1:72 Chance Vought F4U-1A "Corsair", aircraft "51" of an unknown Morskaya Aviatsiya (Soviet Naval Aviation) unit, VVS Pacific Fleet; Sea of Okhotsk, August 1945 (Whif/Academy kit)
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
The Vought F4U Corsair was an American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and Brewster-built aircraft F3A. From the first prototype delivery to the U.S. Navy in 1940, to final delivery in 1953 to the French, 12,571 F4U Corsairs were manufactured, in 16 separate models, in the longest production run of any piston-engined fighter in U.S. history (1942–53).
The Corsair was designed as a carrier-based aircraft but its difficult carrier landing performance rendered it unsuitable for Navy use until the carrier landing issues were overcome by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. The Corsair thus came to and retained prominence in its area of greatest deployment: land based use by the U.S. Marines.
The Corsair served only to a lesser degree in the U.S. Navy, the role of the dominant U.S. carrier based fighter in the second part of the war was thus filled by the Grumman F6F Hellcat, powered by the same Double Wasp engine first flown on the Corsair's first prototype in 1940. In addition to its use by the U.S. and British, the Corsair was also used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the French Navy Aéronavale and other, smaller, air forces until the 1960s.
A little known fact is that, under the Lend-Lease act, a small number of F4U-1A/D "Corsair" fighter planes was also delivered to the Soviet Union. The Lend-Lease policy, formally titled "An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States", was a program under which the United States supplied Free France, the United Kingdom, the Republic of China, and later the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, and materiel between 1941 and August 1945. This included warships and warplanes, along with other weaponry. In general the aid was free, although some hardware (such as ships) were returned after the war. In return, the U.S. was given leases on army and naval bases in Allied territory during the war. Canada operated a similar smaller program under a different name.
The F4U, being a high performance fighter at its time, was included into support deliveries only from early 1945 on, and the machines earmarked for foreign operations were mostly 2nd hand aircraft that had served with the USMC in the Pacific TO. These planes were directly delivered from US units to various IAPs (IAP = Istrebitelnyi Aviatsionnyj Polk = Fighter Aviation Regiment) on the Pacific coast and formally part of the Soviet Union's Pacific Fleet air arm. The machines, overhauled in field workshops, became operational in Spring 1945 and were operated from land bases only. The core of the Soviet Corsair operations took place primarily in the Sea of Okhotsk region, mostly in the form of bomber escorts and CAS missions for advancing army troops.
Upon delivery, the Soviet Corsairs generally wore their former standard US Navy three color camouflage scheme. Only the national markings and tactical codes were quickly oversprayed with whatever paint was at hand, and prominent Red Star markings were applied in standard positions. Later, during routine maintenance overhauls, some machines received individual paint schemes. Several machines for the ground attack role were also retrofitted with Soviet bomb shackles and launch rails for indigenous unguided missiles like the RS-82 or RS-132.
One notable operation in which Soviet F4U took part in was the liberation of southern Sakhalin in August-September 1945. During the war against Japan, the Pacific Ocean Fleet successfully landed a number of operational and tactical landing bodies, mostly in close cooperation with the Soviet Army units. After repudiating the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact, the Soviet Union invaded southern Sakhalin, the Soviet attack started on August 11, 1945, a few days before the surrender of Japan. The Soviet 56th Rifle Corps, part of the 16th Army, consisting of the 79th Rifle Division, the 2nd Rifle Brigade, the 5th Rifle Brigade and the 214 Armored Brigade, attacked the Japanese 88th Infantry Division.
Although the Soviet Red Army outnumbered the Japanese by three to one, they advanced only slowly due to strong Japanese resistance. It was not until the 113th Rifle Brigade and the 365th Independent Naval Infantry Rifle Battalion from Sovetskaya Gavan landed on Tōro, a seashore village of western Karafuto on August 16 that the Soviets broke the Japanese defense line. Japanese resistance grew weaker after this landing. Actual fighting continued until August 21. From August 22 to August 23, most remaining Japanese units agreed to a ceasefire. The Soviets completed the conquest of Karafuto on August 25, 1945 by occupying the capital of Toyohara.
