Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Greebo on May 15, 2004, 03:26:33 PM
-
I'm just finishing off these two F4U-1 skins and would appreciate any constructive criticism before I send them off.
The first is a FAA Corsair Mk I of 1835 Squadron. They began training on the type at Brunswick NS in late 1943. I've had to be a little creative with the disruptive scheme, a case of "dodge the bug".
The second is a machine of VMF 215 based at Munda in late 43/ early 44. From what little info I have been able to gather, it seems this aircraft got a field applied dark blue top surface later in life. I've gone for the earlier scheme, simply because I prefer it looks wise.
(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/mk%20i%20lower%20quarter.jpg)
(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/mk%20i%20rear%20quarter.jpg)
(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/76%20front.jpg)
(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/76%20rear%20quarter.jpg)
-
Very nice Greebo.
I have the Corgi model of the RN Corsair though it's different colours to the one you've skinned, is yours a recolouring for N. Europe? The aircraft serial number is the same.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/44_1084658957_21697.jpg)
-
greebo,
I love your F6F skin. Did you use Photoshop? If so, is there any way I could get a copy of the template (or basic psd file) you used?
Oh, and these Hogs look great!
-
dem sum perdie hogs :aok
-
Excellent F4U skins, Greebo :aok
-
Awesome work!!
-
Chweeet!
-
Thanks for the kind words guys.
Nexx, thanks for the input. I got the colours from a book called "Fleet Air Arm" by Squadron/Signal Publications. They've got numerous colour plates of FAA aircraft in similar extra dark sea grey/dark slate grey/sky schemes, although admittedly not this particular aircraft. They also show some colour photos on the back page which seem to tie in with the plates. I'd have to say the Corgi model's colours look wrong to me.
This Hasegawa plastic kit box seems to have similar colours too:
(http://pics.hannants.co.uk/pics/HA00646.jpg)
Math, I use Paint Shop Pro for skinning but this does have a psd converter built in. The trouble is the F6F files converted to psd format are huge, well over a 100mb in total and 36mb even when zipped. Each one also occupies around 800mb of system ram when loaded. This is because I stupidly went for 3072 res when creating them and they ran to 40-50 layers each. I'll have a look at doing a template in 1024 res and merging the layers down to 10-20 or so to make them more managable. I need to get my other skins done and off to HTC first though.
-
Thats very nice Greebo,
i didnt knew that a F4U can look that nice. Especially the upper one.
Ecke
-
I've seen the same plane as the Corgi model in either Flypast or Aeroplane and the colours do look right. I can't find the particular magazine at the moment though.
The Fleet Air Arm also have a Corsair within thier authorised FAA skins for Flight Sim but you can't really see what colour it is. http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Models/FlightSimulatorFAAaircraft.html
I found this as well
(http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Corsair_Brewster_MkIII_JT96_wartimecolour.jpg)
The grey/grey scheme on a F6F below
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/44_1081332378_f6f.jpg)
Found a similar Corsair, but with it being B&W it's hard to distinguish the colour.
I guess one option is emailing the FAA Museum which I'm sure would be very helpful in clarifying the colour (I've had help from Hendon before). Corgi often research the aircraft with Museums help (why they model a lot of museum aircraft).
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/44_1084704302_corsair.jpg)
-
Hmmmm...to me, most of the images I've seen of this scheme including your colour photo of the Corsair, show one of the greys as being much bluer than either of the ones on the Corgi model. Corgi's darker grey is a pretty good match for dark slate grey, but the light grey looks too pale and too brown to me.
(http://gr.fipu.krasnoyarsk.edu/camms/archive/ww2_fighters/0017/pics/0017_9_3.jpg)
(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/faa%20hellcat%20photo.jpg)
-
Originally posted by Replicant
Found a similar Corsair, but with it being B&W it's hard to distinguish the colour.
Don't you just love British understatement! Nice one :aok
-
Greebo, I've emailed the FAA museum to see if they can help.
-
Thanks Nexx, I'm happy to change it if its wrong.
-
Originally posted by Greebo
Thanks Nexx, I'm happy to change it if its wrong.
NP, just curious myself that Corgi could get something so wrong when all photos indicate a dark grey/green scheme was used, unless the grey/grey was purely whilst the Corsair was in the States?
-
Well, the caption on the Hellcat photo says it was taken during a pre acceptance flight at Grumman. Also the numbers on the cowling of the Corsair were a Vought thing, they were removed after delivery to the FAA. The US factories usually painted the planes whatever colours the customer wanted, the squadrons just put their ID markings on.
-
Fantastic!
-
Greebo
Found this in a model making 'Military Aircraft Markings' book I have.
Corsair I, 1835 Squadron, Royal Navy, Brunswick, USA, late 1943 - serial number JT172
Camoflage for this early aircraft was Ocean Grey and Dark Slate Grey with Sky undersides.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/44_1084833999_corsair5.jpg)
This is the same colour as the Corgi model.
-
The FAA book suggests all FAA aircraft were painted dark slate grey/extra dark sea grey/ light grey at the beginning of the war. Biplanes had their lower wings painted in light slate grey instead of the EDS grey. The sky undersides replaced the light grey in August 1940. Someone's sources are obviously wrong here. Best bet I think is to hold off on this skin until the museum replies.