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1/72 - Grumman Martlet Mk.IV by Airfix - released


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Nope, looking on here what they describe sounds pretty much spot on for a IV. OK by me. :) A II would have a P & W motor & cuffed Curtiss prop. Of course, if you're saying you were hoping for a II thats another matter, the previously released USN Wildcat is pretty spot on for a Martlet II. Just saying. ;) or looking at the Clubhyper page again, maybe not, As alluded to in the Airfix announcement thread, better as a V.

Steve.

Edited by stevehnz
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Looking at the CAD render on Airfix's blog, http://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/exclusive-new-2016-announcement-airfix-at-ipms-telford/. I'm rather ambiguous as to whether it looks more like a P&W-engine Mk.II than a Cyclone-engine Mk.IV. It may be the angle at which it is viewed, but I don't see a longer forward fuselage, nor more of a kink at a wider more parallel cowling, not the extended exhausts (which may not be definitive anyway) as in the photo above. Maybe the cowl flap is in the right place (angles again) and it does have the uncuffed prop. I hope for a better look at it at Telford on Sunday.

Edit: apparently it isn't a photo.

Edited by Graham Boak
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Someone please instruct Airfix that their F4F-4 has the whole fuselage is quite too fat.

Also for the single row 1820 engine the front fuselage is longer by the same portion the colwling is shorter.

I'd hate it to see they get it wrong ... so far no one got the single row engined cats correct.

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The cowl was shorter and the fuselage behind it shorter

The fuselage behind the cowling is actually longer not shorter with the 9 cylinder single row engine versions, and vice versa for the 1830 two row 2 x 7 cylinder versions.

The overall length remained the same for all.

There's a picture of a test shot so the moneys been spent cutting the mould already.

Bummer, someone should give the Wildcat design team a clout on their heads ...

Most of the latest Airfix new kits have been so convincing re the shapes and proportions, unfortunately the Wildcat does not belong to those.

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Was this kit tooled prior to the LIDAR scanning technique?

If not then what airframe did they use?

It looks like they channeled the Academy kit and made it even a bit worse ...

It seems they made the cowling fat enough for both PW and WC engines, I dunno why they didn't discern, the Wright R-1820 has the bigger diameter than the PW R-1830 ...

I mean I bought two of their F4F-4 but I won't build them unless someone makes a corrected fuselage (<--- Airfix please), the wings are very OK and accurate ...

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Is the fuselage really too fat - ok, the real thing is too fat but I mean the kit - or is it just that the spine/canopy is too low giving the impression that the fuselage is too fat? We've been all around this before but if there were any definite conclusions then I didn't see them. Can anyone provide dimensions?

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Looking at the photo on Airfix's blog, http://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/exclusive-new-2016-announcement-airfix-at-ipms-telford/I'm rather ambiguous as to whether it looks more like a P&W-engine Mk.II than a Cyclone-engine Mk.IV. It may be the angle at which it is viewed, but I don't see a longer forward fuselage, nor more of a kink at a wider more parallel cowling, not the extended exhausts (which may not be definitive anyway) as in the photo above. Maybe the cowl flap is in the right place (angles again) and it does have the uncuffed prop. I hope for a better look at it at Telford on Sunday.

It's not a photo, it's a CAD render.

Paul.

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Graham I only compared it with the Hase kit which is considered fairly accurate by many sources, the Airfix has almost 2 mm more diameter just behind the cowling end.

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On that link is a CAD render and a photo of a test shot build.

You're quiet right. Sorry, Graham. Read the caption to one grey image and then didn't bother with the second one. Didn't realise there was a test shot, which I suppose should correspond with the CAD closely.

Paul.

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So I guess we can write it off then.

Looks like it. If anybody here does not want there now known to be fatally flawed and unbuildable Wildcats, I'll have them! Now that the Martlet has been rubbished before it even appears, I guess I will be the only one buying it! :mental:

Allan

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