Design of the Corsair began in 1938 at the request of the
US Navy who wanted a high-performance, carrier-based
replacement for the Brewster F-2A and the Grumman
F-4F. By 1940, the gull-winged F4U Corsair became a
formidable fighter that not only out-performed Japanese
aircraft, but most allied ones as well, and is considered
by many as the best piston engined fighter ever built.
The last Corsairs rolled off the assembly line in 1952.
Originally designed as a carrier-based aircraft, the
Corsair was re-assigned to land based operations while
the F-6F Hellcat remained at sea. This was primarily a
logistical decision as it was easier to supply ships with
parts for one type of aircraft. The Corsair was adopted by
the US Marine Corps and used extensively in campaigns
in the South Pacific. Other countries used the Corsair
including Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. My model
represents a plane used by the RNZAF. The planes and
their crews received a lot of abuse from the weather, the
mosquitoes, the coral dust, the enemy, and all the
components that contribute to the misery that plagued
the small, often remote islands in the South Pacific.
I decided to build the excellent Tamiya kit because of it’s
accuracy, beautiful detail and brilliant engineering. I’ve
built plenty of models where even the most minor sub-
assemblies are difficult, ill-fitting little nightmares that
require way too much time and effort to correct. I knew I
wouldn’t go wrong with this kit and I was proven correct.
I chose to build a Royal New Zealand Air Force version
because not enough credit has been given to other
countries whose men and women served in this
incredible conflict, and because I liked the Donald Duck
on the side of the fuselage. The beat up, faded, pitted,
worn paint also had a little to do with it
I decided I was going to keep it simple and build it as
much as I could out of the box. The only after market
products I used were a fantastic set of seatbelts from
HGW, Montex masks and decals, and a PE placard set
from Eduard.