1/48 AU-1 Corsair.
This is the Hasegawa kit which was first released around 2001. I built it when it was a brand new release, but never shared it here, or anywhere else for that matter. I actually just unpacked it from a moving box last month. The decals came from Victory Productions, the wheels are KMC resin, the paint is Modelmaster GSB with Humbrol for everything else. I remember scavenging the bombs from the spares box to make it look a little different from my kit supplied, rocket armed F4U-5N and F4U-7. These are still nice kits and I have two left in the stash.
I'm a big Corsair fan and Jim Sullivan will be missed. Blue skies, Jim.
An amazing Corsair, John!
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Spiros!
Really nice Corsair, @j-healy.
Obviously, great minds do think alike. 🙂
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
Thanks, Tom! That Victory Corsair sheet is one of the most useful decal sets that I’ve ever bought. It looks like you used it too.
Yes! That sheet has been incredibly helpful. Did the grey/white AU-1 option, did all three of the F4U-5N options. I wish they'd reprint it.
A beautiful Corsair indeed, John @j-healy
Quite heavily loaded.
Thanks, John! I see pics of planes like this and wonder how they got off the ground. Imagine the pilot’s thoughts.
Excellent finish, John
Thanks, Rafi!
Nicely done John, and the pilot probably had to unload his 45 to save weight so he could take off.
Yes, Tom!
It looks fantastic, John, particularly for such an aged build, I wish I could keep my models as well as this.
Thanks, George!
Looks great! I had never seen a rack of bombs lined up like that across a Corsair wing - pretty daunting to be on the receiving end of that!
Thanks, Greg. I imagine taking off was daunting too!
Fantastic Navy Blue! It is Corsair from Korean War?
Thanks, Lis. Yes, KW plane.
Well Done John! Had that kit and sold it off. Now I wish I still had one.
Thanks, Rick. It’s a simple but nice kit. They made a -5, -7, and this AU-1 from a common set of tooling. I built all of them and still have two -5s in the stash. I imagine Hasegawa will reissue it at some point.
Excellent work on your Corsair bomber John @jhealy. That's a great kit and a blast to build.
Love the Corsair, such an iconic plane.
Fantastic build!
Great build, love the scheme you chose, feel like there are going to be quite a few corsairs posted around here in the near future!
Thanks, David! I think you’re right about the Corsairs. I’m overdue to build a few.
Another fine example of the model craftmanship that you do.
Thanks, Michael!
Great build, John!
Thanks, Gary!
All of the above! Looks great!
Thanks, Robert!
An absolutely gorgeous Corsair! As soon as I saw your photos, I started searching for a AU-1 kit for myself, alas I'll have to watch for a re-issue, even eBay doesn't show any.
The depth and beauty of your paint work is inspiring. That bomb load must have made take-off and climb a challenge even for a Marine aviator.
Well done, John (@j-healy). The shiny finish really accentuates the lines of this plane. Great job finding all of the ordnance in your spares.
John, @j-healy
Your Corsair has stood the test of time rather well. Like you I am also a big Corsair fan. I have several of these 1/48 scale Hasegawa U-birds left in the stash. If time permits, I might try to knock out one or two of them as part of our Jim Sullivan group build. When I do, I hope that mine will look half as nice as yours does.
My Dad was a Korean War combat veteran, and he told me how these ground support Corsairs would be SO loaded down with ordnance, that he often wondered as to how they could remain airborne... but yet they did ! Dad was a pretty good judge of speed, and he said to him it looked like these planes were struggling to maintain an airspeed of something around 250 MPH when fully loaded with rockets, bombs and / or napalm.
I'm definitely clicking on the "Like" button.
I'm also hoping that you will be able to add a build or two of your own to Jim's group.
Thanks for sharing this one with us.
John @j-healy, that simply looks perfect. The finish is spot on in shade and sheen, and really brings this Corsair alive. Thank you for sharing this fantastic model.