Further operations with Soviet F4U involvement were the liberation of the Kuril Islands and of several ports along the eastern coast of Korea, eventually reaching Port-Artur (Lüshunkou) at the coast of the Yellow Sea. Roundabout 150 F4U-1A/Ds were operated by the Soviet Pacific Fleet's air arm, and after the end of hostilities almost all of the war-worn aircraft were scrapped.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1 pilot
Length: 33 ft 4 in (10.1 m)
Wingspan: 41 ft 0 in (12.5 m)
Height: 16 ft 1 in (4.90 m)
Wing area: 314 ft2 (29.17 m²)
Empty weight: 8,982 lb (4,073 kg)
Loaded weight: 11,432 lb (5,185 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Pratt & Whitney R-2800-8 radial engine, 2,000 hp (1,491 kW)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 417 mph (362 kn/671 km/h)
Range: 1,015 mi (882 nmi/1,633 km)
Service ceiling: 36,900 ft (11,247 m)
Rate of climb: 2,890 ft/min (15.2 m/s)
Armament:
6× 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns with 400 RPG
Up to 2,000 lb (910 kg) of external ordnance, incl. unguided missiles and bombs of up to 1,000 lb (454 kg) caliber;
The kit and its assembly:
This whif is actually a tribute build. It's based upon a profile drawing, posted in 2010 by Czech fellow modeler Wenzel a.k.a. PantherG at whatifmodelers.com. I found the idea of a Lend-Lease Corsair charming, esp. the overpainted markings on a standard USN scheme.
I kept the concept in the back of my mind, and the "Soviet Group Build" at whatifmodelers.com in early 2017 was a good motivation to finally turn the idea into hardware.
The kit is Academy's F4U-1D, IMHO a pretty good rendition of the early Corsair, even though with some fishy details like the exhausts. Anyway, the kit was mostly built OOB with just some minor modifications. The only true whiffy addition are the RS-82 missiles and their respective launch rails, resin aftermarket parts from AML Models, and the modified bomb on the ventral hardpoint which is to look more Soviet.
Painting and markings:
Nothing fancy, intentionally, and basically close to the inspiring profile. The Corsair was painted in standard USN colors of Dark Sea Blue ANA 607, Intermediate Blue ANA 608 and Insignia White ANA 601 (= FS 35042, 35164 and 37875). I used Modelmaster 1718, Humbrol 144 and 147, respectively, the latter being a very light grey (FS 36495), leaving room for post-shading with pure white. The places, where formerly USN markings had been, were painted with typical Russian tones: Green (Humbrol 114) on the upper surfaces and flanks, and Blue under the wings (Humbrol 115).
The model was thoroughly weathered, including some panels in slightly different tones, and received a black ink wash, dry-brushed panel post-shading and some aluminum stains on the leading edges and around the cockpit for simulated chipped paint.
The Soviet markings were puzzled together from the spares box and several aftermarket sheets, including big Red Stars from a P-47D in Soviet service and several Lend Lease P-40Ns, including a specimen operated by the Northern Fleet which donated the nice anchor symbol and the patriotic mural.
After a final dry brushing treatment with shades of grey, some oil stains (with Tamiya’s Smoke) and grinded graphite around the exhausts, machine guns and the wing undersides around the RS-82 launch rails, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.
A simple whif, but the USN Corsair with Red Stars looks interesting and strangely plausible when you take other Allied aircraft under the Lend Lease program into account – a decent initial entry for the group build. The overpainted former US markings do not stand out as much as I expected, but this just adds to the subtle overall impression, IMHO.
