<> **** DONE: 1/32 Corsair F4U-1A - WW1 / WW2 over Water.

[turbo]

Thanks Robert, Terry, and Andy. I'd pass the bottle but it's empty!

The long build on this model is doing my head in a bit so thought I'd dry fit the airframe to give myself a bit of a kick along to finish off the last bits. Starting to look like a Corsair...

 

[Airframes]

Nice !
It's going to be an impressive model when finished.

 

[Crimea_River]

I would agree with that.

 

[parsifal]

man that is nice work

 

[Wurger]

 

[Wayne Little]

Not too shabby...

 

[Robert Porter]

Awesome!

 

[Gnomey]

Lovely work so far!

 

[T Bolt]

Outstanding detail!

 

[turbo]

Thanks for the comments chaps, appreciate it

Been tidying up some bits and pieces and weathering with the landing gear. Applied Montex masks for serial numbers to the strut-mounted gear bay doors. The masks are a tinted transparency which make it easy to position the mask relative to surface detail. I must say I really like the Montex stuff.

The serial numbers were sprayed scale black. I also weathered the landing gear with oils and then sealed it with flat varnish. I'll probably augment this later with some pigments. Very nice detail on the Tamiya landing gear.

Thanks for looking in

 

[Robert Porter]

The landing gear is extremely well done! Exceptional job on the detailing!

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Outstanding work there Kirby. I hate it when they mould the oleos fully compressed like that. Bumpy taxiing for the pilot.

 

[Wayne Little]

Nicely done there Kirby.

 

[T Bolt]

Very nice!

 

[rochie]

Good stuff, looks great

 

[Airframes]

Nice !

 

[fubar57]

Very nice

 

[Gnomey]

Nice work so far!

 

[turbo]

Thanks a lot for the encouragement guys

Finalising the last construction steps prior to painting. Fitted the armoured glass and windscreen with no problems, fit of both was good.

I completed painting and fitting of various formation and navigation lights. All the clear parts not being painted with Tamiya clear colours were given a Pledge dip so I was able to use Tamiya Extra Thin (carefully!) augmented with Kristal Clear to secure them, particularly the ones at risk of falling back into the interior of the model. They were then masked with Montex masks or Micro Mask (the blue stuff).

I thought a lot about whether to attach the outer wings before or after painting as the join delineates the insignia white and intermediate blue on the bottom surface and they would be easier to handle. In the end, I decided to attach them so that the paint and weathering particularly on the upper surface is properly blended and I don't run into any fitting or gluing issues later that might mean paint re-work.

The vertical stabiliser and rudder, however, will be a different colour to the upper fuselage and the test fit is seamless, so I have decided to leave them off until after painting. Similarly, the flaps will be posed down, so I have also left them to be fitted later.

Now I have a question for you guys I hope you can help me with. Does anybody have any recommendations for acrylic paints or paint mixes for the US tricolour FS35164 (ANA608) Intermediate Blue and FS35042 (ANA607) Sea Blue colours? I will be using faded colours to simulate the weathering from the harsh Pacific land-based conditions.

I already have the MM enamels, but I'm thinking of using hairspray chipping so need to use acrylics for that. I also have the Lifecolor acrylics, but I find them difficult to spray for fine work and gum up my airbrush a bit.

Thanks!