I forgot to add, yes Patrick 206, I tell Mrs. Toshi every day!
Toshi
Toshi, you’re making great progress!
Never built that kit but the 1/48th Tamiya Corsair has lousy fit around the oil coolers too. I wonder if they scaled up that kit???
I think the lower window had something to do use of the plane as a bomber. I’d have to look it up, that’s off the top of my head.
That’s interesting about the masks, the Eduard ones I use, are pre-cut. You only have to stick a knife tip under them and pull them out. These are the Tamiya masks from the kit right? I’ve used a few but don’t remember if they were pre-cut or not now.
Not sure what you daughter means- US Corsairs only came in two schemes as far as I know- white, medium blue, and dark blue for the middle of the war and all over glossy dark blue late in the war and Korea. You can lighten the paint some for paint fading in the hot Pacific sun if you want though.
To Gamera,
The reference to my daughter is this; since I bought her her first camera of which is a Cannon SLR, I’ve had been giving tips to her on photography and art (In Amsterdam, I studied Rembrandt and Van Gogh). Now that she is studying at Kent State, the tides were turned 180 degrees. I go to her now for the aforementioned situations, as her knowledge now supersedes my information.
Since I started making WWII aircraft model kits, she has been my constant observer and critique, (Sometimes harsh, she now understands the term “Tough Love” maybe a bit too much. LOL!). So in choosing a base color medium, I used her very accurate eye for what will be the Corsair’s final paint scheme. That is why I used her as a reference, plus with Mrs. Toshi and my additional input, I feel as I can’t loose at least in regards to painting the F4U. Thank you Gamera for your input and reply!
Toshi
I forgot Gamera:
The oil coolers were the most challenging part to fit like your 1/48 F4U. From my knowledge they did not upgrade and or scale up the kit.
The bomber answer is the most accurate and sensible explanation.
I purchased Eduard masks for my P-61 Black Widow. These were pre-cut as you mentioned, I checked a lot of Eduard masks, they are all pre-cut. I assume that Tamiya did so for the builder as most builders have great experience as well as many years of model building, with these veterans like yourself I’m sure that Tamiya felt this was a simple affair to experience modeler.
It’s a bomb aimers window, a vestige of the original specification. It only was on F4U-1 and some early 1A’s. And, usually it was painted over. Hard to find pictures with a clear one.
Ahhhh, thanks GM, I’ve built a number of them including my 1960’s El Salvadorian and never painted over that blasted window! Well, I guess now I know better…
Toshi: Ah, well I’m not an artist, I just paint stuff the colour they call for and sometimes alter it where an article in FSM, the internet, or someone in the modeling club tells me to!
Toshi - Regarding wings folded or flight ready, I feel the airplane just looks more “right” with wings in flight position. The folded position shows well how the mechanism works and has plenty of complex detail, but doesn’t seem that the airplane appears in it’s intended purpose.
The wings folded only to facilitate storage of the airplane in close proximity to others, but with wings ready for flight it looks like it’s ready to go kick some tail. Plus, I think it’s one elegant design, very distinctive and kind of graceful. Your model is looking mighty fine, for paint color I always thought the dark sea blue was a classic appearance.
Patrick
Only one answer- build two!
I vote for flight position.
To GMorrison,
Ah ha! Gamera instincts was accurate. I know, thanks to you that I must never cease to research my builds. Hence I was looking at F4U-1 Corsair’s information, that’s why I could not find any related description on the bomber glass but, as your statement says, that this was painted out on the F4U-1 and of course the F4U-1A’s.
If my memory serves me right GMorrison, it was the Navy that requested a fighter, bomber, and attack aircraft compatible with an aircraft carrier’s take off and landing in 1938. Now the bombers window makes absolute sense. At that time, the Corsair was the fastest airplane ever produced.
Thank you Mr. GMorrison for your valued information. You are an human Wikipedia on WWII aircraft! Once again and again, I can’t thank you enough for the read and replies.
Toshi
To GMorrison,
I too vote for flight position. Thank you sir.
Patrick 206,
Yes sir, my sentiments exactly. As for the deep blue? I concur with the color combination. As always, thank you sir.
To Gamera,
You’re too modest, whether or not you disagree or otherwise, all of what I’ve seen here are artist portraying their art form via Static Model Kits. Thank you sir.
I have before and after shots of the F4U that I’m building in regards to pre-prep sanding, fitting, and a airbrush shot of primer. Please view photos below. Speaking about airbrushes, I have some quick questions including panel outlining.
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I have a Harbor Freight Tools compressor. It’s always at 58 lbs. per square inch as there is no way to adjust the pressure. I looked far and wide including the internet resources and found a few adjustable pressure valves. I settled for a Iwata in-line MAC valve (Actually it connects to the airbrush followed by my Iwata hose). The Iwata MAC valve for my air pressure regulator is now ergonomically at my finger tips. My question is why do I have to be shooting at 15 to 25 PSI? At these pressures, won’t I have issues and or create more problems as an example, at 15 PSI won’t the needle get plugged up due to the low air pressure. Thank you in advance.
