Tamiya F4U-1D Corsair: Update: 2/1019

[1to1scale]

Beautiful engine work, I’m still sad that mine is closed cowl only after a paint disaster. Some day I hope to build one as nice as you.

[Peterpools]

Mark

Very much appreciated and half of my Tamiya builds have the cowlings closed right from the start. When the juices say it’s time for another Corsair build, we’ll be following and enjoying

Peter 

[Peterpools]

UPDATE: 12-1-18: THE CENTER WING SECTION

Formulating the paint and color

 

Moving onto the center wing assembly, it became apparent the hardest decision of the build needed to made: the exterior color selection for Navy Gloss Dark Sea Blue. I've already spent countless hours on line and going through my library investigating colors and mixes and some how, nothing seemed just right. I've envisioned my Big Bad Corsair in a super glossy dark navy blue finish. I bought bottle after bottle of Mr Color and MRP paints and none seemed to be what I was after. Some had a bit too much green tint and the rest, the blues were all over the place. I was dead set in what I was after and the mental picture I had might not even be the right color but it's what I was after. After experimenting with a a host of mixes, I finally hit my color and my standard quantity air brush mix:

Mr Color # 328 FS 15050 Blue 1 Part (20 drops)

Mr Color # 326 FS15044 Blue 1 Part (20 drops)

Mr Color Leveling Thinner 3 Parts (60 drops)

Mr Retarder Mild 4 Parts (4 drops)

Primer: Mr Surfacer 1000/1200 Gray

Mr Color is a bit finicky and as you work your way past the half full point, the solvent does begin to evaporate and the paint gets a bit thicker, requiring additional thinner to keep the consistency perfect for a gloss finish.

After testing the mix, I went to work on the interior parts, no primer was used, as I was well aware of paint build up on Tamiya kits does cause fit problems. The color was dead on and exactly as I had envisioned.

I followed the instructions to the tee and air brushed every part as per the color callouts, except the gloss blue was my mix. I'm a huge Tamiya Fan Boy and never much have anything negative to say but Tamiya along with other manufacturers seems to include parts and assemblies that once completed and glued into place, will be lost as the build continues. Every part and assembly was completed, painted and installed and I guess knowing it is there, is the reward in it's self.

Part B14 and B15 are a good example of just a simple part that took some time to paint, finish and never to be seen.

Detail painting has yet to be done and all the oles and pistons will be finished n AK Metallic Chrome and then masked off for the remained of the project.

Up next:

Finished the center wing section and joining it to the fuselage

Starting the landing gear.

Thanks for checking in

Peter

 

[JohnB]

Coming along nicely Peter.

[Bomber_County]

How beautifully does the Corsair go together........looking fantastic Peter 

[Grunhertz]

That's looking awesome 

[Anthony in NZ]

Hey Peter...I found you again!

Lovely work on the Corsair buddy.  That blue mix looks nice from where I sit.  I know that feeling when you know what you want to achieve with a colour,  if you didn't come up with your own mix it would have bugged you forever.  I did that on a RNZAF 1/48 Tamiya kit exactly the same as you with the Blue, here's what I got.

Keep up the great work!

[BlrwestSiR]

That's really coming along nicely Peter. 

Carl

[GazzaS]

Peter,

    Things are looking great. and I'm glad you've gone with your own color decision. 

 

Gaz

[Mikester]

Looking good, Peter!

[Peterpools]

Thanks John

Still working at a snails pace but not only making some progress, I'm also managing to loose a small parts here and there, which seems to be my method of working these days. There are times I feel like I spend more time looking for lost/dropped parts then actually building and getting up from crawling around sure takes a lot longer these days. One of the joys of cruising past 70!

Peter

[Peterpools]

Thanks Phil

Right with ya; nothing like the joy of a Tamiya build for sure.

Peter

[Peterpools]

GH

Very much appreciated

Peter

[Peterpools]

HI Ant

Much appreciated and right with you. Nice work on the 48th scale Corsair for sure. It's funny but getting everything correct doesn't seem to bother me but colors ... drives me nuts.

Thanks for checking in

Peter

[Peterpools]

Thanks carl

Slowly but surely and it sure seems these days the emphasis is on slowly.

Peter

[Peterpools]

Thanks Gaz, much appreciated. I seem to torment myself over color and not worry too much accuracy. I must be a mental case for sure.

Peter

[Peterpools]

Thanks Mike, much appreciated.

Peter

[GazzaS]

9 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Thanks John

Still working at a snails pace but not only making some progress, I'm also managing to loose a small parts here and there, which seems to be my method of working these days. There are times I feel like I spend more time looking for lost/dropped parts then actually building and getting up from crawling around sure takes a lot longer these days. One of the joys of cruising past 70!

Peter

I've learned to call the missus.  She finds everything quicker than I can.

[EmperorKai]

Beautiful work Peter.  Always enjoy watching your builds and glad to see you’ve got your mojo back!

Kai

[David Hansen]

Peter, i will have to give your Gloss Sea Blue a try. I think i've tried every available shade under the sun, and i have yet to find one i'm truly happy with. No two GSP subjects in my collection are exactly the same colour.

Further complicating this, is the somewhat latent discovery that ANA Colours and their FS equivalents are not the same, and in some cases are off a long ways. ANA Gloss Sea Blue is a good case of this, as is the inconsistencies one runs into when trying to paint post-1957 Navy Jets Light Gull Gray (they were actually ANA Light Aircraft Gray) but that's another story.

 

Neat choice of subject too; i always liked "Skipper's Orchid". I sometimes think about doing "Miss Flame" myself...

 

-d-

[Guest DannyVM]

Still follow your build with great interest Peter, i can't wait to see this big boy finished.

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Always my first plan of action but after days of dropping parts, she banished me from asking for help. Could blame her her as I turned into a runaway train of lost parts lately.

Peter

[Peterpools]

Thanks Kai

Just love Tamiya kits and even the past few weeks of being over whelmed with work (I'm semi retired), the holidays and my Honey Do lists, I'm back working at the bench again and should have an update by the end of the week

Peter

 

[Peterpools]

David

Right with you for sure. My mix may not be 100% accurate but it's what I've seen and remember. I'm as surprised at how many shades and different model paints there are of the same color.

Peter

[Peterpools]

Thanks Danny

She is back and underway again, even if my bench work sessions are very late at night and into to the early morning hours so I can keep making progress.

Peter