1:32 F4U-1D CORSAIR

The late Corsair and its markings

The F4U-1D version is a machine from the end of the war: it received racks for bombs and unguided rockets, a wing without the small fuel tanks in the leading edge and a finish in a uniform glossy blue shade. It is precisely against that dark area that the national insignia is the most conspicuous feature of the whole model, because the white field of the star and the bars is the only light place on the entire machine.

Why it is better to spray the insignia than to apply it

A decal on the large area of the cowling always has a slight sheen, and its carrier film shows even more on a gloss finish than on a matte one. A sprayed insignia has no extra layer, it lies directly in the paint and traces of wear can be run across it as if it were original. In 1:32 scale the star is large enough for the difference between the two methods to be told even from a photograph.

What the set offers

• film for the cockpit cover in a double version, outside and inside
• three sets of masks for the star with bars and a blue surround
• decals enclosed alongside the sprayed part
• finished shapes that are simply transferred from the carrier layer to the part

The procedure is simple: the whole model into the base color first, then, once it has dried, the insignia masks applied, the white sprayed over and finally the blue outline part. Pull the film off before the finish has hardened completely. Anyone wanting to make the job simpler can combine both and spray only the insignia on the fuselage. The wing surfaces are the most accessible on a model and a mask holds there without trouble, whereas around the wing root and at the cowling the shape tends to be more complex and calls for more patient pressing of the edges. Store the leftover films in the shade, as the adhesive ages quickly in the light.