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A beautiful autumn afternoon finds Amtrak's eastbound Empire Builder, crossing the Rock River in Watertown.
I'm slowly getting back onto Flickr after a little break. I'll be uploading photos from Oregon soon, and will be going through all your streams over the next few weeks.
On my way to Eastern Oregon last month, I stopped at Rowland Lake near Bingen, WA to stretch my legs. Thick clouds were spilling over the Eastern crest of the Cascades. This created some dramatic lighting conditions. The eastbound Empire Builder was bathed in beautiful sunlight as it made its eastward journey to Spokane. If the train arrived 45 seconds later, the train would have been stuck in shadows.
© 2012 Patrick Dirden Photography
All Rights Reserved
Where do you go climbing when you're living in a city?
In Summer there are many Spots, including some bridges in parks, perfect for some deep water soloing (or even flat water soloing) experiments!
But what do you do when it's winter and the lakes are frozen?
You do ICE BUILDERING/Deep Ice soloing :D
Me and some friends took our chrashpads and did some bridge boulders we tried in summer. To get a real authentic feeling, we surely did our climbs only chlothed with short :D Brrrrr, freezing cold!
This young Blue Heron is gathering sticks to build her nest on the small island in our local pond. I've watched her for several days doing this amongst the ground cover.
To date, we have not seen any more nesting habits. Not sure if this heron has left as the one now seems much larger.
Have a look at Building Companies Reviews and know how #build_quest team #assisted so many #families in #Sydney to #build their dream home and office projects within their #affordable_budget. We offer you the best building services at best affordable #prices. Call now.
During a Scout-adventure in Värmland, the infamous "Blå Hajk - Forsfararna".
Building our home for the week to come aswell as our means to travel downriver for the second stretch of the journey.
Nikon D600 + Voigtländer Ultron 40/2
(Location is set in the larger general area so as to not reveal secrets of the adventure)
Elias and Amelia got their first chance to experience a sleeping car when we took the Empire Builder from Chicago to St. Paul, MN
Note: this photo was published in a Jul 24, 2009 blog titled "Full moon." It was also published in a Dec 6, 2009 blog titled "The business world is full of two kinds of people—builders and traders." And it was published in a Dec 31, 2009 blog titled "Once in a Blue Moon: Be Sure to Look Up This New Year’s Eve."
Moving into 2010, the photo was published in a Jan 29, 2010 blog titled "Friday Recap: Wolf Moon Edition," which discussed the "wolf moon" phenomenon that occurred on Jan 29th. Unfortunately, it had nothing to do with this photo -- which was taken roughly six months earlier. Indeed, I had considered photographing the "real" wolf moon, but by the time I became aware of it, it was already high in the sky and no longer interesting from a photographic perspective. Interestingly, it was also situated quite a lot further north than this particular photo -- in which the moon had risen right above 96th Street, and illuminated part of the entrance into Central Park...
Anyway, it was also published in a Jul 4, 2010 blog titled "Events for or Less Sunday." It was also published in an Oct 6, 2010 blog titled "Folklore Confirmed: The Moon's Phase Affects Rainfall (via @sciencenow)," and an Oct 29, 2010 blog titled "The Secret Behind Day Trading Software And a Reason to Use It." It was also published in a Nov 6, 2010 blog titled "Day Trading Software Along With the Perks of Technology," and a Nov 8, 2010 blog titled "How to Select the Best Day Trading Software." It was also published in a Dec 8, 2010 blog titled "E mini S&P Index Trading Perfect Tool for Full-TIme Day-traders."
Moving into 2011, the photo was published in an Apr 24, 2011 blog titled "Will you see a fuller moon tonight … or tomorrow?" And it was published in a Jul 14, 2011 blog titled "Understanding full moon," which was republished in a Jan 8, 2012 blog with the same title . It was also published in an Aug 29, 2011 blog titled "Day Software Stock Trading – Is Trading Software Right Choice For You?
