First Build Since 2010! Tamiya USAAF P-72 Corsair Competed!

AeroplaneDriver · January 22, 2012, 02:39:26 PM

Right...I'm still waiting to get my 'good' camera back after leaving it at a friend's house after Christmas, but I dug out my old point-n-shoot so I can start a thread with proof that I'm actually building a model again finally!

It's a Tamiya 1/48 F4U-1D and it's a good one to jump back in with. No major headaches, but at the same time it did need just a tiny bit of PSR, so a good refresher. I'm getting ready for my least favorite part of modeling (masking the canopy/windshield), then I'll have to come up with a scheme. I'm a bit limited by my decal selection since most of the decal stash is Cold War and newer jets stuff, but I think I can come up with something interesting. Originally I thought it might be a real world build, but the whiffing voices are too strong I think.

I bought a new airbrush to try out on this build. I was in Hobbylobby with the obligatory 40% off coupon and one of the new Iwata NEO gravity fed airbrushes caught my eye. With the coupon it was about $35 and seems nice enough for the money. I may even try pre-shading on this one since that's a technique I've never really played with.

Anyhoo...more pics as the evening progresses maybe but for now here is my Corsair so far...

Army of One · January 22, 2012, 03:24:32 PM

Ah......the man who inspired me.....!!! Welcome back......slight diversion....I did a Su25 but in the colours of the Maltese AF.....H

AeroplaneDriver · January 22, 2012, 08:47:34 PM

OK, so despite fighting airbrush issues, I've some work done this evening. I started spraying some zinc chromate in gear bays and as an undercoat for the canopy frame, and ended up deciding it would work as an all-over primer coat. For a new challenge I decided to try my hand at preshading. I've never really done this before, so we'll see how it goes...

Preshading attempted..

Cobra · January 22, 2012, 09:47:19 PM

Welcome Back & Looking Good! were you aware that a Famous Marine Fighter Squadron of WW2 used the Corsair? Keep up the Great work!

Dan

AeroplaneDriver · January 23, 2012, 12:31:05 AM

I assume you're referring to VMF-214? I thought about that as a RW build, but then the whiffing bug bit hard...this Corsair will end up a P-72 in the 56th Fighter Group in England in 1944...just like this one I did 4 years ago: http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,18258.0.html (Has it REALLY been that long??)

Anyway, because of my severe shortage of WWII 1/48 scale decals in the spares box this will be "Little Chief", the mount of 61st Fighter Sqn Ace Lt. Frank Klibbe. Just like my earlier P-72 this one ends up diverted to Europe after Nazi sabotage cripples the Republic plant in Farmingdale, NY.

Scheme is OD over Gray, as worn by the 56th FG aircraft in early-mid '44.

AeroplaneDriver · January 23, 2012, 12:44:56 AM

Alright, final shot of the night...the poor girl's looking a bit like Rudolph, but she's gotta get dressed up in her 61st Pursuit Squadron colors...

Cobra · January 23, 2012, 12:51:35 AM

Yes i Am! Glad to know Your Tops in WW2 Knowledge! if You ever Try another Aircraft, you may want to do the Scheme of the Black Tigers from the Anime Series 'Star Blazers'! Keep up the Great Work

Dan

NARSES2 · January 23, 2012, 07:43:17 AM

Looking good, that zinc chromate is definately the bright version

AeroplaneDriver · January 23, 2012, 01:19:56 PM

Not much done today...just a few touchups plus getting the prop painted and the rudder painted red to match the nose.

The lighting in the pic is a bit harsh...I'm much happier with how it looks in person than in this pic.

AeroplaneDriver · January 26, 2012, 01:28:53 AM

Quick update after a little more progress. Decaling is complete, now just waiting for weathering and the fiddly bits to be attached. I'm off to England tomorrow for the weekend so it'll be on hold until next week.

NARSES2 · January 26, 2012, 07:40:57 AM

Looking good. The UK may be a little cold this weekend

AeroplaneDriver · January 26, 2012, 03:03:30 PM

Well the England trip did not go as planned...I thought I was going to be released from work on Monday, but it turned out I couldn't. Still, it gave me a day to work on the P-72...

Mostly finished except for the fiddly bits. These pics don't show the weathering to best effect. I tried toning down the fabric control surfaces and outer wing panels with white pastel dust. I wanted it to be subtle, so it's barely noticable in person and doesn't really show up at all in the pics. But with weathering I'd rather err on the conservative side instead of overdoing it. Anyhoo...here she sits waiting for final touches and landing gear.

Old Wombat · January 28, 2012, 07:00:14 AM

Looks really good!

So, what do we have here? A red-tails F4U Corsair?

AeroplaneDriver · January 28, 2012, 08:47:33 AM

It's not "Red Tails" as in the Tuskegee Airmen...several fighter units in the war had red tails including this one, the 61st Pursuit Sqn. I would have loved to make it as one of THE Red Tails but I didn't have decals (or transfers, as some will have it

) for them and I'm not one of those patient modelers who can wait for something to arrive in the post. I'm much more manic when it comes to a build so I went with decals from a P-47.

AeroplaneDriver · January 29, 2012, 05:46:13 PM

OK, she's done! I actually quite pleased with my first build in over a year...really my first completed kit in close to two years I think. I enjoyed the build and am searching the stash for my next victim. I tried a couple of new techniques with the new cheapo airbrush-pre-shading panel lines and airbrushing echaust stains. I'm happy enough with both for the first try.

Anyhoo...pics are not great...I'll have my regular photo rig setup tomorrow and will try to post better pics, but for now here is the well-worn USAAF P-72 "Little Chief" as seen in May 1944.