Fvdm

This will the first of what I hope will be two, perhaps three entries for the Trainers GB.  Ever since I received my Silver Wings Tiger Moths I've been impatiently waiting to build one, the review promises a cracking kit but I hope that what I wrote comes to fruition!
 

 
Mine will be finished as a trainer of No. 28 Elementary Flying and Training School, Mount Hampden, Southern Rhodesia circa 1943:
 

 
The badge of the Rhodesian Air Training Group:
 

 

And now I get to show you the biggest folly I have committed yet on the R-2800 project - the carburetor.  Why did I spend two weeks on a component that is going to be practically unseen?  Well - part of the reason is that when I finish this engine, I intend to display it on it's own for a while, as I do other things for the Corsair like the cockpit or the wings, or the cowl.  And partly because R-2800's had big bad-a__ carburetors, and it would just be neat to do one.  Pretty weak....
 
The R-2800 had many variations, and part of those variations were the carburetor.  "A" and "B" series engines all had some version of the Bendix-Stromberg PT-13 carburetor.  In the case of the F4U-1's  and everything up until the F4U-4, it was the PT13-D4, which was an upside down (updraft) version:  
 

 
I have no idea why Vought wanted a carburetor on the bottom of the engine instead of on top like almost all other R-2800-equipped aircraft.  Any of you know?  That is the reason this work is such folly - it almost cannot be seen down there.   
 
Up until I found actual drawings of PT-13 carburetors and their components at AirCorps Library, I really had very little to go on to model it.  Vought drawings of the engine compartment stuff showed outlines but no good details.  My R-2800 book had some decent pictures:
 
  
 

 
That helped some but I could not scale much of anything.  Note that it looks like a great big single-lens-reflex camera.  It has a throttle body, a regulator unit, and a control unit.
 
Then I discovered that Aircorp Library had Fuel System information in their "components" section.  Thank you, Thank you!  Look:
 

 
Amazing!  And there were drawings of the components too (all three - body, regulator, controller, and more too).  Only thing is - there was nothing on the updraft -D4 version.  Only several versions of downdraft versions (right side up).  But that's OK - the versions shared many components or very similar versions of those components - some opposite hand, some upside down, etc.  That eliminated some of the guesswork.  And sadly, the drawing pictures are not crisp enough - where most of the dimensions cannot be read.  But I figured out a few though, which allowed me to scale everything else.  And using some pictures I have of the actual F4U engine which include the carb, I was off to the races.
 
Just using all types of EV plastic stock, and dozens of Meng nuts, I made the basic body (on the right) and the control unit and regulator unit (on the left):
 

 
Finished:
 

 

 
And temp placed on the (upside down) engine:
 

 

 
These super-duper close-ups reveal things I'd rather not reveal!  Looks much better from a foot or two away:
 

 
OK, here are the engine components completed  to date (after about 9 months of work):
 

 
Next is the aft section which is two components:
 

 

 
 
Good god - these are complicated.  With any luck I will complete these before the election!  Please stay tuned.

there is never enough Stearmans 
together with PBY and C-47 one of my all time favourite plane
I have started Roden kit while back but didn't proceed far. And after I have recieved my ICM release, I have decided that will try to finish both

 

 
I will fiinsh one in early scheme yellow / blue and one overall silver, most probably I will use ICM decals for markings and masks for insignias


Im using Eduard PEs released for Roden kit for the ICM as well. 
Painted with Mr. Paint
fuselage - ICM below Roden

ICM left

ICM below


ICM below

Eduard PE seats and seatbelts

Eduard PE instrument panels

ICM below

ICM right


ICM fuselage+cockpit


Roden version


 
ICM in front

 
So far I can confirm that ICM release is superior to Roden in surface, details and fit IMHO
Roden is not bad kit, but I have to clean every part what annoys me a little
thanks for looking
jan

Right, time for an update! I've spent most of the last 3 days scratch-building a replacement instrument panel, having already decided to go to town in the cockpit. And yes, I did check to see if there were any aftermarket options available, first! Sadly, not to be. In fact, apart from the odd decal sheet, there's virtually no dedicated aftermarket for this kit at all.
 
