1/48 Tamiya F4U-1A Corsair 

Lucybelle "Pappy" Boyington Black Sheep VMF-214

Gallery Article by Michael Robinson on Mar 16 2012

 

 

A very nice kit that built very well with little sanding and filling. 

Decals were given to me by SSgt Dave Roof USMC Ret.  Thank you Dave for your gift and your help.

Model build for Dr. J. Bass, Doc "B", of HMM-774 Wild Goose USMC.  My Primary Care Doctor at the VA.  Thank you Doc "B".   Doc really loved the display. 

 

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The kit was built out of the box with no resin aftermarket parts.  Only addition was the antenna wire.  I added extra small pieces of styrene sheet strips to the inside of the wing edges where the wingfold went.  This was to aid in the attachment of the outer wing.  There are only guide pins and holes in the kit parts.  I felt as if the addition of styrene strips would make the outer wing attachment stronger.  There was too much flexibility in the outer wing after the alignment. 

I had to file out the inside holes just a bit for proper alignment thus allowing more flexibility in the wing. So I added the 4 small styrene strips to each wing. This allowed perfect surfaces for gluing without destroying the seam. I used super glue gel to attach the wing to these mated surfaces. Once in place held for a few minutes and all wing seams were intact, no sanding or re scribing. Time well spent.

I made the antenna cleats out of thin copper wire.  They are 1/16" in diameter.  On the 1/4" scale that equates to 3".  I have never seen those antenna attachment cleats but I figure the size is very close.  Drilled accommodating holes with a pin vise and super glued into the holes.  I used .004 transparent sewing thread for the wire.  Again using super glue to attach the thread to itself.  After the first attachment was glued and set I hung the aircraft by its tail and used a clothes pin to keep tension on the sewing thread and glued that in place.  Used kicker on that applied with a toothpick.  Used a black magic marker to color thread. 

The under wing National Insignia was installed with a pre cut hole.  To accomplish this, I made a brass hole punch.  I used a brass tube stock 3" long.  I put the tube stock in my Dremel.  I then put a razor knife blade in a vis-a-grip.  Turned the Dremel on 2 for slow rotation and stuck the point of the razor knife blade at an angle in the tiny hole.  Thus acting like a lathe to cut out the inside edge and make a very sharp edge on the brass tube. 

I measured the location of the light in relation to the National Insignia and marked that with a tiny dot.  Then took the decal and placed it on a piece of 3/8" teflon, put the punch over the dot and struck with a very small hammer.  This punched out a perfect hole so accommodate the light lens.  Put the decal on with, setting solution and several applications of Micro sol with a "Q" tip rolling back and forth to get the decal down in the panel lines and show up the detail.  Voilą. 

I used Model Master enamels for most of the aircraft except the white.  For the white I used, Floquil Reefer White.  Airbrushed with future, applied the decals.  Then covered with Model Masters flat clear lacquer.  Applied light weathering with pastel chalks then re applied the flat clear, then put more pastel chalks on and another coat of flat clear.  I used a very finely sharpened pencil to accent some of the panel lines.  Use caution with this method you can really over do this.  If you need to go back it is better than too much and having to try and take it off.

Plaque made at local trophy supply store, cost about $10.  I made up what I wanted, 2"X3", they did the rest.  I cam back and picked it up in about two hours. 

Excellent fit right out of the box and through out the kit.  Very little filling or sanding.  I will build more of these.  Recommended highly for a very nice build. 

Michael Robinson  { USN, Vet }

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Photos and text © by Michael Robinson