The Official F4U Corsair Group Build 4/01/08 - rolling end date

Hi Mike and thanks heaps!

Yeah thats really interesting. Ive flown quit a bit the stretch of water from Singapore up to Japan and now you mention it it is fairly dark most the time, a beautiful dark blue. Just curious about heading up higher, the blue sky always seems so bright..... but after all I guess most the air combat was done lower down Ive read. The Japanese always seemed to dive to the deck after an attack, no matter who instigated it, USN or JPN :/

Thanks again.

Hi Furyan,

I have read that USN Midnight Blue was formulated specifically to blend in with the indigo waters of the Western Pacific region -- up near Japan the ocean is so dark the Oyashio current is sometimes called the "black" current. Certainly the scheme replaced the earlier two- or three-tone schemes later in the war as the action moved westward.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Wow thats looking sharp Becky, thanks.

Hey guys.. question plse if I may..  Im currently building a 1/32 scale F6F5 Hellcat and have been browsing some of the colour schemes and as the F4U and the F6F were flat-deck buddies in WW2 they did share the 1945 midnight blue colour scheme.

My question is why was this colour scheme decided on .. anyone know please? Was it because most of the missions were in twilight time or very early morn because overall MN Blues surely would've stood out in Pacific op's like a sore thumb.... would it have??

Beck that is some great progress!!!!! Looking forward to seeing more!!! I've recently moved and still getting things organized in my man cave. Looking forward to getting back on the bench and getting my 1/72 Italeri -4B going again!!!

Progress Report. I vowed to myself that if I start to get impatient...I will back off and continue at a later time. So far, it's worked well for me. I have completed the cockpit build, and as I have said in my previous post...NO AFTERMARKET STUFF. If I am going to add anything...it will be scratch build. So far, I have only scratch built the seat belt (because the Tamiya decal belts look chintzy) and the wiring on the engine block.

The colors I have used so far are from the Tamiya and Testors Acry line, using an old Iwata HP-C airbrush. The interior was painted with Testors Acrly Interior Green (FS34151), as research showed this to be one of the most common shades used inside these Corsairs. The cockpit interior was highlighted with drybrushing a lighter shade of interior green, and with a few Chrome Silver highlights for cockpit wear and tear. The instruments were drilled out, filled with Krystal Clear with the decal on the back end. I dind't get a lot of success, but it does look ok. Next time, punch out the decals individually, adhere them to their respective location, then use the Krystal Klear. (Great stuff, that krystal klear!)

 Next time, I will use a more yellow shade of the "Zinc Chromium" shade or the salmon pink the used for the gear bays. In addition, I will pre-sprey flat black inside the cockpit area to add more color depth and shade.

For the engine block, I used Flat aluminum overall, drybrushed high lights using Chrome Silver. I also used a thinned oil wash of black oil paint for details. I used soldering wire for the ignition cable, and I touched them up with a little copper. The wires were placed in holes I drilled in the top cylinder block..thingee. (Sorry about my poor terms) and simply strung them through and secure them via super glue. The hub was painted Sky Gray with and oil umber wash for weathering. Next, sanding, filling (if necessary) and priming for paint.

Hi,

I would like to join the group build with a Tamiya 1/48 F4U...with no aftermarket stuff. Out of the box!

Zark how many hours you have on that engine before overhaul???!!!! Think looks like you could attach it and fire it up!!! OUTSTANDING WORK!!!

Zark -- if you've only been modelling a year and can turn in a weathered finish like that, you'll be a master at this game in no time at all!

TB379

wow my photos seriously need resizing!

Hi all this is my first post! Im new to modelling, well modelling for around a year now. Im currently building

an F4U-d corsair and a ju87-b (but struggling to find gooood decals!). Here's some progress pics

yep, the weathering needs toning down a tad!

Thanks Guys....appreciated.

Frank, "on the record", the a/c flaps linkage has to be repaired, thus we have what we have.

"off the record", the builder, ,  lost some of the PE parts to the monster that we walk on, and other parts were KIA, by my own clumsy, seemingly gorilla like hands...(that's what they seem like when working with those teeny tiny PE parts).

So seeing as how one wing got everything but the other didn't, so I made a "command decision".

But hey,thanks for the kind words you 2, and thanks for the data Frank, actually I was unaware of the all up or all down rule. thanks.

, Dave

Can I get my Badge now, please?!

, Dave.

Good Evening y'all.....I appologize for my extreme lateness for this post. I honestly finished this a few month back...If I recall correctly, it was 2-3 weeks after the official end date. It's been in my display cabinet for some time now. Just took photos on Sunday, 13SEP09.

Regarding the build...detailed model, the Double Wasp is a model all by itself. (It will be awhile befor I do another Trumpeter Radial ungine A/C.) This was my first time working with PE... ....it's going to be awhile befor I use that stuff again, at least all the stuff that went into the wings...seatbelts weren't to bad....  as for the cowling...I actually painted it. I had the original set for decals ruined by a cat we used to have, and if it wasn't for Sean, aka Summit, this project would have not been finished for a LOOOONG time....again Summit, I am in your debt, ...THANKS MAN!!!!...anyway, I forgot that the maroon on the cowling, behind the snake was part of the decal....so after huntin for a color that came close..British Crimson me thinks, I decided to trim the snake out of the decal and apply only the Rattler.

Anyway, wothout any more of my rambling, I present My Korean Conflict, Vought F4U-4 Corsair, from Marine Squardon VMF-323, "The Death Rattlers".

Hope this came out ....

I hope the IFF lights are correct.

looks like I'll needs better pics of the cowling & the 'Pit.

, Dave

Thank you very much Jeff, I appreciate that.

Not sure about the nail polish remover and the Mike Grant decals, are you possibly confusing me with somebody else on those?

I know this is a little late but wanted to say congrats Frank. I'm still sort of a newbie to this forum BUT your article has already come in handy for me bigtime, especially the nail polish remover tip. Thanks! Oh and the Mike Grant Decals for the rivetheads totally rock. I've not seen that before. Very cool.

 I am in the process of building Miss Port Columbs 1:48. It's been tedious with all the cutting and filling and fitting...it will be worth it in the end though. It's coming along good and should be completed by this weekend if my time management goes as planned.

Take care for now! Congrats again!

Congrats, Frank .  It's a great feeling to see it in print, isn't it?  Mine was in February's issue ('09).  I wonder how many birds, from this group build, we can get published?

-Fred

Daywalker wrote:

Great to see there's still activity here!  I'll be looking forward to seeing more great WIP's from you guys!

Hi Richie,

It's great to have this build revitalised! It looks like the decals I was after will be coming available in the new timeframe after all, so the Tamiya -1D in El Salvadorean markings can come back onto the roster, all I have to do is tame that $%&^$@ starboard wingfold and it's downhill to the finish.

I also won an Academy -4B on eBay and have a bid on a ProMod reboxing of the Hasegawa -5N at this time, so who knows what might find its way to the bench in the months ahead?

Cheers,

Mike

Congrats, Frank -- it's a lot of satisfaction when you see your work in the Gallery!

Well, well, well -- with the Corsair GB alive and kicking again, I think I might invest in that polishing kit and see what I can do with the paintwork on that Hasegawa -1D. I also chased up those Salvadorean decals for the big Tamiya today, hopefully they're poised for release. I'd still love to see that camo bird in the display case!

Cheers, guys, consider me back in!

Mike

Fred that's a great idea to extend the build as I haven't touched my F4U-5N for ages either.

Frank congrats on that , we won't see that issue on the news stands for quite a few months yet but I'll definitely be picking it up when it arrives.

Cheers