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The Chance Vought F4U Corsair has always been on my list of favorite WWII Aircraft. Over the years there have been numerous models of this revolutionary aircraft called the "Bent Wing Bird" by the US and "Whistling Death" by the Japanese. Large Scale Corsairs have been far and few between, starting in the early 1960s with the Revell F4U-1A. Trumpeter and Tamiya have been recent entries into the large scale Corsair subject but I was surprised to see 21st Century Toys release a 1/32nd Scale Corsair. Listed as a F4U-1A/D, the kit is closer to the F4U-1D as it has the canopy without the longitudinal braces on the sliding portion of the canopy that were a identifying factor on the F4U-1A. The kit is molded in substantial grey plastic with the parts bagged in sections. Everything is included to make one kit with folding wings and retractable landing gear. The kit also includes a full set of weapons and drop tanks so you can mix and match rockets, bombs and fuel tanks. The kit also includes a seated pilot in a somewhat softer plastic. The pilot is broken down into torso, individual arms and legs and head. The interior of the kit is fairly complete and looks good even without aftermarket details. Surprisingly, this is one of the few kits of this plane that got the interior right. Early Corsairs did not have a floor in the cockpit... the seat was affixed to the rear cockpit bulkhead and the pilot had troughs for his feet that led up to the rudder pedals. The pilot could look through between his feet and out of a window in the belly of the fuselage. The wings and fuselage can be glued, but are designed to be held together with screws which are included in the kit. The holes in the wings and fuselage are covered by plugs. After assembly, the plugs can be puttied over and sanded smooth and will disappear under primer and paint. The wing fold mechanism is not accurate or to scale, but is robust and holds the outer wing panels securely. The landing gear mechanism is designed to operate. On the real aircraft the wheels rotated 90 degrees to lay flat in the wheel wells in the wing. The mechanism here is a bit wobbly and would probably be best glued solid to provide a more stable stance on the shelf. Under the cowling is a very well detailed engine that looks good enough with judicious painting but is a good basis for super detailing. Markings are included for three aircraft. A VF-17 Corsair flown by Ira Kepford #29 in the three color scheme of Dark Navy Blue over Intermediate Blue over white, An all Dark Navy Blue Corsair from VF-84 Flown by Lt. Roger Hedrick #167 and another overall dark Navy Blue aircraft from VF-441 #N-44. The finished model is fairly large, measuring in at 13" long and a wingspan of approximately 15-3/4". The 21st Century Toys Corsair captures the look of the Corsair well and is listed as a skill level 2 out of five. I'd recommend this kit for modelers of any skill level. It is easy enough for beginners and will make a good basis for more advanced modelers to super detail.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I wouldn't recommend this kit to anyone for the following reason. It just wouldn't stay glued together! Every time I moved it after gluing something it would crack at the seam! Well, not every single time... but often. Even if I let it sit for a whole day. I've always used 'Testors' brand cement for plastic models & 'Tamiya' brand extra thin cement and I've never had a problem until this 21st Century kit. ( headache after headache) It took over two weeks just to glue a handful of parts. The best results cam from roughing every edge to be glued prior to applying the 'Tamiya' liquid cement. But even then not always a permanent joint. And the plastic gave off this weird burnt oil smell when I'd sand it. This was my First & Last 21st century toy kit. I can't comment on the decals because I didn't use em', but they looked ok. ( but after the gluing fiasco who knows) I'll save em' & try to use em' in the future. I'd save my money if I were you & put it towards a reliable brand name kit. I will say that the finished kit was decent enough looking.... but not worth all the aggravation in my opinion. That's why I gave it two stars instead of one. And I'm just a mediocre builder. I hope this review was helpful.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Purchase to build at a later date and I have built this brand before
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Nice addition to my collection when completed
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Nice to be able to find rare variants in this scale
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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