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My NEO per Iwata states that this airbrush is fitted with a 0.35 point needle and needle head. Iwata claims this is the most simple way for beginners to learn, although it will not paint very thin lines, it will also not have a large overspray. So my 2nd. question is, I am going to be purchasing a 0.5 needle, do I need to change the head to 0.5 as well? Thank you in advance.
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As for outlining the panels, prior to the base color coat, must I use an airbrush for this technique or can I simply hand paint in the panel lines. Also, can I get the pros and cons of either airbrush or hand paint. Thank you in advance.
Toshi
Toshi- Your skills have progressed by leaps and bounds. Very well done.
As to another reason for the gull wing, I heard once way back when that it had to do with keeping the main gear legs short enough for more strength and eliminate a 2 piece strut due to prop size and ground clearance. It also left more room for fuel and guns/ammo in the wing since the gear was shorter, and space would be at a preimum. Just look at the main gear length on an F8 Bearcat… As to Chance-Vought, I suspect it is more due to ownership changes than just shortening the company name.
Thank you Toshi, but it’s more Wikipedia than Morrison. I tend to like to research stuff, and try really hard not to use a built model as reference, or a single written source for anything.
That being said, and if it matters to you, the color choices are three color, or blue gray over light gray. For Sea Gray over white you need earlier markings.
Here’s some info on the cockpit colors, FYI:
William Reece in his well known monograph “USN & USMC Aircraft Interiors of WWII” dated 20 April, 2004 states:
“F4U-1 Birdcage Corsair. Cockpit: Well this is tricky. The best evidence is black. Photos of F4U-1s taken at the time show the cockpits as being a very dark color. The F4U-1 E & M manual calls for Dull Dark Green. Photos and some wrecks show flat black. A photo of 'Pappy" Boyington in Bruce Gamble’s book, The Black Sheep, shows him sitting in a Birdcage with a black armor plate and upper seat. This a/c also has no headrest. All other areas of the F4U-1 Birdcage Corsair would normally be ‘Salmon’. Salmon is a pale pinkish/brown primer made by mixing Indian Red pigment with Zinc Chromate Yellow. The closest Munsell match is 2.5 YR 6/8 or between FS 32276 and FS 32356. This color was applied to the whole F4U before the final camouflage finish. The landing gear bays were this color. The insides of the main gear doors were Light Gray. Sometimes this was only over spray over the Salmon. Note: there were canvas covers on the inner and outer wheel bays that were either Olive Drab or Light Gray. The closest paint that I have found to the Salmon samples in my possession is PollyScale Railroad, Southern Pacific Daylight Orange. The E & M manual calls for the wheel bays, engine cowling and accessory cowlings to be painted in Non-Specular Light Gray to match the underside of the aircraft. Recovered wrecks show these areas to be Salmon however. Color photos of early Corsairs show the cowling interior to be Non-Specular Light Gray.”
To Goldhammer,
Thank you for the compliments. Yes, I read the same correspondence as well. Still, I admit even without the corrective issues, the Corsair is one beautiful plane.
I think in terms of ownership, I must agree with you as I feel the same way.
Thank you for the read and replies,
Toshi
Some paint thoughts. Too high a pressure and the paint can do a lot of bad things. The worst is what’s called “fisheyes” where you’ll get a bare spot surrounded by a ring of paint. Also some paints will dry before they hit the model if they are too vaporized and the model is too far away. Low pressure won’t clog the nozzle, it’s the same as when you haven’t used the double action to send paint through.
I don’t have an Iwata. My Badger, the needles and nozzles come as a pair. You switch both. My old Paasche was the same way, only finicky had to be readjusted whenever you did that. Better to have several airbrushes.
IF you preshade the panel lines, and your current model would seem to be one where that makes sense with the totally beat up tropical weathering- it needs to be a soft line IMO. Take a look at my Tiran 5 model over in Armor, you can see the steps and the results. Hard lines or Sharpie lines etc. either look wrong, or by the time you’ve put enough color over them to look right, are hard to see.
Another thing you can try, this is really old school. After you’ve painted the bird blue, get a really sharp hard pencil like a 2H and draw in the panel line. It’s a little tricky when they are recessed as you can get two little lines side by side. But it’s an old trick that works pretty well on raised panel lines.
Before priming,
And after,
To GMorrison,
Thank you for the information. What does IMO mean? Yes, I will utilize that technique.
Toshi
IMO-internet abreviation for “in my opinion”
Looks good Toshi. 
Your Corsair is coming along quite nicely. I’ve been hesitant to tackle a 1/32 kit thus far but you’re giving me the inspiration to do so. Ty Toshi for the excellent posts.