Moving into 2012, the photo was published in a Jan 11, 2012 Slate France blog titled "La Lune est-elle à la portée des entrepreneurs?" It was also published in a Sep 7, 2012 blog titled "Has the Moon created the world’s most enduring optical illusion?"
Moving into 2013, the photo was published in a Feb 25, 2013 blog titled "Understanding Full Moon."
Moving into 2014, the photo was published in a Mar 7, 2014 blog titled "Nightshift."
Note: A large percentage of my "landscape" photos (including the ones in this set) are now copyright-protected, and are not available for downloads and free use. You can view them here in Flickr, but if you would like prints, enlargements, framed copies, and other variations, please visit my SmugMug "NYC HDR" gallery by clicking here.
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These photos were taken a couple days after my first HDR efforts on the 4th of July weekend, in an attempt to get a decent image of the full moon rising over the east side of Manhattan, from the terrace of my apartment over on the Upper West SIde. Not particularly memorable or spectacular results, but it gave me a chance to experiment with some of the parameters and settings in the Photomatix program I'm using to merge/combine the HDR shots.
Full disclosure: in addition to the HDR shots, I also took some "traditional" shots of the full moon a little later, after it had risen higher in the sky; these were taken with a manual setting of f/11 and 1/250th second (as recommended by Scott Kelby, in his Digital Photography books). I then used Adobe Photoshop Elements to extract just the moon out of that photo, and pasted it into this HDR composition in a separate "layer", which I was then able to enlarge to a ridiculous extent.
The original HDR image had a much more interesting orange-colored moon ... but when I tried to blow it up to a larger size, using Photoshop, the edges were so rough and grainy that it was embarrassing. So I think I'll stick with this composite, for better or worse...
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I tried an HDR (high dynamic range) photo once a year ago, but for some reason never pursued it. But it seems that more of and more of the "interesting" photos that I see on Flickr are HDR shots, so I decided to give it another try. The initial set of photos were taken from the rooftop of my apartment building at sunset, on the Sunday evening of 4th of July weekend.
I still have a *lot* to learn about this stuff, but even as a first attempt I'm staggered by what the tonal-mapping software programs (Photomatix, in my case) are capable of doing...
A replica of a carriage builder workhop that was in practice until 1986! The workshop can be seen at the fascinating Louwman Museum in The Hague. It contains the private collection of the Louwman family on the complete history of motorised vehicles. I figured this workshop was screaming for an HDR treatment ;-)
The Louwman Museum is home to the world’s oldest private collection of motor cars, compiled by two generations of the Louwman family. The museum dates back to 1934 and now comprises over two hundred and fifty antique and classic motor cars. Experts regard the collection as one of the most beautiful in the World. The museum exudes passion. Each car has its own story to tell, its own contribution to history. The motor car is a mirror of culture.
Do visit the museum if you get the chance - it is absolutely worth it! www.louwmanmuseum.nl
Introducing the Clutch Builders!
On keys and synth - K.Kreations!
On vocals - Siercon!
On drums - Blake's Baericks!
On lead guitar and sometimes ukulele - Legonardo Davidy!
On bass - Si-MOCs!
And let's not forget our favorite groupie - Coral!
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Definition:
Clutch
1- Verb -Strength of connection of LEGO bricks.
2- Verb - in sports terminology - the ability to preform in critical games/situations
Builder
1. Noun - backbone of the FOL community.
Clutch Builders
1. Proper noun - MocAthalon 2013 team.
Navigate To Builder Balmain build quest and know all about our #construction and #renovation services in Sydney. We are #experts in this building industry and we offer you our best in class services at #affordable prices. Call us to book our services.
On a total whim, I stopped by the old Builders Lounge forum and the place is a ghost town since the move over to Flickr. There's a wonderful eerie calm to it, and to being the lone visitor to one little dusty corner of the internet.
