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Birdcage Corsair the Hard Way!


LSP_Kevin

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Thanks, Jim. I'm just frustrated at having made such a basic mistake, especially since not making that mistake was part of my planning!

 

At the moment, work continues on fixing up all the seams and gaps on the wings and fuselage, but I really need to carve out a good chunk of time to work on the turtle deck modifications. So far, that time has eluded me. Hopefully soon, as I want to get that work done before I attach the outer wings, just so it's easier to work on.

 

Kev

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Being a really new member of all of 4 months, reading and posting in the current threads has been about all I could realistically accomplish, while building and posting in my build threads. I kind of avoided the major threads of dozens and dozens of pages including yours. Unfortunately, I missed out on some of the best modeling I've ever seen. And now I've gotten through 25 pages of your Birdcage the hard way, and I'm just simply amazed.

 

The level of detail achieved , coupled with the engineering needed to accomplish fitting AM parts, and combined with your own scratch building is just beyond any words I can think of.

 

So even though I'm a little more then 1/2 way to the present state, I just had to post.  I also started using the like button even though it's from posts more then a year ago.

 

And right after I get caught up here, I want to tackle Harv's quick build of 6 years.

 

Joel

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Ok Kev,

 

  I'm officially current in your epic build. It took a lot longer to read then I thought, as I ended up reading almost all the posts, without them the saga just wouldn't have been the same.   Issue after issue, with a perfect fix time and time again. Nothing seemed to have phased you enough to bin the kit. Needless to say I'm really looking forward to your next update.

 

Joel

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Kev,

   Two things really stood out:

 

A- Trumpeter really blew it with the worst engineering of any of their kits yet. Must be one of their very earliest kits.

B-Aires upgrade part fit is as bad as I've heard and seen. Resin shrinks, so if anything the parts should have been smaller not larger to the point of all you hear is horror stories of grinding, filing, heavy sanding, and a lot of under the breath cursing. :fight: 

 

   Looking forward to the next chapter in your build book.

 

Joel

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OK, so I'm working on the turtle deck modifications, but am really struggling to find much in the way of photographs of it. A kind member has already posted some photos of a salvaged part in this thread, and they are indeed useful. But I'm looking for some form of corroboration for the heavy-handed bolts depicted on the front of this 1/48 part from Vector:

 

f4u-1-birdcage-corsair-reinforced-turtle

 

To my eye, they look ridiculously over-scale, but I haven't been able to find a single photo of this modification from this angle to show what it really looked like. Can anybody assist?

 

Kev

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Here's the progress so far on the turtle deck mods, and I have to confess that my work here is a little on the sloppy side. I decided to use the clear resin windows for the side blanking plates, as they're already the right size and shape, just a bit too convex. I CA'd them in place and gave them a vigorous sanding down. I added front blanking plates from sheet styrene, but managed to make one larger than the other. Oh well. The reinforcing plate over the spine is made from some heavy aluminium tape, after marking out a template using Tamiya tape. It's a little on the thin side, actually, so I may bulk it out a little with a few coats of Mr. Surfacer.

 

Here's what it looks like at the moment:

 

yCwNUC.jpg

 

BCCwMf.jpg

 

jCgybu.jpg

 

I'll give it coat of primer to see what it looks like, and decide if I need to add some thickness to the reinforcing plate. After that's all sorted, I can start adding some surface details (rivets, mainly). It's a shame about the lopsidedness, but it should be mostly obscured by the sliding hood being in the open position. At least, that's the hope!

 

Kev

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Kev,

  The exterior of the Turtle deck looks really quite good especially as your putty work is feathered perfectly. The head on look does indeed look lopsided, but with primer and paint, it will blend in and not jump out at the viewer as does the dark gray and white. Leaving the canopy overhanging it slightly will certainly make it a non-issue.

 

Joel

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As Joel says, the size difference won't be noticeable after primer. If anything it looks as if the basic part is slightly off centre, meaning you have no option but to have the starboard insert a bit bigger. I wouldn't sweat it, it will look fine when done.

 

Jim

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Thanks, fellas. I'm still disappointed that I managed to screw up something so basic, but as you say, it won't be that noticeable in the end. The upper reinforcing plate is too thin, but should bulk up sufficiently - at least around the edges - with a couple of heavy coats of Mr. Surfacer.

 

Kev

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Guest Peterpools

Hi Kev

Super work and I completely agree, that once painted and under the sliding portion of the canopy, it will look perfect.

Keep 'em coming

Peter

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Can anybody assist?

 

Happily, Allan sent me some photos that show exactly what I need. Thanks, Allan! Now I just need to decide how - or if - I can replicate those fasteners on the front blanking plates.

 

Kev

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