Fun and Folded The Airfix Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat 1/72

[Matt_]

11 minutes ago, The Spadgent said:

Ten points to Griffindor. 😸

 

Ha! 🏆

 

I thought that middle piece looked like the dual engine cowl from a chopper, then I remembered the 'possible next builds' from the Lanc thread so I went and had a trawl back through that to check what it was.

Edited December 3, 2018 by Matt_
Added quote due to new posts and page change.

[VMA131Marine]

11 minutes ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

The FAA Museum Martlet is an interesting beast; a Martlet I (the only surviving F4F-4) 

The Martlet I (G-36A) had no US equivalent designation and certainly wasn't an F4F-4. The closest the FAA got to using F4F-4s was the Wildcat V: these were FM-1's, Eastern Aircraft-built F4F-4s with four wing guns instead of six.

 

http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/wildcatfaaba_1.htm

Edited December 3, 2018 by VMA131Marine

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

You are right, of course - I was mis-quoting a line from the FAA museum’s own website, but (in my defence) the site isn’t completely correct itself (in full it says “Grumman Martlet I, AL246, is the only surviving F4F-4 (G36A)”

 

Anyway, my main point still stands.  Actually two main points still stand: a) the FAA Museum Martlet really is an interesting beast & b) they are probably right on the colour.

 

Personally, I have always found WW2 era US designations incredibly confusing, almost to the point of incomprehensibility  [What sane system gives an aircraft type a different number according to the factory they were built in?]

 

Not this aircraft, I know, but if any of you get the chance to read “Corsair KD431: The Time Capsule Fighter” (a detailed account of the restoration of the Yeovilton Corsair) I heartily recommend it.

[VMA131Marine]

9 minutes ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Personally, I have always found WW2 era US designations incredibly confusing, almost to the point of incomprehensibility  [What sane system gives an aircraft type a different number according to the factory they were built in?]

What's confusing about: B-17F-25-VE?

B - Bomber

17F - 17th of this type, 6th major variant

25 - production block number

VE - built by Lockheed / Vega Aircraft Factory in Burbank California

 

or 

 

F3A-1D Corsair

F - Fighter

3 - 3rd aircraft of this type built by

A - Brewster Aircraft Corporation

1 - First major version

D - Fourth variant of this version

[rob Lyttle]

1 hour ago, VMA131Marine said:

What's confusing about: B-17F-25-VE?

B - Bomber

17F - 17th of this type, 6th major variant

25 - production block number

VE - built by Lockheed / Vega Aircraft Factory in Burbank California

 

or 

 

F3A-1D Corsair

F - Fighter

3 - 3rd aircraft of this type built by

A - Brewster Aircraft Corporation

1 - First major version

D - Fourth variant of this version

 .. . for heaven's sake, nobody mention the Navy......

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

9 hours ago, VMA131Marine said:

What's confusing about: B-17F-25-VE?

B - Bomber

17F - 17th of this type, 6th major variant

25 - production block number

VE - built by Lockheed / Vega Aircraft Factory in Burbank California

 

or 

 

F3A-1D Corsair

F - Fighter

3 - 3rd aircraft of this type built by

A - Brewster Aircraft Corporation

1 - First major version

D - Fourth variant of this version

What, you mean in comparison with, say, Supermarine Seafire FR Mk.46?

Supermarine - company who designed / built the type

Seafire - aircraft name

FR - fighter-reconnaissance, aircraft’s purpose

Mk.46 - variant of the design

 

That tells you everything you need to know and is so much simpler.

 

Why does it matter that, say, Westlands built it (like most Seafires), let alone that their factory is in Yeovil Somerset (do we have a different designator for their other factories)?  Who cares which production block the aircraft came from?  Why not add the supervisors’s initials while we’re at it?  Perhaps the day of the week it rolled off the production line, just to be sure...

Edited December 4, 2018 by Ex-FAAWAFU

[Andwil]

Well if you knew that company/contractor X or factory Y used a different shade of green for the cockpit it would make modellers lives easier, but I suspect that wasn’t the reason for it.

 

So I agree that simpler is better.

 

AW

[BikingLampy]

Quote

Zooming in it looks black to me

Quote

so if they reckon that area was black, I think you are pretty safe.

