Math
Measuring the photograph included in the book with some digital callipers I got the measurement of 25.1mm between two gun bay doors, measuring this same part in the kit I got a measurement of 16.8mm. I have no idea how math works, lets give it a go though. 25.1/16.8 = 1.494, this number should be the scale difference between the photograph and the model. Lets test this number on something else, choosing the ammunition bay doors the photograph measures 15.4mm, divide this by 1.494 and we get 10.3, and when we measure this same part on the model we get 10.0mm, not exact but obviously the photograph isn't a perfect angle and the model may not be 100% accurate. I call that a close enough result to work with.
Should you decide to do this yourself, you'll probably want to pick up the book, If you can't for whatever reason here's what the measurements of the photograph is to my eyes. Outer cannon bulge is 10.7mm x 5.3mm, the inner bulge is 7.9mm x 3.8mm, so dividing each number by 1.494 for these 1.48 models we get a grand total of 7.16mm x 3.54mm for the outer, and 5.28mm x 2.54mm.
Again, these probably aren't 100% accurate. But eyeballing the approximate lengths using reference points and they seem accurate enough for me to be happy with.
Essential Modifications for Your Corsair
If you choose to build a Tamiya Corsair, and you should, one essential modification is this little flap here.
This flap features a cut out for a foot-step, this step was a feature of the F4U-4. Needless to say, the F4U-1 and 1A should never have this step. I've heard it been said that the F4U-1D should only get this post-war (whilst rare, you can find 1Ds with the Korean War style markings), but it's also been said that some F4U-1Ds recieved this flap step as a replacement for a damaged flap once the F4U-4 entered service. Make your own decision on this, as always reference photos are king, but generally if its a -1D you'll probably not want it but it's up to you, any other F4U-1s shouldn't have it.
How you approach filling it is up to you, I just taped off an area and then filled it with Tamiya putty, it needs a Mr.Surfacer cover though.
Now for the rest of the flaps. The Corsair comes with flaps down, so if you want flaps up you'll either need the aftermarket route (Pros- The Aires set doesn't have the foot-step. Cons- The Aires set doesn't fit great) or modify the flaps yourself.
It isn't too hard to do this, you'll need to trim some parts off the wing particularly to make it fit as well as the pin on the flaps itself, but with some sanding and fitting you'll get it to work easy enough. Do note, some doors do cover the leading edge of flap from the underside when it is raised. I'll add this on later as I ran out of plasti-card.
Finally, on the Aires resin set the cockpit comes prepared for the -1D. The F4U-1C/D had two 'eyebrow' panels either side of the gun sight with buttons for operating the weaponry. The 1A should have the left 'eyebrow' as it has the controls for the machine guns, the later versions should have the 'eyebrow' on the right as it has the controls for bombs and rockets, the Birdcage should have neither.
Regardless as this is going in a -1A, I chopped off the unneeded bump.
Interestingly, the Tamiya kit comes with parts for these on the F4U-1D kits, but the F4U-1A kits which should have the left 'eyebrow' don't come with them.
And finally, not a modification you need, but I lost the resin rudder pedal rails so ended up using the kit parts for it.
