1/32 Tamiya F4U-1 Corsair "Tojo Eats S***!" - COMPLETED

[doogsatx]

PORTING OVER FROM MHI

My next build is ready to go! After playing around with jets for some months, it's time to get back to form with a proper piston-driven prop.



I was one of the few that wasn't disappointed when Tamiya launched their Corsair line with the Birdcage, and not an F4U-1A or -1D. Probably because I'd already found an exact birdcage I wanted to do in 1/48...so here was a chance to do it bigger!



This is "Tojo Eats S***!" from VMF-222. A very weather-beaten Corsair indeed, except for the new-looking prop. Note the mismatched tires, the lack of the usual sealing tape ahead of the windscreen, the non-standard insignia, and the dark blue on the leading edges of the wings (vs. the blue gray/light gray for the rest). This will be a fun one to build...and weather.

I've got a little bit of aftermarket to throw at this one.



- Barracudacals decals + cockpit stencils
- Barracudacals wheels (two sets to match the mismatched wheels)
- Radu's microtextile harness + canopy mask

Looking to get started very soon.

[doogsatx]

The Corsair officially moved into WIP status last night. Lots of parts being removed from sprues and prepped for the cockpit attack.



Got about halfway through priming before I had to call it a night.

It's funny. This is the first big Tamiya kit I've touched in three years (the last was their excellent Spitfire Mk.VIII in the summer of 2011). Recently, I've been working on three kits - Freedom Models' X-47B, Academy's F-4B, and Hobby Boss' A-6E Intruder. Of these, the X-47 is good but lacking in a few areas. The F-4 is infuriating in its engineering. And the A-6 is a great kit, but has a few engineering choices that could lead to pain down the road.

Even cutting parts, and just looking at how they're engineered, how they're molded, even, and how they go together, this kit is operating on a WHOLE OTHER LEVEL. This is a very fiddly cockpit, but there are literally zero vague connection points. No "hope you get the right angle, chief!" butt joints. Everything is engineered to fit, and fit with authority.

Another small thing that demonstrates just how much thought Tamiya put into this kit. The fuselage halves are held to the sprues by several (six or so) tabs. And only one of them is up top. and that one? It's been located in an area of the fuselage that will be completely hidden in the course of construction.

Cannot wait to get further along with this one.

[doogsatx]

Man. It's been a while since I've had anything to share on this one. Combination of insanity at work, a few missed bench nights due to travel, and nothing really picture-worthy to share.

But a lot has been going on.

Namely:

- Painting. Black, with Tamiya XF-26 Deep Green standing in for the stated Dull Dark Green found in birdcages.
- Washing. Vallejo Olive Green on the green stuff.
- Drybrushing (MM enamel Dunkelgrau and Aluminum)
- Detail painting. Mix of paints...
- Gloss and applying the Barracuda stencils
- RB belt assembly and installation

Overall...the Barracuda stencils are great-but-infuriating. So much detail to be had, but there's a ton of work in cutting up larger decals and getting even the cut-down ones to fit over the raised details. Then there's the fact that the stencils for the instrument panel are far too big to actually fit on the kit's IP...someone is off size-wise, there.

I'm almost to the point where I can flat-coat and start to put the cockpit together. Took some pics with the cell phone last night...need to shoot a few with the Nikon, but these at least give an idea:

[doogsatx]

This idiot put on one of the wrong armor plates near the headrest. So...remove and replace. Got it primed and painted...still need to wash and gloss to blend it with the rest of the cockpit. THEN I can finally move on to flat coating things.

[doogsatx]

The cockpit is 90% done. Still have to add the gunsight and a few levers. Beyond that, it's basically ready to go.









Also decided to go ahead and paint the fuselage area that will be covered by the port glass. I snagged this bottle of Scalefinishes Blue Gray back when the Corsair came out, out of frustration at basically every other Blue Gray. I've been crazy curious how well this stuff sprays.



In a word - AMAZING. You can see the results here on the fuselage test-fit.

[doogsatx]

Solid progress tonight. The fuselage is together. Tail and stabs are built up but haven't been attached yet (I want to do some cleanup on the leading edges). Starting work on the lower wing assembly.



This is - hands down - the single finest kit I've ever had on my bench. Better than HK's B-25. Better than Wingnut's Snipe. Better even than Tamiya's Spitfire. It's just superlative. I almost want to buy one and mail it to Trumpeter with a note saying "be more like this".

Things that on other kits would be a recipe for disaster - like the razorback insert or tail alignment or the fit of the center insert panel just aft of the engine bulkhead - just FIT. With literally microscopic precision.





Tomorrow I move on to really focusing on the lower wing stuff and getting some paint down. The instructions call for painting everything, but that to me just seems ridiculous. The gear wells have solid walls and the oil coolers aren't going to have that much visibility behind them...

[doogsatx]

Gear bays!

Again, more shaking my head in wonder at the engineering of the Tamiya Corsair. There are a lot of parts that go into the "center wing" assembly. And they all interlock and fit very well. Then the top inner wings come down on top and literally lock in place. Very impressive.

For the paint, I used Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 Black as my primer, then a Tamiya X-17/XF-9 mix for the Vought primer, and finally Gunze C11 Light Gull Gray for the main light gray lower surface color. All my sources say that the USN Light Gray matches up to FS 36440. Gunze C11 is 16440 - so essentially the gloss version of the same color.

