So I have decided to take a little hiatus from train modeling. My first love in modeling was model airplanes. That was what got me started in modeling before the cars before the trains. We are taking back when I was like ten. One of my favorite TV shows growing up was Baa Baa Black Sheep. I fell in love with the bent wing bird the Vought F4U Corsair. As a Marine I had to like the Marine version and as an Idaho Kid I had to like Maj. Greg “Pappy” Boyington. So as tribute to Idaho’s Marine Corp fighter ace I am making a diorama of the plane credited to being Greg “Pappy” Boyington’s the F4U #86. Now interestingly there is a very famous photo of him sitting in this plane although it is likely he never flew it, at least while assigned to VMF214. It has been pretty well documented that this was a Navy photo op for war bond sales. But at any rate its his if for no other reason than prosperity.
At any rate this will be a small diorama of the plane, a couple of palm trees and some various other details. Here is where it is so far.
These planes were kept outside in the sun on coral islands. The sun and coral dust did a number on the planes. So I weathered it with grey chalk to give it that bleached out look. I also used some black chalk around the cowl to give it an exhaust and grime look. I also used some black on the gun ports. I used some light tan on the wheels and behind them to dust them up from the runway. A few details left are to put the plane number on the wheel doors and to patch some bullet holes with beer cans.
Here is the start of the palm trees.
Still a long way to go.