1/48 Aéronavale F4U-7 - OOB (Out of Box) unofficial GB-2015.

[Catch22]

Username: Catch22
First name: Cory
Category: Intermediate
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Revell Germany (Reboxed Hasegawa)
Model Type: Vought F4U-7 Corsair

Surprise! Another Corsair. I've had this kit sitting in my stash for a few years, and since it's not WWII it doesn't fit well here, so this is perfect. Having built this kit in its largely similar AU-1 and F4U-5 versions before, I don't remember any major problems minus one: the ridge on the forward part of the fuselage, where the molds changed depending on the version. The ones on my kit seem rather nasty, so it should be interesting.

I don't have any idea what scheme I'm doing yet. Not sure I want to do one of the aircraft used in the Suez crisis, since while that would add some colour, it is also what everyone seems to build their F4U-7s. Leaning more towards one used in Algeria.

 

[Catch22]

Here are some pictures of various -7s to give you an idea of how terrible they generally looked.

 

[Airframes]

Nice one Cory. Is this a 'newer' kit, or the old Monogram kit ?
I used the latter about 25 years ago, to build as a French one, in the 'Suez' colours as carried by an aircraft on the UK air show circuit at the time. It turned out quite nice for an old kit, despite the gimmicks of folding wings and retracting gear, all of which were firmly glued and detailed.
It would look good in that 'worn' scheme.

 

[Wayne Little]

Put yer glasses on me old mate...says Ex Hasegawa...

 

[Airframes]

Oops!

 

[Wurger]

Anyway I have the same feeling like Terry while looking at a Wildcat.... brrrry

 

[Catch22]

Some people don't want to see, some people need to learn to see, quite a mix!

I've done some thinking and I think I know what aircraft I'd like to do: BuNo 133710. The reason being, this aircraft has a somewhat interesting history (at least for me anyway). After use by the French, it was used in the TV series Baa Baa Black Sheep, and was mostly used as "Boyington's" aircraft, so it was often front and centre. After bouncing around a little bit, it was sold to a someone who then flew it out of Camrose, Alberta for about 20 years. I actually saw it at least once at an airshow around my area, but that was when I was a small child. I do have some film pictures of it.

Now while I have all of that info, I have exactly two pictures of it in French service, and they're both from the same day and that's immediately after (or possibly during) delivery to the French, and they lack any unit markings. I can't find a history of the aircraft in French service either, so I have no idea what squadron it was in or anything. There's a magazine article that goes through the history of all the aircraft that were in Baa Baa Black Sheep in Warbird Digest Issue 49, July/August 2013, and while I can get that back issue, I don't want to buy it unless I know it has the info I need in it, and not just "It served in the French Navy for X years." Unless one of you guys has it, I will try the open forum as well to see if anyone knows.

Anyhow, here are some photos of it. It is often mis-ID'd as 133714, but that is because its N number (which I do not know exactly what purpose it serves) was 33714.

 

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

Corsairs served with Flottille 12, 14, 15 and 17. The fuselage markings were, eg; 17.F.11...

There were the squadron badges carried on the tail...

Now we just have to figure out the squadron your bird served with.

Geo

 

[Wurger]

Nice stuff Geo.

 

[Catch22]

Thanks Geo! I actually own the book that those pictures are from. While it has several pictures of -7s, it does not have one (or a profile) of the one I'm looking for.

 

[fubar57]

Email sent but as I said it is your aircraft.

Geo

 

[Catch22]

That pic helps a lot Geo! While it's the latest scheme (1963-64), it does prove what it at least looked like at one time, and the prop hub appears to be white, which means at that time it was part of 14F.

 

[fubar57]

Never knew that about the hub colors but the photo below the one I sent you is also from 14F and yes, white hub. It's side number is 1, so we can eliminate that number. Leaving for camp in three hours and when I get back, I'll look through all my books and cross check serial numbers with side numbers from 14F

Geo

 

[Catch22]

Thanks Geo, I appreciate it. Have a good trip!

 

[fubar57]

An article on French Corsairs..Vought (Chance) F4U-7/ AU-1 Corsair [in english]

Geo

 

[fubar57]

Eliminate # 15 and #17. #6 is a warbird so I don't know how accurate the markings are.

Geo

 

[fubar57]

According to Italeri's 1/72 model, #1 s/n is 133708. Eliminate #8, #9, #10 and #12



Geo

 

[Airframes]

Good work Geo.

 

[fubar57]

Berna Decals says #2 s/n is 133720. Running outta #s.

Geo