1/72 Airfix Wildcat - folded wings option

[AdrianMF]

Hello All,

I bought the new Airfix Wildcat the other day from the model shop in Formby. I had dropped in to have a look, as model shops are a bit of a rarity these days, and bought something on the basis of "if you don't buy stuff from a shop, it can't stay open for you to look around". When I finished my Airfix Gnat, this kit was sitting on top of my modelling box, so I started it instead of picking up one of my long term projects. You know how it is...

Now I know that Stew has been showing a Wildcat here as part of his DFD build, but I think I can sneak this in before he resumes his build. Get well soon Stew!

The cockpit is a little gem in itself. I painted it in Humbrol 102 with a dark grey wash. I have some Humbrol 226 but I couldn't find it at the time and prefer the 102 anyway. The instrument panel decal looks more realistic after I gave it a dark wash too to tone down the bright white dials. I added some tape-and-fuse-wire seatbelts and a throttle, and replaced the gun sight glass with transparent plastic (later in the build). The engine comes up nicely too, although I had some issues with the propeller shaft:

This not-rectangular window is my second short shot out of the two last kits I have picked up. Quality control, Mr Hornby!! I left the windows out and added them later using a film of Clearfix.

Back to happy thoughts. The fuselage joined up without needing any filler at all, and it just needed a slight touch up to the scribing to carry it under the fuselage:

I did do a bit of fettling though, just to ease off the stub wing attachment:

Airfix have you bury the prop shaft in the engine, then add the propeller later on. I can see why they do this, but it doesn't make for a freely spinning propeller. In this case I drilled out the back of the engine, took out the kit part and replaced it all with a longer shaft running though an additional bearing at the back. Propeller blows round like a dream now! I also added some faked-up auxiliary equipment at the back of the engine and a tank (oil? petrol??) at the top of the fuselage. You can't really see either in the finished model, so it was a good call by Airfix to leave them out:

I had bought the recommended Humbrols 125 and 129 in the old-style acrylic pots. The 129 tin was half empty and very thick, but usable if diluted suitably, and the 125 was a blue-black half-empty gloopy mess which went straight into the bin. More quality control issues...

I used the Humbrol 129 underneath and mixed my own topside blue-grey from a mix of Humbrol 64 (aircraft grey) and 96 (RAF blue). I made several batches and the slight differences help to break up the surface. From there it proceeded disconcertingly quickly to the finish. Here it is with decals on (I use Humbrol Decalfix directly over paint) and the weathering started:

I had a pile of fun making this kit, much more than I anticipated. The folded wing option is well engineered (although that lovely rib detail at the end of the stub wings is all but hidden) and the whole kit more of less falls together, even the undercarriage! Finished pictures in RFI.

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

Edited December 16, 2015 by AdrianMF

[Stew Dapple]

superb.

Thanks for the good wishes

Cheers,

Stew

[rob85]

Flipping hell nice work and very quick!!

Rob

[Blitz23]

Looks like a lovely little kit, great progress.

[Shalako]

Just by looking at your build Adrian, I wanna go and buy one!!! Airfix has done a really good job on this one!!!!

Cheers

Shalako

Edited December 17, 2015 by Shalako