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

[Gazzas]

Holy ****, Jay!  I have been staring at that engine with my mouth hanging open.

[BiggTim]

Good lord, Jay, that looks real.

[Citadelgrad]

Jay, the combination of materials, depth, texture and color/paint/weathering really looks the part. This absolutely looks like a photo of the real mechanism.  Kudos for sticking with this. 

[chukw]

WHOAMG!  So that's how they work!  Simply amazing stuff ya got here- cheers, Jay!

[Troy Molitor]

Amazing cowling ring, that looks fantastic.  

[gbtr6]

On 9/19/2022 at 5:49 PM, JayW said:

 

Thank you gbtr6.  Can you elaborate on that tape?  There are different kinds I understand.

Sorry for the delayed response. I used 3M Micropore surgical tape. It's clothe and seemed to have a good scale look about it when I used it. It's not very thick, and conforms well. Walgreens or CVS should have it, inexpensive too.

 

Perry

[JayW]

Today, for the most part, marks the day where I focus my efforts on the aft fuselage.  It is time.  It could be that I add some decals to the forward fuselage and center wing; we'll see.  At any rate - I want to show you the end product of my efforts on the model from the cowl flaps forward, now that weathering has been added (mostly dark Flory wash), and to show it on the fuselage.  

 

It's been a long time since I posted anything on the exhaust stacks:

 

 

 

If you thought the aft end of the engine looked busy last post, with cowl flaps done, well it's even busier with the exhaust stacks.  The stacks are dry fitted - I am afraid to permanently install until it is time to permanently install the engine onto the forward fuselage.  

 

Let's look at what I have finished to date:

 

 

 

 

 

A few things - 

 

- the engine and cowls are just dry fitted.  I considered final installing them, but thought better of it.  It makes the model very heavy, and the nose sticks out potentially in harms way.  I am going to wait until the aft fuselage is finished and installed (months from now!).  

 

- The exhaust stack covers have been painted and chipped, and are taped in place just for show.  Final installation of these parts must wait until after the engine and exhaust stacks are final installed (they would clash with the stacks during the engine installation). 

 

- One shot shows the "dead flap" panel per VSK-4830.  It is also taped in place, where final installation will proceed engine installation.  I painted it slightly darker than the rest of the fuselage and cowl panels, and weathered it less, to try to depict it as a newer part of the airframe (it no doubt was). 

 

- The rear view shows that much is visible under the open cowl flaps.  So not all that effort was waisted!

 

- The prop hub is finished (even weathered); the prop blades are not.  They await decals and a flat coat.  Note though that I sanded away some black on the aft outer surfaces to depict sand blasting.  That really happened, although I may not have done a great job of depicting it.  Did my best though....  Oh, and note the hub is white (dirty white).  It was reported by CShanne on this thread that Hedrick's units had white hubs (as opposed to different colors for other units within VF-17).   I'm going with it.

 

Here is one of the very first pictures I posted on this build more than three years ago, for comparison:

 

   

 

Much has changed.  And I think I addressed that "bulbous" nose the original toy had (that I was worried about).  Better now; hope you agree.

 

Back then, I stated as a goal to have removable engine cowl panels.  I don't think I was terribly serious, but the seriousness came quickly especially as engine work continued, and some in my audience complained that the engine might not be seen!  Here, I show a success I am so very proud of - the removable engine cowls come to life:

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

On my pitiful modelling bench:

 

 

I do believe the next post is going to involve the aft fuselage.  It is just crying to be worked on.  

 

Take care; hope you liked the picture show.

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by JayW

[brahman104]

Did I ever Jay!!!! Every post showing the progress has been incredible, but when you show what you started with versus what you now have, that is truely phenomenal!!!  

 

I'm very glad you took the plunge into skinning and airbrushing......all that interior work just wouldn't have been done total justice without it  

 

Craig

[geedubelyer]

The like button just isn't enough Jay. It's a pity there isn't an "astonished, aghast, amazed" button 

 

Your model looks spectacular. If you photographed it against a plain background it would look exactly like the full sized aircraft. In one or two of your close cropped images above it already does! 

 

The weathering, chipping and patina comes across beautifully. Given that you appeared concerned before, i think you can rest easy. You've got this!  

 

Eagerly awaiting the next thrilling installment. 

 

Cheers.

Edited September 24, 2022 by geedubelyer

[GMK]

Jay, I don’t know how you keep improving on the previous step, but you somehow manage to. Please keep it up. 
 

cheers,

 

Greg

[TAG]

Hard to spot the difference!

 

Just absolutely effin' GLORIOUS, Jay!

 

- Thomaz

[Jim Barry]

You are really hitting your stride, now. I'm so impressed! 

[JayW]

6 hours ago, TAG said:

Hard to spot the difference!

 

Just absolutely effin' GLORIOUS, Jay!

 

- Thomaz

 

Thomaz - thanks for that enormous complement, and great pics.  But I see lotsa differences!  One pic shows armor plate in front of the oil tank.  I left it out (it got deleted later in production, and I think is one of those effectivity errors that crept in when I switched from Bu No 55995 (Kepford No 29) to 18005 (Hedrick no 19).  Also, the backing plates under the dogbone plates for the engine cowls are still present even though the cowl panels are off, in one shot; I didn't do backing plates.  I think it could have been either way depending on what the mechanic did.  Oh, I might need to do more oil smears on the shoulders.....  And what about those black electrical conduits and YZC electrical box?  Mine are white and black respectively. 

 

[Gazzas]

6 hours ago, JayW said:

 

Thomaz - thanks for that enormous complement, and great pics.  But I see lotsa differences!  One pic shows armor plate in front of the oil tank.  I left it out (it got deleted later in production, and I think is one of those effectivity errors that crept in when I switched from Bu No 55995 (Kepford No 29) to 18005 (Hedrick no 19).  Also, the backing plates under the dogbone plates for the engine cowls are still present even though the cowl panels are off, in one shot; I didn't do backing plates.  I think it could have been either way depending on what the mechanic did.  Oh, I might need to do more oil smears on the shoulders.....  And what about those black electrical conduits and YZC electrical box?  Mine are white and black respectively. 

 

 

Jay, it's pure awesomeness!

[Shoggz]

This is just world class modelling. Simple as that.