f4u1 headrest armor plate question

[misha71]

Hello

I need help from corsair experts.

can you suggest decals or particular aircrafts with two color paint and without armor plates?

i have almost finished my cockpit and now will be pity to add plates as i will have to remove hexagonal bolt heads and attache them egain.

and to be honest i more like cockpit without armor.

Thank you in advance

 

[John1]

I can’t imagine any WW2 vintage Corsair had this armor removed.   For that matter, given the headrest was attached to it, even post-war, when the USN removed a lot of the armor plating, I’m guessing this piece remained.  

[misha71]

thank you

i mean plates that are photoeched parts in tamiya model

 

[Dana Bell]

Hi Misha,

 

The original "pinched" armor plate was designed to allow the pilot better vision looking aft.  Unfortunately, it also allowed too many bullets into the cockpit around the pilot's head.  The problem was addressed beginning in late January 1943, but it took time to deliver the new replacement armor.  By early March only 29 replacements had been delivered to the West Coast, and by mid-April there were urgent demands that more plate be delivered soon.  The last complaints I've found were dated in May.

 

The earliest photo I've found showing the new plate was taken in June 1943, but there are combat unit photos without the revision into November.  (There are aircraft without the revision in February 1944, but those photos are training units at home.)

 

Since you're dealing with the earlier camouflage scheme, I suspect that you can leave off the "wings" that Tamiya provides unless you have a photo that proves otherwise.

 

As a note for anyone wishing to use the revised armor, I recommend against using the Tamiya PE add-ons.  The revised plate was actually a single solid upper plate of armor, not two clip-ons on either side.  The bolts were in the original position only because there was no structure to attach to outboard of the original position.

 

Cheers, all!

 

 

Dana

[Dana Bell]

Sorry Misha,

 

I forgot to mention that the wider head armor was introduced in the factory on F4U-1 #668 (BuNo17415 - delivered 10 June 1943), F3A-1 #12 (BuNo 04526), and FG-1 #257 (BuNo 13248).

 

Cheers,

 

 

Dana

[misha71]

thank you very much Dana for help. great information for me.

i want corsair without wider head armor so i have to make plane from early 43.