Orson Welles' War of the Worlds broadcast ends with a great, haunting line. The world falls into hazy silence after the Martians attack. Nothing survives. Then, a distorted, hopeful voice emerges from the quiet; a lone survivor, broadcasting on the last frequency to any fellow man he hopes is listening:
"Isn't there anyone on the air?... Isn't there anyone on the air?... Isn't there... anyone?"
I was asked to take a picture of a custom home built by builder for their marketing. Here is a twilight image with some light painting.
Call us or send us an email to Avail Alexandria Builders Services like modern home construction, smart home renovation, duplex construction, granny flat renovation, etc from the #best_building_company in Sydney - #build_quest. Talk to our #builders and #architects for more details.
The NRHS convention is over and I begin my trip back to SoCal by way of the Empire Builder to Seattle.
The last surviving Great Northern S-2 can be found in Havre Montana.
The eastbound Empire Builder gets a chance to stretch its legs coming out of Hastings and accelerating along the straight stretch towards Prairie Island along the River Subdivision.
The Empire Builder rolls through the Minnesota Commercial yard area in Saint Paul down six and a half hours from hot weather speed restrictions and track maintenance west of Williston. So, it's an afternoon visit to the Twin Cities in stead of early morning.
Let the games begin...
In fact, I "hate" those classical landmarks (too crowded)...but I couldn't miss this special one. A couple of weeks ago, my son david learned about the Romans in school and he knew a lot more about the Colosseum than me or my wife did. So it was quite a big deal for him.
The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.
Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started in 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign (81–96). The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from both Vespasian's and Titus's family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia).
Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.
Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.
The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.
The Colosseum's original Latin name was Amphitheatrum Flavium, often anglicized as Flavian Amphitheater. The building was constructed by emperors of the Flavian dynasty, hence its original name, after the reign of Emperor Nero. This name is still used in modern English, but generally the structure is better known as the Colosseum. In antiquity, Romans may have referred to the Colosseum by the unofficial name Amphitheatrum Caesareum; this name could have been strictly poetic as it was not exclusive to the Colosseum; Vespasian and Titus, builders of the Colosseum, also constructed an amphitheater of the same name in Puteoli (modern Pozzuoli).
The name Colosseum has long been believed to be derived from a colossal statue of Nero nearby (the statue of Nero was named after the Colossus of Rhodes). This statue was later remodeled by Nero's successors into the likeness of Helios (Sol) or Apollo, the sun god, by adding the appropriate solar crown. Nero's head was also replaced several times with the heads of succeeding emperors. Despite its pagan links, the statue remained standing well into the medieval era and was credited with magical powers. It came to be seen as an iconic symbol of the permanence of Rome.
In the 8th century, a famous epigram attributed to the Venerable Bede celebrated the symbolic significance of the statue in a prophecy that is variously quoted: Quamdiu stat Colisæus, stat et Roma; quando cadet colisæus, cadet et Roma; quando cadet Roma, cadet et mundus ("as long as the Colossus stands, so shall Rome; when the Colossus falls, Rome shall fall; when Rome falls, so falls the world"). This is often mistranslated to refer to the Colosseum rather than the Colossus (as in, for instance, Byron's poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage). However, at the time that the Pseudo-Bede wrote, the masculine noun coliseus was applied to the statue rather than to what was still known as the Flavian amphitheatre.
The Colossus did eventually fall, possibly being pulled down to reuse its bronze. By the year 1000 the name "Colosseum" had been coined to refer to the amphitheatre. The statue itself was largely forgotten and only its base survives, situated between the Colosseum and the nearby Temple of Venus and Roma.
The name further evolved to Coliseum during the Middle Ages. In Italy, the amphitheatre is still known as il Colosseo, and other Romance languages have come to use similar forms such as le Colisée (French), el Coliseo (Spanish) and o Coliseu (Portuguese).
