1:72 Vought TA-7C Corsair Twosair

Vought TA-7C Corsair Twosair, 1:72

A decal sheet from the Xtradecal brand for models of the two-seat training variant of the Corsair II carrier attack aircraft of the US Navy. These are supplementary markings, not a plastic kit; they are applied to a model that you choose according to the version given in the name.

From a weapon to a trainer

The Corsair II came about in the 1960s as a subsonic carrier attack aircraft with a single turbofan engine and replaced the older light attack aircraft in the US Navy. So that crews could build up their habits on the type itself, Vought rebuilt part of the single-seaters already delivered into two-seaters. The fuselage received an inserted section, a second cockpit in tandem with its own canopy was added in it, and aircraft modified in this way carried the designation TA-7C. The nickname Twosair arose from combining the two-seat layout with the name of the type. The training machines served with training and with combat squadrons, and some of them later received a more powerful engine and were used for electronic warfare tasks. They are told from the single-seat version at a glance by the longer fuselage and the pair of glazed canopies one behind the other.

Working with low-visibility schemes

The gray low-visibility finishes of the later years are usually flat, and markings silver on them easily. Apply gloss varnish therefore only where the markings will go, and once dry unify the whole surface with a matte overcoat. Lay thin lettering onto a wet base and align it with a damp brush, not with tweezers, which tear it easily.

Who the sheet suits

• modelers focused on American carrier aviation
• builders of training and two-seat versions of combat types
• anyone interested in the Cold War in 1:72 scale
• those who want to freshen an older model with new markings