1/48 Tamiya F4U-1 Corsair

Gallery Article by David Rapasi on Mar 30 2011

 

This model depicts the life of a Corsair, from it's earliest days in the Solomons, until a few days before it's final flight on December 13, 1943 when it crash landed on Bougainville.

Capt. Ed Olander claimed a Zero on 17 October, 1943, on a fighter sweep over Kahili flying this aircraft.

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Major Bob Owens, July 1943;

"When we went into Munda, it was the first time (since Gaudalcanal) that there was a group of sqadrons flying similar machines. Each aeroplane had a number from 1 to16. Having been assigned to fly a mission in "No 5", I'd get out there on the line and there would be five "No 5s"- five squadrons each with a "No 5"!  So we repainted the aircraft with numbers that weren't like those of other units, most squadrons tending to use the last three digits of the BuNo."

Capt. James N. Cupp, August 1943;

"When operating from Munda our beautifully marked planes were put into a pool and assigned to different pilots from different squadrons every morning. That alone was enough to break our hearts, but when the SEEBEEs (who had been pressed into service as mechanics) asked us where to inject the gas and oil we were almost tempted to draw our pay and go home. There were a few bona-fide mechanics on the strip, but they had always worked on Grummans, so our sleek little planes went without much maintenance. They rapidly became dirty and undependable. They always kept going, but little things were always cropping up to annoy you."

Quotes are from the excellent book Corsair Aces of World War 2 by Mark Styling.

This model was finished with Model Master Paint, kit decals, and homemade stencils.

One kit was used for this article.

Colors used on this model;

  • ANA 602 Light Gray
  • ANA 603 Sea Gray
  • ANA 607 N.S. Sea Blue
  • ANA 611 Interior Green

David Rapasi

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Photos and text © by David Rapasi