I elected to go with the tried-and-true 'sandwich' method, whereby you sandwich a sheet of acetate (or other clear plastic) between a back plate and the instrument panel itself.
 
Here's the result:
 

 
I'll let you guys figure out which is the kit part. Remember, this is several times larger than the actual item!
 

 
I relied heavily on the wondrous gift to superdetailers and scratch-builders that is airscale's range of decals and photo-etch sets. I did set out describing how I built this in some detail, but started to bore even myself, so if you have any questions, just sing out.
 
I've also been working on improvements to the empennage, and have started rebuilding the cockpit interior, but will leave that for another update.
 
Kev

Finally I can call this bird - DONE.
 
























 











 

Great work Ben. I think the contrast made with the liquid mask just looks fantastic.

Here we go. The Tomcat is keeping me busy and I really enjoy painting it although I already know the finished model will not be as good as I'd expect it to be. A heads up for anyone planning to make the same modifications I made - the kit plastic is very hard and brittle and does not like to be squeezed. Cracks are appearing in several places and I am not sure I can hide them properly... but we will see. 
 
I have modified the Phoenix pallets by adding some very big O-scale rivets from Micro mark which work nicely to simulate the the big bolts on the real thing. The BRU-32 bomb racks from Quickboost were fitted as well. I know, there should have been gaps in front and behind them in which some wires are visible but I have to admit simply wasn't in the mood to fiddle around with wires. They would be hidden by the GBU-12s anyway. I am pretty sire the Quickboost BRU-32s aren't correct anyway, their front and rear angle seem to be too steep. I am not going to worry about that at this point, though.
 

 
The pallets were then painted and weathered. Smoke is great to simulate accumulating dirt on hinges.
 

 

 
Most of the visible spots made with Smoke will be filled with base colour to simulate old corrosion control tough ups. 
 

 
The pallets are pretty much ready to be fitted to the fuselage. Just a few small details to be painted.
 

 
More smoke was added to most parts, simply sprayed through a mottling template. This will be sprayed over with base colour again, leaving behind a very subtle yet visible pattern under the paint. 
 

 
Several washes and filters were applied to the control surfaces. I am mostly using warm grey, black, white and blue oil paints to create a busy surface. Touch ups are applied at almost every weathering stage to simulate older and newer ones. 
 

 
Liquid mask applied with a sponge works great to create interesting surfaces. Contrast should have been a bit bigger this time as the result is just barely visible. 
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

I really love it when people are a bit strange. Especially when they detail bomb bays. Beautiful build.

thanks Jim, well, originally I was not going to use the hobbycraft parts and save the kit, was going to scratch all the canopy parts making a mold and vacuformed transparents  however  as I have no experience on that took the decision to use the donor kit and build this one quicker, the rear canopy windows also need to be lifted slightly  in position, that's what I did today, now filled with black ciano and sanding and polishing ahead, cheers
 

I'm  resurrecting this project I started a couple of years ago, using the Revell "D"  downgrading into a "B" model.
 
some 1/32 Mustang kits  on the bench for comparison measures  

 
the revell kit is the best  option as a base for this operation, here  without the main D features
 

 
the leading wing was transformed using milliput


 


 
some magic sculpt on top of that hump, tomorrow more sanding....

 

 
so this is it so far, many uncertainties yet on the way to come...
 
cheers 

I decided to do the back sections of the engine at this time.  I am not sure I have seen anyone model these details, because they are normally hidden.  Not so for this model (I hope) - as the engine accessory compartment is going to be openable if I can pull it off.  
 
Boy, there are untold variations of the R-2800 even if you ignore the modernized "C" versions.  The Corsair had a "B" version which looks very similar to the "A" version which was the original.  R-2800's had a single stage two speed supercharger as standard.  I think most R-2800 equipped aircraft had this.  The Thunderbolt for example had that kind, but it also had a separate turbocharger that fed compressed air into the R-2800 supercharger.  These engines have a kind of stubby aft section.  The Corsair (and Hellcat) had two-stage superchargers which were contained in the engine.  These engines were characterized by longer back ends with an extra section for that second stage.  Here is what the Corsair engine looks like:
 
   
 
Bad to the bone.  Check out all that stuff aft of the cylinder banks.  That is my challenge.  Note the carburetor on the bottom behind the cylinders.  It attaches to the auxiliary blower section, which is that extra section I was talking about, and what this post is about.  Here is a picture of it from one of the R-2800 part catalogs (complements of AirCorps Library):
 

 
My plan was to create a basic lathe turned part, and carve it up with the end mill to accept a number of plastic inserts for mounting surfaces.  Also the aft flange would be a separate part made from plastic sheet. 
 
