LSP_Ray

Beautiful work, Brian! An amazing project!!! Actually, I believe you have this backwards! As far as I can tell, the step cut out only began to show on the -4 production line. There was a huge argument on Hyperscale a few years back on it. I was pretty sure all -4's had it, but apparently it didn't show till after WWII. I went through every reference I had and sure enough, I could not find a photo showing a cutout. The only one I found was on a bird shortly after the war. Definitely not on early variants. Many planes were retrofitted after the war, including about every museum one I have seen, so a lot of kits have them! The only question not fully answered, because it is so hard to see, is whether the early models had the step with a kickplate on them. Of course, if it was true, in this case you wouldn't see the cutout either as the plate would be very flush....

Sounds like there may have been more orders come in than what they had on hand, and you were later on the list. That is always another problem, I have had stuff sell out on me before I could get an order in. I do not know exactly how they handle their inventory other than in real general terms. The pricing thing is interesting, I don't think I have run into that. It is entirely possible they were respecting the fact that you pre-paid for a cheaper price, since they sent you the product as you said. The invoice is probably auto-generated by a computer and they simply don't bother to adjust before sending it out. As for the exhausts, IIRC they had a special sale for the reduced price. Not sure, but I think that is when I got mine. They are listed for $46.70 now. Anyway, I have had some issues with them in the past, but I have never had a problem fixing it either with a phone call or by e-mail. And phone call is definitely quicker for resolving a problem than e-mail if the phone bill wouldn't be too horrible. I have found GMW much better to deal with than some other vendors. Sure their have been some glitches, but at least in my case I have been able to have them resolved.

Hello Gustave! Another Q for you: I, too, am having a hard time finding ajy info on the cockpit: If I may ask, what did you find and what colors did you decide to go with?

I do some work for Great Models so you keep that in mind when you read this, but: What Tim is talking about with Great Models is getting caught in between updates. They try to keep the website up to date as to stock but you can get caught in between and put on back order. You might try Kitlink.com. They were bought out by Great Models about a year ago. They have set the two up like this: If you want something right away, check Kitlink first. That site is supposed to only deal in what is in stock. They will ship to you ASAP and accept no back-orders. Similar to what Squadron used to do. You can of course still get caught if something sells out, but it won't be placed on back order. BTW, I just checked and they list the Aires set, too: Aires 1/32 F4u-1 Cockpit Great Models is better when you want something for a future product but are willing to wait. GMW lists items in stock + what they can get on special order or pre-orders. So you can wait sometimes a long time for stuff. I still have stuff in my account on pre-order that I placed in 2000. However I am typically buying for future projects so no problem.

Great set up, D! Unfortunately, I don't have the room for that. It is one thing I didn't design for. I think I can make it work with the cabinet drawers and bins, though. I will have to post some pics of my setup when I get it finished.

Thanks for the ideas guys, I think I know how I am going to do it! Good idea Shawn. I especially hate the Humbrol tins. Great paint, but numbers only??!!@#$@#$ I always forget where I put the catalog so that I know what color each number is! I do not like the tins though, hard to keep clean, messy for pouring.

That is my current system!!!! It is what I am trying to fix! Actually, right now I have most stuff organized by color. Except for my Vallejo paints, which has its own organizer. And except for greens, which is over here, and for sprays which are over here. Etc, etc. So it is currently really a pain to find anything. I think I am going to use trays sorted by country as per Chris, in a bank of drawers. Sorry, Chris, I couldn't get your page to come up, and I don't have anyplace for shelves anyway where my paints will be.

I am now trying to pigeon hole all the modeling stuff as I move it into the new studio. I have all these paints I have collected over the years and am trying to decide the best way to organize the darn things. Do you guys typically organize by country or color? I don't know which would be the easiest set up where I could actually find it later...

I like Archer Transfers stuff for placards: http://www.archertransfers.com/AR35215.html US stuff: http://www.archertransfers.com/AR35210S.html , http://www.archertransfers.com/AR35210X.html , http://www.archertransfers.com/AR35210W.html Sure it's not actually aircraft related, but you can't read them anyway. Unfortunately, no red placards, but Eduard has those in some of their sets, as do Hobby Decal, but they are mainly exterior stuff. You can take a white stencil and paint it red with Tamiya Clear Red, that works pretty good.

