ChuckD

Thanks, that's definitely a great mindset for this hobby.  I like to think I strike a balance of detailing where it's visible vs time and effort wasted on something I'll never see.  At least, I strike enough of a balance for my tastes and I respect everyone else's artistic license to detail as their heart guides too.  
 
For me, this hobby is the confluence of my passion for history and my desire to do things with my hands.  It also satisfies an artistic creative drive too.  So in the end, it's very cathartic for me.  I took the week after Thanksgiving off and spent it in the model room listening to jazz and building away.  As a bonus, I was, for the first time in 13 years, able to turn off notifications on my phone and ignore work emails.
 
It was probably the the closest I have ever come to true zen enlightenment.

Thanks, that's definitely a great mindset for this hobby.  I like to think I strike a balance of detailing where it's visible vs time and effort wasted on something I'll never see.  At least, I strike enough of a balance for my tastes and I respect everyone else's artistic license to detail as their heart guides too.  
 
For me, this hobby is the confluence of my passion for history and my desire to do things with my hands.  It also satisfies an artistic creative drive too.  So in the end, it's very cathartic for me.  I took the week after Thanksgiving off and spent it in the model room listening to jazz and building away.  As a bonus, I was, for the first time in 13 years, able to turn off notifications on my phone and ignore work emails.
 
It was probably the the closest I have ever come to true zen enlightenment.

I agree with all the sentiments above.  I was jazzed about the A-26, but never bought one due to its many issues.  The B-24's issues don't bother me as much, but I'm part way through the HB kit now and probably wouldn't bother with a new tool kit regardless of perfection.  One massive Liberator is enough for me.
 
Back on the topic of A-20s, it would be awesome if HKM came up with a way to combine the two kits so you could build a gunship with the individual exhaust cowls.  I'd buy the G kit and a cowl sprue any day, but right now I don't see a way to build a G with the individual cowls without buying both kits and bashing them together.  

Thanks, that's definitely a great mindset for this hobby.  I like to think I strike a balance of detailing where it's visible vs time and effort wasted on something I'll never see.  At least, I strike enough of a balance for my tastes and I respect everyone else's artistic license to detail as their heart guides too.  
 
For me, this hobby is the confluence of my passion for history and my desire to do things with my hands.  It also satisfies an artistic creative drive too.  So in the end, it's very cathartic for me.  I took the week after Thanksgiving off and spent it in the model room listening to jazz and building away.  As a bonus, I was, for the first time in 13 years, able to turn off notifications on my phone and ignore work emails.
 
It was probably the the closest I have ever come to true zen enlightenment.

I agree with all the sentiments above.  I was jazzed about the A-26, but never bought one due to its many issues.  The B-24's issues don't bother me as much, but I'm part way through the HB kit now and probably wouldn't bother with a new tool kit regardless of perfection.  One massive Liberator is enough for me.
 
Back on the topic of A-20s, it would be awesome if HKM came up with a way to combine the two kits so you could build a gunship with the individual exhaust cowls.  I'd buy the G kit and a cowl sprue any day, but right now I don't see a way to build a G with the individual cowls without buying both kits and bashing them together.  

Fed up with the Camel....... biplanes ...schmiplanes.
Had a detour off in a more "tanky" direction ...Airflups re pop of Academy Grant ( cheap for the full interior) . 
DAK resin soldier & abandonded M3 . 
 
Laters 
PW 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 
 
 

That sounds like an amazing week!  I'm right there with you on the combination of history, artistic drive, and manual manipulation.  That's what makes it such a great pasttime for me. 

Fascinating, thanks.  I'll see if I can grab a copy of it.  You know, if this turns out to be a presentable project when done, I'd be happy to give this to you as a direct descendant of the man being portrayed.  I just don't know how I'd get it to you without UPS or the likes turning the whole thing into plastic kibble. 
 
Anyway, I couldn't stand the back of the cowl flaps being completely devoid of details and none of the aftermarket detail sets are in stock anywhere, so I added a little bit myself.  It's not much, but it does add some visual interest behind the flaps.
 

 

 

 
 
As it stands, I currently have the tailwheel, cowls, and engine installed and am working on the lower wings.  I'll be adding some wiring to the gear bays to busy them up a bit.

Thanks, that's definitely a great mindset for this hobby.  I like to think I strike a balance of detailing where it's visible vs time and effort wasted on something I'll never see.  At least, I strike enough of a balance for my tastes and I respect everyone else's artistic license to detail as their heart guides too.  
 
For me, this hobby is the confluence of my passion for history and my desire to do things with my hands.  It also satisfies an artistic creative drive too.  So in the end, it's very cathartic for me.  I took the week after Thanksgiving off and spent it in the model room listening to jazz and building away.  As a bonus, I was, for the first time in 13 years, able to turn off notifications on my phone and ignore work emails.
 
