Only Tamiya makes a 1/48 F-4U-1 Corsair ??

Concur about the self sealing point...isn't the circular cover just a man hole for internal service access?

...I know there's one such for each bladder on an F/A-18 under the dorsal, so that would only make sense to me.

That's sure what it looks like; the diameter looks big enough for a small person to crawl through. If the tank is just a large rubber bladder, you can see why it would be difficult to get a tight seal on the cover. You'd have to embed a metal sealing ring in the upper tank wall, so the cover could be secured to it when it was attached. During maneuvers, the fuel could press down on the cover with considerable weight when the aircraft was inverted, and that could cause leakage from the hatch's periphery.

Pat

From what I know, the tank is usually attached to the structure from the bottom side, and then an access plate and seal are attached from the opposite side using a separate bolt pattern - not saying that this is how the F4U was constructed, but probably should have been.

Again, in my experience the worst thing you can do to a fuel bladder is to leave it de-fueled of partially fueled and let it dry out and promote cracking. As they say, you'd never think an airplane could break sitting still.

The big thing with the early F-4U is that it goes back far enough in time that the foreward fuselage tank is a first generation job after natural rubber went to vulcanized rubber. Figuring how long-term gasoline exposure was going to affect it in the late 1930's was pushing it a bit.

Not really...they haven't figured it out yet.

ain't no ewe in scoop. or me neither.

That's b-a-a-a-d!

How was Texas?

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

the people's republic of west tex-ass was beautiful and full of really nice people. bubba even bought me lunch because i liked the longhorms on his caddy. (no joke!) i did see living longhorns and am glad that 3 old time ranchers had saved herds to keep them form going extinct. they are HUGE when not run skinny on a drive. all the legal stuff got done and now the fun begins....

I don't have to go to Texas to see longhorns. There's a small* cattle ranch near me that has them.

• small refers to the ranch, not the size of the cattle. :-)

yes, they're trendy and cool now.

I'm just glad they beat USC.

Craig (Go Bears!)

just what sort of competition pits cows against bears?

The Pac-10 !!!!

pak protectors? pac men? pack me lunch? what is this s*it?

...you ain't seen BIG cattle till you've seen a Santa Gertrudis bull on the King Ranch...then suckers are HUGE. I've seen a few on one of the ranches in Tehachapi, so they must know of be related to the Kings or Kleeburgs - I hear they don't let the breed out generally.

...you ain't seen BIG cattle till you've seen a Santa Gertrudis bull on the King Ranch...then suckers are HUGE. I've seen a few on one of the ranches in Tehachapi, so they must know of be related to the Kings or Kleeburgs - I hear they don't let the breed out generally.

the king ranch, the other half of tex-ass.

Yup. More like the lower third.

No longhorns around here but someone is raising very large deer out to the east of here. First I saw the fence and was wondering what they needed such large fence for. I think they're elk but I didn't stop to check. From the size of them they could be moose.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.