a difference!

Glad to be back on deck, thanks for checking out my progress pics.  I shall be in my cabin for the rest of the day (or longer) catching up on some much needed, um, paperwork.



Cheers!

Frank,

Did the FAA Corsairs use  good ol' US Interior Green for the cockpit, landing gear bays and inside the cowling, or were they painted another color?

lewbud

Frank,

Did the FAA Corsairs use  good ol' US Interior Green for the cockpit, landing gear bays and inside the cowling, or were they painted another color?

Buddy- Good question!  A have the book "KD431- The Time Capsule Fighter" which is an excellent reference to FAA Corsairs.  Basically, the Corsair at the FAA Museum was reverted back to it's original wartime finish, by carefully undoing all of the post war restorations.  In the book, there are loads of great reference shots showing the aircraft as it looked at the end of WWII.  On this particular aircraft, the interior was interior green up to the canopy sills, and black above that.  The gear bays are the same color as the surrounding airframe, in this case Sea Blue.  The inside of the cowling is an undetermined shade of light gray.  As far as Corsairs are concerned, getting these areas the proper color can be a fairly difficult thing to determine.  If you have never read this article from IPMS Stockholm, I highly recommend it!

Thanks Frank, that article helped.  Will look into getting the book.  I'm really getting a hankering to build a round motored aircraft, but still have too many inlines in the que.

Great detail work Frank! Glad to see you back at the bench old chap!  

I have just begun work on the Vixen again, I still have a few seams to clean up, all those curves are arkward to get to! 

BOOOM!

(Just wakin' y'all up so's we don't miss the rum call)

Right! 

You heard the admiral, RUM CALL!!!

Gents, raise your glass to the lads of the FAAGB!

Buddy- That book is one of my favorite reference books (right up there with the Aero Detail series) in my library.  I think you will really enjoy it if you get yourself a copy!

Hello Chaps!

You may or may not know that's been a little wedding over here in England..............I was on duty on Friday so I enjoyed the festivities whilst sober!

As this is a Fleet Air Arm GB, I thought it only fitting to to raise a glass to HRH Price William and his bride now titled Katherine the Duchess of Cambridge. 

Your Highness, Ma'am, many congratulations! And from this motley crew, CHEERS!

It was a great occasion, the march down the mall to Westminister Abby, the wedding itself and all the pomp and ceremony that went with it. The happy couple along with the rest of the Royal Family made an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace and duly obliged the crowds with the now traditional kissing of the bride.

The Queen had ordered a military flypast and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight roared above the palace, followed a front line flight of two RAF Typhoons and two RAF Tornado's. The flags waved, and the people cheered up and down the country.

In typical English style, the newly weds left the Queen's palace in by driving past the crowds in Prince Charles 1969 Aston Martin Volante................the car was "Decorated" for the occasion and made everyone smile.  

As a bonus, everyone in the UK got a day off work and for those of us in uniform, and extra day's leave!

Thank you Ma'am!

Here are some pics from the big day:

That looks like it was quite the pageant

It's good to be the Prince

Here is the flypast above Buckingham Palace and the couple heading home. They have not departed for their honeymoon just yet as Prince William is a serving Officer in the RAF and will be on active duty as a SAR pilot this week. 

A lovely day..............and now I am officially off duty.........I'm having a drink!

CHEERS!

stikpusher

That looks like it was quite the pageant

It's good to be the Prince

Yes, it certainly is! He's a lucky fella, I never got a flypast like that at my wedding! LOL!

I hear you loud and clear! While I did have mine aboard RMS Queen Mary, it was not quite so well attended...

You Brits always did know how to throw a party! 

I guess so!

I'm off duty for a few days now, so hopefully I'll get some more work done on the Seavixen. I am taking my time with it as I don't want to spoil a kit I've waited years for.

Also, I am working on an armour build for a friend of mine, its kind of a surprise and I want to finish it up before he next visits! I have one day left!

Its going to go to the wire....................

Also by the time you read this you would have seen the news that OBL has been disposed of by US Special forces. I feel that my American friends will be standing an inch taller this day and want to show my support. 

Ahh the wedding, i have to admit though the brides little sister got my attention more than the bride

Frank, great work i hope you don't me saving some of your pics for future reference on my upcoming Corsair build....

The Skua is back on the bench.  Pics to come soon.  Here's to Friday! 

Meagan, if you would please...

Julez- Absolutely!  I would love to see a Corsair on your bench, that would be the dog's bollocks!

Dave- Great news!  Any pics pics yet?  Which kit is that one again?

Hey Frank, it's the Revell 1/72 scale Skua which is a repop of the old frog kit.  The kit is a piece of crap but Billy Bondo called me a wuss if I didn't build it so I am reconstructing major parts of it.  Mainly the wings which were completely wrong. 

Anyway, not much to report so far.  I finished sculpting the tail wing and I am currently working on the control surfaces.  Ailerons are almost complete and I've started on the elevators.  Fortunately the fuselage is okay as far as shape but I'll have to add a tail hook and the bomb recess, and release mechanism.

I've been building the surfaces by laminating styrene sheet and sculpting using my scaled reference drawings.

razordws

The kit is a piece of crap but Billy Bondo called me a wuss if I didn't build it so I am reconstructing major parts of it.  Mainly the wings which were completely wrong. 

LOL, that's the bondo we all know and love!  The old Frog kit, you're gonna have your hands full with that one.  But I KNOW it will be stunning, your builds always are!

Spent a little bit of time with the Corsair tonight, and have now gotten the inner wing section sorted out and on the fuselage.  I couldn't help adding the gear, engine, prop and tailplanes to see how it looks so far.  Starting to look like a proper Corsair now!

Heyyyyyyyyy guys!!!! I'm still alive and kicking!!! Things seem like they are finally settling down now and hope to be finishing up a project soon and will return to the bench as I have had some events happening here that have just not let me get on with what I love to do. Let's just say the term the good, the bad , and the ugly is fitting lol. Anyways as always some beautiful work going on and hope be joining in the festivities in the near future after a few more commitments are taken care of. Just wanted to finally check in and let everyone know that I am ok and really looking forward to getting back into building. Take care all and a to your understanding, concerns and comeraderie that is unsurpassed! CHEERS!!

Ritchie, good to hear from you buddy.  I'll be looking forward to some progress pics in the near future. 

Frank, I see you did the propeller early on this build, you should be able to fly along now with that out of the way.    It is indeed looking like a proper Corsair. 

What to hell!  No rum call, not even a beer call!  And almost to page 3!!!!

Maybe I better go build something as a warmup.