Subject: Re: Number 1 "Jolly Roger"
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Jaime Vinha" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:31:38 -0700

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jaime Vinha 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 1:59 PM
  Subject: Number 1 "Jolly Roger"

    
  "1/72 Academy F-4U1 Corsair"  

  by Jaime "JGV" Vinha
  -------------------- 

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  Well hello again!

  This is my new article here on ARC and it closes a cycle.

  Back a few months I elected 4 kits from my stash, all of them representing machines bearing de F-4 denomination (you have to choose a criteria anyway don't you?)

  I started out with a F4F-4 Wildcat, passing to an F-4D Skyray and finally an F-4F Phantom II (the last two being reason for an article here).

  Now before moving on to another journey I give to you my "Jolly Rogers" F-4U-1A Corsair.

  VF-17 squadron was the second Navy unit equipped with the Corsair. And it was the type's designation that inspired the future squadron's CO, LtCmdr Tommy Blackburn (who's aircraft is the subject of the build) to pitch the idea of the "skull and crossbones" insignia to Harry Hollmeyer (himself to become an ace), who was responsible for its design.

  After the Corsair was flunked for carrier duties, VF-17 established in the Solomon Islands where it became the most successful Corsair unit in he Pacific with over 150 victories from where 11 aces emerged after 2 tours of duty. May 1944 saw the end of combat duty of the "original" Jolly Rogers.

  Since then, the skull and crossbones have graced our eyes and proudly continued the legacy of VF-17 on the tailfins of such emblematic warplanes as the F-4 Phantom and the F-14 Tomcat, and it still does in VFA-103's Super Hornets.

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  The Kit:

  It is the Academy kit built mostly out of the box except for tamya tape seat belts.

  The cockpit was painted interior green and black following photo references with some silver dry brushing for some depth and effect.

  I gave the engine the same treatment of silver dry brushing over black.

  The only troublesome construction stages are the wing to fuselage joint (bottom) and the left wing root witch leaves a bigger than expected gap. Nothing some file, filler & sanding won't take care of. 

  So as everything was going smooth and easy I tried to spice things a little bit by…Dropping the model on the floor!!!

  The fuselage separated itself from the wings and the molded pitot antenna was lost forever. After banging my head on the floor for about 30 min I picked myself up and faced the problem. Out came the glue and the filler, I repeated the all process and was happy to see no major surgeries were needed except for the bottom fuselage wing joint again.

  The pitot antenna was replaced by a metal pin point (it was the best I could do) and the effect wasn't disastrous.

          
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  While I left everything to cure I turned my attention to the landing gear parts. They presented some seam lines that were sanded away, and both the tires and bay doors had ejector pin holes needing correction. I also flattened the tires a little to show some weight.

  I painted the wheel struts and hubs flat aluminum as per references in opposition to the kit's instructions (that suggested white) and the tires flat black. As these aircraft used land based tracks I decided to dirty them up a little by dry-brushing everything with earth brown after a tamiya smoke wash.

  I used Tamiya AS aerosols for the camouflage scheme followed by some weathering achieved by a dark grey panel wash, some paint chipping, and pastel smudges.

  Unfortunately, in spite of the Future layer applied before the decaling some silvering was unavoidable, but all in all I'm fairly pleased with the final result.

  I hope you enjoy

  - JGV from Portugal

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  Photos and text © by Jaime "JGV" Vinha