Torsten's bench works

Aircraft World War II
803

Over the last couple of days I did most of the paint work on the F4U. First white primer as usual. I have masked the primer on the rudder where the french tricolore decals will be later. A white underside is better than a dark blue one … :smile:

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Though painting only one colour is easy it took me 3 sessions over the weekend to paint everything. Will double check tomorrow if there are still some cloudy spots but the first view this afternoon was fine …

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… the landing gear doors are also done. …

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Have used Vallejo 71300 Glossy Sea Blue FS15042 for the painting …

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The prop is ready to pull the aircraft … :slightly_smiling_face:

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All other parts are also in some painting stage, just have not taken photos yet. So I’m quite optimistic that I can take the Corsair to the expo in Thionville in 3 weeks … :crossed_fingers:

Torsten
:wave:

9 Likes
804

So, the Corsair is nearly finished, only a few parts are still missing to the build. She’s standing on her wheels now and everything is covered with Erdal Bodenglänzer for the decals …

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… and the rest of the bunch. I filled the pin marks on the rockets with a bit of glue before painting. Some look good, some still show the hole a bit … :roll_eyes:

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I hope, the decals are not as balky as the cockpit decals. The build should be finished within the next week.

Torsten :beers:

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Torsten,
As usual your paint jobs really do look good, as does the ordinance. Looking forward to seeing how she looks after your apply the decals.

joel

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Thanks Joel! Have started with decaling today and the decals are all indeed as balky as I thought. They just don’t want to let the transfer paper go. So for each decal I need at least 3 minutes in warm water before I can move it a bit so that I can apply it to the model … :unamused: No matter if it’s big or small. The decal sheet is about 20 years old and made by Zanetti/Italy. So this job will become time consumpting and a test of patience. The Corsair should be in the transport box by next week Thursday. I hope I can make it …

During my research I found a photo of the original plane 17F15 and noticed that Revell made a mistake with the Bu No. On the sheet the number is 133683 but the original aircraft had 129378. After 20 years it’s a bit too late for a complaint at Revell, isn’t it? Unfortunatly I have no other numbers on the sheet to correct it, so I hope our french friends won’t notice the Fauxpas … :shushing_face:

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Btw, I had a great time at the model show in Koblenz this weekend. It’s the second to last this year for me and was the Marauder’s first Fly In … :slightly_smiling_face:

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Schedule for this week was decals, decals and more decals which indeed turned out as a test for patience. And I’ve passed the test. I left only the decals on the rockets out (at least 6 per rocket … :crazy_face:). All others are now on and sealed. Once off the paper they laid very well on the surface with some softener. None was destroyed. I hope I’ve sealed them well enough though I expect some silvering after the final coating, especially at the big 17F15 decals with a lot of clear film. Funny side note is that some stencils are in english while others are in french.

Looking at the photo of the original plane I noticed more mistakes. So the number 15 at the tail end is too big on the model and it looks as if the original aircraft had 2 position lights at the tail end, while the model has only one.

Tomorrow I will paint the final clear coating, again with a mix of Revell Aqua Gloss and Matt. As we see, there’s no Glossy Sea Blue on the original aircraft visible … :smile:

Further a question to the experts, what colour was the position light on the right wing? Blue or Green?

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Have a great weekend!
Torsten
:beers:

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I have a soft spot for everything in French markings, beautiful build Torsten!

:raising_hand_man:

Magnus

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Dam !!!

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Thanks Magnus, glad to hear you like my work. Well, if you like french markings have you thought about a Hellcat from Indochina? Does Arma offer such markings? Eduard has one in 1/48 right now.

