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


JayW

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It’s been a while now since I’ve seriously perused any of the WIP threads here. Life, ya know, eh? I’ve just kind o’ been darting in and out of the different forums to see what’s goin’ on. WOW Jay! I just had the pleasure of going through your entire build thread and this is one freakin’ awesome build! Just WOW! What an incredible effort.........:bow:

 

Cheers,

Wolf

 

Oh, by the way, don’t forget to add the Oxygen bottle’s (beside the pilot’s seat) red service tag. The bottom of the tag says “ Do Not Remove” so you know it’s got t’ be there. :P

Edited by Wolf Buddee
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12 hours ago, Wolf Buddee said:

Oh, by the way, don’t forget to add the Oxygen bottle’s (beside the pilot’s seat) red service tag. The bottom of the tag says “ Do Not Remove” so you know it’s got t’ be there. :P

 

You're going to make me do that aren't you!  Yeah I read that part of your thread, a couple of times.  You did it convincingly, and in a smaller scale, so I can try to follow your lead.  I'll be on the RH side not long from now.  Stay tuned - I value your input.

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On 2/14/2021 at 1:46 PM, scvrobeson said:

I've never understood why they chose 1/18 scale, but this is some incredible work on the Corsair.

 

Me neither!  Alot of tank and truck models are that scale.  From Wikipedia:

 

"1:18 scale is a traditional scale (ratio) for models and miniatures, in which 18 units (such as inches or centimeters) on the original is represented by one unit on the model. Depending on application, the scale is also called two third inch scale since 1 foot is represented by 2/3 of an inch.

The scale is used for 1:18 scale diecast automobile models, military vehicles, armor, and aircraft. 1:18 scale is also commonly used for dollhouses intended for children to play with. The G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line of figures are in 1:18 scale, although the figures are often more compatible with 1:16 & 1:18 military vehicles rather than 1:18 cars."

 

Honestly, I would have thought 1/16 scale would make more sense, a natural progression from 1/72, 1/48, 1/32, 1/24 (all multiples of 1/4).  These models are really big.  At 1/16 they would be bigger still!  My P-38 is just ridiculous.

 

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On 2/13/2021 at 11:05 AM, JayW said:

The first version for the early birdcage aircraft had an internal fuselage tank and two internal wing tanks.  The second version (mine) had that plus a centerline jettisonable tank under the belly.  And then D-models had two jettisonable tanks mounted on wing pylons just to the side of the belly jettisonable tank, and deletion of the internal wing tanks, I believe

@JayW - Where did you find the fuel tank info (especially when the wing tanks were deleted)? I'm going to be opening up the wing on my F4U-1A and if there were wing tanks on those versions (at least some of them), I'd love to show them. I haven't found a definitive reference on that. It's VERY possible I have it, but missed it. :huh:

 

Love following this build. I love your attention to detail!

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18 hours ago, Jim Cox said:

Where did you find the fuel tank info (especially when the wing tanks were deleted)? I'm going to be opening up the wing on my F4U-1A and if there were wing tanks on those versions (at least some of them), I'd love to show them. I haven't found a definitive reference on that. It's VERY possible I have it, but missed it. :huh:

 

Jim - F4U-1A's did not get the droppable wing tanks; they were equipped with the internal wing tanks (87 gallons each) in the outboard wing panels.  I think the wing drop tanks may have been introduced during the -1A run late, but generally it's the D-models that got them.  Look at fuel system drawing 38325 to see the drop tank version - you will not see fuel lines extending to the outboard wing.  Then look at fuel system drawing 10325 for the earlier config where fuel lines extend to the wing fold where there is a monkey motion mechanism that extends the run to the outboard wing tanks.  

 

Honestly, I am having a frustrating time chasing down the different configurations in the drawing tree and the part catalogues, for the -1D.  Drawing 38325 above seems to be for the F4U-4.  The outboard wing fuel system drawing 11360 (which shows the internal wing tank plumbing) seems to apply to all Corsairs.  But how can that be really?  I submit the -1D's don't get it.  But it doesn't matter - if you are doing a -1A, give it the internal wing tanks.     

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1 hour ago, JayW said:

 

Jim - F4U-1A's did not get the droppable wing tanks; they were equipped with the internal wing tanks (87 gallons each) in the outboard wing panels.  I think the wing drop tanks may have been introduced during the -1A run late, but generally it's the D-models that got them.  Look at fuel system drawing 38325 to see the drop tank version - you will not see fuel lines extending to the outboard wing.  Then look at fuel system drawing 10325 for the earlier config where fuel lines extend to the wing fold where there is a monkey motion mechanism that extends the run to the outboard wing tanks.  

