Corsair racer - Conversion of the 1/72nd scale Tamiya kit + Draw Decals

(Photo SDASM)

(The completed model is here:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2023/12/fg-1d-corsair-racer-lucky-gallon-cook.html

“Para bailar la bamba se necesita una poca de gracia y otra cosita”.

And paraphrasing, to build this Corsair racer you would need just a bit of work and a few other things:

- Get the decal set from Draw Decals*

- Get a Corsair kit that has the frameless bubble canopy

- Discard anything military from the kit

- Remove military surface detail (chutes, armament attaching points, gun throughs, etc.)

- Modify the leading edge intakes according to photos (partially blanked off)

- Remove arrestor hook and modify tailwheel doors and fuselage tail accordingly, fill the gap left by the hook

- Fabricate and add an air intake trunk under the cowl following photos

- Discard antennas

- Delete formation and landing lights from wing

- Fill, if your kit has it, the step on the flap section closer to the fuselage on the right wing

- Fill the hole for the discarded sight on the inst. Pan.

*If you are using the Draw Decals sheet, here are some notes:

A) The rendition of the shape of the color area on the aircraft’s belly is not accurate and it doesn't match the side view.

B) You will have to paint the color areas creating your own masks.

C) The hub and spinner of the prop are not metal color, but black like the rest of the prop (minus the blade tips, which were yellow). In one color photo the small spinner is red, in another black.

D) The registrations on the wing, looking at photos, seem to run parallel to the leading edge, and not perpendicular to the plane's axis. Your choice.

“Lucky Gallon” finished 6th in the 1946 Cleveland Air Races piloted by Cook Cleland. I have chosen, for no particular reason, the Tamiya kit for this build. As I do not build military models, I am not really knowledgeable on war types, thus I am mostly unaware of the advantages, disadvantages or accuracy issues related to any of the brands that produce this type of kit. What I love to do is to provide these types with a second life under a different light.

Here are some of the conversions of war planes to racers:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2023/08/bell-p-63-kingcobra-hosler-sohio-racer.html

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2023/08/hi-time-ii-mustang-reno-racer-academy.html

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2023/07/bell-p-39-airacobra-cobra-i-racer.html

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2023/07/bell-p-39-airacobra-cobra-ii-racer-arma.html

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2023/03/mustang-beguine-racer-converted-arma.html

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2022/02/hawker-hurricane-g-amau-racer-acdemy.html

http://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2013/05/rareplanes-172-vacuformed-seversky-p-35.html

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2018/08/fiat-br20a-istres-damascus-paris-racer.html

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2015/04/savoia-marcehtti-s79-corsa-completed.html

http://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2017/06/hawker-hart-racer-completed-arctic.html

This is my first Tamiya kit, renown among modelers for their fit, and I can say that I very much agree with them, as the engineering, molding, detail and fit are really nice. For all the good things, the instrument panel is pretty sad (just circular poke marks), and not even a decal for it is provided. I purchased a Yahu panel to solve that issue, plus an Eduard set of canopy masks to make my life easier as none are provided with kit. Seat belts may have to be substituted if you don’t want use the rather unrealistic decals for them. Pity these mainstream brands -that seem to consistently provide such quality- dedicate their efforts mainly to not-civil types.

As this kit is not new (released in 2000 according to Scalemates) and thoroughly known, I won’t bother much with the usual images and presentation. The succinct guide provided above should give and idea of the scope of the modifications needed.  

Parts prepared:

Basic airbrushing:

 

Deleting part of the military detail on the lower wing:

More detail not pertinent to the racer deleted, further painting, some sub-assemblies in progress:

Transparencies already prepared. Don't forget this plane had the bubble without the extra framing:

A bit more airbrushing:

The guns are plugged, the air intakes partially blanked following photos. That little tab has to be deleted too:

The seat is given home-made belts. The cockpit in this kit is such a clever arrangement. As explained, waiting now for a Yahu inst. panel to cure the rather sad kit's rendition:

Now the puttying, sanding and re-scribing can begin:

Time ago, I made another of Cleland's Corsairs (N.A.R. 1949), based on the rather problematic Special Hobby kit:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2014/05/special-hobby-172-f2g-supercorsair.html

Man how I wish Tamiya would release a F2G racer!  

Being mostly a scratchbuilder and kit-converting kind of modeler, tackling every possible media from all the ages of kit-making and many brands, for more decades than I wish to confess, it seems kind of silly that it just dawned on me "-Oh, this Tamiya kits are nice!". The explanation, given already above, is that I associated the brand with military types out of my sphere of interest, therefore I never -until now- bought a single kit from them. It would be interesting to see what they have in terms of potential civil conversions, as -judging only from this experience- they seem to be very nice. I am not a detail freak, but surely I am grateful when the fit in a kit is good, as I rather employ my modeling hours to convert, add detail, and modify than to fix kits' shenanigans.