Canon EOS 60D
Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
Aperture: f/8
Exposure time: 1/125 second
Focal length: 13 mm
ISO Speed 100
Processed with PS CS5 and Nik Software's Silver Efex Pro 2
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the model, the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
In the early days of World War II, Royal Navy fighter requirements had been based on cumbersome two-seat designs, such as the fighter/dive-bomber Blackburn Skua (and its turreted derivative the Blackburn Roc) and the fighter/reconnaissance Fairey Fulmar, since it was expected that they would encounter only long-range bombers or flying boats and that navigation over featureless seas required the assistance of a radio operator/navigator. The Royal Navy hurriedly adopted higher-performance single-seat aircraft such as the Hawker Sea Hurricane and the less robust Supermarine Seafire alongside, but neither aircraft had sufficient range to operate at a distance from a carrier task force. The American Vought F4U Corsair was welcomed as a more robust and versatile alternative.
In November 1943, the Royal Navy received its first batch of 95 "birdcage" Vought F4U-1s, which were given the designation "Corsair [Mark] I". The first squadrons were assembled and trained on the U.S. East Coast and then shipped across the Atlantic. The Royal Navy put the Corsair into carrier operations immediately. They found its landing characteristics dangerous, suffering a number of fatal crashes, but considered the Corsair to be the best option they had.
The Royal Navy cleared the F4U for carrier operations well before the U.S. Navy and showed that the Corsair Mk II could be operated with reasonable success even from escort carriers. It was not without problems, though: one was excessive wear of the arrester wires, due both to the weight of the Corsair and the understandable tendency of the pilots to stay well above the stalling speed, and because of the limited hangar deck height in several classes of British carrier, many Corsairs had their outer wings "clipped" by 8 in (200 mm) to clear the deckhead. However, the change in span brought about the added benefit of improving the sink rate, reducing the F4U's propensity to "float" in the final stages of landing. The Royal Navy developed further modifications to the Corsair that made carrier landings more practical. Among these were a bulged canopy (similar to the P-51 B/C’s Malcolm Hood), raising the pilot's seat 7 in (180 mm), and wiring shut the cowl flaps across the top of the engine compartment, diverting frequent oil and hydraulic fluid spray around the sides of the fuselage so that the windscreen remained clear.
The Corsair Mk I was followed by 510 "blown-canopy" F4U-1A/-1Ds, which were designated Corsair Mk II (the final 150 equivalent to the F4U-1D, but not separately designated in British use). 430 Brewster Corsairs (334 F3A-1 and 96 F3A-1D), more than half of Brewster's total production, were delivered to Britain as the Corsair Mk III. 857 Goodyear Corsairs (400 FG-1/-1A and 457 FG-1D) were delivered and designated Corsair Mk IV. A total of 2,012 Corsairs were supplied to the United Kingdom during WWII, and British Corsairs served both in Europe and in the Pacific. Despite the large number of aircraft, the Mk IIs and IVs were the only versions to be actually used in combat.
The first, and also most important, European FAA Corsair operations were the series of attacks in April, July, and August 1944 on the German battleship Tirpitz (Operation Tungsten), for which Corsairs from HMS Victorious and HMS Formidable provided fighter cover. From April 1944, Corsairs from the British Pacific Fleet took part in several major air raids in South-East Asia beginning with Operation Cockpit, an attack on Japanese targets at Sabang island, in the Dutch East Indies. In July and August 1945, RN Corsairs took part in a series of strikes on the Japanese mainland, near Tokyo, operating from Victorious and Formidable. It was during this late phase of the war that the Admiralty was expecting new and more powerful indigenous naval fighters to become available, primarily Griffon-powered Seafires and the Hawker Sea Fury, a navalized derivative of the Hawker Tempest fighter powered by the new Centaurus radial engine. Both types, however, faced development problems, so that the Royal Navy approached Vought and requested a new variant of the proven Corsair, powered by the British Centaurus engine and further tailored to the Royal Navy’s special needs. This became the Corsair Mark V.
