F4U-1A Corsair model by Wilfried Eck

Model by Wilfried Eck

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F4U-1A Corsair, Otaki 1/48

Modifications and additions:

Pictured situation: Return of a damaged airplane of VMF-114 from a strike mission against fortifications on Peleliu, mid 1944.

Motor modified (gearbox too long, magnetoes wrong);
Cooling flaps in cowling cut out and replaced by scratch built ones (scrape/sand rear of cowling to accept ring in appropriate angle, glue cooling flap segments onto);
Cockpit interior modified (instrument panel replaced by scratch, seat, bar behind seat, straps, throttle, levers);
Windscreen and cockpit hood PVC (see page C);
Brewster bomb rack from sprue parts;
Main landing gear modified (esp. scissors, brake lines);
Tail landing gear completely scratch;
Damage by shell and shrapnel: Appropriate part of inner fuselage scraped to paper thickness; part from fast food aluminum tray glued onto inner side, and hole punched through with a nail of suitable diameter; if the pastic is thin enough the aluminum will show as ragged edges on the outside).
Actuating levers on trim tabs bent wire (replacement on rudder a must because it should be horizontal);
Navigation lights clear plastic tinted with marker pencil of appropriate colour (see page "lights").
"Ageing" of model minimal because VMF-114 got new airplanes; just minimal scratches on top of inner wings (in this case with an old silver felt pen with almost no colour left; traces of spilled gasoline by wetting surface with thinner and applying a drop of very very thin light brown colour (almost translucent).
Figurine scratch built, head from a Verlinden mechanic.