The Little World

I wandered into Hobbytech for a bottle of paint. I came out with three bottles of paint and a Birdcage Corsair. This is why I’m not allowed in Bunnings or the beer shop unaccompanied.

To be fair I was responding to an internet search session that showed the prototype XF4U-1 aircraft Vought showed to the US Navy in 1938. It was painted in pre-war yellow and silver and a very striking plane. I had some vague notion of painting the Tamiya F4U-1 kit to match it.

Then reality set in as I did further research. The fuselage of the plane would have to be hacked in several places to make it look like the prototype and I suspect I would not have ended up with a good job. However, I also googled up an image of a very early Birdcage being run through flight trials and the livery was attractive and do-able with the decals that the kit provided. It was interesting in that as yet the Navy had not accepted it  – there was no US Navy number or ID on the fuselage, though the pilot may have been a naval officer. It’s the one I’ll base this model on. I’m still doomed to stencil the thing as these are showing clearly…

The kit is not cheap – double the price of an Airfix or Hobby Boss equivalent – but the level of detail, the careful moulding, and the superb fit of the components more than makes up for the extra cost.

They fit it all on four sprues and managed to give me an extra propeller, drop tanks, and an armload of rockets for the spares box. There is no flash anywhere. Tiny feed gates. Excellent plastic.

Good looking decals, as well, though the Tamiya ones have a reputation for being thick. Still, all I am asking for is a few star roundels and some stencils on surfaces with sunken panel lines, so all should be well.

Good instructions, though the paint call out is all Tamiya.

I suppose they would not really be touting for GSI Creos as the two firms are deadly rivals in the paint and modelling tool game. I’ve done my colour research as to the wheel wells and cockpit and have come to as good a compromise as can be expected. The externals should be pretty simple, and they are one of my favourite classic USN combos; blue-grey and light grey. The demarkation line is very diffuse indeed so it might even be a freehand job…if I am feeling brave. And it’s in delivery satin finish.