Subject: S.-B./FORD - STORY-CRASHED F2G
From: "Rodney Williams" <[email-masked]>
To: "STEVE BAMFORD - II" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2000 09:15:41 -0800

" BUILDING A 1/32 SCALE F4U-1A CONVERSION TO A F2G-1D SUPER CORSAIR"

                                            BY:   RODNEY  WILLIAMS

This will be more-or-less a photo story: "Let the pictures tell the story."
Why, you might ask ?  Answer !  I build this model in my spare time, over a
period of 1-1/2 years.  I did not plan a story, therefore I did not write
down any building information, as to what thickness of material used, etc.
This model was somewhat much easier to build, because I had made many
patterns of different items when I built the 1/32 scale F2G-1D #57 red and
white racer back in the mid-1980's.  I had planned to build #9 in 1988, but
contract models got in my way.  I felt it was better to build for money,
than for pleasure.

You have seen the real aircraft, and a shot or two of this model in my
4-part story of the Super Corsair Saga.  I started re-working my old
"masters" for the prop hub, and blades. ( These blades came from the
32-scale Hellcat).   With some refinement, I had Roy Sutherland; (d.b.a.
"Cooper Details") cast my parts in resin.  Roy made enough items, so I
completed 3-sets of blades. (I, at that time was going to build the crashed
version, then #5 & #9.)  An alignment jig is necessary, when you assemble
this big 14' diameter prop.  For the crashed A/C, I heated the cast resin
blades over a candle, and gently bent then into shape.

The front wing air inlet was different on all F2G's, so a "vac-u-form mold,"
was made.  The wing halves were glued together, then I added styrene to the
leading edge and cut out the shape from the measurements I took off the real
A/C #454 @ Champlin Museum in Mesa, Arizona.  A round screen was added to
represent the oil cooler.

My engine hub was also from the Hellcat kit,  I added some parts, and built
the proper style "magneto."  I only added two rows of cylinders, instead of
the normal 4, which is on the R-4360-2 engine.  Your really need to add the
third row, 'cause you can see the fire wall, when looking inside.

The tail wheel assembly has several parts, lucky for me, as I had made
3-sets of them way back in the mid-80's.  I refined them as well.  Why I
built-in all the rib sections is beyond me, 'cause you really can't see
them, once everything is put together.

The cockpit side walls were next in line.  This was easy to build !  It took
a little more work on the rear canopy deck, where there's a sliding track
rail. A bracket is attached to the rail, and a cross bar, which is attached
to the canopy.  When the cranking handle is operated by the pilot, the
canopy slides on the rail equipment.

The cockpit master's were used as templates, so I could cut out all the
parts for the cockpit tub, side consuls, armor plate, head-rest, seat, and
several other items.  I used Waldron photo-dials.  One nice thing about many
models I build is:::::  I have learned how to glue the fuselage together,
correcting all the flaws in the cockpit area, then dry-fitting the cockpit
several times, so it slips up inside the fuselage, like a tailor-made glove.
Once all the painting is finished, the cockpit is put in, then the wings go
on.
You will see the seat painted the lemon-green color.  I found out it was
bare-metal, so I removed the paint.

The finished engine is in, and I start adding the additional parts.  The
exhaust stacks were temporary attached, so I knew they would fit on final
assembly.  I found some aluminum tubing, for the cowling.  Since then, I
have had the cowling cast in one piece.

I found a neat way to scribe-in panel lines.  Just dust on a light coat of
paint, draw on the lines, and start scribing.  When you scribe, you can see
how much plastic you are removing.  This helps keep all scribe lines @ the
same width and depth. ( Many practice session are in order to become good at
it).  All the white round dots on the blue plastic wing's are .060" diameter
styrene rods.  They are inserted to help wing alignment, and wing
stiffeners. ( I think I put too many in this one)

The tail plane was a little time consuming, making the trim tab push rods.
I think ( !! ) I made them from .010"/.015" diameter brass rod.  The brass
tube is .020" I.D.  This material is made by K & S.

Here is the !/32 & 1/72 models, which are ready to be painted.  I have
"greatly enlarged" this canopy photo, which becomes somewhat blurry.  I
wanted to show you how the canopy fit's into the canopy tip !!!

Some one ask:::  "Rodney !! Is the model finished on the bottom?  "You be
the Judge."
Little squares were cut out of black decal film, then applied to a big white
decal to make the checkered pattern.  Seam's like the test pilot "Don
Armstrong" would not fly a plane without some checkered pattern on it some
where.  The I.D. #'s were found on some old "Micro-Scale" decal sheets.  The
antenna wire is made by using 4-strands of women's black nylon panty hose
threads.

Soon, I'll shoot some digital images of all my masters, and cast resin
parts, and inform everybody of what I want to finish before I go to Samoa
next year.

Yeah!  the model won "First-Place."

Happy Modeling

Rodney

P.S.  Thanks to all of you, that has sent me emails on the 4-part FAG story.