1/18 Scale Blue Box F4U-1A Corsair Modification

[JayW]

23 hours ago, Rockie Yarwood said:

I'm going blind just watching you work on all those tiny parts - can't imagine how tired your eyes must be!

 

Yeah Rockie - these days I almost always don my readers and my high magnifier head strap when I make parts.  In order to do this level of detail, that is what it takes for my poor tired eyes.

 

1 hour ago, scvrobeson said:

Always amazed by the micro-engineering that you're able to come up with.

 

Thanks Matt.  There is such a thing as too much.  I hope I am not too guilty of that.  I knew long ago that the cowl flaps were going to be a large exercise in "micro-engineering", so I am not surprised.  Unfortunately the Corsair's cowl flaps are short enough and are at a large enough angle so that the innards are plainly visible from aft looking forward.  Los and lots of period (and modern) photos where all that stuff shows.

 

[Thunnus]

It looks like you've got the hang of the airbrush already Jay!  But those cowling flaps... amazing!!!

[Woody V]

Boy, you crazy!

 

 

And that's a good thing. 

[TAG]

At this point adjectives no longer work on their own, the only way to convey my full appreciation for what you're doing would be the egregious, copious, and forceful use of expletives, and since this is a classy joint I'll refrain from doing so. But dude, seriously? I've been a big fan of your work for years now and I mean, come onnnnnnnn, how is this even possible?!?

Chapeau, mon ami, you deserve ALL the accolades.

[JayW]

7 hours ago, Thunnus said:

It looks like you've got the hang of the airbrush already Jay!

 

John - a bit of an over-statement there.  Let's just say I am no longer afraid of it, and that I agree that it allows far more control than simply fire-hosing out of a rattle can!  To turn it into an artform like you and some others have, well I'm a ways off from that.  Oh, and I still think the clean-up is a PITA - a disadvantage I always suspected was there and am right.  Thanks though for the kind response. 

 

As for the cowl flaps and mechanism - you guys ain't seen nothin yet.

[JayW]

4 hours ago, TAG said:

I've been a big fan of your work for years now...

 

And for that - I am a grateful modeler.  Thanks.  You have helped me out quite a few times.

[JayW]

13 hours ago, scvrobeson said:

I'm almost convinced you're building a real Corsair, and are just telling us that it's 1/18 scale to throw us off.

 

Hey Matt - you know of course that is the ultimate complement a modeler can have.  After all we try to accurately build a scale model of a real thing. 

 

I have something going for me that helps.  The F4U is one of a dozen or so aircraft where the engineering drawings are available through Aircorps Library.   If you build parts to the engineering drawing as best you can (scaled of course), either by scratch building or by molding or 3D printing, then little by little, by god, the end product starts to look very much like the real thing.   That is what gives me such a thrill with these large scale projects.

 

The other thing of course is the large scale.  I could not do this level of detail at 1/32 scale.  Some could maybe, but not me.  At 1/18, I can almost scale down the head or nut of a 1/4 inch dia bolt using Meng Fasteners or the like.  3/16 (#10) bolts - nope; too small so mine are oversized should I feel the need to include (the cowl flap mechanism is full of 1/4 or 3/16 bolts).  And with 0.005 inch plastic sheet, or aluminum sheet, I can simulate sheet metal parts that are typically .06 inch or .08 inch thick - oversized some but usually not noticeable.

 

And, the introduction of 3D printed parts has really enhanced this model.  There are limitations, but not very much.  One must be able to digitally design the parts of course - but in my past life that is some of what I did!         

[scvrobeson]

Thank you for the explanation of your process, I appreciate the openness to help. I truly am blown away by the quality of this build, and can't wait to see what comes next.

 

 

Matt 

[JayW]

On 8/15/2022 at 9:37 AM, Greg W said:

Hi Jay

 

We can buy Flory Model Products here in the States at High Altitude Hobbies. 

