Tamiya F4Ua-1 Corsair 1/48

[selrach]

1. Dear Mates, Here is a Tamiya 1/48 F4UA-1 Corsair, depicting ‘Ole 122’, a plane which was noted for eventually completing over 100 ground support missions without mechanical failure during the last half of 1944. It flew from various island bases in the Western Pacific. I have always thought the mid-war two-tone blue pattern with white undersides to be one of the prettiest of the American camouflage schemes. The painting is a combination of freehand and rough-edged masking techniques. I drilled out the bomb carrier so that it had the open frame appearance of the original. Bits of an Eduard detail set were used for the bomb fins, instrument panel and seat belts. After this project I am a bit fed up with Humbrol mattes. Any suggestions for a more smoothly spraying enamel would be most welcome.
   

 

[Polux]

Hmmm....very clean and tidy work.


Very nice one

 

[noble]

Very nice indeed.


scott

 

[takeslousyphotos]

That is a cracking build ............ Absolutely first class.

 

[monica]

great build,nice and clean,

 

[steve scan]

Very, very nice, lovely clean build.

 

[Robert1968]

That's a fantastic looking aircraft there you have created and the weathering and detail is top notch 100%!!!


Robert

 

[dougie]

Lovely plane that, looks very crisp and well painted

 

[papa 695]

Very very nice indeed

 

[selrach]

Thanks for the nice comments. Any advice would be welcome as well.

 

[Doug Hughes]

I do love the Corsair - and this is a great build of one. I love the cockpit detail, and the slightly patchy effect on the upper surfaces - very realistic.

 

[selrach]

Thanks for the nice words, Doug

 

[eddiesolo]

Great build, lovely clean and painted model...top class job.


Si

 

[flyjoe180]

That's great work, who doesn't love a good F4U Corsair? As for the Humbrol matt colours, I can't see any problems with the finish in the pictures. Which colours did you use?

 

[selrach]

That's great work, who doesn't love a good F4U Corsair? As for the Humbrol matt colours, I can't see any problems with the finish in the pictures. Which colours did you use?

Hi Flyjoe, Yes, it seems that even when I thin out the Humbrol with Humbrol thinner, I can still get a slight sand paper finish. Wet sanding with 3000 grit or something similar can knock down the roughness, but this is tedious and the panel lines and details suffer. I was thinking the Humbrol pigment was no longer ground as finely as it once was. Maybe I just need to mix the paint more thoroughly, or just find a better paint. Do you know of any? Xtra-namel perhaps?

 

[flyjoe180]

Yes, Xtracolor is one alternative range I've used, White Ensign have a great range of nice enamels too. I've not had any issues with the sand paper finish you speak of with Humbrol enamels. I find the gloss varnish prior to decal and weathering smooths the surface down quite a bit.

 

[selrach]

Yes, Xtracolor is one alternative range I've used, White Ensign have a great range of nice enamels too. I've not had any issues with the sand paper finish you speak of with Humbrol enamels. I find the gloss varnish prior to decal and weathering smooths the surface down quite a bit.

Thanks for this info. I have been using a coat or two of 'Future' and it seems to make thing better. Nevertheless the roughness of the paint is still there so I sand the surface as needed. I don't want to so thick of a coat that the panel lines get filled in.

 

[Snowman]

Very tasty!!


One of my favourite war birds.

 

[Plastickitbasher]

Great work it looks stunning

 

[dubster72]

Definitely a great build! What a gorgeous aircraft


The extra-matt look is rather fortuitous, bearing in mind the rough environment the Corsair was used to.


However, if you're looking for a smooth enamel, Xtracolor are what I use & I recommend them highly. They're easy to mix, go down very well and most colours are gloss. The only downside are longer drying time & being more prone to attracting dust during spraying / drying.


Cheers


Patrick