I know the gear bays were finished in the underside color, BUT this Corsair was operating in harsh tropical conditions, and so I used salt to chip up the gear bays to reflect the scouring effects of the sand and crushed coral kicked up by the tires. Most of the chipping is due to the salt - with some additional scuffing done with a toothpick.

[doogsatx]

Forgot to paint some of the oil cooler bits, so had to do that last night. In the meantime I went ahead and did a test-fit of the wings. Still missing a few minor internals that look like they'll provide an even more positive fit, but still...this kind of alignment is no small thing to pull off.

[doogsatx]

Finding the thread once again on the Corsair. My bench time has been severely curtailed the past few nights. That happens when you're pulling a 70-hour work week! Still - I've had a bit of time to play with plastic and harsh chemicals...and got the wings together.



A note to anyone building the Corsair - don't forget about the gun camera windows in the leading edges! I had a total oops here, and had to fit them in through the film extraction hatch.

Overall, the fit of the wings is exquisite. The only area that will need more than some light sanding is up around the oil coolers.



I also started paying attention to the engine and cowl. First up...dirtying up the firewall.



Next...ensuring fit of the Vector cowl flaps. These are a pain to remove from the pour block, but oh so much more detailed than the kit parts, and so much less a PITA than the Eduard PE.



Now I need to start throwing a bit of paint. Does anybody happen to have on good authority what color the inside of the cowl flaps and back-of-cowl were painted? I know the forward cowl was done in light gray, but for the rest of the cowl interior and the cowl flaps I've seen gray, I've seen salmon, and I've seen green zinc chromate - which seems odd since it's not present anywhere else, and by all accounts wasn't used on the Birdcages at all.

[tobias5555]

Great work so far.

[mrt51]

Very cool!

Terry

[wing_nut]

Beautiful as always.

If you believe The Squadron/Signal book "F4U-Corsair in Color" from 1981... it shows wheels wells, gear door cockpit and front part of the cowl... no drawing of the cowl flaps... in zinc chromate green can't see why cowl flaps would be different.

[doogsatx]

Marc - I know that's the case for some of the later Corsairs, for sure, but the Birdcage is all weird and unique. Ultimately I guess...who cares, right? There's still a lot of uncertainty about anything resembling standards for the Birdcage.

This one image is tantalizingly close...but can't actually see the interior of the cowl flaps.

[406 Silverado]

Oh man this baby looks saweet. The office looks too damn real.

[wing_nut]

Ultimately I guess...who cares, right?

I know I sure don't

[imatanker]

Nice update Man. All that work inside the wings looks super. What's the story on the wreck? Looks like it got hauled out of the jungle or something.

[doogsatx]

I decided to go with Light Gray for the inner cowl surfaces. Seems the best supported option.

[Leon]

Nice choice on the gray,really makes the details stand out.

[doogsatx]

Jul 26, 2014 3:19:45 GMT -5 imatanker said:

Nice update Man. All that work inside the wings looks super. What's the story on the wreck? Looks like it got hauled out of the jungle or something.

I'm not positive, but I believe this is the birdcage that was pulled out of Lake Michigan a few years ago, after recovery but before it went into full restoration.

[imatanker]

Thanks, now that you mention it I do remember hearing about that. 

[doogsatx]

Bit more work on the Corsair last night - and my last bench night until the end of the week. Have a whirlwind of travel this week to New York and Colorado. I'll be in airpots six times between now and Friday. Joy!

Anywho...it's time to play with the greatest engine of them all, the Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Tamiya has done a bang-up job here. Definitely an improvement on Trumpeter's rendition, though a few of the parts are appropriate to later Corsairs. I'll be ordering the Barracuda update set to deal with the ignition ring, etc.

But before that comes the cylinders. I didn't want to fuss with setting everything up for shooting Alclad, so I pulled out some of Uschi's chrome metallic powder, and brushed that on the cylinder heads instead. The main engine block got treated to Vallejo Dark Sea Gray.

Still a lot of work to be done, but so far, so good. And better still, I've verified that the cowl flaps and engine all fit rather nicely to the fuselage.

[wbill76]

Very impressive finish on the radial Doogs, the Uschi powder looks like it did the trick very nicely.

[imatanker]

Very nice Bud. That looks awesome

[TRM]

Always great ot see you work Doogs!! That engine is looking PHAT!! Alex has a winner with the powder for sure!!

[wing_nut]

Cylinders look great. No need to ever go though the setup, spray and clean up of Alclad for a small piece like that when the powders looks that good.

[Leon]

Wow the engine looks awesome Doogs.

[deafpanzer]

Have been away so catching up here! Man, now I want to get that kit too... looking great!

[doogsatx]

Very little bench time this week. Thanks, work travel!

Over the past two nights I've been focused on the R-2800. Wiring the Barracuda ignition ring is a huge PITA. Holes aren't deep enough...trying to deepen them is challenging considering how flexible and fragile the resin is. I definitely prefer rigging biplanes!

Last night I got the cover painted Tamiya Light Gray (XF-66), the ignition ring painted 50/50 Alclad Aluminum and Pale Burnt Metal, installed midge tubing "plugs" into the cylinders, and gave the cylinders a black oil wash.



Still a ton to do - starting with engine placards and stencils.

[Rick]

Incredible Doogs. You are dealing with stuff, my eyes cannot even see. Your patience and attention to the details is phenomenal. Lovin' every minute of this one.

Rick

[imatanker]

Excellent progress Bud.  That's looking just awesome.