Solomons-based Corsairs - open cockpit flying?

[chicoartist]

Question and a request:

In your Corsair refs for the Solomons-based WWII USN/USMC Corsairs, do you see any shots of Corsair pilots flying with canopies slid back?
I know that it *can* be done, but if I can find a shot or two of actual Corsairs during that time flying in-theatre "open cockpit", I can justify *my* Corsairs in my upcoming Corsair oil painting having the canopies slid back. That way I can also show pilot details, etc. Something a little different in any case.

My painting will show F4Us flying along over dawn clouds - not engaged in actual combat -- when, of course, their canopies would be *closed*.

The request is that you post any shots here for all to see as well. Also, do you have any good close up shots of said F4U-1A cockpit/open canopy taken from approximately the 12:30 - 1:00 high (looking down into the cockpit) position, so I can get the 'details' right?

Any help much appreciated!

Wade

email: chicoartist -at- yahoo.com, if you prefer.

[fsbofk]

No luck finding any open-canopy in-flight/formation shots for the Solomons period; the only open-canopy photos were during take-off or landing. I did find several open-canopy in-flight shots from later in 1944, but near Guam and Eniwetok

[chicoartist]

Just did this little guy today ... not the oil sketch I was going to do this size, but I still had a couple of "issues" I needed to resolve via pencil study. Next up is a larger, more refined pencil study - after I finish the detailed outlines for both planes.

I'm still debating whether or not to show the canopies open or closed. Looking at this, I kinda like them closed.

Study for "VF-17 Corsairs" (working title)
4.5 x 6 inches
Pencil on 100 lb. Bristol
The final canvas will be 24 x 32.



Wade

[fsbofk]

Lookin good ! Corsairs in the Solomons were pretty well weathered, which gives you a wide range of "blues" to work with. Also, VF-17 Corsairs, like a lot of F4Us in the Solomons, had white sealing tape on the top of the fuselage in front of the cockpit to control gasoline leakage - the tape was a prominent visual feature of Corsairs in that area.

[chicoartist]

Originally Posted by fsbofk

Lookin good ! Corsairs in the Solomons were pretty well weathered, which gives you a wide range of "blues" to work with. Also, VF-17 Corsairs, like a lot of F4Us in the Solomons, had white sealing tape on the top of the fuselage in front of the cockpit to control gasoline leakage - the tape was a prominent visual feature of Corsairs in that area.

Yes, thanks. I have one color shot I got from Jack Cook that shows some Marine Corsairs looking like pure trash! The "lower" sections of the wing (the aft sections of the wings when the plane is sitting on the ground) is obviously extremely heavily fuel-stained.

I've seen some 'overweathered' models in my time, but in the case of the photo it would be hard to match the level of 'wear' without getting laughed off the table. With paintings, it's best to 'indicate' rather the 'render' the true depth of wear present. In 2-D, all effects seem to magnify; unlike a scale model where it's render, render, render, or the 'effect' doesn't exist. "Indicating rather than rendering" doesn't translate as well in 3-D.

VF-17, like a lot of other Corsairs of that era, also sealed the -1/-1As 60-some-odd gallon wing tanks with white medical tape. As you may know, the -1D model did not have the "wet" wing tanks - probably due to the introduction of the -1Ds wing pylons for drop tanks (but I'm not a Corsair 'spurt).

I only "hinted" at the wing and fuselage tank tape on the drawing above because the drawing is very small - all 'visible' details, most of them, anyway, will show in their full glory on the larger pencil study to come. This little drawing was just to get something down on paper to "encourage" me - or at least get me deeper into the "problem-solving" mode.

Thx,

Wade

[Franek Grabowski]

Wade
Two points. First is I think both aircraft are way to close for a combat formation. Second, I know it is a sketch, but I feel there is something wrong in the geometry. The aircraft seems to sleek for me and there is something wrong with the wings. The latter may be an illusion, but then I think the aircraft should be slightly repositioned to avoid it. Have you used a plastic kit as a model?

[Franek Grabowski]

Well, I am not sure what the fuss is about? Wade put his sketch here to get some comments and improve his work, otherwise why he would need to do that?
Concerning artistic licence, yes, obviously it is not always possible to keep painting fully realistic, but the general rule is way off any realism (no pun at Wade). Have a look at original Memphis Belle movie and distance between bombers. Have a look at combat reports (not the special selection of guncam films) and the distance to the target. If reality is 250 meters, artistic licence would be 100 meters but not 10 meters.
Finally, about the weather, Wade, I would really suggest to ask a veteran about the sketch. The comments may vary from it was as it is, through clouds were distinctive in their lighting to I have never seen clouds in Salomons, but they always will be the comments from a man who was there.

[chicoartist]

From this (for direct comparison) ...



After one aborted attempt, I reset the DG and am now much happier with the "direction" this one is taking.

The background of the first (6-inches wide) color study was in a dominant lower key, to help "pop" the Corsair, but I just didn't like it (I'm trying to be the best Wade Meyers, not the second-best Bill Phillips!), so I grabbed a 9 x 12 canvas panel I had primed a while back, used the 9" side as the width, and cut off the "height" at the same aspect ratio as the final planned 24 x 32 canvas.

This study is 6.75 x 9 inches, oil on panel. I'm counting on the red surrounds to the national insignia (and the red prop hub) to add a bit of color. Notice that the wing insignia is sans red surround. I'm going to let the paint dry a wee bit before I smear some red in there.

The final art will have both canopies OPEN (I think). I hope to get a bit of "driver" in there with his sleeves wind-whipped.

It's tough for me to do, but these smallest of studies are part of the "weeding-out" process - thank goodness I didn't invest much time in the original (aborted) oil study - best to figure things out before I'm too committed . . . thus, the emphasis here is on basic color and value - not detail. The best way to avoid getting too involved with detail is to make them quite small:



Wade

[R Leonard]

Well, now I have to ask, in F4Us, to exactly what wing tanks are you referring.

Rich

[chicoartist]

The -1s and -1As had built-in (internal) wing tanks of around 60 gallons - one in each wing. They were located just forward of and outboard of the gun bays. Look carefully at your refs - you can see the raised "handle" for the filler cap on both wings. So, the -1s and -1As had built-in fuselage and wing tanks, there being no provision for "drop tanks", as you know.

The -1D, IIRC (not sure about the -1C at the moment -- not near my refs) did away with the built-in/internal wing tanks; the -1D introduced the wing pylons. I can only assume that they figured that they didn't need provision for drop tanks AND built-in wing tanks.

I'm still trying to find a diagram of the actual size/shape/width of the -1s integral wing tanks ... I see the caps, and I see the tape sometimes covering seams like on the fuselage tank, but the caps are located outside (inboard, IIRC) of the taped seams ... not that it matters to my art (I'm not BUILDING a real Corsair!), but I do get curious about such things!

Wade