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Dark Blue Killer - Tamiya F4U-1D Corsair


John1

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3 hours ago, rjones726 said:

   A picture might help. There is a curved silver oil line on each cylinder just above and inboard of the rocker covers. This is what I was trying to describe.

 

 

 

 

 pr-2800-2.jpg

Aaaaaahhhhh....  I can't believe I missed that.  It was in all of my reference pictures as well, I guess I just had "target fixation" on some other details.   My issue is that this line runs under the upper spark plug lead which I've already installed (and which were a major PITA).  I just don't have the heart to remove this lead.   My choices are to ignore this line or fabricate it over the spark plug lead.  Neither solution is optimal.   I'll have to ponder this.  Thanks very much for the catch!    On a related note - I wonder if that is actually an oil line or just a shield to keep the spark plug lead off the top of the hot cylinder head?

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Hmmm. I never thought of that. It makes sense to keep the ignition wire clear of that hot cylinder head. Either way it's there. I hear you about the "rework". The great thing about modeling is that you get to decide what goes on- and what doesn't :)

 

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So I'm calling it done on the motor.  I took Rob's most helpful advice and decided to replicate those tubular "guards" he referenced in the pic above.  It was a  major pain to install these around the spark plug leads.    Another example of how I get into trouble by not taking my time.   I was in such a rush to get this rather burdensome task completed that I missed these entirely.   If I had caught it, they would have been extremely easy to scratchbuild and they would have looked much better.   On that note, I didn't really sweat the details of these too much.  I discovered by dry fitting the forward cowling that you will only be able to view them from directly forward, and they'll be in the shadows at that.   Even if I opt to leave one of the aft cowling covers off, they still won't be visible, so that made life a bit easier, in that I only had to do a very basic job.   Here's the completed R-2800, freshly delivered from Pratt & Whitney of Stamford, CT, ready for installation.   

 

IMG_0318

 

IMG_0319

As a side note, the R-2800 was considered one of the finest air-cooled piston engines ever developed.  It powered pretty much every radial-engined US WW2 fighter and was used post- war in a range of airliners, including the DC-6.   

 

Now that I'm finally done with the engine, I can move forward to more enjoyable parts of the build.   Next up is the lower fuselage and main landing gear bays.   Plenty of opportunities to add some small bits of detail in the wells,  just a shame that the USN opted to have the bays painted the same as the exterior, Gloss Sea Blue.   This won't allow as much of the detailing to be visible.  This was a part of the USN's obsession to simplify all aspects of production.  Why bother painting the wheel wells white or any other different color when you can just shoot them GSB when you are painting the rest of the exterior?  Saves a few dollars on paint and a few manhours on labor.   

 

Here's the basic lower fuselage sections, which will be the starting point.  There are around 9 separate steps required to complete this assembly.  Just another indicate of how thorough Tamiya was.

 

IMG_0320

 

IMG_0321

 

Note the massive main spar (outer sections are not painted since they will be finished in GSB).   Looks like it could be part of a bridge, not an aircraft.   Just another example of how rugged the Corsair (and it's rival from Grumman, the Hellcat) were built to withstand the hard flying that is part of carrier aviation.  Compare to the light weight British Seafire.  Undoubtedly the British aircraft was more maneuverable but it was totally under-designed for life on a carrier.  

 

Anyway, that's my update for today, thanks for looking!

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Thanks guys!   So I'm moving on with the lower fuselage / wheel bays.   Finished up the oil cooler assemblies and started the basics for the MGL bays and wing fold (yes, I opted to do the wings in the folded position because - A) takes up much less space,  B  ) that is how they were parked on their carriers,  C) it will allow the rockets to be shown in more detail and D) I get a chance to show all the intricate parts present within the wingfold area).  

 

I have to admit that some of this probably won't be fully visible when completed but it's fun putting it together regardless and gives you a better understanding of how the real thing works.  Only thing I've done beyond just gluing and painting the kit parts is to drill out some lightning holes in the MLG bays.  Makes it look more realistic and that's where some of the hydraulic lines I'll be adding get routed through.   I also drilled out another hole in the wing fold hinge assembly.   Other than that, I shot the parts Gloss Sea Blue using Colorcoats enamel.  This stuff airbrushes wonderfully and according to the experts, is a very good match for the WW2 version of GSB (most paints out there represent the later, post-war version of GSB which is a bit darker).  I'm looking for weathering ideas for the wheel bays so if anyone has some pics that show grungy GSB wheel bays, send them my way.  

 

Some pics:  

IMG_0327

 

IMG_0323

 

Note - I'll be overpainting the zinc chromate in the wheel bays.  Still have a lot of details to add to the wingfolds and wheel bays.

IMG_0324 IMG_0322

 

Edited by John1
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The project (slowly) continues.   I assembled the engine cowling  It was a bit dicey due to the Vector cowl flaps.  Their resin flaps need to mate precisely with the Tamiya firewall.  For the most part it was ok but given that the cowl flap assembly isn't very rigid, it took a fair amount of dryfitting and some cleanup work with an Xacto knife to get things adjusted.   Just take your time and you'll be fine.    I still haven't figured out if I'll leave some/all of the cowling off.   Be a shame to cover up that engine that I worked so hard on.  Right now I'm leaning towards leaving off just the lower cowl section.   Anyway, that's all I've got for this update.    Sorry for the crappy pics, I can only take closeup photos in natural light and today it was pretty overcast.  

 

 I painted the front cowling and flaps prior to installation, just to minimize masking issues later in the build.   Really like the way that Colorcoat GSP sprays.   

IMG_0328

 

 

Personally, I think the Vector structural bits inside the cowling add quite a bit.  

IMG_0330

 

Backside of the cowl flaps. Note that I knocked a couple of the linkages off (at the very top of the flaps) during the assembly.  I'll be adding those parts back on shortly.  

IMG_0329

 

Underneath.  Not happy with the color on the exhausts.  I'll be repainting these once I figure out a mix that looks better. 

IMG_0331

 

Edited by John1
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it's strange, I've used pastels on a bunch of armor and even some helo models.  For some reason, never thought about using them on aircraft.  I think they will be a good fit for enhancing the exhausts a bit.  Thanks guys!

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Nothing to do with my build but a kind gent on Britmodeler just posted a link to an awesome Corsair website.

 

https://www.jdsf4u.be/

 

Has a full Corsair operating manual for viewing, multiple technical drawings, pictures, etc.   A truly valuable resources, especially for someone who wants to superdetail an F4U cockpit.  These manuals show what a WW2 spec cockpit really looks like.   Most current warbirds and museum aircraft aren't really accurate examples. 

 

Enjoy!

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