mustang1989 Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 (edited) I bought this kit in the spring time of this year as a project for my son and I to work on. I bought two of these things so that we could build along side together and build at the same pace. After we got started we both realized that this wasn't the kit to have a beginner on so I shelved it and bought something a little easier for him. The reason behind this build was a meeting with my mentor at a church function we had over early summer. He used to build models but cant any longer due to a slight shake he has in his hands which makes him unsteady. I had asked him what his favorite WWII aircraft was(because he's into that kind of stuff) and he responded almost right away with "The Corsair". I kept that in the back of my head until September 26 when I put the wheels in motion on building this kit. What I didn't know was just how much of a challenge this build would be with all the gaps, misfits and alignment issues. I literally slaved away on this thing to get it done in time to present it as a Christmas gift by next month for him with anywhere from 30 min. to 4 hours a day being spent on it. This is the kit I'm taking about to give you all a visual (and to properly warn any innocent bystanders out there) of what I bought. The fit issues alone where enough that I actually had the thing in the trash can twice! I knew if I did what I wanted and went for the Tamiya 1/48 kit that I would have had a lot better looking build with more detail but I wouldn't have been able to finish it by Christmas because thats how I am. The more detail, the more time it takes to get it done. I built her as flown as part of Black Sheep Squadron VMF-214 operated off of the USS Sicily (CVE-118) , Korea in 1951. Any ways here are the finishing photos; and the shot of it on the display base that I made out of a modified shadow box, with a mirror base I had made for it and the custom badge. I also have a custom made acrylic glass case that goes over the top of all of this that's not pictured here. What WAS surprising about this kit was the fact that it actually had a full cockpit (however inaccurate) which was out of the ordinary for Monogram kits of that day. I worked with what I had using nothing but the skills I have obtained from forums along the way and a set of Eduard seat belts to set it apart from a bone stock interior. The first two pics are the real color of this pit and the last was me toying around with my new camera so that one is a little , let's say........bright. Edited November 22, 2014 by mustang1989 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Very sharp build. Did the kit come with a decal to do the poka dots on the engine cover ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang1989 Posted November 19, 2014 Author Share Posted November 19, 2014 Thanks Ray and yeah that's the one. I just thought the idea of a Blacksheep Sqdn. build was cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrherald420 Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Looks good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang1989 Posted November 19, 2014 Author Share Posted November 19, 2014 (edited) Thanks James! This was mostly an OOB build using the Revell supplied decals. I did spring for a set of Eduard PE seatbelts, True Details bombs and I used a set of OOB wheels and tires from an Eduard Hellcat Profipack kit I had in the stash since Corsairs and Hellcats share the same wheels and tires. I wasn't worried about using the tires from the Hellcat as there are a set of resin wheels included in the Profipack boxings along with a fair amount of PE stuff. I'm definitely going to be building that Hellcat within the next year. Edited November 19, 2014 by mustang1989 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Looks Great! Very Realistic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang1989 Posted November 19, 2014 Author Share Posted November 19, 2014 Thanks Ira! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 As someone who's built this kit several times in the last 40 years (I'm currently completely rebuilding one I did as a teenager), I can tell you that you did a nice job on this. That kit has real issues--both accuracy and fit/assembly--and it's not easy to make even a halfway decent shelf-sitter out of it. For example, after putting a LOT of work into getting the kit glass installed (twice), on this one I just gave up and used a Squadron vac canopy. I'm planning to build one more of these, incorporating everything I've learned about this kit since 1970 or so. And I'll definitely be using vac glass on that one, too. BTW, I've also built 1/48 F4U-4s from Hasegawa, Heller, and Academy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang1989 Posted November 19, 2014 Author Share Posted November 19, 2014 (edited) 'Preciate it Snake! I had SEVERE fit issues with the glass too. I ended up dipping both glass sections in future and then after drying I glued them in with Testors Clear parts glue and then filled the gaps with the same glue. Surprisingly it came out ok. The next one's gonna HAVE to be a Tamiya 1/48 D model for sure! lol Edited November 19, 2014 by mustang1989 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang1989 Posted November 19, 2014 Author Share Posted November 19, 2014 Thanks Lee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 'Preciate it Snake! I had SEVERE fit issues with the glass too. I ended up dipping both glass sections in future and then after drying I glued them in with Testors Clear parts glue and then filled the gaps with the same glue. Surprisingly it came out ok. The next one's gonna HAVE to be a Tamiya 1/48 D model for sure! lol If you want an easy, troublefree Corsair kit build, get the old Otaki, which has been sold under the ARII, AMT, and Airfix labels as well. Not much detail but the shape is right and assembly is completely painless. I know exactly what you mean about the Monogram Corsair glass. Here's the one I'm working on now (not to hijack your thread, or anything). I originally