Ken Walsh's VMF-124 Corsair - Revell reworked

[fastzx]

Ken Walsh's VMF-124 Corsair

 

This is my Revell Corsair:

Hasegawa F6F engine-wired

rescribed entire plane - a first for me

Pre-shaded paint job - another first for me

seperated rudder & elevators

Scratchbuit cowl flaps, oil cooler/intercooler intake and opened up oil cooler bypass ramps

converted with Horizon vac Birdcage scallops and canopy

Jerry Ruttman resin prop hub with original early style Revell blades

Black Box resin cockpit - a first for me

Resin wheels and tires

Scratchbuilt landing gear from aluminum tube added detail to tailwheel assy

Moskit exhausts

scrounged early style markings for Ken Walsh's VMF-124 white 13 Early 1943

[V8Goose]

Great work Fastzx!...

 

More pictures please

 

Cheers

 

Goose

[fastzx]

Great work Fastzx!...

 

More pictures please

 

Cheers

 

Goose

 

 

Goose,

 

The Work in Progress pictures are in the "failed Group Build" forum.

 

Jon

[Spads57]

Beautiful Corsair.How about more photo's please.

Regards,

Gregory Jouette

[fastzx]

white 13 - F4U-1 April 1, 1943

[fastzx]

Lt Kenneth Walsh VMF-124

[Texas]

Great Looking Model...and I really your choice of markings.

 

Texas

[maverick728470]

Jon,

U may take u'er time building that corsair.But u'er work is really great.But please more pic's and especially that resin pit u put in that old bird of kit.Yes,More pic's.Larry

[fastzx]

Jon,

U may take u'er time building that corsair.But u'er work is really great.But please more pic's and especially that resin pit u put in that old bird of kit.Yes,More pic's.Larry

 

 

Larry I did not take any pics during the resin cockpit build, it was my first and I was too busy sanding both the resin tub AND the Revell fuselage to paper thin thickness!

 

Here is one.

Black Box Resin tub with Eduard color panel

[fastzx]

Another showing gear and exhaust.

Wind spun the prop.

Photos I have of Walsh's plane show that he had NO headrest! Just armorplate.

[Mr Creosote]

Sweet build. Three Thumbs Up,for sure.

RD

[fastzx]

Thanks,

[bcauchi]

Beautiful work, that is a lovely corsair, well done|!!

[fastzx]

Beautiful work, that is a lovely corsair, well done|!!

 

 

Brian,

 

Thanks so much,

I have to say seeing your Corsair and Murph's Corsair certainly has inspired this build.

I know it is not even close to such levels as I have seen of some of the super nice work on this site,

but I at least feel that Ive been inspired to ratchet my level of detail and effort up a few notches,

Due to the examples and techniques, advice and encouragement I've received here at LSP.

 

Thanks for the kind words,

Jon

[fastzx]

Thanks to everyone for the kind words I built this plane in memory of the Marines who flew.

 

 

Kennth A Walsh

Medal of Honor citation

 

For extraordinary heroism and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty as a pilot in Marine Fighting Squadron 124 in aerial combat against enemy Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands area.

Determined to thwart the enemy's attempt to bomb Allied ground forces and shipping at Vella Lavella on 15 August 1943, 1st Lt. Walsh repeatedly dived his plane into an enemy formation outnumbering his own division 6 to 1 and, although his plane was hit numerous times, shot down 2 Japanese dive bombers and 1 fighter.

After developing engine trouble on 30 August during a vital escort mission, 1st Lt. Walsh landed his mechanically disabled plane at Munda, quickly replaced it with another, and proceeded to rejoin his flight over Kahili.

Separated from his escort group when he encountered approximately 50 Japanese Zeros, he unhesitatingly attacked, striking with relentless fury in his lone battle against a powerful force. He destroyed 4 hostile fighters before cannon shellfire forced him to make a dead-stick landing off Vella Lavella where he was later picked up.

His valiant leadership and his daring skill as a flier served as a source of confidence and inspiration to his fellow pilots and reflect the highest credit upon the U.S. Naval Service.

 

UNIT HISTORY

Sep 7, 1942, VMF-124 is organized from the remnants of VMF-122 at Camp Kearny, California.

Dec 28, 1942, the twenty-two F4U-1’s of VMF-124 are declared combat ready. At this time, only 178 Corsairs have rolled off the assembly line at Vought.

Jan 8, 1943, VMF-124 departs San Diego aboard the SS Lurline.

First deployment, February to September, 1943:

 

Feb 11, 1943, VMF-124 arrives at Guadalcanal aboard the SS Lurline.

Feb 12, 1943, Major Gise leads 12 Corsairs of VMF-124 to Cactus field, Guadalcanal in the morning, before noon they fly their first combat mission, a Dumbo escort.

