Matchbox: 1/72 F4FU Corsair - Nostalgic Build

[Dirkpitt289]

When I was a wee little tot back in the 70's Matchbox kits were all the rage. They were simple, the came in multi-colors (Small craft like Fighters came in two colors, Larger kits like bombers came in three colors) and you could build one and be outside playing with it in an hour or so. No paint was required but if you did want to paint there weren't a lot of options for a 10 year old kid. Paint options were limited to the basic colors, brush options were limited to the white Testors brushes with the plastic bristles, and the tools we use today were not usually available.

The goal of this build is to challenge myself to build a kit with my today's skills and knowledge but using only what I would have had available to me back in 1977 (10 Year old me). So no air brush, no unlimited colors, No putty/filler, no special tools, and only an orange tube of Testors glue. Maybe some tattered wood grade sandpaper, clothes pins or whatever else a kid would find around his house.

So lets get into the "wayback machine" and head over to 1977



The Kit



Paints and tools



Stay tuned

 

[Kenny Conklin]

77! I was 5 lol

 

[Dirkpitt289]

77! I was 5 lol

Whipper snapper

 

[Dirkpitt289]

We are starting with out pilot. Lets call him... Lets call him... Lets call him, Dick. After the famous Dick Bong, Americas Top ACE at the time. Remember no primer can be used, no spray brush. Only the this stupid Testors brush with the plastic bristles. and the really crappy Testors paint. This might be a bigger challenge then I thought. If I'm being honest, Dick deserves better then this, but we have a mission and we are going to make this happen. And to be fair Dick will be sitting behind a pretty think canopy and most likely won't be seen very well if at all.

 

[Kenny Conklin]

You are surely testing yourself with this build, this would have been great for when we did our build it like a kid again group build.

 

[Dirkpitt289]

Now like I had mentioned earlier I'm not allowing myself to use any filler because it wasn't something that was available to my 11 year old self back in 1977 but knowing what I know now I can make some with just the allotted stuff on my bench. So I took a jar, cut up some sprue into some very small bits and then covered with the Testors glue. The glue will break down the plastic bits and in a couple days I will have a home made filler called "Sprue-Glue."

 

[Kenny Conklin]

making the sprue of the goo!! nice tactic!

 

[Dirkpitt289]

Painting some of the parts that need to be painted before we put it together




Assembling the wings

 

[Paul]

Talk about a challenge!
Will there be a video of you running around the yard with it when you're done, too?

 

[Kenny Conklin]

Good stuff Dirk, I applaud your effort doing this. Has to be tough not to grab for the good supplies.

 

[fubarmodelyard]

Now like I had mentioned earlier I'm not allowing myself to use any filler because it wasn't something that was available to my 11 year old self back in 1977 but knowing what I know now I can make some with just the allotted stuff on my bench. So I took a jar, cut up some sprue into some very small bits and then covered with the Testors glue. The glue will break down the plastic bits and in a couple days I will have a home made filler called "Sprue-Glue."

I use that a lot

 

[Dirkpitt289]

Talk about a challenge!
Will there be a video of you running around the yard with it when you're done, too?

Now that would be funny

 

[Dirkpitt289]

Good stuff Dirk, I applaud your effort doing this. Has to be tough not to grab for the good supplies.

I use that a lot

Thank you guys

 

[Deacon]

Well that's spoopy!!! I just introduced myself and showed the same box of this kit which I am woking on at the moment!!

Al

 

[Dirkpitt289]

Well that's spoopy!!! I just introduced myself and showed the same box of this kit which I am working on at the moment!!

Al

Oh cool, I will have to go check it out.

 

[Madgeniusmodels]

Such a fun idea and you are doing great with it. Don't forget to use the whole tube of glue on one model haha...wait maybe that was just me. I do have a tube for nostalgia sake though so maybe one day I'll have to copy this idea

 

[Deacon]

Such a fun idea and you are doing great with it. Don't forget to use the whole tube of glue on one model haha...wait maybe that was just me. I do have a tube for nostalgia sake though so maybe one day I'll have to copy this idea

And you have to leave glue prints on the kit, especially on the canopy!!

 

[Dirkpitt289]

Such a fun idea and you are doing great with it. Don't forget to use the whole tube of glue on one model haha...wait maybe that was just me. I do have a tube for nostalgia sake though so maybe one day I'll have to copy this idea

And you have to leave glue prints on the kit, especially on the canopy!!

To be fair most of my builds ad fingerprints all over it and also looked like they were trapped in some monster spiders web from all the glue web strings

 

[Dirkpitt289]

My fear, well one of my fears with this build was how the paint would lay down on the bare plastic with no primer and this plastic bristle paint brush. So I did a test on the inside of one of the wings before I assembled it. This is not going to be easy. I can't believe Testors still makes and sells these brushes

 

[Daithi]

Whipper snapper

I say that alot to my fellow employees... All those youngins...