built this one as a teenager around 1970. Here's the poor unloved parts I started with: I filed/sanded off all the molded-in canopy framing, and threw the kit glass in the trash: Mounted Squadron vac windscreen and canopy (intended for the Hasegawa kit)... ...and hand-painted the frames preparatory to masking for final paint. I'm doing this one as a Reserve airplane. The orange band will be masked off before the Glossy Sea Blue gets squirted (easier to do it this way than the other way around). I now have the band masked, just need to finish up rebuilding the wings and glue them on, and then into the paint shop it goes. BTW, this is a pre-1983 kit. In '83 Monogram redid it, adding an all-new cockpit and decent 2-piece wheels. I did this one old-school, splitting the kit's one-piece "black nickels" wheels and widening them with sheet styrene. I've done this on a lot of older kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang1989 Posted November 19, 2014 Author Share Posted November 19, 2014 The molds on these kits date back to 1963.Looks like your seams in front of the windscreen turned out ALOT better than mine did initially. I sanded away so much detail during the build that I had to apply dots of super glue from the point of a toothpick to "re-rivet" the top of the whole nose and I had to use stretched sprue to replace panel lines sanded away. Yup its an early kit as those were molded in blue. God bless you for tackling one of these over again! Try a Tamiya. Those are supposed to be a COMPLETE dream to build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 Try a Tamiya. Those are supposed to be a COMPLETE dream to build. It's a lovely kit (I own two or three of them) but has a lot more detail than I like to deal with. And, it's a -1 model, and my Corsair interest runs more toward the Korean War, where they used -4s, -5s, and AU-1s. I've also done a couple of late-model French ones from the Heller AU-1 and -7 kits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang1989 Posted November 20, 2014 Author Share Posted November 20, 2014 (edited) You have a good point , the -4's do look good. Edited November 20, 2014 by mustang1989 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DynoMight Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Both Corsairs look awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim B Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Great job on the Corsair, Joe. Looks like you fought the good fight & won this time around. Nice looking base, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang1989 Posted November 20, 2014 Author Share Posted November 20, 2014 Thanks Glenn! Thank you too James! Dude this thing ended up in the friggin trash can twice and was headed to Ebay for a Tamiya kit both times. I simply found myself too vested in this kit to quit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent G Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 You polished that old POS into quite the jewel sir. Very, very nice. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang1989 Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 Why thank you Wayne! Good to see you 'round these parts again brutha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Great looking model. What jumps out at me is the very realistic-looking exhaust residue behind the cowl and on the wing root. Perfectly executed, and really brings that plane to life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang1989 Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 Thanks alot Bill! Some people use paint for that. Man , I just aint that brave as I wrap up alot of time in paint on my aircraft builds and to use paints and mess it up in the final stages would mean a huge amount of work. I use dry brushed on ground up pastel for that starting with a base coat of black and white mixed together to get the dark gray base to simulate the burned paint effect. I followed that up with a light dry brushing of a light brown pastel to simulate oils that collected just outside of the exhaust pipe. Finally the exhaust staining turns slightly black, simulating soot, (using straight black ground up pastel) towards the end of the stain over the wing where the aircraft numerals are. Pastels are safe and forgiving and if I mess up or need a touch up, the repairs are always easy. The only thing is that you CANNOT spray a clear coat over them as it erases all of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang1989 Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 I'm currently two and a half builds away from this (the Monogram Challenger I'm building in a WIP here and two Bf109s) I'm getting the itch to build another Pacific warbird after the Monogram Dauntless build that I did last year and I'm not going Revellogram this time. This time it's gonna be in the form of an Eduard offering (thank God). and its gonn HAVE to get the wing folding kit to fold at least one wing back.................... I'll also be getting some more PE for it in the form of an interior set (although the Profipack series generally has a little of this covered) and a wing gun panel open up set. This one's gonna be some good fun. Can hardly wait to start breakin' out the blue paint again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flat-top Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Very nice, awesome job. Great looking Corsair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang1989 Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 Thank you Bob! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister 4x4 Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Awesome build! Some of my first and favorite kits were WWII fighters, and one of my favorites was the Monogram F4U-4. I totally glue-bombed it compared to this beauty, but I'm on a quest to rebuild many of the kits I built as a kid, so I'll get another shot. Thanks for the inspiration! Did you fix the wings that way, or do they still fold? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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