Lovely thank you chaps - works for me...! 👍

[VMA131Marine]

10 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Why does it matter that, say, Westlands built it (like most Seafires), let alone that their factory is in Yeovil Somerset (do we have a different designator for their other factories)?

Because a Lockheed-built B-17 may not be 100% compatible with parts from a Boeing-built B-17

 

General Motors (Eastern Aircraft) -built Wildcats and Avengers were different than their Grumman-built equivalents.

 

10 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Who cares which production block the aircraft came from?

There could be significant changes implemented to production in different block numbers. A block -25 F-16C is quite different from a block -50 aircraft even though they are both referred to with the 'C' designator.

[Martian]

Looking good, are those parts for a Seasprite I see?

 

Martian 👽

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

1 hour ago, VMA131Marine said:

Because a Lockheed-built B-17 may not be 100% compatible with parts from a Boeing-built B-17

 

General Motors (Eastern Aircraft) -built Wildcats and Avengers were different than their Grumman-built equivalents.

 

There could be significant changes implemented to production in different block numbers. A block -25 F-16C is quite different from a block -50 aircraft even though they are both referred to with the 'C' designator.

Well get yourselves some decent engineers who can can build consistent aircraft, then.  

 

I’m winding you up, mostly - but there is a serious point in there somewhere.  After all, Spit-/Seafires were not far off custom built at the start, but necessity eventually made them converge so that each part didn’t have to be fettled to work with that particular airframe.  And my understanding of the considerable contribution that Packard made to the Merlin story was to make it genuinely capable of being mass produced, whereas the Rolls original was not.

 

If B-17s were so radically different between factories, the supply chain to the front line must hve been a complete and utter nightmare; “Boss, the spares we desperately needed have finally turned up... but I’m afraid they are Lockheed parts so they won’t fit our aircraft”.  How unbelievably inefficient; only a country that could afford to chuck money and manpower at everything could tolerate such a crap set-up.

 

As for more modern types, the Lynx HAS 3 (the type with the most hours in my logbook, which is why I choose it as an example) went through numerous modification states (GM - the Gulf Modified version; CTS, with the early central tactical system pre-HMA8; with and without BERP blades, and so on) while still being called a Lynx Mk 3.  But the differences were not because Yeovil-built aircraft were incompatible with ones from Toulouse, Weston or anywhere else.

[VMA131Marine]

2 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

How unbelievably inefficient; only a country that could afford to chuck money and manpower at everything could tolerate such a crap set-up.

Even now, replacement aircraft skin panels are slightly oversized and don't have holes drilled in them for rivets because every aircraft is slightly different.

[rob Lyttle]

Anybody seen Johnny recently...?

[The Spadgent]

11 hours ago, rob Lyttle said:

Anybody seen Johnny recently...?

Calm down, calm down. What’s going on in here? 😂 thanks for all the info. I really didn’t know the code things were so important. 

On 12/4/2018 at 6:20 PM, Martian Hale said:

Looking good, are those parts for a Seasprite I see?

 

Martian 👽

Thanks oh Green one. Aaaand nope tis a Helix. Wocca tastic! 

On 12/4/2018 at 3:05 PM, BikingLampy said:

Lovely thank you chaps - works for me...! 👍

You’re more than welcome.

 

Its been a busy old week. I’m out at the office.Christmas do tonight but I anticipate last bits and bobs and weathering over the weekend. 🎄

 

Johnny.

 

[corsaircorp]

Ooooh Nice little wildcat !!

And you will finish the Helix for Christmas ??? Would you ??

Whatever, I know an Alien that started one….

With an AGA in it, Look pretty fine though !

Thank for the tips with Airfix Decals !

Very good work Dear really buzy Spadgent !!

Sincerely.

CC

 

[f111guru]

Johnny,

Your tiny wildcat is looking wonderful. Dropped model? No way! Not a single person here has dropped a kit. Right! And I'm Santa Clause. Great recovery. Press on young man!

 

Ron VanDerwarker

[The Spadgent]

On 12/7/2018 at 2:17 PM, corsaircorp said:

Ooooh Nice little wildcat !!

And you will finish the Helix for Christmas ??? Would you ??

