F2G "Super" Corsair
I read an interview with Cook Cleland about racing in Cleveland and he said something to the effect "I had to win it, I was mortgaged up to my eyeballs!", that always struck me as funny. He sure fielded some beautiful Corsairs. The decals for #57 made this kit easy, the red paint doesn't bleed through the white sunburst at all. The only changes I made were the big carb scoop, Tamiya wheels, and I re-positioned the cowl flaps and the "rudders". The build has some flaws...don't look too close 🙂 ...but overall it really is a great kit. The prop is probably too short, the canopy is too big and it's definitely a builders kit but the results are really satisfying...someday #74, and #94 will join her on the shelf.
Jim
Really sharp looking work! Special Hobby kits are some of my favorite as they make kits that will never be done by the main stream companies.
Hello Jim...that's a nicely done F2G racing bird with a colorful paint scheme. Good job Sir. I look forward to seeing the other two you mentioned.
Nice lookin' build, my friend...I like it!
stunning build
Awesome build,a real beauty.
My that's a good looking Corsair. Well done Jim.
This is all of the above ! The word "perfection" comes to mind when I see this one. It would really be cool to have a few other F2G race planes sitting next to this one. Race 74 would be my choice if I had one, but any would do in a pinch.
Well done my friend... and a great big "liked"
The canopy is actually the right size. I was able to check that on the real one when it was out at Chino a few years ago when I was making mine.
You're right it's a "builder's kit," and you have built a beauty here.
You did a great job on the "doghouse" supercharger intake. The one thing that's a PITA is they have the "modern" cockpit, which has nothing to do with the original cockpit, which was identical to an F4U-4 cockpit, so I got the True Details F4U-4 cockpit and used it on mine.
Thank you all for your kind comments! As soon as decals or stencils can be sourced for the other two Cleland Corsairs they will go to the top of the pile. They will actually be easy compared to this one since neither have the oversized carb scoop. Using Tamiya paints was a game changer...the local Hobby Town will soon see a spike in sales when I come clean them out of paint 🙂 . I first met Bob Odegaard through the Akron Ohio MAPS Air Museum right before Cleveland Airshow in 2001. A friend of mine and I volunteered to keep 57 clean for him during the show weekend. Delmar and his Gee Bee did a bunch of formation passes with the F2G, which was spectacular. I can't say I knew Bob well, but, in later years, when I was touring with Collings, we'd run in to each other at airshows. He always remembered that weekend and all the rags we destroyed with oil 🙂 That's me in the white shirt...didn't stay white long!
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
Beautiful looking racer! I was just reading about the Cleveland race while sitting at a Barnes and Nobel this weekend (the year the famous green Mustang augured in - not sure of the year), and saw pics of this. Yours looks like the real McCoy!
To Jim Harley:
I though I replied to your first email Jim?