Been gone awhile, reassessing the landscape of WWII USN planes.

[modelglue]

Hey guys, the recent release of the 1/72 Dauntless from Flyhawk crossed my line of sight recently and I felt a wave of interest in the hobby resurface.

 

I'm wondering if anyone has done a 1/72 F7F Tigercat since 2014? I understand AZ might have talk about oicking up the Pavla moulds but a quick search of eBay didn't catch anything.

 

Thanks for your interest in my musings.

 

- Jeffer.

[Graham Boak]

I don't think there is a better Tigercat but Eduard do a superb Hellcat.  No new brilliant Corsair.  There have been a number of Avengers of which Sword is the latest.  I suspect Academy is still the best Helldiver.  Arma Hobby for Wildcats.

[modelglue]

9 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

I don't think there is a better Tigercat but Eduard do a superb Hellcat.  No new brilliant Corsair.  There have been a number of Avengers of which Sword is the latest.  I suspect Academy is still the best Helldiver.  Arma Hobby for Wildcats.

Thank you Sir! I guess I'll have to wait another few years.

[Graham Boak]

The Monogram kit so so fine, you might be better getting replacement engines and modifying the cockpit yourself.

[modelglue]

1 hour ago, Graham Boak said:

The Monogram kit so so fine, you might be better getting replacement engines and modifying the cockpit yourself.

Yes, I came across NavyBird's build in my recent search. The harsh truth is I have no business buying any model kits let alone aftermarket!

[MDriskill]

It may not be new (and I am not an expert on the type) but the Tamiya 1/72 Corsairs are very nice. Unusually for them, there are three versions of it, too - "Birdcage" canopy, bubble-top F4U-1A, and F4U-1D.

 

I'm also a fan of the Hasegawa Brewster Buffalo. I believe it is the last 1/72 WW2 fighter they released, and much better than many of that 1990's flurry of such kits that they did.

[modelglue]

23 minutes ago, MDriskill said:

It may not be new (and I am not an expert on the type) but the Tamiya 1/72 Corsairs are very nice. Unusually for them, there are three versions of it, too - "Birdcage" canopy, bubble-top F4U-1A, and F4U-1D.

 

I'm also a fan of the Hasegawa Brewster Buffalo. I believe it is the last 1/72 WW2 fighter they released, and much better than many of that 1990's flurry of such kits that they did.

Thanks Pal! I hadn't considered the Buffalo! I have a few of the Tamiya Corsairs, a Revell one too!

[72modeler]

@modelglue,

There are aftermarket resin detail and upgrade sets for the 1/72 Monogram Tigercat, including cockpit, engines, and wheel bays, that will allow you to build a really nice single or two-seat variant, including the droop snoot nosed F7F-3N! It is also very easy to reshape the fin and rudder of the Monogram kit to make a single seat F7F-1. In any version, it is a beautiful airplane!

Mike

 

I have two of the Monogram kits and one of the Pavla kits, and in some ways, the Monogram kit is better, with the main issues being no wheel bay detailing, very poor cockpit, and engines molded with the cowling, which if given some scratch built magnetos, pushrods, and ignition wires, looks pretty good.

 

Aires 7018 the best and most substantial detail set

Lone Star Models LSM720675 oop right now, but Mike is beginning to recast a lot of the older sets

Quickboost also makes cowlings and R2800 C-series engines for the F7F

IIRC Airwaves made a resin nose to convert the Monogram F7F-1 into a -3N  and I think maybe Aeroclub did a vacform nose to do the same.

 

[Ed Russell]

1 minute ago, 72modeler said:

There are aftermarket resin detail and upgrade sets for the 1/72 Monogram Tigercat, including cockpit, engines, and wheel bays, that will allow you to build a really nice single or two-seat variant

What a good idea!

 

[modelglue]

10 minutes ago, 72modeler said:

@modelglue,

 

Quickboost also makes cowlings and R2800 C-series engines for the F7F

 

 

That'll likely be affordable. Thanks for pointing it out!

[Seahawk]

31 minutes ago, 72modeler said:

...I think maybe Aeroclub did a vacform nose to do the same.

 

 

Think that was Rareplane.  Don't think John did a Tigercat conversion though I expect engines and props were availbale in his white metal range.