 

Hey Greg - just ordered some washes.  Yahoo!  Thanks for the tip on where to purchase.

[airscale]

Jay - I have the advantage of knowing exactly what you are doing...

 

find the drawing, scale it, make the sub components, make the part...

 

however, the threshold for the level of iddy, biddy bits I would go down to and actually be able to reproduce is waaaay lower than yours, and the ability to have the engineering accuracy to make parts that actually fit together rather than just representative shapes shows this is what I would call extreme modelling - in fact it's not even modelling, its scale reproduction - you have a God-like talent for this...

 

very, very impressive

 

Peter

[JayW]

6 hours ago, airscale said:

however, the threshold for the level of iddy, biddy bits I would go down to and actually be able to reproduce is waaaay lower than yours

 

Uh last time I looked in on your P-40 cockpit, it kind of refuted that statement!  

 

Great complement from a great modeler.  Thanks.  There are more great things to come on this Corsair.  Pretty motivated right now.

 

[RadBaron]

Absolutely spectacular work!!

[JayW]

Here is interim report number two on the cowl flap project.  In this report you will see four more cowl flaps - on the top of the engine cowling.  And you will see the VSK-4830 "dead flap" field modification in its entirety, where the upper three cowl flaps, and two mechanisms, are removed and replaced by a fixed panel and two fixed supports where the mechanisms once were.

 

First though - at long last my decals arrived in the mail from the UK, made special for me by Airscale.  It didn't take long to try out the skull and crossbones:

 

 

 

I have some stencils from Thunnus, but both of us agree that at this size, the little details just do not come through very well on the stencils.  I think I am going to go with these decals, which show good detail.  After a clear top coat, I think they will look awesome.  Jolly Rogers!

 

Second - I finished up the cowl flap pulley tower - routing "cables" through it and installing it on the engine:

 

 

That cable is too short - I was just fiddling around.  Installed:

 

 

The cables are .009 inch diameter fishing line.  I'll paint silver when the time comes. 

 

Then it was on to cowl flap work.  I made six more mechanisms:

 

 

Getting better at it.....   These will support two cowl flaps each on either side of the "dead flap" which is installed per modification drawing vsk-4830.

 

Let's take another look at the important view on drawing vsk-4830:

 

 

This required me to do four major things (and some minor things I won't go into):

 

1.  Trim lug off cowl flap lever (two places)

2.  Fabricate fixed support bracket to replace mechanism (two places)

3.  Fabricate fixed pulley bracket to replace pulley bracket on removed mechanism (two places)

4.  Fabricate the dead flap panel

 

I'll show you those vsk-4830 parts now - see if you can compare to the drawing:

 

Here are the trimmed cowl flap levers:

 

 

The fixed support brackets (bonded to the modified levers) and fixed pulley brackets:

 

 

Installed supports:

 

 

The drawing also defines the fixed sheet metal panel detail that replaces the upper three cowl flaps:

 

 

Here is mine:

 

 

 

It's 0.010 inch thick plastic.  I will final install this part when I attach the engine to the fuselage in the next few weeks.  Here it is dry fitted, along with the four new cowl flaps:

 

 

 

 

 

Here is what I have so far on the cowl flap project:

 

 

You see seven cowl flap panels, a dead flap mod part, and the pulley tower and cables.  I tried to show how the cables route.  It will be more evident once get the last eight cowl flaps on there.  

 

I read in so many places where the early F4U upper three cowl flaps were "bolted down" to address effluents spattering onto the windshield.  I do not believe that was ever the case.  What was done instead was this vsk-4830 field modification kit.  And now #17 has the mod incorporated. 

 

I hope you could follow along.  Next post I will have another bank of cowl flaps done; perhaps all of them.  It's alot of work.  But once done, it paves the way to attach the engine to the fuselage - a huge deal.  Can't wait!    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Edited September 13, 2022 by JayW

[Rockie Yarwood]

Amazing work Jay!

[TankBuster]

Incredible work. cheers