About the kit:
With every new release in their 1/32 WW2 warbird range Tamiya set a new standard of excellence. The range started with their superb Zero, then the Spitfire and the Mustang - then came this, the Corsair.
Every kit has its issues, that is the mantra and yes its true, but what are the issues with the Tammy Corsair? Well, the decals are still Tammy decals. I assume they are no better than usual, I am not sure because I now always buy aftermarket decals for these and only used the small 'detail' decals, with no issues with this kit. The canopy masks are not pre-cut, but then you dont get any at all with most kits and pre-cut are available from the aftermarket anyway. The p.e. seatbelts are not great but aftermarket is available, I used Eduard 'steel' belts. The tyres are still rubber, but they are not as bad as some others. But what about the plastic? There are no fit issues at all, the engineering is superb. But, I suppose they should really have molded the aerlial on top of the fin as a seperate piece as it is vulnerable (yes, mine did break...).... Thats right, I really am having to be THAT picky to find something wrong....
I also have the F4U-1a in the stash to build as a FAA Corsair 2 later this year. Clipping the wings should be dead easy, just glue the rounded tips in place and let them set, razor saw off the appropriate amount (which is nearly all of the rounded wing tip), glue some clear sprue into place for the light and sand it all off to a smooth finish and all done....
Seriously, if you only ever build one aircraft model or only have space for one 1/32 kit - then this has to be THE one to build.
The big question is whether Tamiya have been able to raise the bar even higher than this. I will find out when I build their 1/32 Mossie....... It is difficult to see how, apart from the tyres...
Now the subject - the F4U Corsair.
It was developed as a navy carrier fighter but was soon passed over by the USN due to difficulties landing on carrier decks with its long fat nose... The navy's loss was the US Marine Corps gain, who inherited these superb fighters..... And, of course the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm who adopted these aircraft and, what is more, worked out how to operate them safely off a carrier developing a curved approach to landing..... the old British way of making do and making it work coming to the fore.... The RN had to clip the wing tips to fit them into their smaller carriers with some performance gain in some respects. Later versions of the Corsair improved their landing characteristics by raising the seating position of the pilot and raising the rear wheel. All in all the Corsair was an outstanding fighter and did outstanding service.
My subject is Ramblin Wreck, which was a tired, well used, Corsair based on Espiritu Santo in May 1944. It was painted in a field modified three colour scheme. It is not sure whether the underside was just left grey or was painted white, I chose to depict it as grey. After the Corsair 'Marines Dream' crashed its artwork on an engine panel was saved and fitted to Ramblin Wreck and it is depicted in my model. You can see why they wanted to rescue that piece of artwork!!!
For aesthetic reasons I am depicting the aircraft with flaps up, most photos show them flaps down of course but I did find some pics of these parked flaps up. I just find that with the cranked wing design they just look so ungainly flaps down...
I had lots of scope for weathering and did a bit more than usual but even so I think I could have done more, but again sometimes less is more.
Aftermarket and materials: Barracuda decals, Eduard steel seatbelts, Eduard paint masks. Vallejo Model Air and AK Interactive paints. AK Interactive pigments and washes, MIG Oilbrushers, Uschi Metal Powders.
Enjoy the pics... a few more than usual....
With every new release in their 1/32 WW2 warbird range Tamiya set a new standard of excellence. The range started with their superb Zero, then the Spitfire and the Mustang - then came this, the Corsair.
Every kit has its issues, that is the mantra and yes its true, but what are the issues with the Tammy Corsair? Well, the decals are still Tammy decals. I assume they are no better than usual, I am not sure because I now always buy aftermarket decals for these and only used the small 'detail' decals, with no issues with this kit. The canopy masks are not pre-cut, but then you dont get any at all with most kits and pre-cut are available from the aftermarket anyway. The p.e. seatbelts are not great but aftermarket is available, I used Eduard 'steel' belts. The tyres are still rubber, but they are not as bad as some others. But what about the plastic? There are no fit issues at all, the engineering is superb. But, I suppose they should really have molded the aerlial on top of the fin as a seperate piece as it is vulnerable (yes, mine did break...).... Thats right, I really am having to be THAT picky to find something wrong....
I also have the F4U-1a in the stash to build as a FAA Corsair 2 later this year. Clipping the wings should be dead easy, just glue the rounded tips in place and let them set, razor saw off the appropriate amount (which is nearly all of the rounded wing tip), glue some clear sprue into place for the light and sand it all off to a smooth finish and all done....
Seriously, if you only ever build one aircraft model or only have space for one 1/32 kit - then this has to be THE one to build.
The big question is whether Tamiya have been able to raise the bar even higher than this. I will find out when I build their 1/32 Mossie....... It is difficult to see how, apart from the tyres...
Now the subject - the F4U Corsair.
It was developed as a navy carrier fighter but was soon passed over by the USN due to difficulties landing on carrier decks with its long fat nose... The navy's loss was the US Marine Corps gain, who inherited these superb fighters..... And, of course the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm who adopted these aircraft and, what is more, worked out how to operate them safely off a carrier developing a curved approach to landing..... the old British way of making do and making it work coming to the fore.... The RN had to clip the wing tips to fit them into their smaller carriers with some performance gain in some respects. Later versions of the Corsair improved their landing characteristics by raising the seating position of the pilot and raising the rear wheel. All in all the Corsair was an outstanding fighter and did outstanding service.
My subject is Ramblin Wreck, which was a tired, well used, Corsair based on Espiritu Santo in May 1944. It was painted in a field modified three colour scheme. It is not sure whether the underside was just left grey or was painted white, I chose to depict it as grey. After the Corsair 'Marines Dream' crashed its artwork on an engine panel was saved and fitted to Ramblin Wreck and it is depicted in my model. You can see why they wanted to rescue that piece of artwork!!!
For aesthetic reasons I am depicting the aircraft with flaps up, most photos show them flaps down of course but I did find some pics of these parked flaps up. I just find that with the cranked wing design they just look so ungainly flaps down...
I had lots of scope for weathering and did a bit more than usual but even so I think I could have done more, but again sometimes less is more.
Aftermarket and materials: Barracuda decals, Eduard steel seatbelts, Eduard paint masks. Vallejo Model Air and AK Interactive paints. AK Interactive pigments and washes, MIG Oilbrushers, Uschi Metal Powders.
Enjoy the pics... a few more than usual....
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