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

[speedgraflex]

[Floki]

That's looking good Bruce, BTW what kind of sprue cutters do you have there in the background?

[Stuart]

Cracking work Bruce!

[jkim]

The new seat looks much better! I can't imagine how tiny all of this is!

[speedgraflex]

Hey Clint, thanks for your comments and question. I use Xuron Micro-Shear 170-II with blue handles for grunt work such as cutting apart the foot pads molded into the kit cockpit tub. I have several Xuron cutters for rail nipping or metal work (orange handles) and one God Hands for fine clipping. I use this little fella for everything else. I like sharpening blades but here all I do is do a pass with fine grit sandpaper to keep oils and adhesives from fouling the blades. Cost 10 bucks as part of a Hobby set. I see ‘em on Amazon for less these days.

Hey Portman, thank you for your comments and supporting the process of building out this cockpit from tub to something a little more faithful. I keep a few reference photos from the original XF4U I found on Pinterest. These are from one of the earliest of early Corsairs; 1445 from the approved USN order. These are my primary cockpit reference. With so many of the restoration projects being older models made to look more “WWII specific,” I was running into a lot of great photos of wrong eras. The XF photos are far more correct. I also have a small series of mainly Tamiya 1/32 cockpits by different modelers chosen by clarity of photo presentation mainly...

Which brings me to John! Thank you for taking such excellent reference. I know I am creating a crude approximation, but with the seat at least being the one visible part of the cockpit I will refine that piece a bit more to achieve the most pleasing and accurate ends possible.

[mustang1989]

The new seat looks much better! I can't imagine how tiny all of this is!

There aint no way in HELL I'll ever go this small. I tip my hat with the highest respects to folks who can pull this kind of work off in this scale as well as the smaller scales. I already punish my eyes enough.....

Good progress Bruce.

[speedgraflex]

Never say never, Joe! Lol. I am near sighted and my eye doctor told me if I need to see anything up close just to take my glasses off. (I also have a really hefty chunk of change invested in great eyeglasses since my Rx is high index.) I strongly believe everyone ought to build in a scale other than their chosen one from time to time to develop a different set of responses to the handling of the basic materials. Going from 1/32 or 1/48 to 1/72 keeps diminishing your target area and ramping up your own adjustments. One or two swipes with a file wreak catastrophe in 1/72, so it teaches me at least to be much more delicate. Regarding the foot supports I took the kit’s versions and flipped them upside down, filed in a concave depression and stuck them to the plasticard. Instantly I knew these were too large, but I can choose to adjust that or keep going. At the moment I want to add the side panel instruments with parts from my spares box, and keep detailing the seat which has been a real challenge. The other challenge? This:



The kit part is a slab with raised circles on it. Instructions are to paint the slab black and the circles silver.

[Stikpusher]

Is there an IP decal in the kit? Does Yahu make a1/72 F4U IP?

[speedgraflex]

Good points. Very good points. Thank you for your suggestions. I am trying to figure out a no cost option. I had hoped the kit included a decal but it did not. One thought I had was to drill out the openings, making a sandwich of kit part, clear polyvinyl and a head on photocopy of an actual IP.

[KSaarni]

Is there an IP decal in the kit? Does Yahu make a1/72 F4U IP?

Oh yes they do, though it is for the Revell kit, but should not be too difficult to "convert" it to Academy



http://www.yahumodels.com/index.php/pro ... ir-revell/


- Kari