With greetings to Wenzel and his creative input – some good ideas just take time to enter the hardware stage! :D
1:72 Chance Vought F4U-1A "Corsair", aircraft "51" of an unknown Morskaya Aviatsiya (Soviet Naval Aviation) unit, VVS Pacific Fleet; Sea of Okhotsk, August 1945 (Whif/Academy kit)
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
The Vought F4U Corsair was an American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Demand for the aircraft soon overwhelmed Vought's manufacturing capability, resulting in production by Goodyear and Brewster: Goodyear-built Corsairs were designated FG and Brewster-built aircraft F3A. From the first prototype delivery to the U.S. Navy in 1940, to final delivery in 1953 to the French, 12,571 F4U Corsairs were manufactured, in 16 separate models, in the longest production run of any piston-engined fighter in U.S. history (1942–53).
The Corsair was designed as a carrier-based aircraft but its difficult carrier landing performance rendered it unsuitable for Navy use until the carrier landing issues were overcome by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. The Corsair thus came to and retained prominence in its area of greatest deployment: land based use by the U.S. Marines.
The Corsair served only to a lesser degree in the U.S. Navy, the role of the dominant U.S. carrier based fighter in the second part of the war was thus filled by the Grumman F6F Hellcat, powered by the same Double Wasp engine first flown on the Corsair's first prototype in 1940. In addition to its use by the U.S. and British, the Corsair was also used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the French Navy Aéronavale and other, smaller, air forces until the 1960s.
A little known fact is that, under the Lend-Lease act, a small number of F4U-1A/D "Corsair" fighter planes was also delivered to the Soviet Union. The Lend-Lease policy, formally titled "An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States", was a program under which the United States supplied Free France, the United Kingdom, the Republic of China, and later the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, and materiel between 1941 and August 1945. This included warships and warplanes, along with other weaponry. In general the aid was free, although some hardware (such as ships) were returned after the war. In return, the U.S. was given leases on army and naval bases in Allied territory during the war. Canada operated a similar smaller program under a different name.
The F4U, being a high performance fighter at its time, was included into support deliveries only from early 1945 on, and the machines earmarked for foreign operations were mostly 2nd hand aircraft that had served with the USMC in the Pacific TO. These planes were directly delivered from US units to various IAPs (IAP = Istrebitelnyi Aviatsionnyj Polk = Fighter Aviation Regiment) on the Pacific coast and formally part of the Soviet Union's Pacific Fleet air arm. The machines, overhauled in field workshops, became operational in Spring 1945 and were operated from land bases only. The core of the Soviet Corsair operations took place primarily in the Sea of Okhotsk region, mostly in the form of bomber escorts and CAS missions for advancing army troops.
Upon delivery, the Soviet Corsairs generally wore their former standard US Navy three color camouflage scheme. Only the national markings and tactical codes were quickly oversprayed with whatever paint was at hand, and prominent Red Star markings were applied in standard positions. Later, during routine maintenance overhauls, some machines received individual paint schemes. Several machines for the ground attack role were also retrofitted with Soviet bomb shackles and launch rails for indigenous unguided missiles like the RS-82 or RS-132.
One notable operation in which Soviet F4U took part in was the liberation of southern Sakhalin in August-September 1945. During the war against Japan, the Pacific Ocean Fleet successfully landed a number of operational and tactical landing bodies, mostly in close cooperation with the Soviet Army units. After repudiating the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact, the Soviet Union invaded southern Sakhalin, the Soviet attack started on August 11, 1945, a few days before the surrender of Japan. The Soviet 56th Rifle Corps, part of the 16th Army, consisting of the 79th Rifle Division, the 2nd Rifle Brigade, the 5th Rifle Brigade and the 214 Armored Brigade, attacked the Japanese 88th Infantry Division.
Although the Soviet Red Army outnumbered the Japanese by three to one, they advanced only slowly due to strong Japanese resistance. It was not until the 113th Rifle Brigade and the 365th Independent Naval Infantry Rifle Battalion from Sovetskaya Gavan landed on Tōro, a seashore village of western Karafuto on August 16 that the Soviets broke the Japanese defense line. Japanese resistance grew weaker after this landing. Actual fighting continued until August 21. From August 22 to August 23, most remaining Japanese units agreed to a ceasefire. The Soviets completed the conquest of Karafuto on August 25, 1945 by occupying the capital of Toyohara.
