Corsairs have a window on the bottom of the fuse between the inner flaps. I'm looking for suggestions on how to do this. I'm not going for "exact scale", just "approximately scale". Any ideas?

Here's a picture of where the window is supposed to go. I already cut out the 3/32" sheeting in the bellypan where it is to go. It's dimensions are 2.5" x 2.75". The kit is a 1/8 TF Corsair.

In the picture, the nose is up and the tail is down. The two mounting bolts directly to the left and right of the window, and the inboard ends of the inner flaps are on the edges of the picture. Inside the window you'll see the a stringer running vertically (this must remain), the mounting bolt plate running horizontally, and the TE spar running horizontally. Further inside is the retract air canister. And if the angle is just right (not in this picture), you can see daylight from the canopy. Again, I'm going for approximately scale here.

How do I do this?

Thanks,
Juice

For your reference... here is where it is located in the full size Corsair (Marine's Dream). It's hard to see from this angle so I shaded everything around it for emphasis.

Here's a close up of the full size window.

And just to get you sick of all my pictures... Here it is on my 1/48 Tamiya Corsair.

I believe that in most cases, the window was painted over on the full scale ones during WW II. It would not have been of much use for carrier operations. I will check my reference books when I get a chance to confirm this.

Juice:

You could try importing your picture into a paint program, resize it to the size of your cut out, touch it up, print it, laminate it, then stick it to some thin (1/16) plexiglass. Then mount the plexiglass in your hole.
This should look close enough to the real thing to pass a cursory inspection.

Good luck!

MV

PS However you do it, post a pic when it's done, I'd love to see it.

According to "F4U CORSAIR", "in detail & scale", "PART 1 XF4U THROUGH F2G" (Aviation Publication/ Bert Kinzey):
"F4U-1s had a window in the lower fuselage, but it was rectangular in shape rather than being oval shaped like the one on the prototype. This window was on some early F4U-1As as well, but it was deleted during production of that variant. The windows were painted over on some aircraft, and they were not considered useful (Vought)".
From my other references, it is difficult to determine, as most photos are not of underside AND it is usually too dark when they are. There are some scale drawings which show the windows on F4U-1Ds, but I have found other errors in those drawings and therefor cannot trust them to be accurate. From eveything I have seen, I can say that they were definately not on the later models, anything later than a -2. I think some of the full scales flying these days had that window installed, just as they have installed windows aft of the canopy (usually dark blue tint) so a passenger sitting behind the pilot can have some visibility.
A detail that I think would not only stand out, but also be guaranteed to be make the aircartf more scale, is the addition of the engine compartment exhaust 'scoop' (reversed scoop) under the fuselage, which was in the same area as the window, only farther forward. I have seen this on some of the newer ARFs.

Juice you never did say what variant of the Corsair you are modeling? Your Tamiya model is painted and appears to be an F4U-1D without bomb racks, it never had a window, so the model is wrong. The window was installed on all F4U-1's and some F4U-1A's. It was basically worthless so it was deleted. On the field if a Corsair needed a repaint or repair it was just painted over. No F4U-1D's had this window.

If you still want it just cut the plastic oversize as it is in the full scale picture. Recess the wood to the thickness of the clear plastic, and glue it down with RC56 glue. When you mask for paint mask the area of the plastic that you want to remain clear, as the full scale picture. Do this after glassing but before priming.

Thanks for the tips and info guys...

It looks like I'm making a 1/8 model of a 1/48 model of the 1/1 F4U-1D. Each model has it's own errors and inaccuracies, but I don't mind. I think a window down there will look cool, so I'll put it in. Bomb racks and missile racks would also look cool, but I didn't plan enough ahead so I have to reluctantly leave them off.

CorsairJock... I did the reverse exhaust scoop. See the attached pic.

Juice, I added bomb racks to a Royal Corsair I built several years ago. It was completely built. The wire will not have to go through the main spar, it will go out of the wing just ahead of it. Cut a hole in the first rib and a hole in the bottom where the rack will go and just thread it through, it's no problem, even if they are just for looks! I am going to be vac-u-forming a set of Corsair 150 gallon drop tanks that will look cool just hanging on those racks!

On the door thing, you need more info, do you like what I have done?

Luke

I didn't include the window in my TF Corsair but I did glass and paint it. Hope you like it.. BobH

I love that paint job, as everyone knows here I am not a fan of the TF kits, especially the Corsair, but you did a great job. The different washes of paint for dirt and weathering looks cool! Tell my about the paint you used. You can click on my link at the bottom of the post to see my Royal Corsair project.

Thanks,

Luke

The plane was painted with Chevron (perfect) paints in the correct colors. For washes I used acrylic enamels applied with an air brush. I tried to go verticle on the fuse where a row of rivits would collect the dirt. As you may know, weathering on dark colors turns light and on the lighter colors it turns dark. Thats what I tried to duplicate. A light weathering job in the right places looks convincing IMHO unless your documentation shows otherwise. I avoid using black for weathering by adding some white to it. I also like to use 0004 steel wool and rub it over the paint in the direction of the weathering. It adds a certain texture that looks very pleasing. After the steel wool you can use the air brush or chalks to add your weathering..
Something I experimented with and was sucessful at was duplicating the "Fabric" look on a sheeted wing.. BEFORE I glassed the wing, 1/32 chart pack tape was applied to the rib stations on the top of the wing. The wing was then glassed over them.. The result was a wing that looked like it had ribs covered in fabric as well as metal in the right places.
I liked your creative way of operating the gear doors, very clever idea..!! Regards BobH.