Whatever, I know an Alien that started one….

With an AGA in it, Look pretty fine though !

Thank for the tips with Airfix Decals !

Very good work Dear really buzy Spadgent !!

Sincerely.

CC

 

Thanks CC.  Finished before Christmas? Ha you’re funny. 😂 the Martian you say? Hmmmmmm must seek that out.

On 12/7/2018 at 9:13 PM, f111guru said:

Johnny,

Your tiny wildcat is looking wonderful. Dropped model? No way! Not a single person here has dropped a kit. Right! And I'm Santa Clause. Great recovery. Press on young man!

 

Ron VanDerwarker

Thanks Ron. Yes dropped models are a thing around these parts. 😆

[The Spadgent]

Heyyyyy youuuu guyyyyys.

sorry for the late weekend update. The weekend was a trifle full. I have managed to get to (almost) the end however. Just some construction and a bit more weathering and we’re done. Probably. 

Any way let’s start, where were we?

ahh yes the black bit by the canopy.

i couldn’t decide how I was going to mark out the shape so eventually I thought I’d weather out the shape, then water out the mark afterwards.

Bingo! That worked a treat. 😃 

I brush painted the shape and then rubbed out the Tamiya weather mark with water and a cotton bud.

The wheels got added as did the exhausts.

Lovely little things really. Here from another angle.

popped the UC doors on too.

the last bit to get some final attention is the spinner, so.

masking for the tips and a spray.

Masks off I thought I’d brush the tips. At this scale should be a doddle.

PinG! Instant banana tips.

Oh I nearly forgot. The scraggy bits on the tail decal which settled really well with the Dacco got touched up and the tail wheel tyre got painted.

This is where we were before the party on Friday.

Coat of gloss and a good dry before Flory.

look what I got in a cracker at the works do. 🤣

can’t get away from the bloody things. 😆

After a good dry out with the Flory. No I wonder if anyone has had the same thing happen with their pots of Flory washes. Mine have gone s bit..... well bitty and a thick. I can’t airbrush them that well and they bubble up something rotten.

if you look on the card you can see the clear goop that came out with little to no pigment. I watered it down and it started to flow.

what a mess.

Nowhere near the depth of colour that I usually get but I quite like the finish off the bat.

The wings got a blast.

looks like I won’t need to rub much away. So I’m wondering if the new goopy Flory is a bad thing? 🤔 

While all that dried I put the decals on the spinner and gloss coated.

the main wash got knocked back

but I’m leaving it until later in the week to give it another go.

well there you go. Thanks for dropping by for a spot of wildcat and a biscuit.

Hope you’re all having a suitably Christmassy time. 🎄

until next time.

Happy Modelling y’all.

 

Johnny.

[The Spadgent]

Oops. Double post. Sorry. 🙄

Edited December 10, 2018 by The Spadgent

[corsaircorp]

Hello Spad,

Here it is !!

Hey ! you airbrushed the Flory ???

I still stick to the hairy stick for that, All these sediment will alter the airbrush I think.

But now, I'm maybe a bit of a paranoid...🤔

Great little Wildcat !!

You will fix the Flory ebullient behaviour in a matter of minutes IMHO !!

Really good job Indeed !

Sincerely.

CC

[rob Lyttle]

Must admit that made me laugh...

 

Remember those silly plastic pipes that you put solution in, and then blew to make bubbles...??

 

But the effect is indeed classy weather effects and you may be on to an improved Florry method.

 

Your watercolour impression of heavy flak deserves a frame, and be hung  beside the Doctor!

[giemme]

Top job, Johnny Flory!  Can't wait to see her completed :tasty: 

 

Ciao

[CedB]

Nice work Johnny, looking very smart  

[Courageous]

Going great guns there Johnny, the fuselage is looking the biz.

 

As a side question, you mention Daco Solution for attacking those stubborn decals but it doesn't seem to be available in UK, does anybody know/ have a strong solution for decals? I've always used Sol but it's having a bit of trouble with some HobbyCraft decals at mo.

 

Stuart

[CedB]

19 hours ago, Courageous said:

Daco Solution for attacking those stubborn decals but it doesn't seem to be available in UK

 

Paul stocks it Stuart - range here.