Here is the lathe turning:
 

 
Three flat surfaces must be provided on this part (also the sides are flat) - one on the bottom for the carburetor, and two on top for the air intake ducts.  Here it is with slots milled in, and plastic inserts added:
 

 
You also see Meng nuts, and to the right the very ugly diaphragm with its upstanding housings for the exhaust pipes.  It'll be fine; don't worry.
 
And basically finished:
 

 

 
Just a bunch of plastic work.  On the engine (dry fit):
 

 
There are two sections that fit behind this aux blower section.  They come right after the carburetor, which is my next task.  Stay tuned.   
 
 
 
 
 
 

Repainting is done and finished but taking photos was quite a hard task. Somehow the orange doesn't react well to artificial light (even though it's close to daylight).
Anyhow - little contrast can be seen and I promise it's more visible in reality. Unfortunately I can't take new pictures since the tanks are already masked up.

 
Top is the upperside and at the bottom is the tank's belly.
One step closer to the finishline: the codes and insignia are finally painted.
I used a 60/40 mixture of tamiya NATO black and gloss black to get a dirty satin black. I'll add the rest of the masks today evening and then the zipper is ready for its camo.

 
If one of the mods swings by: This thread can be moved to the Work in Progress forums since painting, decalling and finishing the zipper up will for sure take one more month.
Until then
Joachim

Not much to say here other than I finally got this thing completely riveted. I’d say it took me 40 hours all together.
 

 

 

 

 
Next up is figuring out how to paint closed flaps.
 
Thanks for looking.

...still riveting!
 
cheers
 
P

More engine work.....push rod heads are primed as well as exhaust, might get them painted later. For now, off to get some plywood!
 
 

Yeap call this one done, and it's about time....lol.
 

 
The only thing left to do is gluing  the canopys, a little bit of dirt and ''VOILA !''
Down to photo shoot..... sometime this week-end to the RFI.  
 
Dan,

Hi all,
Just a quick update on the fuselage progress.
The metal is 'Alclad' black base with Duraluminium top coat.
Wood panels are 'Tamiya' XF57 base with 'DecoArt' acylic Burnt Umber for wood effect.
Fuselage pre-shaded with 'Tamiya' Smoke X19 with XF55 used to highlight formers.
Top coated with XF 78 for CDL base colour.
The pre-shading and formers are faint but should show up more once the decals and sealing coat are applied.
 
I still have to gloss coat and apply 'Aviattic' Clear Linen effect decals and seal the wood effect.
Then weather it before starting on the rest of the model,
 
Mike
 
 
 
Post script:
I've gloss coated and applied a test decal of the 'Aviattic' canvass/linen effect (ATT32236).
This decal has no colour tint, just the canvass/linen weave.
The colour required shows through from the base coat.
 
 

Got a wing painted today and put the insignia on it, still have to clear coat and weather it.
 

Hello everyone!
It's been some time since the last update.
After completing the camo painting and initial weathering I moved on to applying the decals.
The DXM decals behaved beautifully and conformed to every surface detail without any fuss.
I used mr mark softer and setter which I think proved a tad to strong as two hinomarus melted in some spots.
Luckily DXM provides two sets of national insignia and I was able to cut small sections to cover the affected areas.
The fuselage is covered with a myriad of stencils and warning signs and DXM has tried to combine as many as possible in on decal.
However, it still took a good five 2h sessions to finish the whole thing.
With the decals in place I then applied a wash using Tamiya's panel line accent and sealed everything with a coat of Vallejo matt varnish.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
And a few detail shots.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Absolutly FANTASTIC!