It was probably the the closest I have ever come to true zen enlightenment.

Thanks, that's definitely a great mindset for this hobby.  I like to think I strike a balance of detailing where it's visible vs time and effort wasted on something I'll never see.  At least, I strike enough of a balance for my tastes and I respect everyone else's artistic license to detail as their heart guides too.  
 
For me, this hobby is the confluence of my passion for history and my desire to do things with my hands.  It also satisfies an artistic creative drive too.  So in the end, it's very cathartic for me.  I took the week after Thanksgiving off and spent it in the model room listening to jazz and building away.  As a bonus, I was, for the first time in 13 years, able to turn off notifications on my phone and ignore work emails.
 
It was probably the the closest I have ever come to true zen enlightenment.

What a wonderful build.  I built Tamiya’s F4U-1D a few years ago, the kit is amazing.    Enjoy it, I’ll be following along.  

This is great work, Chuck!  Beautiful detailing and weathering on the cockpit and engine so far.  I love this kit and you're doing a great job with it.  Re: no one ever seeing it, I consider our work to be like a sand mandala that the Buddhist monks do.  It's the work that you're after, sometimes more than the finished product.  Now, of course, we don't throw ours in the trash when we're finished, but it's definitely (for me at least) a case of the journey, not the destination. 

The Corsair page at kiwiaircraftimages.com has a boatload of detail photos, including the wells ahead of the main spar.  Might want to check there.

Thanks, Mike!  I do appreciate it.  Anything to provide more and clearer information to the scene is helpful!
 
I spent yesterday getting the engine around.  I added the spark plug wiring and other assorted oil plumbing.  As always, the photographs make the dirt and oil speckling look far more pronounced than it is to the naked eye.  And the data plate is a close approximate from the spares bin.  All in all though, despite how much the ignition wiring fought me, I'm very happy with how it turned out.



 
The forward cowling got a little love too.  

 
And the two dry fit together.

 
The Quinta cockpit set is supposed to arrive today, so I should be able to get moving on the build proper today or tomorrow.  
 
 

So, it's apparently time for me to buy a lottery ticket.
 
No sooner had I stuck a piece of tape over the Quinta IP, than this happened.  

 
I was trying to mix up a lighter color of green to use for dry brushing when I squeezed my ancient Vallejo white juuuuust a bit too hard.  Man I got lucky; not an errant speck on the unmasked areas.  
 
Anyway, after recovering from that, I went on to finish the cockpit today.  The interior is lightly chipped via the sponge method, then dirtied up a bit with oils and enamels.    The results of the Quinta set and painted wires are really nice.

 
Where the tail wheel would toss up debris and dirt, I splashed dark enamel washes along with some lighter mud tones using the speckling method.






 
Again, the speckling is not nearly as pronounced to the naked eye.  If I had more brain power, I'd get really good with model photography but I only have so much bandwidth and I already spend enough of my days in front of a computer anyway.  So, I'll live with my phone doing it's consumer-friendly best and over-emphasizing the speckling.  

 
The results of the wiring below the IP are pretty solid and I'm happy with them.  They can't be seen much when it's all together, but it still adds quite a bit of visual interest.











 
And, with that it was time to close up the fuse!  This is always a fun milestone of any airplane build.  Don't tell anyone, but it's starting to look like a Corsair already. 

 
The roundish body of the corsair swallows most of the detail I spent yesterday building.  :/



 
And that's it for now.  I'm back to work tomorrow, so I suspect updates will slow down quite a bit, but the next steps are to add the firewall, exhausts and engine.  Then it'll be on to the tail wheel assembly and the wings!  

Fascinating, thanks.  I'll see if I can grab a copy of it.  You know, if this turns out to be a presentable project when done, I'd be happy to give this to you as a direct descendant of the man being portrayed.  I just don't know how I'd get it to you without UPS or the likes turning the whole thing into plastic kibble. 
 
Anyway, I couldn't stand the back of the cowl flaps being completely devoid of details and none of the aftermarket detail sets are in stock anywhere, so I added a little bit myself.  It's not much, but it does add some visual interest behind the flaps.
 

 

 

 
 
As it stands, I currently have the tailwheel, cowls, and engine installed and am working on the lower wings.  I'll be adding some wiring to the gear bays to busy them up a bit.

So, it's apparently time for me to buy a lottery ticket.
 
No sooner had I stuck a piece of tape over the Quinta IP, than this happened.  

 
I was trying to mix up a lighter color of green to use for dry brushing when I squeezed my ancient Vallejo white juuuuust a bit too hard.  Man I got lucky; not an errant speck on the unmasked areas.  
 
