Mark's Corsair II

[mkimages]

Howdy, everyone. Here's my build. This will be the Hasegawa 1/48 A-7E kit done with an Aires cockpit set and Eagle Strike Decals for a hi-vis VA-15 Valions bird ca. 1977. Loadout is TBD at this point but I'm thinking I'll want something unusual. The FLIR pod that comes with the kit looks interesting; maybe something with that.

I have high hopes for this one as it'll be a number of "firsts" for me. Believe it or not, this is the first Hasegawa kit I have ever attempted; been a bargain kit builder 'til now. This is also my first time using a resin/photoetch cockpit set. I've done a few resin seats before, and minor photoetch additions (HUD frames, etc.) but have never gone whole-hog on a cockpit. It will be my first aircraft built for a group build (my only other GB has been the Ground Equipment GB last year). Lastly, this will be the first time I've built a Navy bird with folded wings.

;)

[mkimages]

Anyway, on to the kit. I started it a week ago and began by assembling the intake trunk and fitting the Aires cockpit. I was a bit apprehensive as all the horror stories I've read about fitting resin cockpits sorta jumped to the front of my mind. Luckily it did not take much sanding at all to make it fit; pretty painless. Once I was sure that I could actually use the cockpit, I couldn't wait to see how it would turn out. The Aires 'pit is a jewel; fine, crisp detail and quite accurate as far as I can tell from my references. It also fits together very well, all in all a joy to work with, even if I did break the resin joystick and sacrifice a canopy-breaker actuator and a seatbelt to the carpet monster.

Here are a couple of cockpit shots as it looks now. Kit joystick, actuator replaced with stretched sprue, and the seatbelt still MIA.

Edited December 11, 2005 by mkimages

[Simon L]

Wow that looks amazing, i am waiting for my eduard set to turn up before i can start mine. Then it is full steam ahead.

Simon

[Dimosthenis]

Very nice painting on that cockpit! :D

[mkimages]

Aaargh! Well, first off, thanks for the kind words, guys. It's appreciated. Now second, I've already run into a problem. It seems that the canopy interior framing doesn't fit the canopy. When I line up the bottom rails, there is a huge gap between the top of the frame and the clear canopy (see the pic below), and when I fit the frame to the canopy, the rails are at a completely silly angle. Is this normal for this kit? Any ideas on fixing other than cutting the framing and trying to make filler pieces?

While I'm on the canopy subject, does anyone have any insight into this piece? It fits against the rear of the canopy frame just behind the seat. I'm not sure what it is and I can't find it in any of the pictures of real aircraft that I have. I also notice that a lot of built models have left it off. What's the mystery piece?

Thanks, y'all!

Mark

[mkimages]

Hmm, still no joy on the canopy-frame problem. :unsure: I did, however finish the instrument panel. This is getting exciting :lol: . I am now a huge fan of photoetch panels with the lith-film backings; very realistic looking, especially if you add a bit of color to the film. I'm pretty sure that late '70s era artificial horizons didn't have the blue sky & brown ground but I thought it looked a lot better than just plain ol' black & white.

I'm working now on cleaning up the intake interior seams - Mr. Surfacer is drying as I type. If all goes well I should have the fuselage buttoned up by the end of the week.

:P

Mark

[Andre]

What's the mystery piece?

If you'd twist my arm, I'd say it's a part for a nuclear flash curtain.

Cheers,

Andre

[Dimosthenis]

mkimages,

I'm really not sure of this, but I think it's there on purpose. i've built an A-7H and I noticed the same thing with the canopy framing. IIRC if you align the clear part with the FWD part of te framing, the framing runs parallel with the lines on the clear part. Now as to if the bottom region isn't align, I didn't care when I built it, but I'd urge you to check your bibliography in any case, just to be sure. HTH

Other than that, I must say your build sofar is awesome!

Edited December 12, 2005 by Dimosthenis

[Simon L]

I have to say this amazing work. keep us posted, BTW i love the instrument panel the blue really gives it character..

Simon

[TF51GREGWISE]

Very Nice!! I noticed on my copy of the Hasegawa kit that it seems to have alot of sinkminks how is your copy?

[mkimages]

If you'd twist my arm, I'd say it's a part for a nuclear flash curtain.

Could be, could be. It sounds logical so I'll go with that explanation until I hear different.

mkimages,

I'm really not sure of this, but I think it's there on purpose. i've built an A-7H and I noticed the same thing with the canopy framing. IIRC if you align the clear part with the FWD part of te framing, the framing runs parallel with the lines on the clear part. Now as to if the bottom region isn't align, I didn't care when I built it, but I'd urge you to check your bibliography in any case, just to be sure. HTH

I don't know. I can scarcely believe that it's supposed to look like this.

That's a pretty wacky angle on those side rails. Plus there is a PE piece that fits along the bottom of the rails for the canopy locking mechanism. At this angle the lugs would never enter the locks. I'm coming to the conclusion that I'm going to have to redo that front frame. This is just the type of thing that I tend to muck-up though. Maybe I'll "accidentally" stab my finger with my knife before I start to appease the modeling gods.

Very Nice!! I noticed on my copy of the Hasegawa kit that it seems to have alot of sinkminks how is your copy?

Mine has a few obvious ones on the main gear doors, but nothing else in the kit that I could find. Even the ejector-pin marks are pretty minor, the ones inside the intake being the only ones that needed filing or filling. One odd thing about my kit is that it seems to have been molded in two different shades of gray plastic, a very neutral gray and a warm gray. My kit was an open box special picked up at the Nats this year so it may be cobbled together from a couple of different boxes.