Great idea about the fabric wing covering Bob, I was going to do something similar. Lightly sand the 3/32" wing sheeting in the areas where the fabric would sag, then glass it. Tape over the areas of fabric then hit the plane with 2 coats of primer. Take the tape off the fabric areas and paint. You would see the weave of the glass cloth and it would look like fabric!

Thanks for all the info, I'll be using your ideas.

Luke

About the fabric covering: A long time ago, a company named B&D produced a 1/8 scale Corsair kit, which I consider to be the most accurate/ detailed 1/8 Corsair kit ever made (I had one). It featured a built up wing center section, but the outers were foam. The beauty of it was that you could use 1/16" sq. strips to simulate the wing ribs where necessary, and sheet the rest. With that in mind, I am currently building a Wing Mfg. Corsair as such, and have made up 2 sets of foam outer wing cores for use with the Top Flight Corsairs.
The Wing Mfg. one will be completed in a month or two, it will be next season (2004) before I can find the time to complete a Top Flight conversion.
The rocket racks should be easy to install, even if the aircraft is completed. The bomb racks likewise, as long as thet are not made to be functional
I will be Vacu forming M.G. ports, and may have extras available/ for sale soon. Maybe Dion and I can work out a trade: tanks for guns?
One item that I still desire: a source where I can get -1D canopies (no lateral braces). What do the Royal ones look like? If they are 1D type, maybe I can still get them thru Marutaka(spelling?)?

Trade sounds fine. I know about the D&B Corsair, never had one though. It seems to small anyway with only a 54" wing. You can follow me on my web site to see how I'm going to do my wings.

Here is a picture of my F4U-1D canopy plug (from Royal) :

Dion, if you have the means to produce those canopies (you have a Vacu Form large enough?), I would be interested in purchasing 2 or 3. My Vacu Form is the old, Mattel version, which is just large enough to do small things like the m.g. openings. I am however, 'in kahoots' with the new owner of Wing Mfg., and he of course has the big ones. He also currently has my m.g. plug, which he intends to duplicate so that he can make a dozen or so with one (plastic) sheet.
Another item which I intend to vacu form someday: the innner parts of the gear doors, in other words, all the scale recesses on a piece which could be glued to a properly shaped 1/64" ply gear door. So many ideas, not enough time.

I don't have any plastic at the moment. My vacuum former is a bit crude, but with my method you can do any size piece you want. I have my 6 hp shop vac hooked up to the bottom of a small table with a door weather strip seal up to 24 X 24 (that is the biggest piece I can fit in my oven!) I just sandwich the plastic in a frame insert in oven then on the table and hit my shop vac! the piece you are forming is just propped up on small shims so as not to block the hole, a small platform with 1/16" holes over the main hole works too.

I'll get some plastic, I have to make my own canopy for my current project, I'll let ya know how it goes.

The only problem with the gear door idea is the fact that you have no room in the wheel well as it is! I just decided that I would be happy if I could just get the gear doors to work. I'm also not using scale hinges because I want the doors removable. Maybe on a bigger plane with scale retracts!

Luke

CorsairJock,
I would be very interested in buying a set of MG ports from you. Send me a pm on cost. Thanks,Pete

Pete, I just turned over my m.g. plug to the new owner of Wing Mfg. yesterday (4/12). We talked about it some, and he is sure that we can offer a set (2) of these for under $10 shipped. In fact, the initial, trial run may be closer to $5. I will let you know when they become available, and will likely post an ad in the WarBirds for sale section. We may also be offering a foam core outer section wing kit, designed to make it easier to add fabric covered rib detail and/ or serve as direct replacement for damaged outer wings. We would include the m.g.s with the cores. I will keep all advised on the progress. For me, it is difficult to keep these projects moving along right now, as the flying season is finally here in the great white north.

CorsairJock,
Great, I will be looking for the info when your ready. I'm on the top half of the fuse at the monent. Pete

CorsairJock,

When you say "machine gun ports", do you mean the three round holes in the LE where the bullets exit (see attached pic)? Or do you mean the three rectangular holes under the wing where the empty shells exit? How do you do the bullet exits through the LE without sacrificing structural strength?

D...

I made a trip to the LHS yesterday to pick up all the necessary stuff for you landing gear contraption. I'm going to give it a try tonight. Thanks for the idea.

Juice

Juice,

I'll send you the exact dimensions I used, just give me a few minutes to finish this drawing.

Drilling holes in the leading edge will not weaken the structure. Most of the load bearing is done by the center section. I have always drilled 3 holes in the leading edge of my Corsairs with no problems. You don't have to go all the way through, but I do anyway. Roll some 1/64" ply our some stiff paper over a dowel for the proper shape, put a back on it, stick a smaller dowel for the machine gun in that and glue the whole thing in the wing hole. You'll see me do mine on my web site.

Good luck with the door contraption! haha I want to see your site updated with some door working videos!

Later,

Luke

Luke,
I've been to your site several times. Great work on your Corsair. I am also thinking about installing gear doors. I'm using CJ retracts but I'm not sure I will have enough clearance. Could you please send or post a parts list and drawing of your door setup. Thanks,Pete