F4U Corsair "Lulubelle" from Gregory "Pappy" Boyington
An overview of the kit and its sprues
Started drilling small holes on the cylinders, with a pin vise, to place the R-2800 wiring bundle. A scratchbuild this engine so deserved.
Rear and front cylinder rows with their wiring in place, I used superglue to attach them. Next step is initial painting and weathering to attach the cylinder rows.
Finished work on the front cylinders row.
Finished work for front and rear cylinders.
Scratchbuilt hidraulic lines inside aircraft wheel well with soldering wires.
Overview of the parts painted interior green.
Details of interior and engine.
Details of interior and engine.
Cockpit being glued to join fuselage pieces.
Control panel decals applied.
Fuselage and wings assembled.
Dry fit of engine, fuselage and wings.
Preparing for primer paint
Preparing for primer paint
Preparing for primer paint
White belly and blue/gray lower wings painted.
Blue/gray painted on the fuselage sides and vertical stabilizer/rudder.
In September 1943, Maj. Gregory Boyington took command of VMF 214, the "Black Sheep Squadron." Boyington was a superb leader and fighter with VMF-214, scoring 22 victories with the Marines, plus six from the AVG. Under his command, VMF-214 claimed 94 victories against the Japanese. At thirty-one years old, he was ten years older than most of his pilots, earning him the nickname "Pappy." On 26 November 1943, Boyington posed in the cockpit of Corsair "White 86" for a publicity photo. Japanese flag "kill markings" were applied so hastily that some were accidentally reversed. Some speculation exists as to whether the aircraft was called "Lucybelle" or "Lulubelle", since the name was partially obscured in the final photograph. Boyington was recognized as the leading Ace of the US Armed Forces, and when he was shot down on a mission over Rabaul on 3 January 1944, he was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. But Boyington survived Japanese captivity, and President Truman pinned the Medal of Honor on him on 5 October 1945.
