Academy 1/72 Corsair F4U-1A, Tommy’s Big Hog, Ondongo, 1943.

[jkim]

I guess it's time to hand off the Corsair mantle to you then! Mine is about done so another Corsair build will be fun to watch. I hope you get to the weathering stage... it truly is a challenge to capture the abuse that these aircraft bore upon their pretty blue exteriors. I could only capture a fraction of that so hopefully you can expound further.

[speedgraflex]

Hi John, and thank you for your kind words! I am looking forward to your completed masterpiece of a Corsair very, very much. Being around the models here and meeting their builders continues to be a major source of learning as well as inspiration. Juggling time continues to be one of the most challenging aspects of the pursuit of any project. One aspect of all this creation is how we manage the feelings which accompany reaching the finish line—basically we all are our toughest critics. I also feel you leveled up on your Corsair. I keep studying fuel cell caps and need to respond to how well yours is weathered! Cheers.

[Modelcrazy]

Woha, don't leave the station with me.

[speedgraflex]

Not to worry, nobody gets left behind, and thank you so much for being here. Cheers, mate.

[mustang1989]

Watching this one......

[speedgraflex]

Thank you for watching, Joe! Here are sprue selections, highlighting strengths and faults!






I am going to cut that out and hang the seat properly.



Those areas I believe are exhausts. Hmm.



Huh. The plot thickens!

[Stuart]

Doesn't look like a bad kit Bruce (except those Exhausts - even the old Frog kit was better than that!), it looks a lot like the old Italeri kit I build a while back.

[Stikpusher]

Not a bad little kit at all. The exhausts are an easy fix with tube styrene or brass. The foot troughs on the cockpit floor should be simple to address as well.

[jkim]

NIce photos of the sprues, Bruce. I like the black background... it really highlights the surface textures to good effect. From my experience with the Tamiya F4U-1a, the components here look very familiar. Understandably simplified, given the difference in scale, but similar.

[speedgraflex]

Stuart, I have a feeling you are spot on that this might share DNA with a kit like the Italeri. The tub style cockpit clearly sets this on the entry level tier or the basic builder level. There are 9 official steps to the build. That is it. Thanks for your insight.

Carlos, I definitely agree tube style exhausts need fixing! (Also Stuart pointed this out too.) I’m going to try home brew methodology first. Drill sideways into those lozenges then heat a small diameter rod to create a bit of detailing, perhaps, or simply as you suggest drill out the entire area and replace with tubes. I’m thinking stirring straws may be too small but ya never know til ya try.

John, thank you so much for noting the photography as well. This means a lot to me. I am tired of my backgrounds and a velvety black void just sets off the styrene’s textures so well—as you noted.