Hi all,
Just a few updates for the fuselage as they're not covered in the kit:
Filler cap (oil tank?) and access panel hinge to the top of the front decking.
Filler cap is 0.2 mm plastic cards discs with a 0.3 mm diameter tube.
Both fuselage/wing roots have photo-etch flying wire attachment points added from the ‘PART’ 1/48th scale WWI Aircraft Control Horns (S48-087).
Creases added to the corners of the linen stitched panel, using ‘AV’ Masilla Plastica (401) putty,
 
Mike
 
 
 
 
 
 

Another update, and yet more problems.  This update should have been written days ago and I should be closer thank I am to finishing this kit. 
 
So after the varnish spill and the paint that removed, I let it dry for a day, then repainted both  surfaces of the wing, then applied more varnish.  Here it is, all repaired.
 

 
After waiting another day, I started to apply the decals.  This took a number of sessions as I thought it best to do this a bit at a time to allow them to dry before handling the model again.  A couple of the decals were troublesome, not wanting to adhere, but a few applications of Mr Marksetter did the trick in all except one decal which tore.  This was the larger Star and Bar under the right wing.  This marking had to be cut to fit around the photo etch rib glued to each wing, then holes cut through for the bullet casing ejector chutes.  I thought the decal was set, but it wasn't completely, and it tore on the top right side.  Not a huge problem as I was easily able to mask and paint the corner back, though it needed both blue and white colours to  properly repair it.  I had similar issues to a much lesser extent with the Star and Bars that covered the turbocharger doors on the fuselage side.  These didn't quite fit and needed a little trimming, but it's interesting that these Zotz decals tore when trimming even though I was using a new blade.  Again, not much of an issue as a little white paint fixed those edges.  Here's the results.
 

 

 

 
After letting it all set for another 24 hours, I started to apply the last coat of varnish, this time a satin finish.  At this point in history, many crew chiefs were applying a coat of bees wax to smooth the rough matt finish, which gave an extra 5 or so mph in top speed and it's this that I'm trying to replicate.  So again, I airbrushed varnish on the undersides.  But it wouldn't dry.....    And it's the depths of winter here and we were in the midst of a slow moving storm cell, so I just had to wait it out for five days.      This not drying issue only happened in a couple of small places, but it was enough to cause the build to grind to a halt as these places were exactly where the model needs to rest on my cradle without damaging it so it has to be absolutely dry before I can progress further.  Finally on Wednesday, the skies cleared and the wind abated so I was able to leave it outside to dry for a few hours, which did the trick.  That night, I airbrushed the rest of the varnish to the top sides, with no issues.  Don't ask me what went wrong with the undersides as I have no idea.  Same varnish (Humbrol), equally stirred and mixed both sessions, and same airbrush settings.    Anyway, here it is, with most of the masking removed.
 

 

 

 
I'm not going to say what I think of the results at this stage, for fear of cursing it some more .  Incidentally, I used Humbrol Maskol as the masking agent over the gun barrels and to cover the joins in the canopy mask, and I have to say I've forgotten how good this product is for such things.  I haven't used it in decades.
 
So it's on to final fit up of the undercarriage and other small details, and hopefully it will be finished.  Digits crossed!!   But I'm taking a short break so it will have to wait until I get back.
 
 
Cheers,
Michael

I printed the "Mickey Mouse"  on decal paper, cheers
 

I have designed the exhaust ring for the mid-wing pods.
 
I did not know how to design a circular part like this until last night. I googled how to do this, watched a youtube video, and viola! Here it is.
 

 
I then cut it so that I could slip it onto the pod.
 

 
Dropped into place.
 

 
And glued into the channel. Sanded flush.
 

 
Dan

3. The guns
 
The old revell kit doesn't have any detail for the guns except for the two trenches under the fuselage and intakes.
Luckily Isracast provides all the details needed with photoetch.
 

 
The trenches are too short for the PE part and were lenghtened with a semi oval file.
 

 
The gun barrel was made with a metal piece inserted into the rear of the recess.
The gun brake is also supplied in PE and was shaped round first then both side were flattened and bent 90°
 

 

 
The trick is to adapt the round shape so the side of the gun brake align nicely with the long ellipse PE part.
 

 

 
Not perfect yet but already much better than no detail at all ...