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Smer 1/72 Chance Vought F4U-1 in RNZAF colours.


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A quick intro shot, I'll be building this OOB in the main but using an engine from a Frog F4U, which is otherwise a warped wreck, if I can make it fit, the engine in these is truly dire. :(/>/> By & large though this looks like a nice enough kit. I'm still trying to decide whether to use the kit scheme with Ventura Roundels which are the correct size & far better colour, funnily the box art has correct size RNZAF roundels which should be the same as the US markings, the roundel was overpainted over the star portion of the US markings & another painted on the opposite wing as well, but might still go for the entire Ventura scheme, in any case they'll both be USN four colour so I can decide late in the piece.

Here is the kit. I'll be using Warren P Russell's wonderful book for some guidance.

SmerF4U-1

Steve.

Edited by stevehnz
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  • 2 months later...

This must just about qualify for the slow starter award if nothing else. Luckily the GBs on this forum run for long enough to indulge even my glacial rate of modelling & before I could start this I had to dispose of a GB on Airfix Trubute Forum which bogged me down a bit. I've now made a start on my RNZAF F4U, not the best kit by a long shot, the engine was two rows of blobs without even a notch to ensure that they were correctly oriented. I went as far as putting some conrods on the front row from stretched sprue, not perfect but better than before. Into some detail painting & initial assembly. Just for giggles, I've decided to use some old Frog F4U decals I have, there was Kiwi scheme in that so assuming they go OK & the Frog ones generally last really well, it will be just a bit different but I'm doing this one for fun, not getting to bogged down on details so don't expect anything like Corsairmans wonderful NM version.

Steve.

ARCANZGBRNZAFCorsair

 

Edited by stevehnz
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  • 2 months later...

& it damn nearly was never rather than late. :(Must be the teenage boy that lurks deep within this aging frame but I seem to work best under pressure, not that I'd call this my best work, but considering the kit, I'm happy enough with it. The decals are some 30+ year old Frog Corsair ones that had a RNZAF option. I've not used that kits colour calls though as this plane is illusrated ( on page 181 for those who have it) in Warren Russell's tome on the Corsairs of the RNZAF. I've chosen to disagree with his caption though, seeing as it was based with No.3 Servicing Unit at Jacquinot Bay on New Britain in 1945 which unit has another plane illustrated in the colour scheme section in this scheme that I've used. I've also seen this scheme modelled like this before & there is a high chance this is correct I feel, faded Glossy Sea Blue with NS Intermediate Blue rudder & outer wing undersurfaces. The old decals performed beautifully, floated onto some 50% diluted Klear & then rolled with a damp cotton bud to exclude air bubbles & help them conform to the raised surface detail this kit has. This plane should have the sealing tape over the fuel tank panels in front of the cockpit, but the Frog decals didn't feature this & trying to use the Propagteam decal from the Smer kits sheet was a disaster, it slide off the backing & rolled itself into a ball, I'll swear I heard it giggle while doing so. 😮 I'll fix it when I can find another, as I will matt varnish the touch up blotches in front of the cokpit when the paint is properly dry. Paints were Humbrol 105, Oxford Blue 6 parts with 1 part Humbrol 64 Light grey for the Faded GSB, I lightened the Intermediate blue 20% with white

Smer RNZAF Corsair (3)

 

Smer RNZAF Corsair (4)

 

Smer RNZAF Corsair (2)

 

Smer RNZAF Corsair

Damn, I've not painted the exhaust pipe cluster. 😞 Oh well another wee job to do.

Steve.

Edited by stevehnz
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