1/48 Tamiya F4U-1/2, 1/48 F4U-1A

Gallery Article by Don Enlow on Apr 3 2013

 

 

Both of these Kits are 1/48 scale Tamiya Kits #13 is a F4U-1/2, and the other kit#18 is a F4U-1A.  I did these two kits to honor the memory of two great US Marine pilots :  Lt. Col. Kenneth Walsh, MOH recipient, while flying a corsair with VMF124.  Col. Dean S. Hartley Jr. who flew several Corsairs with VMF-225 called Brat II.

 

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You will notice extra gun ports painted on F4U-1/2 #13 I copied this from a photo I found of then Lt. Kenneth Walsh sitting in his aircraft, and also a couple other photos of other VMF-124 aircraft. I assume the reason was so if there were Japanese scouts in the jungle, the aircraft would appear to be armed with 8  50 cal. machine guns instead of 6. also the right front gear door had  the word "Captain"  painted on it. An interesting mystery as Lt. Walsh did not make captain until receiving the MOH from what I could find out. So this may not have been a regular aircraft flown by Lt. Walsh.

Col. Hartley was the Director of Aviation at Northeast Louisiana University, Monroe, La. when I attended.  I enjoyed hearing about his Marine Corp days which went from WWII all the way to Vietnam.  I also was able to obtain another photo of Col Hartley in another "BRAT II" but it carried # 815.

Thanks Jim, and David for all your help!!

Don Enlow

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Photos and text © by Don Enlow