Further operations with Soviet F4U involvement were the liberation of the Kuril Islands and of several ports along the eastern coast of Korea, eventually reaching Port-Artur (Lüshunkou) at the coast of the Yellow Sea. Roundabout 150 F4U-1A/Ds were operated by the Soviet Pacific Fleet's air arm, and after the end of hostilities almost all of the war-worn aircraft were scrapped.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1 pilot
Length: 33 ft 4 in (10.1 m)
Wingspan: 41 ft 0 in (12.5 m)
Height: 16 ft 1 in (4.90 m)
Wing area: 314 ft2 (29.17 m²)
Empty weight: 8,982 lb (4,073 kg)
Loaded weight: 11,432 lb (5,185 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Pratt & Whitney R-2800-8 radial engine, 2,000 hp (1,491 kW)
Performance:
Maximum speed: 417 mph (362 kn/671 km/h)
Range: 1,015 mi (882 nmi/1,633 km)
Service ceiling: 36,900 ft (11,247 m)
Rate of climb: 2,890 ft/min (15.2 m/s)
Armament:
6× 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns with 400 RPG
Up to 2,000 lb (910 kg) of external ordnance, incl. unguided missiles and bombs of up to 1,000 lb (454 kg) caliber;
The kit and its assembly:
This whif is actually a tribute build. It's based upon a profile drawing, posted in 2010 by Czech fellow modeler Wenzel a.k.a. PantherG at whatifmodelers.com. I found the idea of a Lend-Lease Corsair charming, esp. the overpainted markings on a standard USN scheme.
I kept the concept in the back of my mind, and the "Soviet Group Build" at whatifmodelers.com in early 2017 was a good motivation to finally turn the idea into hardware.
The kit is Academy's F4U-1D, IMHO a pretty good rendition of the early Corsair, even though with some fishy details like the exhausts. Anyway, the kit was mostly built OOB with just some minor modifications. The only true whiffy addition are the RS-82 missiles and their respective launch rails, resin aftermarket parts from AML Models, and the modified bomb on the ventral hardpoint which is to look more Soviet.
Painting and markings:
Nothing fancy, intentionally, and basically close to the inspiring profile. The Corsair was painted in standard USN colors of Dark Sea Blue ANA 607, Intermediate Blue ANA 608 and Insignia White ANA 601 (= FS 35042, 35164 and 37875). I used Modelmaster 1718, Humbrol 144 and 147, respectively, the latter being a very light grey (FS 36495), leaving room for post-shading with pure white. The places, where formerly USN markings had been, were painted with typical Russian tones: Green (Humbrol 114) on the upper surfaces and flanks, and Blue under the wings (Humbrol 115).
The model was thoroughly weathered, including some panels in slightly different tones, and received a black ink wash, dry-brushed panel post-shading and some aluminum stains on the leading edges and around the cockpit for simulated chipped paint.
The Soviet markings were puzzled together from the spares box and several aftermarket sheets, including big Red Stars from a P-47D in Soviet service and several Lend Lease P-40Ns, including a specimen operated by the Northern Fleet which donated the nice anchor symbol and the patriotic mural.
After a final dry brushing treatment with shades of grey, some oil stains (with Tamiya’s Smoke) and grinded graphite around the exhausts, machine guns and the wing undersides around the RS-82 launch rails, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.
A simple whif, but the USN Corsair with Red Stars looks interesting and strangely plausible when you take other Allied aircraft under the Lend Lease program into account – a decent initial entry for the group build. The overpainted former US markings do not stand out as much as I expected, but this just adds to the subtle overall impression, IMHO.
With greetings to Wenzel and his creative input – some good ideas just take time to enter the hardware stage! :D