Tamiya F4U-1A Corsair 1/48

[Navcom]

Can't believe I'm actually going to do this but I'm going to add another aircraft to my bench...and my documentation regimen. I've been inspired so much by Paul's 1/32 Corsair build I have to get a taste of it. I don't feel I'm near the skill level to tackle the 1/32 version and actually do it justice so I'll start with the 1/48 and work into it. I also have "wait" time between steps on my other current project so I can be doing some tasks on this one in the meantime.

The kit looks awesome. Not the detail of the 1/32 but nothing to sneeze at either. Box came in the mail in pristine condition for the most part...



Two main sprues, two support sprues, and a clear sprue...



Parts have great detail and look high quality which is expected from Tamiya...








The decals look great. Not very thick and full of detail...




The instrument panel. Not sure if I'll use the decals for it or not...




Instruction shots...





I'm thinking I will build the kit in the scheme straight out of the box. This will also be a learning experience and I would like to continue focusing on basic modeling and trying to perfect the details. The advantage is I have the 1/32 version as my goal so this is really the learning ground for the "big show"...no huge pressure. I also really like the color scheme as presented. I might not get a perfect color match but I'm going to try to get as close as I can.

I have another huge advantage...Paul's videos! I'm going to use the opportunity to try some of his techniques and see if I can get them to work on the smaller version. I'm especially intrigued by the chipping technique and the use of Alclad paints...both of which I really want to try on this aircraft. I'm really looking forward to more learning opportunities! I love this stuff!

[Paul]

Excellent Jeff look forward to seeing this come together

[Willem]

Good luck with the build Jeff. It's a really nice kit, just beware the decals if memory serves (though it might have been my fault).

[Nige201980]

Great looking kit mate best of luck with it mate.

[Navcom]

Thanks all! I got some of the cockpit parts cut, sanded, and glued this evening...but nothing much. Pictures to come soon. After a good thunderstorm this morning, severe thunderstorms and possibly a tornado or two rolling in this evening and tomorrow. Since I love storms, it should be exciting around here. First t-storms of the season. The grass went from brown to green in a matter of 3 hours today!

Soon golfing will take precedence over modeling I'm afraid.

[Navcom]

Been awhile since I've been able to do any model work...on any project. I spent today (Memorial Day here in the U.S.) diving back in to my Corsair and thinking of all those who flew this thing, flew anything, or just pounded dirt or deck in service. This kit was perfect for the day.

So...since I last updated the thread, I've managed to get the cockpit and engine completed and the fuselage glued up and ready for a little filling and sanding. I have to say, after struggling with my 1/48 Cessna from Minicraft, this Tamiya model is a dream. Well built, fits together well...just a great little kit.

While not nearly as nifty as Paul's 1/32 Corsair cockpit, I'm pretty happy with the results I came away with. Lots of little imperfections but I learned a lot and succeeded in some places too!...








I did not construct seat belts. I could but I really want to work on other things with this build, such as filling, sanding, and painting techniques. The engine, while again not nearly the detail Paul put into his, I am happy with as well...






Finally, I started buttoning everything up...



...and then got most of the fuselage ready for filling and sanding...




All in all, a pretty productive day! I'm happy with the results, albeit most credit goes to Tamiya for making it so easy to put together.

So the wife and I are off on vacation for a few days. The modeling will again get shelved for a bit. Glad I got a chance to work on her as well as contemplate the meaning of the day.

[eoinfinnegan]

Your doing a cracking job, I wouldn't have used the instrument panel decal either, it looked a bit crappy but the job you did is top class with painting it. Well done

[UKguyInUSA]

You did an awesome job on that cockpit, Jeff!

Can't wait to see that bodywork get some treatment and colors, now!

And, you're right, Tamiya make modeling so much easier with the well engineered kits and fits; my Mosquito went together like a dream.

Have a great vacation!

Cheers,

Martin

[Paul]

Fantastic work, that cockpit looks superb

[Navcom]

Thanks everyone! Yeah, I chose to toss the silly decal instrument panel. Pretty lame really. It was a heckuva lot more fun dry brushing and weathering it. Plus a lot better experience as well.

I've primed the fuselage now. I actually did it before we left for vacation but didn't get a chance to update the thread. Used Vallejo Gray. That stuff clogs like hell at times. Keep having to pull the trigger back full throttle to clear her out. I think I'm going to try the AK primer as I've heard several hear have better luck with it. Anyhow, here's the bird in gray...






I didn't attach the exhaust trails on the bottom nor the nose. That will all have to come later after paint I believe. Not much of a gap anyhow along the top. Might not even need filler and touch up.

Hopefully get to the pre-shading in the next couple days. Not sure how much will show through. I'm going with a dark Navy blue solid paint job. Still, you never know. It's worth the practice at the least. Till later...