The Corsair V was based on the newest American variant, the F4U-4, but it differed in many aspects, so much that it effectively was a totally different aircraft. The F4U-4 was the last American Corsair variant that would be introduced during WWII, but it only saw action during the final weeks of the conflict. It had a 2,100 hp (1,600 kW) dual-stage-supercharged -18W engine, and when the cylinders were injected with the water/alcohol mixture, power was boosted to 2,450 hp (1,830 kW). To better cope with the additional power, the propeller was changed to a four-blade type. Maximum speed was increased to 448 miles per hour (721 km/h) and climb rate to over 4,500 feet per minute (1,400 m/min) as opposed to the 2,900 feet per minute (880 m/min) of the F4U-1A. The unarmored wing fuel tanks of 62 US gal (230 L) capacities were removed for better maneuverability at the expense of maximum range. Other detail improvements were introduced with the F4U-4, too: The windscreen was now flat bullet-resistant glass to avoid optical distortion, a change from the curved Plexiglas windscreens with an internal armor glass plate of the earlier variants. The canopy was furthermore without bracing and slightly bulged – an improvement adopted from the Royal Navy Corsairs.
The original "4-Hog" retained the original armament of six 0.5” machine guns and had all the external load (i.e., drop tanks, bombs, HVARs) capabilities of the F4U-1D. A major sub-type, the F4U-4B, was the same but featured an alternate gun armament of four 20 millimeters (0.79 in) AN/M3 cannon, and the F4U-4P was a rare photo reconnaissance variant with an additional camera compartment in the rear fuselage, but fully combat-capable.
The Royal Navy agreed to adopt the new F4U-4 but insisted on the British Centaurus as powerplant and demanded British equipment and armament, too. The latter included four Hispano 20 mm cannon in the outer wings, adapted wirings for British unguided rockets under the outer wings and a four-channel VHF radio system, a radio altimeter and a G2F compass. Vought reluctantly agreed, even though the different engine meant that a totally different mount had to be developed in short time, and the many alterations to the F4U-4’s original airframe would require a separate, new production line. Since this would block valuable resources for the running standard F4U production for the USN, the Corsair V was outsourced to the newly established Kaiser-Fleetwing company (a ship builder with only limited aircraft experience so far) and designated FK-1 in American circles.
As expected, the development of the FK-1 alone took more time than expected – not only from a technical point of view, but also due to logistic problems. The Centaurus engines and most vital equipment pieces had to be transported across the Atlantic, a hazardous business. The first precious Centaurus engines for the development of the modified engine mount were actually transferred to the USA through the air, hanging in the bomb bays of American B-24 bombers that were used as transporters to supply Great Britain with vital materials.
Because Kaiser-Fleetwings had to establish a proper production line for the FK-1 and supplies for raw F4U-4 airframes had to be diverted and transported to the company’s factory at Bristol, Pennsylvania, delays started to pile up and pushed the Corsair Mk. V development back. The first Centaurus-powered Corsair flew in January 1945 and immediately revealed massive stability problems caused by the engine’s high torque. Enlarged tail surfaces were tested and eventually solved the problem, but this measure changed the F4U-4s standard airframe even more. It was furthermore soon discovered that the early Centaurus engine suffered frequent crankshaft failure due to a poorly designed lubrication system, which led to incidents of the engine seizing while in mid-flight. The problem was resolved when Bristol's improved Centaurus XVIII engine replaced the earlier variant. Tests and adaptations of British equipment to the airframe continued until May 1945, when the Corsair V was eventually cleared for production. But when the first of 100 ordered machines started to roll off the production lines the war was already over.
At that time many of the Fleet Air Arm's carrier fighters were Seafires and Lend-Lease Corsairs. The Seafire had considerable drawbacks as a naval aircraft, notably the narrow undercarriage, while the Corsairs had to be returned or purchased. As the UK did not have the means to pay for them, the Royal Navy Corsairs were mostly pushed overboard into the sea in Moreton Bay off Brisbane, Australia.