With everything else more or less ready, just waiting for that aftermarket inst. pan. now to proceed with the main assembly and general painting:

The instrument panel arrived. Notice the spelling of Tamiya:

A nice little thing, ready to glue on:

The main components are assembled. The module behind the cockpit that allows Tamiya to produce different versions is not a good fit, being noticeably smaller than it should, producing a visible step that will necessitate energetic sanding and re-scribing. The wing fit is fair, without being exceptional, and the horizontal tail is a very loose fit, all this in contrast with the fit in the build so far, which was excellent. Now the characteristic shape of the Corsair starts to emerge:

This kit had a tailhook, so the tailwheel doors have to be cut and modified, and the recess in the tailcone filled:

The cooling gills at the bottom need partial removal to make way for the air intake trunk added to the racer:

To make the air intake trunk a section of U channel styrene is used:

And to make the other end the channel is cut and bent:

Preparing the line-up:

 A paper tube is used to mask the interior paint of the cowl:

A coat of primer:

A coat of gloss white in preparation for the cream color:

Cream color applied:

Making the patterns for the painting masks. I wish I would like computers and programs, but the truth is that I utterly hate them, so no Silhouette plotter for me, just the ole fingers and scissors:

I think, following photos, that this is what the paint scheme should look like. The regs should follow the leading edge angle, and the dark red on the belly should follow more or less what's added to the photocopy -sort of echoing the curves on the top on the nose. Other modelers have caught this too and completed their models accordingly:

Masks are cut using the patterns:

And after a bit laborious masking session the dark red color is airbrushed. Humbrol ivory was used for the background. The red I used (Humbrol 20) looked dark, but could have been darkened a bit more. Humbrol ivory is a very inconsistent color, and depending on the batch it will be lighter or darker:

A few touch-ups and it should be ready for the decals:

Decals on. Nose dry-fit:

(The completed model is here:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2023/12/fg-1d-corsair-racer-lucky-gallon-cook.html

Mustang N13Y Anson Johnson racer 1949 - Airfix 1/72nd kit conversion + Draw Decals

(Photo from the Net, don't remember from where exactly, let me know if I am stepping on someone's (C) toes)

 The completed models is here:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2023/12/anson-johnson-1949-mustang-racer-airfix.html

Yet another war bird conversion to racer, this time using the relatively new Airfix kit and some aftermarket items. Lately I dedicated most of my modeling time to this type of endeavor, giving those types a second, more colorful life.

Anson Johnson won the 1948 Bendix Trophy winner, with this very plane in other guise and with minimum changes to the original, and decided to further modify it, radically, for the 1949 event, but technical difficulties prevented it from finishing. Those deep modifications, as described in this build, involve elimination of the characteristic belly radiator and the lip air intake on the nose, the modification of the wing leading edges adding air intakes for the radiators -now located in the wings-, openings on top of the wing to let the air out, clipped prop blades, different exhaust stacks, a new carb air intake further back below the nose, and clipped wings.

This presents a bit of a challenge for the modeler, but I have done two “Beguine” Mustangs that also involved drastic modifications, so let’s see how this one pans out.

An easily available Draw Decals sheet will be used. You may have a look online at the museum example, but it has a few differences with the original plane as flown.

The Airfix kit (released 2012 according to Scalemates) has a very soft plastic which should be good to perform all the drastic cutting and patching required for this modification. It may not be as detailed as the Arma Models kit, but it’s easier to build (and I am already in for all the complication I can take because of the extensive kit surgery needed). The interior is rather simplistic, but again little detail is really seen once the model is built. Still, some aftermarket items are planned to be used to add a bit of interest and as replacements for the kit parts that are discarded as they don’t match the racer (i.e. prop and spinner, exhaust stacks). This is the second Airfix Mustang I build and I have found the same molding problems, rather unusual in a relatively new kit: flash in a few parts (belly air intake lip, prop retainer, unusable antenna converted into a blob of plastic). The Landing gear legs look a tad weak, but had no problems on my previous build. As with all these conversion-to-racer projects, all military gear and surface detail must be discarded/deleted.

