The weathering process has begun!First, I applied a slightly diluted layer of Vallejo Chipping Medium over the upper surfaces of the aircraft, where I expect to see the most wear and tear. Next came Tamiya XF-4 Zinc Chromate Yellow, applied to the metal surfaces to represent the anti-corrosion primer used on the real aircraft 🙂…
Last weekend, I made some good progress on the Corsair. The main airframe components are finally assembled, and what a silhouette! There’s no mistaking this bird — those distinctive inverted gull wings make the Corsair instantly recognizable. After doing some research, I started looking for reference photos of the specific aircraft I wanted to recreate.…
A little break from the Corsair! I had some spare time, so I switched to the Valkyrie engines. A quick painting session with AK Xtreme Metal paints, and the internal engine components are now done. I also wanted to keep the engine covers removable, so I decided to attach them with magnets. This way, I’ll…
During the riveting process, I noticed that some rivet lines on the actual Corsair are more closely spaced than others, particularly around the center wing section. I also discovered that certain areas feature double rows of rivets. To recreate these, I modified my riveting tool by adding a second wheel, allowing me to produce two…
After taking a closer look at the engine compartment, I felt that something was missing. The inside of the cowling looked a bit too empty. After checking some reference photos, I decided to add the internal structural ribs to give the engine compartment a more realistic appearance. Sure, most of these details will be barely…
As I mentioned earlier, the plan is to recreate the rivet detail across the entire Corsair. It may sound like a tedious job, but with the right tools and a bit of patience, it’s actually quite relaxing Check the references, mark the lines, add the rivets… and repeat. 🙂 First, I mark the rivet lines…
The Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp is one of the most recognizable radial engines of WWII, and an important part of the Corsair’s distinctive character. The engine assembly went smoothly. I added photo-etched ignition wires and a few missing details around the cylinder heads to give it a more realistic appearance. It’s a relatively…
I love cockpit details!After main parts assembly, I added some washes, scratches and painted rest of the details. Instrument lenses were filled with MicroSol Clear glue, that added depth and realism to gauges. Pilot seat and safety belts were added, side consoles were painted accordingly. I used internet available pictures as references. Unfortunately, after fuselage…
Tamiya 1/48 F4U-1A Corsair Sometimes, inspiration works both ways! Our young Recruits from the Mechaworks Academy pilot program inspired me to start a new project — the legendary Vought F4U Corsair. With its distinctive inverted gull wings and unmistakable silhouette, the Corsair is one of the most iconic aircraft of World War II. But this…
March 2026 marked the beginning of something we had been thinking about for a long time — turning our passion for scale modeling into something we could share with others. The idea behind Mechaworks Academy was never simply to teach people how to assemble plastic models. From the very beginning, we had a broader vision:…