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The new 1/32 Tamiya kit is a Corsair!!


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Anyone notice that the wing tips are conveniently molded with the tips as separate pieces, so a Royal Navy MkII will be one release or at leasto ne decal choice??

I'm disappointed that like the 1/48 kit, the landing light is molded into the fabric outer wing panel. That was only a feature of early F4U-1 birdcage airplanes, and since it overlies the ribbed fabric area, it will be tough to eliminate. Tha's a huge disappointment unless they have a modular mold for that wing part. It doesn't belong there on the vast majority of Corsairs.

J

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Agree, although if the wing folds actually function, as some speculate they might, I'll take that over gun bays. The gun bays are easy to add with resin.

Of course, personally, I'm not so sure they function. You might be able to swap out the folded vs. unfolded wing spars which is just as good to me. However, on this image (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/niklz1138/CorsairBweb_zpse43ed408.jpg) the folded and unfolded side look distinctly different.

The photo I saw of the sprue containing the wing spars had separate parts for the spread or folded options, that appeared to be attached to part of the wheel well detail. Didn't look like they'd be something that could be swapped once the model is complete - one must choose either spread or folded.

Suits me fine.

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Anyone notice that the wing tips are conveniently molded with the tips as separate pieces, so a Royal Navy MkII will be one release or at leasto ne decal choice??

I'm disappointed that like the 1/48 kit, the landing light is molded into the fabric outer wing panel. That was only a feature of early F4U-1 birdcage airplanes, and since it overlies the ribbed fabric area, it will be tough to eliminate. Tha's a huge disappointment unless they have a modular mold for that wing part. It doesn't belong there on the vast majority of Corsairs.

J

I think a Royal Navy version is a given in the future. Given the involvement of Vintage Wings 115 and the fact that Hammy Gray is the only Allied Airman with a memorial in Japan I put my money on a FAA 115 decal option.

Jonathan had an excellent methods to get rid of the landing light.

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Jonathan had an excellent methods to get rid of the landing light.

I know, but it's unlike them in the 1/32 series to do something like that. And honestly, given the quality of the 1/32 series, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect that they'd have gotten something that basic correct. I'm still hoping there's a mold insert to take care of it. It's pointless to speculate until we actually see the kit, but I've got my fingers crossed. I'm still amazed at the number of Tamiya 1/48 F4U-1A/D models I see built with that light still there. Even the D&S book points out that it shouldn't be there.

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I'm still amazed at the number of Tamiya 1/48 F4U-1A/D models I see built with that light still there. Even the D&S book points out that it shouldn't be there.

Quite possibly it comes down to, "I know it's wrong but it's not worth my time to fix."

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The photo I saw of the sprue containing the wing spars had separate parts for the spread or folded options, that appeared to be attached to part of the wheel well detail. Didn't look like they'd be something that could be swapped once the model is complete - one must choose either spread or folded.

Confirmed by talking to Tamiya folks at their booth at the Shizuoka show - the builder must choose either "spread" or "folded" when building, and that decision is final. Wingfolds do not work nor are they swappable after the build is complete.

Considering they got the two little doors per wing correct, I don't see how they could have made the spar section "swappable" anyway. Even if someone found a way to pop the wings off and swap the spar section, you'd either have spread wings with tiny doors open on top or folded wings with closed hinge and latch doors.

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For those in the know, how much of the Vintage Wings Corsair is modern and how much is it unchanged from WW2 days? In particular, the cockpit? If Tamiya crawled all over their Corsair, are we going to see restored to modern spec equipment, or authentic WW2 gear?

TIA

Brad

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For those in the know, how much of the Vintage Wings Corsair is modern and how much is it unchanged from WW2 days? In particular, the cockpit? If Tamiya crawled all over their Corsair, are we going to see restored to modern spec equipment, or authentic WW2 gear?

TIA

Brad

as you can see, other than the two modern radios "scabbed" on to the bottom of the panel, most of the cockpit is WWII original.

fg1dcgvwc28.jpg

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fg1dcgvwc31.jpg

fg1dcgvwc32.jpg

fg1dcgvwc33.jpg

fg1dcgvwc34.jpg

Sean

Edited by martin_sam_2000
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Thanks Sean, I asked this because I am currently building Tamiya's big Mk XVIe Spitfire and there are some things in the cockpit that are not correct for a WW2 Mk XVI, so I was curious. I haven't seen Vintage's Corsair yet. Great pics.

