RNZAF Corsair

[Greebo]

Thanks to Lyric1 for finding me the info for this skin.

The RNZAF's Pacific-based fighter squadrons were equipped with P-40s for much of the war but were finally supplied with F4Us in May 1944. By the end of that year all 10 squadrons had Corsairs which were a mix of late production F4U-1s and some F4U-1Ds. By this time there was next no aerial opposition in the southern Pacific where the RNZAF was based so the aircraft were used mostly to support ground forces. This aircraft was part of 18 Squadron based at Bougainville, New Guinea in 1944.

The F4U-1s the RNZAF received all had an F4U-1A style canopy and a stall spoiler, so I've skinned this one as an F4U-1A as its closer to one visually.

[Latrobe]

The lyric/Greebo team does it again! 

[Dragon Tamer]

 

[lyric1]

 

[Citabria]

the blue in the roundels maybe desaturate a bit? not for accuracy sake but just to get it to sit on the skin without jumping out as much?

only thing i could pick out on a beautiful skin nicely done as always.

[Saxman]

the blue in the roundels maybe desaturate a bit? not for accuracy sake but just to get it to sit on the skin without jumping out as much?

only thing i could pick out on a beautiful skin nicely done as always.

More like the roundel and tail markings don't appear to have been subject to the same fading as the rest of the fuselage.

[Greebo]

The roundels on RNZAF aircraft were painted in the blue colour I used here, but this quickly faded to a much lighter blue. I found a web page that gave the FS numbers of the original and faded tones. The various B&W photos of RNZAF Corsairs I have looked at show this difference in tone quite clearly.

This thread from the Wings over New Zealand Forum shows a model with light faded decals but also has the photo of the aircraft I used which shows the markings in the original dark tone. I was working on the assumption that the blue on the markings had faded to the point that it had been recently repainted. Having said that, I can easily desaturate the blue a bit.

[Nefarious]

Very nice!

[Devil 505]

Looks great, but I agree with the others on the roundels - that blue is way too bold.

[hgtonyvi]

The blue circle is way to dark. Also the entire color of the plane is way off. It has to be a color like the original f4u1, maybe just a bit darker. That blue color u need is similar to one of the skin the p38L or I think it's the J have. I would say it can be Colombia blue but I can be wrong.

[Greebo]

This aircraft had a standard USN mid war four-tone colour scheme, albeit very faded and dirty. RNZAF Corsairs were generally left in their original US factory scheme. However some may have been repainted later in RNZAF colours, particularly those used at training schools.

The RNZAF markings were painted over the top of the US ones in a blue that was a bit lighter than USAAF insignia blue and that faded to a much lighter blue with age. You can see the difference in tone between USAAF insignia blue and RNZAF insignia blue in the photos in this forum thread. The centres of the markings have been repainted in RNZAF blue while the bars were left in the darker US blue. This thread also gives the FS colours used for new and faded RNZAF insignia blue and shows photos of markings with various degrees of fade.

Since posting the screenshots I've desaturated the blue on the markings on this skin by 30% but I'm not making them lighter because that does not match the photo I have of it.

[Interceptor]

Gorgeous skin, wtg !