Anyway, the weekend was again busy and I call this build finished now :slightly_smiling_face:

Vought F4U-7 Corsair
Aéronavale Française
Flottille 17F
Algeria, Summer 1959
Kit: Revell (Hasegawa) 1/48

Main paint used is Vallejo 71300 Glossy Sea Blue, others are
Vallejo 71010 Interior Green
Vallejo 71073 Metallic Black
Revell 09 Anthracite
Revell 15 Yellow
Revell 42 Yellow Olive
Revell 43 Medium Grey
Revell 90 Silver
Revell 91 Steel
Revell 302 Black
Revell 330 Fire Red
Tamiya X-25 Clear Green
Tamiya X-27 Clear Red
I hope I have forgotten none …

Final coating was again made with a 70/30 mix of Revell 01 Clear Gloss and 02 Clear Matt. There is only a little silvering on some decals now, like the big 17F15 but only visible on a close look. Had a last challenge when I took the masks off from the canopy which was a bit difficult because the mask (Gold Tape) was really sticky to the surface and accidently I made a scratch in the windshield with the scalpel :angry: which I tried to erase with some Future but the cut is too deep, so still visible. Furthermore I noticed some overspray on the inside of the canopy which probably came from the rear of the canopy. Not much but enough to make the canopy not so shiny anymore after my work in Post 791. Oh, and Green on the right wing and Red on the left wing … :slightly_smiling_face:

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And a welcome visit from my Tamiya F4U-1D :slightly_smiling_face:

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Though this build had some surprises for me, especially the unexpected ones with the decals I’m quite happy how the Corsair came out in the end. And I can show the build next weekend in Thionville. A french Corsair in France might be of some interest for the guests and fellow modellers.

Thanks to everyone of you who has again followed me through this build with comments and/or likes. It’s always much appreciated! Hope to have you also at my side with my next build.

Happy modelling!
Torsten
:slightly_smiling_face:

12 Likes
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Another great finish, Torsten :slightly_smiling_face:

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Thanks Russ! :slightly_smiling_face: What’s your current project?

I’m quite happy with the result of my efforts, though the build is not without flaws. Some are made by me again … Just had to do a small repair. One rocket was a bit loose. They have only 3 tiny joints to the rocket rails. So a tiny drop glue had to do the job and the Corsair is now upside down on my jig for an hour or so. Nothing serious.

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Hi Torsten :blush:

Currently working on Special Hobby’s Fairey Fulmar, however, progress has been slow owing to lack of time and low mojo this year. Still, I’m nearing completion so should have something to show soon :cowboy_hat_face:

Nice to hear the Corsair’s rockets are back in place :slightly_smiling_face:

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A Fairey Fulmar is something not often seen, Russell. Good choice! Some years ago I have started the 1/48 SH Fulmar which came in the Eduard box as a Limited Edition but after a while it went back in the stash where it still is. Maybe I should have another look at it … :thinking:

Last weekend I had another great time at the model show in Thionville. It was my last show for this year and I’ve already got some invitations for next year. First show in March 2024 is already fix. Maybe you like to have a look at my report … :slightly_smiling_face:

Now that the Corsair is finished and savely home from her first show, it’s time to start something new. I had the same idea as Magnus, who builds some wunderschöne neue Maschinen. But mine don’t come as a dual combo so I need two single kits of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 and F-4. The last 109’s I’ve build in May 2020. Some of you may remember my Ilmavoimat Duo. So I picked these kits for my next project. A Profi Pack and a Weekend Edition …

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Sprues are nearly the same for both kits, except the wing parts. Sprue R holds the fuselage parts …

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Wing parts for the F-2 are on Sprues Q and K …

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while the wing parts for the F-4 are on Sprues M and L …

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Various parts are on Sprues H and I. When I look at the intructions many are marked as “not needed” and will end in the spare box …

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Clear parts are on Sprue Z …

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The Profi Pack has as usual some PE parts and a mask, so for the Weekender I bought an extra mask EX 535 …

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And a closer look …

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The instructions come as usual as a small booklet …

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Decals are again well printed by Eduard. The Profi F-2 offers 5 options …

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… and I have decided to go for this beautiful “Yellow Nose”, nicknamed “3. Schluck-Specht”, flown by Lt. Horst Buddenhagen († 1941). In the Luftwaffe im Focus Spezial No. 3 on pages 12 and 13 is a photo, profile and a report about this aircraft. Schluck Specht is an old german word for a strong drinker (usually alcohol). But in this case it probably means the DB 601 engine of the 109 … :smile: The reason of Buddenhagen’s death is not correct in the Eduard profile, btw.

