The Little World

You buy now. We ruv you rong time.

Someone told me I was getting cynical in my old age. I have my high school yearbook and the entry with my photo says I have an ironic wit. I am not an old cynic – I was a smart arse in 1966.

All this because I have just looked at the new Corsair kit from Hobby Boss and realised that the only thing that differentiates it from the F4U-4 is the decal sheet, painting guide, and propellor. Oh, and the box art, which is marginally less gaudy than the other one. I am not complaining, mind, as I wanted to get to grips with the same thing I stuffed up and…well…unstuff it.

I think an old product served as new is pretty well standard throughout industry. I have also seen it in the camera trade, the motor car business, and the hifi industry. And clothing fashion works the same way but on a much longer cycle. At least the dress merchants give you time to wear holes in the flimsy garments they push on you before they push more. You still get poor value for money, but there is a sense of novelty about it.

Well, the new Corsair is the same as the old Corsair, but is being taken seriously this time. And I am taking the opportunity to try new things – I have a jar of Mr Color Surfacer 1000 and am trying it cut at 50/50 with Mr. Color Levelling Thinner as a possible paint undercoat. I’ve not entrusted the entire aircraft to this but decided to risk the drop tanks. So far, so good.

I can also report a pleasing episode repairing one of my air brushes – it suffered a failure in the air inlet valve as a rubber O ring swelled up and trapped an actuator pin. I successfully disassembled it down to basic castings, and then repaired it. I will still put the brush in for a professional tune-up but I got it working enough to spray with today. I am not as helpless as I pretend to be.

Note: The Hobby Boss kits are the basis for pre-built aircraft that sell for about the same price. If you’re in a hurry and don’t want to spend money on paint or glue, just get the pre-made…Not as much fun, though.