SHEET:

Cutting Edge 48-269: F4U-4 part 3

PRICE:

$8.99

UNIT:

See review

REVIEW  :

Scott Van Aken

NOTES:

 

 

The final sheet of this series has two aircraft, both of which are also available on the 1/32 sheets.

The first aircraft is from NAS Olathe, Kansas, which was a reserve base in the 1950s. If the decal makers didn't have proof of the way this was painted, I'd have not believed it. I had always thought, as had CE, that this plane was made up of bits from several others, but apparently that was not the case. It has the then-new light gull grey and white on the upper portion of the plane and most of the underside, but with Dark Sea Blue on the lower outer wings, rudder and tips of the stabilizers. I'm going to bet that this scheme is seen a LOT over the next year or so. It would be my choice.

Second is from VF-113 and is an F4U-4B with a lot of mission markings on the side of the aircraft. Like most Corsairs, color is limited to fin tip and prop hub, in this case a light blue.

If you are wondering about kits, there are a few available. From Hasegawa comes the old Mania kit with raised panel lines. Academy does an F4U-4B, which most shy away from as it apparently isn't a very good model. The other that is even older is the Monogram version with all the working bits. There is (or was) a conversion for the Tamiya Corsairs (or was that for the Hasegawa -5N?). Regardless, this sheet will make for a very nice model. I should point out that on all decal sheet images, I darken them so that the white will stand out so the Olathe fuselage band isn't really that dark.

Review copy courtesy of

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