Feb 13, 1943, VMF-124 flies a 600 mile round trip mission escorting PBY’s. Such a long escort flight had previously been unheard of in the U.S. Navy. One Zero was encountered, evidently a curious Japanese pilot wanting to get a look at the unfamiliar fighters.

Feb 14, 1943, the "Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre". Four P-38’s, two P-40’s, two F4U’s, and two bombers are lost, only three Zeke’s downed including the one that collided with a Corsair.

Apr 1, 1943, 58 Zekes on a fighter sweep tangle with six P-38’s. The P-38’s had just relieved Ken Walsh and his seven F4U-1’s of CAP (Combat Air Patrol) duty. Ken Walsh and his flight returned to the area to assist the P-38’s, two Zekes and one P-38 were already falling from the sky. By the end of the battle, 42 Allied aircraft were in the fight, 20 Japanese aircraft were shot down. This marked Ken Walsh’s first combat flight, he was credited with three aircraft destroyed.

Apr 4, 1943, VMF-213 arrives on Guadalcanal, VMF-124 rotates to Australia for six weeks of R&R.

May 13, 1943, Ken Walsh becomes the first Corsair ace by downing three more aircraft and a probable fourth, this is only his second combat mission. Major Gise is killed in action this day.

June 5, 1943, Walsh downs a Zeke and a Pete. During June of 1943, VMF-124 occasionally operated from the forward airstrip at Banika in the Russell Islands.

July, 1943, VMF completes their second six week combat tour and rotates out for six weeks of R&R.

Aug 12, 1943, Walsh downs two more with a probable third.

Aug 14, 1943, VMF-124 moves to Munda, New Georgia, only nine days after it was captured.

Aug 15, 1943, VMF-124’s best day of combat with 13 kills while protecting the landings on Vella Lavella.

Aug 21, 1943, Walsh downs two more with a probable third.

Aug 23, 1943, Walsh gets another probable in the Vella Lavella area.

Sep 7, 1943, VMF-124 completes its first tour of duty and rotates out of Munda.

Oct 13, 1943, VMF-124 arrives in the U.S. for reorganization and retraining .

--------------------------------

 

Sep 18, 1944, VMF-124 departs the U.S. aboard the USS Ticonderoga.

Sep 24, 1944, VMF-124 arrives at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

In October of 1944, kamikaze attacks begin. The Navy, not being short of F6F Hellcats, but short on fighter pilots, begins transitioning SB2C and TBM pilots to the Hellcat. This transition training would take a lot of critical time, so the Navy authorized the immediate carrier qualifications of ten Corsair squadrons. VMF-124 and 213 are among the ten selected.

Dec 28, 1944, VMF-124 and 213 board the fast carrier Essex at Ulithi Atoll with new F4U-1D Corsairs.

--------------------------------

Second deployment, January to March, 1945:

Jan 2, 1945, VMF-124’s first carrier born combat mission, escorting TBM’s of Torpedo 4 on an attack on Kagi airfield, Formosa.

Jan 4, 1945, escort TBM’s striking Formosa.

Jan 6 and 7, 1945, stikes against the northern Philippines. In the first nine days of combat operations, VMF-124 and 213 lose seven pilots and 13 Corsairs, all to operational accidents.

Jan 9, 1945, strikes flown against Formosa.

Jan 10, 1945, CAP 200 miles west of Luzon.

Jan 11, 1945, CAP 100 miles east of China.

Jan 12, 1945, anti-shipping strikes in the Saigon River and harbor and attacking runways and buildings in Bien Hoa and Long Bin.

Jan 14, 1945, CAP over the task force.

Jan 15, 1945, attack on the harbor area, Takao, Formosa.

Jan 16, 1945, strikes against Yulingan Bay and Saifa Point, southern China.

Jan 20, 1945, CAP nets eight Helens shot down and one probable out of ten sighted. A great day for VMF-124 and 213.

Jan 21, 1945, strikes against Formosa.

Jan 22, 1945, strikes against Okinawa.

Jan 25, 1945, the Essex returns to Ulithi for re-supply, replacement Corsairs, and replacement pilots.

Feb 16, 1945, escort TBM’s striking Vayzu airfield near Tokyo.

Feb17, 1945, strikes against Tokyo.

Feb 19, 1945, strikes against Iwo Jima.

Feb 21, 1945, strikes against Iwo Jima, Haha Jima, and Chichi Jima.

Feb 25, 1945, fighter sweeps over airfields north of Tokyo. Many pilots report few targets and the weather over Tokyo is so bad that pilots report frozen guns and frost bite.

Mar 1, 1945, strikes against Okinawa, minimal opposition reported.

Mar 4, 1945, the Essex returns to Ulithi, VMF-124 and 213 are detached and will depart for the U.S. Many of VMF-124 and 213’s Corsairs remain onboard the Essex, are given new markings (the "hour glass" marking) and become VBF-83’s Corsairs.

The war would end before VMF-124 would be ready for another combat tour.