This is the 2nd time that I have built the 1/72 Tamiya Corsair. The first one was a F4U-1D and this one is a F4U-1. It is amazing that the same problems bit me in a$$ both times. I was hoping that what I learned from building the first one would allow me to quickly build a second for an upcoming show. So much for that theory.
Don’t get me wrong – this excellent model with incredible detail. The cockpit alone is worth the price of admission. The only thing I added was Eduard’s PE seatbelts as Tamiya supplies decal belts, which look bad compared to the rest of the cockpit. But there some nagging problems that I encountered.
The issue I had with both models was 3 severe gaps when installing the wing. There are 2 front nasty gaps (between the engine and the wing) that are impossible remove without removing all the detail. The rear gap along the fuselage had a serious ridge. I sanded it down but it still looks funny.
The other main problem I have was the piece that sits behind the cockpit that forms the headrest for the cockpit. On my first build this was not a problem. On the second build there was a small ledge around the entire piece. I sand it down to make it fit and ran putty around it to make it look right. Not sure of this has something to do with this particular kit as it uses a different piece than the F4U-1D.
Anyway, I given hope of making this into a quality model for the upcoming show and will finish it some day. It will likely join the dust brigade (models sitting on shelf gathering dust).
Oh well, I have a F4U-1A that I plan to build in the future and hopefully I learned my lesson. Third time is the charm.
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