Bbi F4U Corsair – Daisy June
By Ron Blehm
Exterior Detail
Immediately after pulling the bbi F4U Corsair out of the package and assembling it, you realize how attractive this plane really is. With the gull wing design and slender fuselage, this bird must have been striking to see lining the deck of a WWII carrier. This model has detailed panel lines and surfaces, creating a realistic look and feel. One of my favorite touches is the inclusion of colored jewels that represent the various external lights, replacing the usual painted spots most call lights. The underside of the fuselage has incredible details. Six exhaust pipes protrude from behind the engine cowling and radiator flap opens, revealing internal detail and there is a window directly below the pilot. Two removable hard points are under the wing roots. You can mount the included drop tanks or place caps on them for a clean look. The Corsair is armed with six 50cal machineguns, 8 removable rockets and bbi even included four 20mm cannons and two plugs to convert it into a F4U-1C.
Many parts are movable on bbi’s F4U Corsair. The wings fold accurately for carrier storage and bbi includes a plastic rod that works as a brace between the wing and fuselage. This brace is not required to hold the wings up and the only real life picture I can find of it in use is from the Boeing Museum of Flight. The ailerons, flaps, elevators and rudder all move as one would expect. Canopy slides open and propeller spins. The undercarriage is a highlight of bbi’s F4U Corsair. The main landing gear have double doors that open, revealing a large wheel laying nice and flat inside the wing. You simply pull the gear down until it clicks into place and then rotate it to face forward. The rear landing gear also has a double door that opens to reveal it. The arrestor hook’s tip sticks out behind these doors and can be pulled back to lower the rear wheel which also locks into place.
Interior Detail
Bbi went out of their way to make their Corsair’s interior detail stand out. It takes a long time before you notice all of the little touches they added. Opening each hatch reveals accurate paint colors and nicely detailed parts. You will even find cooling gills painted in silver when you lower the radiator flap on the underside of the Corsair, a detail that could easily be excluded without any complaints. Looking thru the belly window offers an interesting view of the cockpit, displaying the underside of the rudder pedals and pilot’s legs. When compared to a picture of a 1:1 Corsair, the panels and gauges included in bbi’s rendition is amazingly accurate. Gauges appear to be positioned correctly, even the curiously arranged gauges on the lower right dashboard. Bbi might be guilty of adding extra buttons and switches to the lower panels, but it looks good and I do not know if different versions of the F4U changed these panels.
Paint Detail
After all the drooling that has been written above, you might think bbi’s F4U Corsair is the perfect 1/18 warbird. Unfortunately, the paint, or lack thereof is its weak point. Since the Daisy June is completely molded in a midnight blue color, there is no paint on it. Now there is plenty of masterful weathering along the panel lines, exhaust ports and around the engine cowling, but the shiny unfinished plastic looks like plastic. All of the insignias, numbering, the dozens of panel descriptors and even Daisy June herself look perfect, but they cannot hide the raw plastic finish. I have never seen another version of bbi’s Corsair in person and cannot comment on them. I can say bbi’s Hellcat in Pacific blue with white bottom has one of the most attractive finishes I have seen in 1/18.
Construction Quality
I will just come out and say it, this is the best construction I have seen on any 1/18 plane. Every moving part functions as advertised and locks firmly into place with a nice click. The control surfaces use bbi’s standard method of pulling them out before you rotate them, allowing them to lock in place for flight. The wings fold and unfold perfectly, locking seamlessly into place as if they were solid. This is a run around the backyard bird that is tough enough to withstand actual play. Nothing will move out of place unless you want it to. The only moving part that could be improved is the front gear doors. They can be twisted out of place and fall free while raising and lowering the main landing gear, but pop right back into place.
The Verdict
This is my favorite plane in my collection, one that can be handled at will and zoomed around the house with no fear or compromise. It’s a shame about the paint.
