JWM Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 (edited) Hi, Classics two Grumman WWII fighters: F4F Wildcat and F6F Hellcat. Grumman F4F4, model from Academy. The main addition - inside of wheel bay, scratch build. I have not corected canopy - one day I will replace it by a better shaped one (the Academy kit has to sploped windscreen). Decals by ESCI. Markings are from Guadalcanal, 1942, machine flown by US Navy aces J.Swett, M.Carl and J.Smith. I know, that some people claims, that in Guadalcanal there were F4F3. I just followed painting scheme from ESCI. However, the same painting (also as F4F4) is in Techmod decals for US Navy F4F. Here she is:. And the bigger but younger brother, the F6F3 Hellcat. Model by Hasegawa, OOB except painting scheme - the shark (or cat) mouth and eyes are handpainting on decals. It is perhaps funny, but some time after my build Hasegawa issued the same painting scheme in box.... Markings are from VF-27, USS Princeton (CVL 23), Marians, Summer 1944. Here she is: Grumman DUO plus recently posted Avenger. The Grumman classic TRIO of WWII: Comments welcome Regards Jerzy-Wojtek Edited July 30, 2017 by JWM Switch to Flickr 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HL-10 Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Nice little trio! The Avenger is very nice 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch K Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Nice! These are some lovely builds. I'm after a couple of F4F's to build as Fleet Air Arm types, and I was intending to wait for the new Airfix offering. This isn't making waiting any easier! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted June 19, 2015 Author Share Posted June 19, 2015 Thank you Mitch and HL-10 for comments. Mitch, this F4F4 is mine only Wildcat made so far. I have two next in stash - the FM2 by Sword and early Wildcat 1 (G-36) by AZ. That high tail FM2 I want to do in US markings from Atlantic (white/grey) or Far East gloss midnight blue one. Not decided yet, perhaps even midnight blue FAA.... But early will be definitly in FAA colours. Also I have two Hellcats in stash - Academy F3/F5 and Eduard F6F5N. I want to upgrade a bit Academy to do it more in Eduard style as FAA one Hellcat II (rather in TSS then midnight), and F6F5N rather in US Navy, midnight blue. Thus, unfortunately I am not waiting for new Airfix F4F- thou it looks great in Net....If I would have more wildcats I will never do Savoia 74 or Dewoitine 338, which are also waiting..... Both are bizzare machines! Cheers J-W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch K Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 If I would have more wildcats I will never do Savoia 74 or Dewoitine 338, which are also waiting.... . Both are bizzare machines! Cheers J-W That they most certainly are! I'm after building a Martlet in the desert scheme of the Navy Fighter Squadron, plus one on the Russian Convoys. Lovely grub! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight_Flyer Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Nice pair of cats. The F4F-4 did enter service prior to Guadalcanal and I have come across accounts of dogfights where the pilot was flying the F-4 variant. I myself am also waiting for the Airfix new tooling as I built the original release in an FAA scheme. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRK4m Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 Thank you Mitch and HL-10 for comments. Mitch, this F4F4 is mine only Wildcat made so far. I have two next in stash - the FM2 by Sword and early Wildcat 1 (G-36) by AZ. Perhaps it's something with my memory (or maybe with yours ) but it seems to me, that some 40 years ago I have seen a Revell F4F in your cabinet... With white and red stripes on the rudder, hand-painted of course - as usually. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted June 20, 2015 Author Share Posted June 20, 2015 Hi Mike, that some 40 years ago I have seen a Revell F4F in your cabinet... I am sorry to say, but memory is playing games with us. Years ago, as you said it was even plus 40, I had Revell F4F. This was one of my first models - among other small Revells like P26 or MC 200. The propeller was not rotating smothly, so I set battery, electric engine, connect it with spinner by small rubber tube and left overnight running. At morning the propeller was moving smothly, but also fliping some 15 degree each direction... However, AFAIR (memory is still playing a game....) she never was painted in US colours with white and red strips on rudder. She wear something what was expected to be FAA colours. Some years leter she went somewhere. She left me....I do not regred . So indeed - I was not precise telling, that this is "my only F4F made so far", I should say - "this is my only F4F made so far, which stands on my shelves..." Cheers J-W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kira666 Posted June 22, 2015 Share Posted June 22, 2015 3 nice WW2 naval planes. Academy F4F is a copy with recessed panels of the old Frog kit. Avenger also seems to be an Academy (also Frog copy with recessed panels). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val Posted June 23, 2015 Share Posted June 23, 2015 NIce work 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 Thank you Kira666 and Val for comments . The Academy F4F - I think - has too much sloped canopy front window ( windscreen), what was not the case of Frog. But I am not sure about it. My Avenger was posted separately: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234983640-george-bushs-grumman-avenger-barbara-172-academy/ I was looking on Frog Avenger and I think there were differencies in shapes between Academy and Frog, in only in engraved or not panel lines. But again - I am not 100% sure... Best regards J-W 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luis Alfonso Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Hi Jerzy!!!! I have missed this nice post but as have a little time but have browsed and found it....later but found it!!! I am delighting watching yournice builds, and made memories of when I have found a Frog Wildcat, this kit was a nice machine and sometime later was offered a good deal and swapped her for other things as thought the plane would not make a real place in my shelves. Later, have bought the Profile Publications booklet and read-learn more about the plane and found interesting. Some time later another friend of mine offered another swap and the nice Academy kit was in the deal and I accepted as the kit is comming with the Resin parts for animprovement in cockpit/Wheel bays....and looking at the kit found as Kira that is a copy of the Frog kit as the Avenger,obviously with some differences in detailand maybe profile. I have bought the Squadron In Action pending to read and hope one of these days go ahead with the project. The Nice Hellcat...... I remember I made a Matchbox 1/72 kit in a black scheme as one I have seen in 1978 in a friend's very old magazine, maybe was not the real version but looked nice to me; also the Frog FAA/French navy, Fujimi kit, the Airfix .....and after a very big kit loose, and many issues I managed in these recent times to collect as many as I could: the Matchbox, Lindberg, Airfix, Academy, Frog Fujimi, Heller, Hasegawa and Italeri (Night Version)....maybe one of this days start again to rebuild my Hellcat collection and hope to emulate your nice build showed here. Thank you very much for sharing, Cheers, Luis Alfonso 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted June 27, 2015 Author Share Posted June 27, 2015 Thank you Luis - as always I like your long stories.... Cheers J-W 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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