Tamiya 1/48 F4U-1D Corsair w/ Moto Tug

The Vought Corsair of World War II is undoubtedly one of the most recognized shapes to grace an aircraft. Its fame was increased by the use of later models in Korea and by popular television shows. Even today is is not unusual to see the 'bent wing bird' at local airshows. Enough Corsairs survived to make them very popular warbirds and there are a number of them still in the air 60 years after the prototype first flew in 1940.

Tamiya's kit of the F4U was very well received when first released in the mid-1990s. There have been three different boxings of this kit. The first as a 'birdcage' F-4U-1, then this issue and recently another as an F4U-1A. Common to all of them are the usual superb engineering and design. All of them also have separate flaps and the ability to build the kit with the wings folded should you desire it. 

Added to this particular kit are rocket rails and twin drop tanks. A nice touch is the inclusion of blanking plates for the fuel tank pylons should you decide not to use them. You also get the option of having open or closed cowl flaps. There are also two separate canopies; one with braces and the other without. A figure of a pilot getting ready to board his aircraft is part of the kit. Also are wing braces when doing your kit with folded wings. The wings in the folded position fit into hefty spars so there is no problem of this being a weak part of the kit.

This is a special boxing that includes a Navy flight deck tug, or Moto Tug. Actually, I think this could be used on a USAAF airfield as well as the photos I've seen of flight deck tugs have also shown what looks like a Jeep that has been cut behind the driver and a third wheel put in place. It certainly looks as if it not only maneuvers better, but takes up less space. Anyway, it is nice to have the tug and a towbar included in the kit. There is also a tug driver and a seated pilot looking back over his shoulder. Undoubtedly acting as a brake rider.

There are decals for three aircraft, all of them in overall sea blue and sporting the geometric air wing markings. First is one is shown on the box from VMF-211 aboard the USS Franklin in Feb 1945. With a diagonal stripe is a VBF-6 plane from the USS Hancock in March 1945. Finally, with a straight white stripe is a VBF-86 plane aboard the USS Wasp, also in February 1945. Tamiya decals have always been pretty good and having the underlying dark blue show through the white should not be a problem.

Another excellent kit from Tamiya and one that should build very nicely.

June 2018

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