Usaaf P-72 Corsair, 56th Fighter Group

[AeroplaneDriver]

I was looking forward to another week off and the opportunity to buils something next week (I was leaning towards either a Hase 1/48 F-104 in NMF RAF colors or an Italeri 1/72 RNZAF B-57).  Unfortunately I got a call and have to go back to work on Tuesday night, but I still have the building bug, so I'm going to start a quickie build.

I haven't done a WWII aircraft whif since my post-war Taiwanese Tempest a few years ago, so I think I'll dig into a nice simple looking Hasegawa 1/72 F4U.

Not sure how it will be whiffed, but I have a couple of ideas rolling around.

1.  USAAF-pressed into service after German commandos sabotage the Farmingdale Republic factory, stopping P-47 production for a while.

2.  USN in experimental camo (modern Light Ghost Gray)

3.  Something completely different.

[GTX]

Post war Luftwaffe or RAN FAA - instead of Sea Fury in both cases?

Regards,

Greg

[Brian da Basher]

How about late-war RAF camo and markings? I think a Corsair would look killer in that scheme!

Brian da Basher

[SinUnNombre]

I think either th USAAF, FAA, or late-war RAF schemes mentioned above would all look great. But AD, do be careful when you talk about a quick build, remember when you said that about the Hunter.....  Looking forward to another great model.

Jon

[AeroplaneDriver]

Well 5 hours in and I've made good progress.  Given the scheme I'm leaning towards I may finish it tonight.

The kit is a very old Hasegawa 1/72 Corsair that I picked up in the bag only with no decals or instructions at a flea market years ago.  I'm no expert on the Corsair, so I have no idea what model of Corsair it is other than the fact that it is not a birdcage.

I dont know if it is from age and sunlight or whether is started out this way, but hte plastic is incredibly brittle.  This is making it a bit challenging (I've already had to reattach a prop blade), but other wise it's a pretty simple kit.

I've added belts from Tamiya tape and scratchbuilt an instrumet panel since there wasnt one (I just cut out an appropriately shaped piece of sheet styrene, painted it interior green and stuck an old spare WWII panel decal on it).  The exhausts were also very poorly molded into the fuselage, so I drilled them out and am adding new ones from styrene rod.

I'll get a pic posted soon.

[Mossie]

Israeli, several de-mobbed aircraft 'diverted' after the war.

Irish Air Corp, would look great in all-over green & celtic roundels.

African nation, 1970's?  The Corsair was used as late as 1969 by El Salvador & Honduras in the Football War, how about stretching a bit more life out of the old girl?

[AeroplaneDriver]

Israeli, several de-mobbed aircraft 'diverted' after the war.

Irish Air Corp, would look great in all-over green & celtic roundels.

African nation, 1970's?  The Corsair was used as late as 1969 by El Salvador & Honduras in the Football War, how about stretching a bit more life out of the old girl?

All great ideas, and an IDF version is a possiblity, but I dont have decals for the others I'm afraid.

[Mossie]

Well, if you wanted to go with an African nation, you could make one up from bashed together decals or hand paint roundels.  There's been that many African nations over the last fifty-odd year that no-one would doubt you if you said your Corsair was in Balakaasi's/whoevers war of independence & that nation only lasted several days!

[Daryl J.]

Coastal Command----Slate Grey/Dk Sea Grey/White?



Daryl J.

[Captain Canada]

I like the FAA ideas......RN Corsairs are just too cool !

 

[AeroplaneDriver]

As promised I have a pic ready.  It's crap really, but you'll get the idea.



I decided to go with my original (and easy!) idea of a USAAF Corsair pressed into service after a German commando raid on the Republic plant at Farmingdale stops P-47 production  for a short period.

All the paint is from spray cans.  The NMF is part Testors Silver, part Testors Metalizer Aluminum Plate, the green is Tamiya USAAF Olive Drab.

The markings will come from a Superscale P-47 sheet.

More pics tomorrow!

[Brian da Basher]

That looks great AD! I really like how you extended the OD anti-glare panel back to the tail.

Brian da Basher

[gooberliberation]

Does the Corsair have fabric control surfaces?

[B777LR]

That would look nice in facist italian markings  

[AeroplaneDriver]

Does the Corsair have fabric control surfaces?

Apparently the control surfaces and the outer wing panels were fabric covered.

The wikipedia entry says it was the last US fighter with fabric control surfaces (though we all know how accurate wiki can be!).

Decals are coming along nicely.  Finished pics should be up this afternoon.