Exterior Detail: A
Interior Detail: A-
Paint Detail: C-
Construction: A
Overall: B+
By Ron Blehm
Exterior Detail
Immediately after pulling the bbi F4U Corsair out of the package and assembling it, you realize how attractive this plane really is. With the gull wing design and slender fuselage, this bird must have been striking to see lining the deck of a WWII carrier. This model has detailed panel lines and surfaces, creating a realistic look and feel. One of my favorite touches is the inclusion of colored jewels that represent the various external lights, replacing the usual painted spots most call lights. The underside of the fuselage has incredible details. Six exhaust pipes protrude from behind the engine cowling and radiator flap opens, revealing internal detail and there is a window directly below the pilot. Two removable hard points are under the wing roots. You can mount the included drop tanks or place caps on them for a clean look. The Corsair is armed with six 50cal machineguns, 8 removable rockets and bbi even included four 20mm cannons and two plugs to convert it into a F4U-1C.
Many parts are movable on bbi’s F4U Corsair. The wings fold accurately for carrier storage and bbi includes a plastic rod that works as a brace between the wing and fuselage. This brace is not required to hold the wings up and the only real life picture I can find of it in use is from the Boeing Museum of Flight. The ailerons, flaps, elevators and rudder all move as one would expect. Canopy slides open and propeller spins. The undercarriage is a highlight of bbi’s F4U Corsair. The main landing gear have double doors that open, revealing a large wheel laying nice and flat inside the wing. You simply pull the gear down until it clicks into place and then rotate it to face forward. The rear landing gear also has a double door that opens to reveal it. The arrestor hook’s tip sticks out behind these doors and can be pulled back to lower the rear wheel which also locks into place.
Interior Detail
Bbi went out of their way to make their Corsair’s interior detail stand out. It takes a long time before you notice all of the little touches they added. Opening each hatch reveals accurate paint colors and nicely detailed parts. You will even find cooling gills painted in silver when you lower the radiator flap on the underside of the Corsair, a detail that could easily be excluded without any complaints. Looking thru the belly window offers an interesting view of the cockpit, displaying the underside of the rudder pedals and pilot’s legs. When compared to a picture of a 1:1 Corsair, the panels and gauges included in bbi’s rendition is amazingly accurate. Gauges appear to be positioned correctly, even the curiously arranged gauges on the lower right dashboard. Bbi might be guilty of adding extra buttons and switches to the lower panels, but it looks good and I do not know if different versions of the F4U changed these panels.
Paint Detail
After all the drooling that has been written above, you might think bbi’s F4U Corsair is the perfect 1/18 warbird. Unfortunately, the paint, or lack thereof is its weak point. Since the Daisy June is completely molded in a midnight blue color, there is no paint on it. Now there is plenty of masterful weathering along the panel lines, exhaust ports and around the engine cowling, but the shiny unfinished plastic looks like plastic. All of the insignias, numbering, the dozens of panel descriptors and even Daisy June herself look perfect, but they cannot hide the raw plastic finish. I have never seen another version of bbi’s Corsair in person and cannot comment on them. I can say bbi’s Hellcat in Pacific blue with white bottom has one of the most attractive finishes I have seen in 1/18.
Construction Quality
I will just come out and say it, this is the best construction I have seen on any 1/18 plane. Every moving part functions as advertised and locks firmly into place with a nice click. The control surfaces use bbi’s standard method of pulling them out before you rotate them, allowing them to lock in place for flight. The wings fold and unfold perfectly, locking seamlessly into place as if they were solid. This is a run around the backyard bird that is tough enough to withstand actual play. Nothing will move out of place unless you want it to. The only moving part that could be improved is the front gear doors. They can be twisted out of place and fall free while raising and lowering the main landing gear, but pop right back into place.
The Verdict
This is my favorite plane in my collection, one that can be handled at will and zoomed around the house with no fear or compromise. It’s a shame about the paint.
Exterior Detail: A
Interior Detail: A-
Paint Detail: C-
Construction: A
Overall: B+