Since the Corsair V had not been part of the Lend Lease agreement with the United States, the Royal Navy was not able to easily retreat from the production contract and had to accept the aircraft. Because the Royal Navy’s intended new standard shipborne fighter, the Hawker Sea Fury, was delayed and almost cancelled during this period of re-organizations and cutbacks, the Admiralty bit the bullet, used the inevitable opportunity and procured the Corsair V as a stopgap solution, even though the original production order from May 1945 was not extended and effectively only 95 Corsair Vs were ever produced in the USA and transferred as knocked-down kits via ship to Great Britain.
The first re-assembled Corsair Vs entered Royal Navy service in August 1946, but their frontline service with 802 and 805 NAS, both based at Eglington (Northern Ireland), was only brief. Following the successful completion of weapons trials at the A&AEE Boscombe Down, the Sea Fury was eventually cleared for operational use on 31 July 1947 and quickly entered service. The Corsair Vs were gradually replaced with them until late 1948; 805 NAS was the first unit to abandon the type when 805 Squadron was reformed as a Royal Australian Navy FAA squadron operating Hawker Sea Fury Mk II aircraft. In 1950, 802 NAS was assigned to HMS Ocean and equipped with the Hawker Sea Fury, too, and sent to Korea.
Most Corsair Vs were then relegated to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) in August 1951, where they replaced Supermarine Seafires and took over their role as classic fighter aircraft, despite the Corsair V’s strike/attack potential with bombs and unguided missiles. Most of the time the Corsairs were used for lang range navigation training. RNVR units that operated the Corsair V included Nos. 1831, 1832, 1833, 1834, 1835 and 1836 Squadrons. No. 1832, based at RAF Benson, was the last RNVR squadron to relinquish the type in August 1955 for the jet-powered Supermarine Attacker, and this ended the Corsair V’s short career.
General characteristics:
Crew: One
Length: 34 ft (10.37 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft 8 in (12.10 m)
Height: 15 ft 4 in (4.68 m)
Wing area: 314 sq ft (29.17 m²)
Empty weight: 9,205 lb (4,238 kg)
Gross weight: 14,670 lb (6,654 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 14,533 lb (6,592 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Bristol Centaurus XVIII 18-cylinder air-cooled radial engine with
2,470 hp (1,840 kW) take-off power, driving a 4-bladed
Rotol constant-speed propeller with 14 ft (4.3 m) diameter
Performance:
Maximum speed: 453 mph (730 km/h, 397 kn) at sea level
Cruise speed: 215 mph (346 km/h, 187 kn) at sea level
Stall speed: 89 mph (143 km/h, 77 kn)
Range with internal fuel, clean: 1,005 mi (1,617 km, 873 nmi)
Combat range with max. ordnance: 328 mi (528 km, 285 nmi)
Service ceiling: 41,500 ft (12,600 m)
Rate of climb: 4,360 ft/min (22.1 m/s)
Armament:
4× 20 mm (0.787 in) Hispano Mk II cannon in the outer wings, 250 RPG
A total of 11 hardpoints under the wings and the fuselage for a total ordnance of
4,000 pounds (1.800 kg), including drop tanks, up to 16× 60 lb unguided aircraft rockets on twin
launch rails and/or bombs of up to 1.000 lb (454 kg) caliber
The kit and its assembly:
My first submission to the 2023 “Re-engine” group build at whatifmodellers.com, and a British Corsair with a Centaurus instead of the original R-2800 is almost a no-brainer. But taking the idea to hardware turned out to be a bit trickier than expected. I based my fictional conversion on an Italeri F4U-4, which would have been the appropriate late-WWII basis for a real-life conversion. The kit has good ex- and internal detail with fine engraved panels and offers the late Corsairs’ all-metal wings, too.