The guns are removed:

 

Radio removed:

Base color airbrushed:

The characteristic radiator belly volume has been already removed from both fuselage sides. Eduard inst.pan. and belts are added. The radio position has been blanked:

I cut a bit too close removing the belly, so a styrene strip is glued, later to be matched with the surface:

The first wing radiator vent is carved. Here is where the softness of the plastic of the Airfix kit starts to come very handy. The wing tips need trimming back:

The carving of the intake on the leading edge begins:

The three vents are now carved (the arranged was asymmetric):

One wing tip is off. The headrest of the seat needs removal (I just realized this looking again at photos):

All the radiator system is now carved on the wing, but more parts are needed for it:

Headrest off. The wing is still a dry fit until the radiator arrangement is completed:

The air vents were actually ducts, so some material is added:

Then the part of the wing skin that "opened" a gap controlled by the pilot will be added:

Once the wing halves are glued, new wingtips will be added.

The small lip part* is added to the nose. In fact, all that area has to be redone. The idea is to pack Milliput from inside before installing the wing, to provide some thickness in the area and not risk sanding through,  as the lip has to be deleted and the profile re-contoured:

* That little lip was mistakenly discarded early on, and I had forgotten in which spares bin I had put it. Half an hour of meticulous search into several drawers ensued until I found it. One more of the delights in the Life of a Modeler:

The transparencies are already prepared. Besides the windshield, there are two clear canopies to one normal plastic supporting frame, not sure why:

I have read that some modelers do not like this approach, and would rather mask a one-part affair. I encountered no issues in my previous build of this kit, so to me it's the same.

I have been advised by the Greek Tragedy Chorus, lead by non other than Mr. Christos of Atlantis, that indeed the Mustang had two different styles of blown canopies, so chose wisely (as in eeny meeny miny moe).

The wing has been assembled. As mentioned, still to be added are the home-made wingtips, and the upper lip of the vents over the wing:

 Painting the LG and priming the aftermarket resin Quickboost prop:

As explained, before adding the wing, Milliput is pressed inside the lower nose to create a thicker wall, as this section needs some carving and re-contouring, given that the original plane deleted the small lip under the spinner:

Some reorganization of one of the many storage boxes to make room for the recently-completed Boeing:

The area to be dealt with is masked. The lip has to go and those "grills" have to be filled in:

Wing tips are pre-carved and finished in situ:

The wing and fuselage are glued together. The major surgery is completed, and besides the vent "flaps" on top of the wing, the different exhausts, the new home-made carb intake and the different spinner and prop, the rest should proceed normally:

The new carb air intake is in progress, carved from styrene stick:

The after-market spinner, previously painted red, is masked to paint the tip yellow. using a "negative" mask once the circle was removed from the backing paper:

A few more parts are readied (what you see here are the aftermarket metal landing gear components They are so feeble that I will be using the kit's plastic ones instead):

And now hopefully on the final leg. Flaps, rudder and horizontal tail are glued. The kit offers the option of lowered flaps, which I have used before, they are a great fit, but all the photos I have of this plane in racing guise show the flaps up. The kit's part for the flaps-up option are not a good fit, but that's easily corrected removing the tabs and with a little sanding of their leading edge:

Belly showing the work to delete the fore air intake lip under the spinner, the characteristic ventral radiator shape, the addition of the new carb air intake, the clipped wings and new wing tips. It's quite a bit of surgery, but in general I am pleased with the results:

Now a word regarding the exhausts. The museum restoration shows (surprise!) the wrong type for the race. The plane as raced actually used a variation of the fishtail ones, which was seemingly part of its failure to end the race. The kit's exhausts are the wrong ones, as were the aftermarket items that came with the kit as a freebie when bought. To adapt the Quickboost fishtail items you have to modify just a little bit the kit's opening for them, adding a fingernail-shaped bit at the front and a rectangular, angled little piece at the end. As you can see the mods necessary for this conversion are numerous, but not terribly difficult for a modeler with experience:

A coat of primer, some touch-ups, and addition of the covers for the wing vents:

Do not forget to scribe the leading edge of the elevator mass balances, something Airfix forgot to do.

Adapting now the aftermarket fishtail exhausts:

Preparing the line-up:

 A coat of gloss white as a base for the yellow:

Yellow color applied:

The exhaust metal panels are painted steel (there is a slight asymmetry accounting for a little register on the left side) and the model is now ready for final assembly and decaling:

Application of the Draw Decals begins. They are very nice, but beware that some subjects on the sheet only apply to the museum restored plane, that like most restorations does not faithfully replicate the plane as originally flown (the racer originally didn't have some of the small lettering, and the style of the numbers was changed, plus the wrong exhaust was employed by the museum):

All in place now. Photo session when time and weather allows:

Canopy still loose, have to carve the inner lips to adjust to the fuselage curvature:

 The completed models is here:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2023/12/anson-johnson-1949-mustang-racer-airfix.html