Pacific Dogfight (Corsair vs Dinah) 1/144th Scale

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Warbird Kid
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Pacific Dogfight (Corsair vs Dinah) 1/144th Scale

Post by Warbird Kid » Thu Jun 18, 2020 2:03 pm

So the reason I got into 1/144th scale aircraft is definitely, with out a doubt, my father's fault. I enjoyed viewing his builds that were (thankfully)safely tucked away behind glass from my destructive hands when I was a kid, and that lead him to building a fleet of planes for me to play with when I was younger. In the early 80's he created a series of 1/144th dioramas that were built on cut, clear Plexiglass bases and rods. There was the Apache B-25
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My Grandfather's B-24, Zero, and P-38. (Sorry for the bad photos)
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And I even took one of the leftover clear bases and made one myself, with a modified Revell P-51B, converted into an A Model, and a A6M2 being shot down. (I went with a different idea for the smoke.)
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And then there was the Corsair vs Dinah. Another diorama similar to all the others, and I'm ashamed to say I can't find an original picture of it. Anyways a few yers ago the diorama was being transported from a show and wouldn't you know it, it broke. So it stayed that way for about a year or so, the planes were just fine, but the Plexiglass base and rods were busted. So I set about creating a new base for these two planes from my childhood to live on.

I figured a more substantial, traditional base would work well for what I envisioned. I wanted to create a forced-perspective diorama, with the two aircraft flying over an island, somewhere in the Pacific. It was fairly straight-forward to make and I kick myself for not documenting the entire process for you guys. I first started with a basic base you can get at any hobby or craft store. From there I looked at some pictures of Pacific Islands until I found one I liked. (I wasn't trying to be too accurate to any specific battle since the Corsair is painted in inaccurate markings with early pre-war stars. I can't blame my Dad, it was the 80s!)

So after finding an island I liked I went about recreating it, Or at least as close as I liked. I started by going into my scrap plastic box of sheet styrene. From there I found triangles of all sizes and shapes and some rectangles, and started gluing. No real laid out thought or plan, just the basic shape in mind. Once a lot of plastic and glue was laid down, I used clippers to cut and shape the island just a little bit. At which point I used the remaining putty I had to fill in all the valleys and area of the island to give it a real three dimensional shape. I didn't worry about sanding really, as these rough sections would help create the rocky areas. After drying, I shot the whole thing with filler primer and let it dry. After-which I then started putting down the paints. The water started as a medium blue to just coat the area, and a basic green for the island. I started then layering the paints on both sections, dark colors for deeper / darker areas, and lighter paints for lighter areas. I made sure to thin down my colors so they would be nice manageable. After multiple layers, I put a clear gloss coat on the water, and little white caps. For the island I dived into the foliage box and found some Woodland Scenics Foliage Medium Green which was more of a connected sheet of foliage, and not just loose powder. This made cutting and gluing sections super easy. I also used some darker foliage to break up the overall terrain of the island. I then used some shades of grey, tan, and white to create the rocky cliff areas.

I used some clear rods to use on the planes that seemed to work just fine. The last thing I wanted to do was to replace the clear disks (now yellowed) my dad had made over 40 years ago! Since I had some prop blurs, I began the task of building a new hub / ring for the Corsair, and just glued the other props onto the Dinah's hub. Afterwhich it was just a matter of final assembly and then done!

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I'm still considering adding a 1/4800 scale Japanese Battleship down below and maybe a simple plaque but otherwise I'm calling this one done. Hope you like it!
Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis

Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

CASC FB Page: http://www.facebook.com/ctairandspace
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Chicks Dig Warbirds.......right?

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Axis Nightmare
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Re: Pacific Dogfight (Corsair vs Dinah) 1/144th Scale

Post by Axis Nightmare » Thu Jun 18, 2020 3:49 pm

Nicely done. I remember doing the clear prop disks on the planes I had hanging from my room when just a kid. Your prop blurs have taken that to a new level. I also have my Dad to thank for all my aviation and WWII passion. Curious about the smoke from the Zero. What material is that?
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What makes the P-51 Mustang so special?

"It would do for 8 hours what a Spitfire would do for 45 minutes."

Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager

Warbird Kid
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Re: Pacific Dogfight (Corsair vs Dinah) 1/144th Scale

Post by Warbird Kid » Thu Jun 18, 2020 7:19 pm

I'd hate to let my secret go but...it's styrofoam. Simple, ordinary styrofoam that you have to cut and shape (I would suggest with an exacto-knife) and paint with water based, acrylic paints. Here is my pride and joy using this method, and I hope to make more using the same process.

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Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis

Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

CASC FB Page: http://www.facebook.com/ctairandspace
Warbird Wear: http://warbirdwear.com/

Chicks Dig Warbirds.......right?

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Axis Nightmare
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Re: Pacific Dogfight (Corsair vs Dinah) 1/144th Scale

Post by Axis Nightmare » Fri Jun 19, 2020 7:13 pm

Your smoke technique is really good! You are very talented, Sir! :salute:
Image

What makes the P-51 Mustang so special?

"It would do for 8 hours what a Spitfire would do for 45 minutes."

Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager

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