Solomons-based Corsairs - open cockpit flying?

[George Hopp]

As the a/c appear to be flying near some pretty nasty cloud, the #2 would want to be tucked in as close to his lead as he could possibly be, because you would not want to lose your lead as you are flying through cloud, especially thick cloud.

[Ruy Horta]

Wade,

Just like in the movies you need to have room for some artistic licence to add drama. You are a gifted artist, just keep up the good work!

Great to see how you work on your site, as in this example:

http://wademeyersart.tripod.com/id51.html

[chicoartist]

Thanks for the comments - good and not so good always welcome here. I'm certainly not above "taking suggestions" and "reminders". Means you guys are paying attention!

Besides, you'll never even come close to the bone-jarring critiques I got in my early days, from none other than Keith Ferris and other luminaries in person - so keep trying! People have been known to quit painting after going through the "grinder" (partner, you ask for a critique - that's what you get! ... but it's fair, and constructive if you have the right attitude) at ASAA Forums!

I must remind you, however, that the entire image of *this* study is about the size of a standard 4 x 6 inch photograph! You know, like back in the day when you used to have your, uh, what's it called . . . oh yes, 35mm FILM developed.

Accordingly, my thoughts while working on this study were confined to: "Lights here, darks there - how does it look when I squint my eye?". If I didn't like what I saw, I added dark here, or erased there. Exact shapes (or perfect ellipses on national insignia) were not sweated over for more than 10 seconds each.

I was mainly trying to 'capture' the main Corsair - the wingman was "blocked in" in about 2 or 3 minutes. As I said, I haven't even completed a final, refined, outline for both planes. THAT'S when I'll sweat perfect ellipses and exact shapes.

Not making excuses so much as explaining for those interested what's going on.

Oh, Ruy, you're exactly right - I let stark, cold, reality be my guide and jumping-off point, not my Lawgiver. Many forms of art - including films, etc., etc., would suffer greatly if the "purists" (God Bless 'Em, though - I count on them to write the expensive reference books I use!!) had the hammer on all decisions.

Wade

[chicoartist]

Originally Posted by George Hopp

As the a/c appear to be flying near some pretty nasty cloud . . .

A joke we aviation artists have is that the worse the flying weather (in real life), the better the painting looks!

Wade

[JACK COOK]

re: the tape. There's no such thing has a sure thing!

[R Leonard]

Tape? We don' need no steekin' tape.

Rich

[chicoartist]

Several places in my Corsair-specific refs mention that they generally used "medical tape", and that it was pretty much changed daily, so any combination of "white striping", or lack thereof, is possible.

Same for the wing tanks -- I used to think those were some kind of "dive stripes", but like the fuselage tank it's a poor-man's sealant for the 60 some-odd gallon integral wing tanks unique to the -1 and so-called -1A.

Jack's color shot above looks, to me, like they've had MAJOR leakage all over the bottom of that closest wing. I've flown light aircraft that have had minor fuel leaks - closest I've come yet to "puking" - the smell will get to you if you're anywhere near the source.

I don't know if the Corsair jocks could smell the fumes, but if they could, I know it wasn't a pleasant experience!

BTW, anybody out there seen any reason why the fuel cells leaked so badly in the -1s? Seems like they would have figured out by then how to not have that problem ...

Wade