TMN: Preview: 48th-scale F4U-5N Corsair Late Version from HobbyBoss in November.

The 48th scale F4U-5N Corsair (late version) is on the way from Hobbyboss in October. We look at the colours, decals & built-up kit in our preview...

Preview: 48th-scale F4U-5N Corsair Late Version from HobbyBoss in November.

F4U-5N Corsair Late Version

by Hobbyboss

Model: 80391

1/48th scale

Product Link

The Vought F4U-5N Corsair represented the absolute pinnacle of piston-engine fighter development, transforming the legendary World War II gull-wing icon into a sophisticated, all-weather night fighter. Introduced in the late 1940s, this definitive variant was easily distinguished by its elongated nose housing an upgraded Pratt & Whitney R-2800-32W Double Wasp engine, completely metal-skinned wings, and an asymmetric AN/APS-19 radar pod seamlessly integrated onto the starboard wing. When the Korean War erupted, the F4U-5N proved indispensable, braving pitch-black skies and freezing terrain to intercept enemy night bombers—affectionately dubbed "Bedcheck Charlies"—and providing critical, precision close-air support to United Nations troops trapped on the ground below.

The colour scheme presented in this kit

By the late-production cycle of the -5N variant, Vought had introduced subtle but vital refinements to optimise the aircraft for gruelling cold-weather operations. These "Late" modifications included rugged, exposed spring-loaded landing gear doors, revised cockpit ventilation systems, and winterised features like de-icing boots that allowed the aircraft to operate reliably off icy carrier decks and unpaved frontline airfields. Armed with four devastating 20mm M3 autocannons and capable of hauling a formidable array of underwing rockets and bombs, the late-version F4U-5N paired raw, old-school muscle with cutting-edge electronics, securing its legacy as the ultimate evolution of the storied Corsair lineage before the jet age took full command.

The decals in the box