Anyway, after recovering from that, I went on to finish the cockpit today.  The interior is lightly chipped via the sponge method, then dirtied up a bit with oils and enamels.    The results of the Quinta set and painted wires are really nice.

 
Where the tail wheel would toss up debris and dirt, I splashed dark enamel washes along with some lighter mud tones using the speckling method.






 
Again, the speckling is not nearly as pronounced to the naked eye.  If I had more brain power, I'd get really good with model photography but I only have so much bandwidth and I already spend enough of my days in front of a computer anyway.  So, I'll live with my phone doing it's consumer-friendly best and over-emphasizing the speckling.  

 
The results of the wiring below the IP are pretty solid and I'm happy with them.  They can't be seen much when it's all together, but it still adds quite a bit of visual interest.











 
And, with that it was time to close up the fuse!  This is always a fun milestone of any airplane build.  Don't tell anyone, but it's starting to look like a Corsair already. 

 
The roundish body of the corsair swallows most of the detail I spent yesterday building.  :/



 
And that's it for now.  I'm back to work tomorrow, so I suspect updates will slow down quite a bit, but the next steps are to add the firewall, exhausts and engine.  Then it'll be on to the tail wheel assembly and the wings!  

Fascinating, thanks.  I'll see if I can grab a copy of it.  You know, if this turns out to be a presentable project when done, I'd be happy to give this to you as a direct descendant of the man being portrayed.  I just don't know how I'd get it to you without UPS or the likes turning the whole thing into plastic kibble. 
 
Anyway, I couldn't stand the back of the cowl flaps being completely devoid of details and none of the aftermarket detail sets are in stock anywhere, so I added a little bit myself.  It's not much, but it does add some visual interest behind the flaps.
 

 

 

 
 
As it stands, I currently have the tailwheel, cowls, and engine installed and am working on the lower wings.  I'll be adding some wiring to the gear bays to busy them up a bit.

Sweet merciful God, please don't connect that to the Internet. 

Fascinating, thanks.  I'll see if I can grab a copy of it.  You know, if this turns out to be a presentable project when done, I'd be happy to give this to you as a direct descendant of the man being portrayed.  I just don't know how I'd get it to you without UPS or the likes turning the whole thing into plastic kibble. 
 
Anyway, I couldn't stand the back of the cowl flaps being completely devoid of details and none of the aftermarket detail sets are in stock anywhere, so I added a little bit myself.  It's not much, but it does add some visual interest behind the flaps.
 

 

 

 
 
As it stands, I currently have the tailwheel, cowls, and engine installed and am working on the lower wings.  I'll be adding some wiring to the gear bays to busy them up a bit.

Once I finish my Corsair build, I'll jump in on this.

Fascinating, thanks.  I'll see if I can grab a copy of it.  You know, if this turns out to be a presentable project when done, I'd be happy to give this to you as a direct descendant of the man being portrayed.  I just don't know how I'd get it to you without UPS or the likes turning the whole thing into plastic kibble. 
 
Anyway, I couldn't stand the back of the cowl flaps being completely devoid of details and none of the aftermarket detail sets are in stock anywhere, so I added a little bit myself.  It's not much, but it does add some visual interest behind the flaps.
 

 

 

 
 
As it stands, I currently have the tailwheel, cowls, and engine installed and am working on the lower wings.  I'll be adding some wiring to the gear bays to busy them up a bit.

Fascinating, thanks.  I'll see if I can grab a copy of it.  You know, if this turns out to be a presentable project when done, I'd be happy to give this to you as a direct descendant of the man being portrayed.  I just don't know how I'd get it to you without UPS or the likes turning the whole thing into plastic kibble. 
 
Anyway, I couldn't stand the back of the cowl flaps being completely devoid of details and none of the aftermarket detail sets are in stock anywhere, so I added a little bit myself.  It's not much, but it does add some visual interest behind the flaps.
 

 

 

 
 
As it stands, I currently have the tailwheel, cowls, and engine installed and am working on the lower wings.  I'll be adding some wiring to the gear bays to busy them up a bit.

man that cockpit is sweet
 
as is the whole build & love the backstory / inspiration
 
Peter

Fascinating, thanks.  I'll see if I can grab a copy of it.  You know, if this turns out to be a presentable project when done, I'd be happy to give this to you as a direct descendant of the man being portrayed.  I just don't know how I'd get it to you without UPS or the likes turning the whole thing into plastic kibble. 
 
Anyway, I couldn't stand the back of the cowl flaps being completely devoid of details and none of the aftermarket detail sets are in stock anywhere, so I added a little bit myself.  It's not much, but it does add some visual interest behind the flaps.
 

 

 

 
 
As it stands, I currently have the tailwheel, cowls, and engine installed and am working on the lower wings.  I'll be adding some wiring to the gear bays to busy them up a bit.