Thanks

Brad

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Thanks Sean, I asked this because I am currently building Tamiya's big Mk XVIe Spitfire and there are some things in the cockpit that are not correct for a WW2 Mk XVI, so I was curious. I haven't seen Vintage's Corsair yet. Great pics.

Thanks

Brad

really?? which parts? I only know of two items in the VWC cockpit that aren't VERY close to WWII stock. The aircraft never flew in WWII and only started flying around the late 45 early 46 time frame so it may never have carried all the WII specific gear and has never really been through a restoration process per se.

Sean

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Hi Sean,

The way Tamiya portrays the seat harness/shoulder straps is for post war, and not WWII. The aircraft didn't have the small role bar on the head armor during the war. When you say the aircraft never flew during WWII, are you talking about Vintage's aircraft or the Mk XVIe in general?

Brad

really?? which parts? I only know of two items in the VWC cockpit that aren't VERY close to WWII stock. The aircraft never flew in WWII and only started flying around the late 45 early 46 time frame so it may never have carried all the WII specific gear and has never really been through a restoration process per se.

Sean

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Hi Sean,

The way Tamiya portrays the seat harness/shoulder straps is for post war, and not WWII. The aircraft didn't have the small role bar on the head armor during the war. When you say the aircraft never flew during WWII, are you talking about Vintage's aircraft or the Mk XVIe in general?

Brad

Vintage Wing's..which I am sure had a huge part in the design.

Sean

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Hi Sean,

The way Tamiya portrays the seat harness/shoulder straps is for post war, and not WWII. The aircraft didn't have the small role bar on the head armor during the war. When you say the aircraft never flew during WWII, are you talking about Vintage's aircraft or the Mk XVIe in general?

Brad

Hi Brad,

I am not sure if I am seeing the same as you, I feel Tamiya has portrayed the harness set-up correctly. It also differed for the sutton Harness.

Tamiya has the belts going over the bar that raises the seat up and down (on a spring mechanism). The bar on the head armour was on later models as you state (F4U-4), but I don't see it in the images I have looked at on the Tamiya kit.

Cheers,

Gary

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Gary,

The Sutton harness was never used on the Mk XVIe bubbletop. This was caused by the fitting of the fuselage fuel tanks, behind the pilot, which meant that the release mechanism, inside the fuselage, was not able to work. The "QL" harness, though, differed from the post-war QS, since the shoulder straps did not drop down behind the seat, but were bolted directly to the head armour, behind the nape of the pilot's neck. At the same time, the thigh straps were moved back to the corners of the seat, and came over the pilot's hips. As far as I can tell, this meant that the pilot could not release the tension of his harness, which must have made life difficult. Post-war, the QL was replaced by the QS-style of harness + release mechanism behind the seat.

Cheers

Brad

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  • 2 weeks later...

Took the plunge and preordered one from HLJ. 94$ was hard to pass up. Even with shipping I bet that's cheaper than what my LHS will have it for plus taxes. Also ordere the weathering set they're releasing for the kit. Since it was cheap too.

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Gary,

The Sutton harness was never used on the Mk XVIe bubbletop. This was caused by the fitting of the fuselage fuel tanks, behind the pilot, which meant that the release mechanism, inside the fuselage, was not able to work. The "QL" harness, though, differed from the post-war QS, since the shoulder straps did not drop down behind the seat, but were bolted directly to the head armour, behind the nape of the pilot's neck. At the same time, the thigh straps were moved back to the corners of the seat, and came over the pilot's hips. As far as I can tell, this meant that the pilot could not release the tension of his harness, which must have made life difficult. Post-war, the QL was replaced by the QS-style of harness + release mechanism behind the seat.

Cheers

Brad

I thought we were talking Corsairs, my error.

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  • 3 weeks later...

...Even with shipping I bet that's cheaper than what my LHS will have it for plus taxes...

Your LHS will also be out of business soon. Same reason most people don't have a LHS anymore... Just saying.

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