[Navcom]

Corsair is pre-shaded. Now just waiting for the paint to arrive in the mail...






I might actually touch up a couple gaps that annoy me, especially around the wing root inlets. Otherwise, all other parts have been cut from the sprues and are prepped for priming and painting, but I'm still trying to collect information on exact colors of some stuff. I'm not too particular about getting everything 100% authentic, but I would like to at least see what the baseline is.

Big family get-together this weekend...probably won't get to do much more for a few days...but who knows!

[UKguyInUSA]

You've made quite a bit of progress since I last looked, looking real good....not long now before we some paint on her!

[AchtungPanzer]

Top class interior and engine . After your start I think that all model will be super. Well done buddy

[Navcom]

Thanks all! Well, the paint arrived in the mail today...and it's nowhere near the color I anticipated. Instead of navy blue, it's more dark grey. Never trust the color charts when viewing them on a cheap work monitor. Plane B I guess...don't have to wait around to get the perfect color for this build. I'm going with a light blue/grey/white scheme. Since this build won't represent any particular aircraft or unit, it doesn't matter much. It's all about practice and experience.

[Top1Regor]

Loved the build. Great work and an inspiration for me to try and learn the skills required to do this quality of work. Can't wait to see the finished model.

[Navcom]

Been awhile since I posted on the Corsair. Knee deep in the D-Day build and had a late start so I wanted to get a bit caught up on that. I've actually got the D-Day Mustang close to the same point as the Corsair so now it's time to kick it in a bit on this one.

I have the base color pretty much done...




It's a little more grey than the traditional navy blue, but this is what I was shooting for. It's kinda part of the weather scheme I'm cooking up.

Got the nose glued on as well...




...and all the little extra pieces as well. I noticed a couple paint streaks (you can see the most obvious one on the right horizontal stabilizer) so some touch-up will still be needed. The green areas look really bright in the picture. Not near that bright in real life.

Just glad to be done with the main paint job...




Next up, touch-up, Klear coat, and decals!

[Navcom]

I managed to get the Klear coat done this evening on the fuselage and the prop. The prop is just sitting in place in the picture. I still have the decals and a bit more weather to do on her before being glued in place. If I get time, I'm hoping to get the decals on the prop and fuselage before the end of the weekend. I did notice some filling mistakes, especially around the wing root intakes. I didn't even notice them before painting. At this point, I think I'll leave them and chalk them up to learning and experience. I'm too far in to pull myself back!

I'm pretty happy with this bird so far! I really have to think it's more to do with the Tamiya tooling designers than my skills...but hey, I'll take what I can get!




One thing I learned today? There is NOTHING like the feeling you get when you pull off the mask from part of the aircraft and the paint lines are perfect! It's like opening a gift on Christmas! I love how the engine and the prop turned out on this build...and I can't wait to finish the weathering to see it really spring to life.

I'm beginning to realize that model building is a lot like golf. You trudge through 7 or 8 holes of misery only to hit that one, outstanding shot that makes it all worthwhile...which then lifts your spirits enough to pull you through the next 7 or 8 holes of misery.

[warpedcrisis]

nice looking plane you have there

[Navcom]

nice looking plane you have there

Thanks!

Got another chance to work on her this evening. I have the decals on and am waiting on the Micro Sol to dry completely. Glued on the flaps (that was the hardest step so far! ) Also have a little pre-wash on the underside which will get a bit of feathering once everything is dry and set. I lost a bit of the left side fuselage decal (upper right). The tweezers attacked it and won.






Next up...masking the canopy parts, a bit of selective decal slicing, some airbrush weathering on the guns and the exhaust, then another Klear coat and a good light-colored wash (waiting for it to arrive).

The finish line is getting so close, my heart is palpitating!

[Navcom]

Another beautiful day in Minnesota USA! 85F, sunny, light breeze. Heaven! Got a round of golf in and some yard work, followed by some modeling as well.

The Corsair is coming along nicely. I have the airbrush weathering done as well as the dark washing. Next is a light wash for panel lines and wear/tear.




Lesson learned....NEVER, EVER, EVER put mask tape over decals. EVER! Note the "122" number on the nose.




Speaking of decals...does anyone have any advice on how to dull coat an aircraft like this? Since I used Klear, it has a satin/semi-gloss coat which isn't quite what I need for my weather scheme. I need flat. Also, how to you dull down the decals and make the edges appear to blend into the paint? I've used Micro Sol and it's conforming to panel lines well...just not sure how to get that last bit of realism.

[Navcom]

Finally! I was able to get some wash down on her this evening. It turned out fairly well, though it will need some more clean up. I got the gear and gear doors attached as well. Wow, was that a PITA! Geez!




