Issue 170 - http://www.modelairplaneinternational.com 39U.S. F4U-1D CORSAIR (873011A)
Possibly the best of the bunch
and apparently a more recent
tooling, FoV’s Corsair is moulded
in “FS15402” blue to match the
colour scheme of a VMF-312
aircraft in overall Sea Blue Gloss
with white chequer markings on
the rudder and cowl.
Panel lines are all cleanly
recessed though perhaps a
touch deep - not quite Matchbox
“trenches” of old but not Tamiya
inesse either. The fabric areas
on the outer wing panels are just
engraved lines with no attempt at
any contours.
The cockpit is basic and
consists of a bucket seat, loor,
stick, instrument panel and a
rather crude and diminutive
pilot igure though there is a
semblance of sidewall detail
inside the fuselage, albeit ictional.
The engine detail is rather nice
and features two rows of cylinders
and a multi-piece crankcase.
Similarly the undercarriage and
tail wheel are actually rather
delicate and the separate main
gear doors have moulded detail
on the inner faces. Tail wheel
doors are chunky with hefty
locating lugs. The wheels wells
are boxed in, again they a little
shallow but this is a fault shared
with so many with Corsair kits.
Like many other Corsair kits
this one has a single-piece
lower wing and has separate
left and right upper halves and
this all slots into the underside
of the fuselage. External stores
consists of a pair of underwing
drop tanks with the pylonmoulded to the wing.
The canopy is thick which
perhaps lends to an impression
that it is rather bulbous in shape,
the arbiter for this is how it looked
once painted and installed. The
prop is excellent in terms of shape
and thickness.
The decal sheet is sharply
printed and includes national
insignia, chequers for the tail
and cowl, wing-walkway pads,
prop markings and set of code
numbers.
Overall the moulding quality is
very good and it looks to make up
into a presentable facsimile of a
Corsair. How well it can carry itself
off will be in the building, painting
and weathering of it – watch this
space!whom accuracy is something you grow into as modelling experience accrues.
Ultimately it’s worth remembering that this hobby is a broad church (so to
speak) and not everything is – nor indeed should be – enthusiast centric all the
time, especially when the latter can be notoriously ickle and turn even serviceable
kits in plastic pariahs.
Accuracy issues aside, if you’re looking to keep a younger modeller entertained
for a few hours or are searching for something as a irst-time project for them, you
can’t go too wrong with these Forces of Valor kits.
Thanks to The Hobby Company for the samples seen this month.