More AF Corsair Repaints

Bomber_12th

Bomber_12th

SOH-CM-2025
Here are some test shots of some repaints, for the Aircraft Factory Corsair, which should be available soon.

This first one depicts an FG-1D that was operated by the Naval Air Reserve at NAS Minneapolis (what is today MSP International).







 
This second one depicts the award-winning Gary Kohs' FG-1D, which was restored by Air Power Unlimited, as it was when completed in a pure 1945 factory paint scheme (down to the correct shade of blue on the crankcase of the R-2800).







 
Third (and final for now) is a depiction of the same Corsair above (the Gary Kohs FG-1D), as it looks today, owned by the Vintage Wings of Canada and placed in the markings of Robert Hampton Gray.







 
John......THANK YOU!!!! These are the paints I was hoping for....this is my Christmas present for sure. Money being short this year and my PC almost about to kick the bucket....I'm glad I'll get to fly these before it crashes. Not much longer I'm afraid.......not sure what happens to my simming if it does. Anyway....thank you!
 
Not sure if you're aware Bomber_12th but KD658 is already available.. albeit in it's 2010 scheme (by Robbie Nauffts). No reason why you shouldn't do your own version though;)

ATB
DaveB:)
 
Thanks guys for the feedback! All three have been uploaded here and at Flightsim.com - there should be a few more this week.

I've known that the Robert Hampton Gray/KD658 paint scheme has been done at least twice already for the AF Corsair (one depicting the restoration, and another depicting it in wartime). This one of mine is still quite different in a great many respects. All of these repaints, like my past two for the AF Corsair, contain modified textures for the engine, landing gear, landing gear wells, rockets, drop tanks, and cockpit. The specular maps are handled differently than in other repaints as well (in order to get the shine/sheen illustrated in the screenshots), and all of the vast majority of all of the factory applied stencils across the exterior of the aircraft are there, just as originally and as in the authentic restoration depicted.

Doing the Vintage Wings of Canada/KD658 repaint, I did it the same way as how the aircraft flying today, with VWoC, came about. The Corsair originated with Gary Kohs, who had it restored by Airpower Unlimited to absolute original 1945 stock configuration and specifications, in every imaginable detail (as depicted by the other repaint shown). It was completed in 2003 and won a number of awards for the level of authenticity and quality of restoration. Eventually the aircraft was sold to Platinum Fighter Sales who then sold the aircraft to Vintage Wings of Canada in 2008. After they received it, they had decals of Robert Hampton Gray's markings done up and applied over the factory paint, so nothing has actually changed about the original factory markings applied in the restoration. You can see the difference in color between the RN roundel and the stock US stars & bars.

Here are some photos of the real aircraft, both as it was before and now (unfortunately the AF Corsair doesn't support alpha channels, so I have had to use the specular maps, in a creative way, to try and get a more stunning look out of the blue paint): http://www.warbirddepot.com/aircraft_fighters_fg1d-vwc.asp

Here are a few more screenshots (so-far, through repaints for the AF Corsair, I have covered three of the award-winning FG-1D Corsairs restored by Airpower Unlimited, who are leaders in authentic Corsair restorations):







 
I should add, that, during the time period that the "factory fresh" restored Corsair depicts (1945), the stars & bars were still being applied with insignia blue, so you can see the slight difference between the insignia blue and the specular sea blue. At a later point, since the two colors were already so close to one another, it was decided that the insignia blue portions of the stars & bars was no longer needed - this can be seen on the Naval Reserve repaint (which is circa 1955). And despite the Naval Reserve markings looking like they should probably belong to a later variant of the Corsair, it really is one of the number of FG-1D's that were still in service in the 50's, and thus properly belongs on this model (though I have been working on a few more paint schemes as well, for this model, that are actually F4U-4's).

During original WWII production, the stars & bars on the wings were quite larger than those on the fuselage (as seen accurately protrayed on the factory fresh and VWoC schemes), but post-war, as seen on the Naval Reserve scheme, when they repainted all of the Corsairs, they used the same size stars & bars on the wings as used on the fuselage.
 
Great work! Your attention to details is stunning!
My favourite is the naval reserve post war scheme, the corsair just look bad ass with the full colour stars and bars.
 
Thanks again, guys! Here is another one which should be just about ready to release, a scheme that I've always thought looked interesting. This a Naval Reserve scheme of 1946 through to about 1948/49, so is an intermediate scheme between the 1945 factory scheme and the 1955 Naval Reserve scheme. In the 1946 through about 1948/49 time frame, this is how all of the Corsairs looked within the Naval Reserve Units in the US, operating from bases such as NAS Glenview, New York, Minneapolis, and in this case Livermore, all following the same layout of markings. The stars & bars on the fuselage are painted over (you can see the slight difference in shade of paint, under certain lighting conditions, where the star & bars were), and at this time (1946 to be exact) the red bars had not yet been added to the insignias. Also, just about everything got painted blue (prop dome, landing gear, wheels), and thus it adds a very business-like feel overall.







 
That’s one ratty Corsair

John,
And to add to the list of Reserve Cosairs, Here is another one.

u-s-navy-reserve-vought-f4u-4-corsair-buno-96832-in-flight-from-nartu-los-alamitos-california-usa-circa-in-1950.jpg


A very well used U.S. Navy Reserve Vought F4U-4 Corsair (BuNo 96832) in flight from NARTU Los Alamitos, California (USA), circa in 1950. (U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.253.7140.026.)

By 1950 the Corsair, one of the best fighters in the world just five years before, was obsolete, being replaced by the Navy’s first operational jet fighters, the Grumman F9F Panther and follow-on F-9 Cougar. With Uncle picking up over 2600 F9’s in the early 50s, the Corsair was fast on its way out. With that being said these trusty prop gullwings remained in training, evaluation, and close air support roles with the Navy and Marines until at least 1955.
 
John,

You think you could make a paint of this one BTW, this reserve F4U doesn't have those orange markings all over it like your paintings ^.

u-s-navy-reserve-vought-f4u-4-corsair-buno-96832-in-flight-from-nartu-los-alamitos-california-usa-circa-in-1950.jpg
 
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