Be careful! The Eagle Editions sheet, IIRC, is for a different aircraft than the decals in the Hasegawa kit. Having said that, I do think it is weird Hasegawa shows tilted crosses...

Wow! Great NMF work! I can't wait to see the article!

And I believe one of their releases was a Ju-88!!! I have yet to find that one anywhere, though, never have even seen it on eBay.

Great job, Jay!!!

Best to dunk it in cold water once you get it in the shape you want it also. If you let it cool gradually it may warp back.

Glad to hear MDC will pick up the casting of this one also. I have a Ki-61 in the stash, would be great! Also, rumours have been flying that the Ki-61 may be the next Hasegawa new-tool 1/32nd Japanese aircraft release, and so MDC would be first to market with an updated cockpit, even if some of the masters have to be adjusted a little, so this is probably a good business decision.

Wow, looking good, Gustave!!! I am thinking of starting this kit soon, where did you find lind drawings for it to determine rivet locations?

Beautiful work as always, Radub!!! Have you pulled the 1/24th IAR80 out yet???

I didn't know about one! I was more worried about the slaughtering you did in spelling "Oregon," God's country.

Geez!! That is supposed to be "Oregon's Brittania!" The plane was "bought" by contributions from Oregonians. It was one of the last recognized group-funded aircraft. BTW, the nose markings "Happy Warrior" were added after Zemke handed the plane down to another pilot that I do not remember the name of. As far as I know, Zemke never added any noseart to his aircraft.

Warbirds also has some corrective parts to help with the shape of the cowling and cannon and a few other parts.

Not armament in the cowl, the eyebrow switches that arm the machine guns in each wing are on the top left of a -1A (see Detail & Scale, page 36 photo top left) This panel was relocated from below the instrument panel on the -1 as they raised the seat a bit for better visibility as well as the bubble canopy in the -1A. On the -1D, they added a similar switch panel on the right side for arming the rockets and bombs that variant was capable of carrying. A decent drawing showing parts of both armament panels on a -1D is in the Warbird Tech book (Volume 4) on the F4u, on page71. The photo in D&S has had the panels removed unfortunately. a -1A would have the stall strip. I believe it was introduced late in the -1 run. If not, it was retrofitted to earlier models anyway so would be on there. Also, a -1A would definitely NOT have the step in the flap, but the debate does rage on if it was available during the war. In D&S, Bert Kinsey claims it was added during the -1D production run, however I have yet to see one on a WWII photo. I have seen one on a RAAF aircraft just after the war ended. So either they were coming into the works about the end of WWII, or maybe the early ones had metal kick-in flaps so they looked closed when someone wasn't using them??? Anyway, sometime in the -4 run, they went to flaps with the open steps in them. Another thing according to D&S: starting with build no.17930, the landing light under the port wing was deleted. Also the -1A did not have the aerodynamic fairing in front of the tailwheel. I don't remember if the Trumpeter kit has that or not, but FYI anyway.

Let's see... -1A had the extra canopy rail which you already know about. -1A did not have the rocket rails or hardpoints on the wings. Some did have a centerline hard point for drop tank, and some field depot added "Brewster Rack" added to carry a bomb on the centerline. -1A did not have the armament panel on the right(?) top of cowl(this was for the rockets and bombs). -1A had a slightly different diameter prop, IIRC. Need to check my ref's on this one, but it is possible the -1A had a slightly different tailwheel arrangement. One, they added a tailwheel extension at some point plus there was some modification to the tailwheel doors, and I am a little foggy on which variants the change was made. -1A definitely did not have a cutout in the flap to use as a step. That is all I can think of offhand.

There used to be a vac, maybe from ID, conversion set to do a single-seat Venom, but no other aftermarket items that I know of. I am still looking for one of those conversions, or a new one, as a Venom or Vampire is on my longterm wish list!

Hobbycraft themselves showed artwork or a mockup (can't remember which) at one of the trade shows last year. Since then, one of the MPM companies (Special Hobby?) also listed for future release the Allison-engined P-51/A-36's for future release. I did not think they were working together on the project, but you never know what goes on behind the scenes...

According to Cutting Edge's decal sheets, P-36/H-75 sheets 1,2,3, (I know, not the greatest resource) there was H-75A1/2/3, and I believe the H-75A1 has the short nose, but the A-3 has the longer nose (different engine) so you can use the Special Hobby kit for French aircraft. One of the sheets has Finn aircraft, and apparantly they used both versions also.