Thanks again for the encouragement, y'all. I hope by the time this is over that I haven't driven everyone crazy with silly questions.

:D

Mark

[Quiddy]

Mark,

My A-7 is the same way. Two shades of gray in the same box. Don't know why. The canopy frame is the same way also.

Wayne Beattie

[Skull Leader]

:( :) Gorgeous job on that cockpit! That's beautiful work!

For the canopy frame, maybe you can cut the forward rail (that goes up around the canopy itself) off, center it, properly center the side rails, and then add styrene on the bottom sides of the top rail?

[mkimages]

For the canopy frame, maybe you can cut the forward rail (that goes up around the canopy itself) off, center it, properly center the side rails, and then add styrene on the bottom sides of the top rail?

That's pretty much what I had in mind, just a couple of little shims at the base of the arch. We'll see how it goes. Making them fit smoothly is going to be a bit of a challenge for me.

Mark

[Gene K]

I think I would cut the forward frame at the top center and add a spacer there - only one cut and one spacer needed.

Gene K

[Skull Leader]

I think I would cut the forward frame at the top center and add a spacer there - only one cut and one spacer needed.

Gene K

Unless you properly stretched out the top of the arch, wouldn't run into the possibility of the frame popping out by the shim?

Please Mark, show us what you do, because I'll likely be doing the same thing! :D

[Gene K]

Unless you properly stretched out the top of the arch, wouldn't run into the possibility of the frame popping out by the shim?

I assumed the thin frame wouldn't be very hard to bend to conform to the canopy.

Gene K

[mkimages]

Some minor progress. Work and Christmas stuff have been interfering with model time this week.

Here's how the frame wound up. I considered cutting at the top center of the arch but decided against it. That would have meant cutting at the recess for the kit mirror which wouldn't have left much cross section to attach the shim. Instead I cut just below the mounting points for the two side mirrors and inserted shims made from .020" sheet styrene.

I had initially cut the shims to 1.5mm long (from a 1mm wide strip) each but that turned out to be slightly too long. I had to trim the port shim to 1mm to achieve a good fit inside the canopy. Technically it's uneven but it bends to conform quite well. It looks pretty rough in the posted pic but once I have the gaps and blemishes filled and sanded it ought to look fairly nice. It's glued to the canopy now and the first coat of filler is on so we'll see what happens.

Also, I came across this interesting picture of a Corsair formerly based right here at NAS Atlanta in a US Bicentennial scheme and am now kinda tempted to create the markings and do mine up like this. I've still got time to mull it over, though, so it's just an idea for now.

Mark

[Skull Leader]

would you model it missing the ***-end like it is there?

[mkimages]

That would make a fun thread title: "Mark's ***less Corsair" . I actually considered it (for a few seconds). Unfortunately it's probably a bit beyond my current skill level. Maybe next time 'round.

I have the canopy frame mounted in the canopy and filled. It's looking pretty good. I'll post pics when I'm done with it. I'm now wanting to get the fuse together but since it's really cold down in the basement where the airbrush is located (need to paint the exhaust with Alclad before assembly) it'll probably be next week before I get to it.

Mark

[mkimages]

All-righty then! Now that the holiday season is done with for another year, I'm able to get back to where I was a few weeks ago. Here's some minor progress:

The canopy as it sits now. It still needs exterior painting and a few tiny bits attached, but I'll wait until late in the build for those since they'd probably tend to get knocked off.

Here is the cockpit mounted into the fuselage half. I used 5 min. epoxy to fix it in place.

Here's the fuselage halves together and some intake filling going on. This view reminds me of something, but I just can't put my finger on what.

--to be continued--

[TF51GREGWISE]

looking good!! I fiddled around with the intake on my build and finally worked out the seam lines.

[mkimages]

Still plodding along at my typical glacial speeds here. I've been concentrating on assembly thus far because my basement (where the spraybooth is) is a mess and needs a good tidying up before I do any spraying. I've pretty much gone as far as I can, though, so I'll have to get the cleanup bug soon.

It's gone pretty well so far; I wound up with a slight misalignment on the speed brake pieces and the gap at the front of the wings needed a sheet-stock shim (apparently that's normal?) and some re-contouring. I think I need to close the gaps at the inner edges of the LE flaps, too. The rest of the bits have gone together flawlessly. This is a pretty fun kit.

The top picture shows the loadout I've tentatively picked; tanks, eight Mk.82 slicks, and four Zuni pods (sans end caps). I don't have any photo references for it, but it seems a plausible load to me. Plus it looks cool B) . Any comment, pro or con?

:D

[Skull Leader]

Hey Mark, I didn't need any shim for the front of my wing cap, but it did seem that the contour of the wing-cap didn't match up with the contour of the top of the fuselage. It took a considerable amount of sanding to get the two to line up.

Looking good so far!

[mkimages]

Aaaand... jumping forward in time a few months, here's where I am, two days left until the end of the GB and I'm on short final with gear down and locked. Paint is on, decals are on and sealed with flattened future, and I'm pretty sure that I have all the fiddly bits attached. About all I need to do is a panel line wash and maybe some chalk-dust weathering. Problem is that I don't have any dark gray oil paint and can't get any before the deadline. I may try using watercolors for the wash instead.

Here are a few pics of it in its current state, I'll take any suggestions as far as things I've missed. i've been looking at it now for so long that I don't trust that I'm seeing everything.