The engine replacement is a massive resin piece from OzMods, part of a conversion twin set for a Bristol Brigand; I assume it’s intended for the Valom kit? The set includes resin four-blade props with deep blades which I rather wanted to use than the Sea Fury’s typical five-blade prop.
The Italeri Corsair was basically built OOB, but beyond the different engine, which caused some trouble in itself (see below), I incorporated several mods to change the aircraft’s appearance. The streamlined Centaurus was insofar a problem because it has s slightly smaller diameter than the original R-2800 cowling. Not much, but enough to make a simple exchange impossible or at least look awkward. While the upper cowling section and its curvature blended well into the Corsair fuselage, the difference became more obvious and complicated underneath: late Corsairs have a “flattened” bottom, and from below the Centaurus appears somewhat undersized. To smooth the intersection out I grinded much of the cooling flaps away, and to even out the profile I added a shallow air scoop from an Italeri F4U-7 under the engine, which required some PSR. A good compromise, though. The resin propeller was mounted onto a metal axis and fitted into a hole/channel that was drilled through the Centaurus’ massive resin block.
As an FAA Corsair the wing tips were clipped, which was easy to realize thanks to the massive parts in this area. The Corsair’s original oil coolers in the wing roots were retained, but the four guns in the wings (separate parts in the Italeri kit with quite large holes) were replaced with faired Hispano cannon for/from an early Hawker Tempest, aftermarket brass parts from Master Models.
To change the model’s look further I modified the tail surfaces, too; the rounded fin was replaced with a rather square and slightly bigger donor, a stabilizer from a Novo Supermarine Attacker. The original stabilizers were replaced, too, with trapezoidal alternatives from a Matchbox Meteor night fighter, which offer slightly more area. Since the tail surfaces were all graft-ons now I implanted a vertical styrene tube behind the rear cockpit bulkhead as a display holder adapter for later flight scene pictures. Together with the clipped/squared-off wingtips the new tail creates a consistent look, and with the propeller and its dominant spinner in place the Corsair V reminds a lot of a late Bristol Firebrand mark or even of an Unlimited Class Reno Racer? It looks fast and purposeful now!
Even though unguided missiles and/or bombs could have been a valid ordnance option I decided to leave the Corsair V relatively clean as a pure gun fighter; I just used the OOB drop tank on the centerline station.
Painting and markings:
Very dry and using real 1948 Royal Navy aircraft as benchmark, the Corsair V ended up with a rather simple and dull Extra Dark Sea Grey over Sky (Humbrol 123 and 90, respectively) with a low waterline, and still with wartime Type C roundels with “Identification red (dull)”, even though the RAF officially had reverted to bright identification colors in 1947 and started to use the high-viz Type D roundel as standard marking. To add a British flavor the cockpit interior was painted in very dark grey (Revell 06, Tar Black) while the interior of the landing gear wells was painted in a pale cream yellow (Humbrol 74, Linen) to mimic zinc chromate primer. The only highlight is a red spinner, a contemporary unit marking of 805 NAS.
The kit received a light black ink washing and post-shading to emphasize and/or add surface structures, and this nicely breaks up the otherwise uniform surfaces. Decals/markings came from Xtradecal Hawker Sea Fury und late WWII FAA/RN aircraft sheets, and some decals were mixed to create a fictional serial number for the Corsair V (TF 632 was never allocated, but the code fits into the model’s era). Some light oil and exhaust stains were also added, but not as severely as if the aircraft had been operated under wartime conditions. Finally, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish.
While a classic F4U with a British Centaurus engine sounds simple, and actually is, getting there was not as easy as it sounds – the ventral air scoop came to the rescue. With some more small mods like the new tail surfaces the aircraft got a subtly different look from its American ancestor(s). The Corsair V IMHO has now a very Blackburn-ish look, thanks to the big spinner and the square fin! And I wonder what I will do with the other Centaurus from the conversion set?