 

Honestly, I am having a frustrating time chasing down the different configurations in the drawing tree and the part catalogues, for the -1D.  Drawing 38325 above seems to be for the F4U-4.  The outboard wing fuel system drawing 11360 (which shows the internal wing tank plumbing) seems to apply to all Corsairs.  But how can that be really?  I submit the -1D's don't get it.  But it doesn't matter - if you are doing a -1A, give it the internal wing tanks.     

 

Thanks Jay! Where can I find the drawings you reference? Not familiar with those drawing numbers. I believe I read that the wing tanks were deleted early on but I'm not sure how early. I will give mine the wing tanks because I'll enjoy modeling them. I don't know if Dana Bell is on LSP but I know he's on another forum, I can post the question to him as well. It may have been in one of his books that I read that. After a while your head spins trying to track down all the nuances of the early F4U's. Seems like they made a production tweak every week or so (not to mention the field upgrades/enhancements). :P

 

Here's what I found in the F4U Pilot's Manual:

pmw6ZriXp

porUtW1op

pn142zlXp

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10 hours ago, Jim Cox said:

Where can I find the drawings you reference?

 

Aircorps Library.  If you found the part catalogue there, then you can find the drawings.  Just go to the F4U page (where you found the parts catalogue) and type in the drawing number in the search box just above the drawing tree.  Not required to use the prefix VS.  Let me know via private message if you're having trouble.

 

Oh, and BTW it looks like we are in accord that the -1A's had the internal wing tanks and not the center section drop tanks. 

 

Edited by JayW
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9 hours ago, JayW said:

 

Aircorps Library.  If you found the part catalogue there, then you can find the drawings.  Just go to the F4U page (where you found the parts catalogue) and type in the drawing number in the search box just above the drawing tree.  Not required to use the prefix VS.  Let me know via private message if you're having trouble.

 

Oh, and BTW it looks like we are in accord that the -1A's had the internal wing tanks and not the center section drop tanks. 

 

 

Will do. I use the Parts Catalog on the Aircorps Library a lot, just hadn't notice the numbering you used. I'll try your search method and see what pops up. Yep, I'm going to go ahead and expose the wing tanks in my cutaway version. That will be a nice challenge. Keep up the great work. I'm really enjoying your build.

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It is with pleasure that I present to you the hydraulic hand pump and CO2 bottle installations.  Microsurgery comes to mind.  

 

All US made WW2 fighters had a hand pump far as I can tell.  No doubt to operate certain critical hydraulic controlled items in the event the normal hydraulic system was shot out or otherwise failed.  Here is my scale reproduction of the Corsair's: 

 

iA2lzgjl.jpg?2

 

This little gem is going to be quite visible, so I worked hard to make it look clean.  It is made from an assortment of plastic and metallic shapes, like usual.  Kinda like lego's!  The lower two hex's are for the hydraulic lines.  The larger joint is the handle shaft pivot, and the two small joints connect little links to the piston head.  

 

But far more difficult than the hand pump was the piggyback CO2 bottle installation with its weldment bracket with straps, as shown on this bracket assembly drawing:

 

 PiyA0hfl.jpg

 

-1A Corsairs had two CO2 bottles.  The longer one was for vapor dilution of the fuel tanks to minimize fire risk.  The shorter one was for emergency deployment of the landing gear.  My reproduction:

 

wiSBy6Gl.jpg?1

 

NhQVUYFl.jpg

 

The bottles are acyrlic lathe turnings.  They are only 0.20 inch diameter.  Color is no doubt wrong, although I have some reason to believe they were at least partly gray.  The brackets are made of plastic and metallic stock with the straps made from 0.005 inch thick plastic strip.  Cannot tell how hard I worked on these details - not perfect by any means but OK for parts that will not be that easily seen tucked in along the side of the pilot seat. 

 

For some reason I wanted to plumb these tanks somewhat accurately even though the plumbing will be hardly seen.  Here is the installation of the CO2 bottles, and the hand pump:

 

 yffNjOPl.jpg

 

iTJAgu7l.jpg

 

RCfdleal.jpg

 

aWsMRuql.jpg

 

Again, the magnification shows the flaws.  It looks alot more convincing from a few feet away.

 

Note also I have installed a support bracket for the foot trough (the white thingie with the two lightening holes). The foot troughs are going to be a giant challenge, as they cannot go in until after the cockpit walls and bottom are joined.  Tweezers reaching down from above.  

 

Next I think I must install the fuel pump in the belly.  I cannot properly visualize the hydraulic line runs and heavy fuel lines without it.  Then it will be on to the engine control quadrant I think.  That will be fun!  

 

Thanks for looking in.       

 

 

 

 

Edited by JayW
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