The tires need a lot of touch-up but they look good for the first round. I still don't know how to make the decals look like they are part of the wing. The edges are still very visible. Something I need to master yet.

[davidowers]

you have got no worries about the 1/32 the way you have done this one

how do you get you model photo's to look so good ?????

[Navcom]

you have got no worries about the 1/32 the way you have done this one

how do you get you model photo's to look so good ?????

LOL! Thanks for the compliment! I'm actually really excited about doing the 1/32 build. I need to finish this one first though.

As for the pictures, most are done with a light box and a couple of temp-calibrated CF bulbs...




I've seen some other folks on the forum use a similar setup. It's pretty standard photography stuff. The light box can be had on Amazon for about $25 U.S. and the lights came from a home improvement store. The bulbs are the most expensive item. They are about $20 apiece as they are calibrated for a particular color temperature. The only trouble with this setup is the silly colored backgrounds...which you can NEVER get all the wrinkles out of!

I'm a photographer. Modellers can understand...if you like something, you have all the "stuff" required for it. Since I do this for part of my living, I naturally have stuff everywhere. The camera I use for most of these shots is a Nikon D600 full frame with a 70-200mm lens. I use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop for processing and keeping track of all my images. My main clients are aircraft, car, and cycle folks...




This was a client shoot I did about 2-3 weeks back (Harley Davidson Soft Tail). We do these in a completely black environment and use only a flashlight to create a composite that looks cool but doesn't require a huge studio and a cumbersome strobe setup, which means we are extremely mobile and can work just about any dark environment. This particular one was done in the clients garage with tools and crap everywhere.

Like scale modeling, photography is an addiction that is accompanied by a magical force that sucks all your cash.

[Navcom]

FINAL REVIEW!



Ladies and gentlemen, I give you my first model in many years, hot off the assembly line, imperfect but pleasing...




















Many things learned on this build. Obvious imperfections:

- Decals are a bit silvered and I couldn't get them to blend with the surfaces very well. Will need much more practice.
- Watch the angle of the gear! It dried before I could get it perfect.
- Missing paint on the bottom of the tires but that's no big deal...won't see it.
- A bit too much weathering I believe. I'm thrilled with the results but would tone it down a bit next time.
- Lost the silly antenna pieces so there are none on the finished model. Will be more careful next time!

But many wonderful things as well!

- I love the "chipping" effect along the leading edges of the wings, prop, and vert/horizontal stabilizers, and along the wing tops, achieved with a little silver, olive drab, and a sponge.
- I learned to use pastels to add some post weathering. Might be overdone but I learned how to make it toned down next time.
- Using 90% thinned black and mottling over the decals tones them down. Love it!
- Dry brushing the canopy edges makes them look much more realistic! Happy accident!

Of course, you have to take the vintage shot...

[Willem]

Jeff. It's superb mate. And your first since getting back into modelling! A real beauty. Man, you have some serious 'chops' (as I believe they say on your side of the pond).
Love the clean build and the weathering. Brilliant paint work all over.
Can't wait to see more of your builds.
Sorry to wax lyrical but that's a great model of a great aircraft that anyone here would be proud to have on the shelf and you, sir are too modest.

[rodrant]

Another great build here ! Very nicely painted , for me the weathering is just right , it isn't too much , I saw a lot of photos of Corsairs , and some I don't know how they were used , a lot of paint missing , Fuel stains , yours it is perfect in my opinion !

And like a lot the 'vintage' photo , could be in one of the Corsair books that I read

A very nice and clean Build and as Willem mention , should be proud of what you make here , it is real nice !

Congratulations !

[Prop72]

Excellent build, mate! I think the weathering looks fine - some of these birds were really beat up as tropical climates/environments did the paint no favours. P.s. I use satin or matt varnish after decaling, and that normally helps make the decal look like part of the paint. ☺

[Navcom]

Thanks everyone! Glad to be done with her but excited to try all the stuff I learned fro this build on my Mustang D-day build.

AJ...Thanks for the tip. I actually coated her with 2 coats of Vallejo matt. I think my problem is I didn't lay them down right to begin with. I used Micro set for putting them down but then let them completely dry before using Micro sol...which then didn't do much. I should've been a little more pro-active up front. Thanks!

[Goose]

nothing more to say, you re the speedy gonzalez of the forum...in three pages you completed a 48th scale build!!! Moreover with a splendid result... it s unfair!,,

congratulations!

Seeu

Goose

[Navcom]

nothing more to say, you re the speedy gonzalez of the forum...in three pages you completed a 48th scale build!!! Moreover with a splendid result... it s unfair!,,

congratulations!

Seeu

Goose

LOL! Thanks Goose! I don't know if i was fast, so much as motivated!

[UKguyInUSA]

Excellent job, mate....she looks great!