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The Weekend Editions offers 4 options …

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and I decided to go for the last “Friedrich” of Hauptmann Hans-Joachim “Jochen” Marseille (1919-1942) in September 1942. With this aircraft alone he achieved 49 victories …

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Without a machine of Hartmann, Barkhorn and Marseille, a 109 collection is not completed … :wink: I will start with the builds in the next days and it would be great if some of you guys would accompany me again … :slightly_smiling_face:

Happy modelling everyone!
Torsten
:beers:

9 Likes
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I’m here :grin: !

:raising_hand_man:

Magnus

1 Like
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Hi Torsten :blush:

Yep, although the Fulmar was the backbone of the FAA in the early part of the war in the Med, it’s a bit of an enigma in the model world and rarely seen.

Choosing to build Special Hobby’s 1/72 kit of it is part of an obsession I have with the Illustrious class of aircraft carriers that were instrumental in RN operations and somehow have been overlooked by the kit companies (but I’m working towards rectifying that :wink:).

The 1/72 offering has been a difficult kit to say the least and has occupied my workbench far longer than I anticipated (far longer than any Airfix kit too) and if the 1/48 kit is anything like it, I don’t blame you for boxing it up and moving on to more user friendly kits :slightly_smiling_face:

In addition to the Fulmar, I have a couple of other kits in the stash to follow on from it, to make what I’d call an Illustrious Trilogy :muscle:

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Hi Torsten,

Really good looking Corsair, love the french naval markings. Good choice for next project, Marseille’s 109. Like you said, a must for any decent 109 collection.

Noroc :beers:

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Thanks Russell, Mulțumiri Dragos! :slightly_smiling_face: Glad you like my work.

So far I have no 109 of Marseille and Hartmann but I have already 2 of Gerhard Barkhorn. But when it comes to aces there could be mentioned so many more than these 3 …

Have started with the builds and the cockpits are mostly finished. Hope to paint them in the next days.

Stay tuned!
Torsten
:beers:

3 Likes
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Hi guys!
I hope, you’re still there and wait for the first update. Here it comes. In the last days I’ve been busy getting the cockpits together. First of all of course some “asparagus”, as Peter once called these parts on clamps … :grin:

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During the build I will mark Buddenhagen’s F-2 as “Black 7” and Marseille’s F-4 as “Yellow 14”. I also plan to open the canopy on “Black 7” while the other one will be closed. Here the right cockpit wall of “Yellow 14” prior to painting …

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4 PE parts are used for the IP of “Black 7” , while “Yellow 14” gets the decal of the Weekend Edition. I gave it a light wash with Hypersol, the strong softener from Agama …

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… here both cockpits are already finished. As paint I used Vallejo 71055 Black Grey RLM 66. I’ve tried to take aways the decal film from the seat belts of “Yellow 14” but that would destroy the decals now, so I leave them on …

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… and this is the proof of todays work. Cockpits and IP are attached to the fuselage. I will leave everything now until tomorrow and see how the halves fit …

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… in the meantime I have also started with the wings. Here you can see the difference between F-2 and F-4. But that was not always the case. Many F-2 had also the wings of the F-4 …

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Next update will come soon. Have a great weekend!
Torsten
:wave:

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Oh, OK, you talked me into it Torsten! You know I love a dual-build :sunglasses: Nice start, looking forward to more progress reports my friend.

Cheers, D

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Great start Torsten, they look amazing. Great Eduard quality.

I don’t know how I managed to miss the Dual Build part :slight_smile: , I thought you are building only Marseille’s 109. Two 109’s is even better. You are right about the aces, you would have a very respectable fleet if you build only their planes :star_struck:

Noroc :beers:

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Looking good Torsten. Seeing the parts side by side really highlights the little differences in details.

1 Like