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Grumman FM-1 Wildcat


Tom R

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What is the best way to do a 1/72 Wildcat FM-1 version? Should I use the Hasegawa kit and ignore the incorrect (?) rear fuselage and tail - too small by some plans. Is it really too small?

Or should I convert the Arma Hobby FM-2? I think I need to change just the cowling?

Are there other alternatives?

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The FM-1 had the smaller tail like all the earlier versions, only the FM-2 hat the taller fin,
I don't think the Hasegawa has an incorrect tail rather a minimally too small nose if anything even.

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The FM-1 was an Eastern (General Motors) produced F4F-4 but with only two guns per wing instead of the -4s three guns. The weight and space savings from reducing the number of guns permitted more ammo to be carried. Use the Hasegawa kit but only go with two guns per wing. The FM-2 is a different bird, no oil coolers under the wings, different engine and cowl and the taller tail. 

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I don't think I've heard the Hasegawa kit's tail was too small for any Wildcat prior to the FM-2, perhaps check against a photograph or reliable drawing.  That said, reworking the fin isn't much of a problem, a knife and file to cut down the FM-2 tail.

 

The challenge is all up front and that's a lot of mucking about.  As noted the FM-2 had a much different, shorter chord, cowling to accommodate the single row engine (and the fuselage aft of it lengthened to make up the difference).  Add to that the different exhaust arrangement and different prop.  And of course you'd need to source a two-row R-1830.

 

I'm not sure I'd balk at the Hasegawa kit as you''d really only need the gun alterations which are pretty minor.  

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What about the Airfix Wildcat starter kit? That's exactly an FM-1; only thing you'll need to do is replace the national insignia, as these are incorrect (which is quite ironic in a starter set if you ask me).
Thread of mine in the Ready for Inspection section;

 

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4 minutes ago, Luka said:

What about the Airfix Wildcat starter kit? That's exactly an FM-1; only thing you'll need to do is replace the national insignia, as these are incorrect (which is quite ironic in a starter set if you ask me).
Thread of mine in the Ready for Inspection section;

Not quite, the FM-1 only has two guns per wing, while F4F-4 has three guns per wing. Whether you base an FM-1 model on either the Airfix or Hasegawa kit, the outboard gun goes. US Navy fliers objected to the change in armament when the -4 replaced the -3’s four guns with six. If you couldn’t hit your target with four guns, six wouldn’t change much and the extra guns caused a significant reduction in ammo/gun

 

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16 hours ago, Chuck1945 said:

Not quite, the FM-1 only has two guns per wing, while F4F-4 has three guns per wing. Whether you base an FM-1 model on either the Airfix or Hasegawa kit, the outboard gun goes. US Navy fliers objected to the change in armament when the -4 replaced the -3’s four guns with six. If you couldn’t hit your target with four guns, six wouldn’t change much and the extra guns caused a significant reduction in ammo/gun

 

Most had four but some had six -fifties. The Airfix starter kit is conveniently one of those equipped with six. Here's a wartime pic of that specific plane where the six gun barrels are taped off;
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Hi Luca,

 

That is indeed an F4F-4 - it was photographed on Core on 27 Sept 1943.  The unit was VC-13, which flew only F4F-4s between September 1942 and November 1943.

 

I did a good bit of primary research on the Wildcat, but I don't remember seeing anything about six-gun FM-1s.  Do you have a citation?

 

Cheers,

 

 

Dana

Edited by Dana Bell
typo
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On 10/23/2020 at 12:52 AM, Chuck1945 said:

If you couldn’t hit your target with four guns, six wouldn’t change much and the extra guns caused a significant reduction in ammo/gun

Marksmanship of pre-war trained professional USN aviators was excellent, which explains the objection. Given a choice, they would prefer to shoot longer. However, things were perhaps a bit more complex.

 

Grumman sought USN permission to adopt also for the F4F-4s the 6-gun layout the British had requested for the folding wing Martlet Mk. II, presumably in the interest of commonality and production speed.

British combat experience at the time had its weight in a difficult decision that eventually led to the six guns in the F4F-4. Seemingly the Japanese did not oblige, presenting the USN rather different kinds of targets from those the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica were pitting against the Fleet Air Arm. 

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Hobbyboss easy kit, Mainly a detailing job. 

 

Airfix F4F-4,Spine and canopy need a fix and rest is filling work on the outer wing guns.

 

The more expensive way would be to combine the Airfix parts onto the Arma FM-2 (a tremendous kit,the most accurate Wildcat in any scale).Grafting a new nose,shortening the tail height.

 

Hasegawa while basic still looks nice but looses a lot of accuracy in the lower belly/ nose.

 

Shane.

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7 minutes ago, Gwart said:

The more expensive way would be to combine the Airfix parts onto the Arma FM-2 (a tremendous kit,the most accurate Wildcat in any scale).

Unless you're really impatient, best alternative would be wait a wee while for the upcoming Arma F4F-4...

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Just use the Hasegawa FM-1; no need to "reinvent the wheel" here IMHO. As already noted, the forward fuselage is a bit narrow but really it looks fine. There is nothing wrong with the rear half, you may be confusing it with the re-designed FM-2. And of course all the wing scribing Is already correct.

 

The difference between the FM-1 and FM-2 is more than simply swapping cowls. The whole fuselage forward of the firewall is really subtly different, since the two-row R-1830 Twin Wasp (FM-1) and single-row R-1820 Cyclone (FM-2) engines were different lengths and diameters.

 

I suspect it would be tough to exchange major assemblies between the Airfix and Arma kits, as the fuselages are VERY different in cross-section shape. 

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