Tamiya 1/32 FAA F4U-1 Birdcage Corsair
The Corsair is my favourite aircraft of all time. I used to watch the show "Black Sheep Squadron" with my dad when I was a kid. The show was kind of terrible but I loved it and the vintage footage of corsairs and zeros was amazing to me at the time - even though they used the same shots over and over. Anyway, B-17s are my second favourite aircraft so it was quite a coincidence when Tamiya released their 1/32 Corsair and HKM released their 1/32 B-17 around the same time. Needless to say, I was really excited since I love to build 1/32 aircraft. It didn't take me long to buy and build the Corsair. I do have an HKM B-17 but I have no where to put it when its done. Some day I'll build a big shelf for all my big kits but until then, it sits in the stash gathering dust.
All my models can be viewed here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/98961263@N00/albums/72157603606379755
An astonishing piece, Richard. Congratulations, my friend!
thank you 🙂
That really looks great.
Thank you!
Hello Richard, @rbungay
You did a fantastic job of your "Ensign Eliminator". It also happens to be my favorite plane too. I especially like the choice of markings you have on your build. It looks wonderful.
"liked"
thanks!
A really great build! The Corsair looks good in the FAA scheme.
Yeah, I did a Hellcat in FAA livery too - I'll post that one at some point.
Looking forward to seeing that one too...
Super work on this. A great result.
There's a solution to the B-17: put it on the wall. The kit comes with a mount you can fit in the bomb bay to hang in on the wall, or you can wrap wire around the horizontal stabs and hang it with that. The model is much easier to display that way.
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
Great display ideas!
Really like the FAA paint scheme.
Good looking bent wing bird Richard.
Absolutely beautiful!
Beautiful rendition of one of my favorites as well (F4U, SBD, PBJ are my top three). I've lost track of how many Corsairs I've built over the years, beginning with the 1/100 scale one given as a gift exchange in grade school (with a tube of putty instead of glue included! But I didn't know the difference), three of the Testors kits, a 1/32 kit in there somewhere (wish I still had it), and multiple Monogram ones with the movable parts! Nicely done.
The Corsair is also a fav of mine - I've yet to do it in British livery, but there is one in the future - it just looks so cool that way! Nice work on this one.
Very nice build!
A great machine in a non-obvious camouflage. Good job!
Beautiful Job on what looks to be an incredible kit. I really like your overall finish and weathering you achieved. I, like you, watched every episode of "Baa Baa Black Sheep" and "Black Sheep Squadron" when I was in high school. I even got my dad to take me to the local University to meet "Pappy" Boyington and I was able to get his autograph (which I still have). As I remember him he didn't seem to be a very happy, or maybe the word would be friendly, man.
I knew I still had the drawing I did. When I was in High School I spent most of my free time building models, drawing or reading...by definition a total NERD. Still while no Picasso, not bad for a 15 year old. I hadn't drawn a Corsair so I took this to the event where Pappy Boyington was. I later took it too the air show at Offutt AFB where my dad was stationed and got it signed by the pilots of the P-51's at the show. At that time I didn't know any better, and I guess it really didn't matter, but I was drawing on notebook paper. When I was done I folded the edges around and taped them with masking tape. Well "real" artists are aware of acids in tapes an papers. So the tape on the back side has marred the drawing on the front side.
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
That's fantastic. When I was young i drew a lot of planes too but nowhere near that well. I was a nerd too but I didn't read much - still kind of hate reading. I guess I was a stupid nerd.
Outstanding job on the FAA Birdcage. How did you do the clipped wing tips? Is there an aftermarket set available or did you improvise? Really looks the part.