Martlet III, 805 NAS, Western Desert, 1941

[Dmitri]

Tamiya F4F-4 backdated to the F4F-3A with some minor changes to make the Martlet III of 805 NAS, 1941 Western Desert

Due to the deep obscurity of the subject this build turned out to be the most thorough research project I conducted since my return to modelling couple of years ago.

Bruce Archer’s excellent article got me started and then I ended up with all this:

Mine is the “K”/3875 still has the Bu.Aer. s/n (British serials were allocated eventually), and prior to the take off accident.

Aeromaster decal was used; - it’s wrong BTW – this plane never wore Middle Stone camouflage on upper surfaces even after it was re-serialed let alone before. And I am positive that “B” roundels were used – two thumbs down to Aeromaster…

The famous picture of the accident site shows a sun shadow from the tail plane, not the demarcation line with darker color! C’mon now…!

The model portrays the “K” in the earlier weeks of its deployment, thus looking pretty brand new. It was easiest to do, as I wanted it to be historically correct first and foremost – I was not looking for a weathering practice.

I still have doubts about some minor details.

To the model:

This is what I used:

- Teknics resin/PE cockpit with some Eduard PE, backdated to the F4F-3A

- Eduard Sutton harness

- JPS wing and cowl (wing is a correct representation but pretty crude. I screwed it up a bit and had to partially rescribe. It is difficult to work with) some Tamiya wing elements were used: flap hinges fairings, ailerons

- Vector R1830-90 engine. Top notch quality and a kit in its own right.

- Moskit exhaust pipes

- Squadron canopy. Although POS, but still is better suited and the worst part of the model

- Equipage rubber wheels with plastic hubs (including the tail wheel)

- Some Eduard PE for the exterior

- Quickboost gun barrels

- Elf landing light reflector with kit’s lens

- Elf navigation/formation lights

- homemade base that was available (pardon the grass in the desert).

I’m not 100% happy (I never am), as it turned a bit messy.

I didn’t have a correct gun sight.

If you have the N-3A or N-3B gunsight you’d be willing to let go, please let me know! I’d greatly appreciate it!

This is what it looks like

I’d appreciate a help with the gunsight!

Edited March 2, 2010 by Dmitri

[stevehnz]

Another beauty Dimtri, its an interesting period with some very offbeat schemes. I've long been quite keen on desert Airforce & related schemes & such as this would fit well. I've seen pics of these 805 Squadron F4Fs modelled with Mid Stone uppers, Azure unders but I'm taking from your comments that this one was still in the original colours they wore in the Greek Airforce which I understand to have been the USN light grey they were delivered in?

Steve

[Dad 10]

Hi Dmitri

Sorry cant help with gun site but its great to see an alternative scheme.

Richard McC

[Dmitri]

Another beauty Dimtri, its an interesting period with some very offbeat schemes. I've long been quite keen on desert Airforce & related schemes & such as this would fit well. I've seen pics of these 805 Squadron F4Fs modelled with Mid Stone uppers, Azure unders but I'm taking from your comments that this one was still in the original colours they wore in the Greek Airforce which I understand to have been the USN light grey they were delivered in?

Steve

Steve, yes you're correct. The only thing - these planes never made it to Greece, the country was overrun when the ship carrying these in crates was at Gibraltar.

The planes were standard F4F-3A taken off production line to be shipped to Greece. Since originally intended for the USMC, they didn't have an approach light in the leading edge of port wing - I indicated it by a blank; this is just an educated guess - photographs do not show it. Another guess it could be omitted since they were allotted for export - who knows...

When the Brits took over, they installed Sutton harness, oxygen equipment and radio was replaced as well, they also installed rear view mirror - other than that - stock F4F-3A!

[atdb27]

Kin Hell,

That is one lovereeeely build.

I likeeee mucho.

Adrian

[thx6667]

That's excellent stuff, I have an old IPMS/USA article by Wesley Moore and it has one of the 805 NAS Martlet IIIs (AX730, coded "L") as being overall Azure Blue - I take it grey is more correct?

[Dmitri]

Jonathan, not that the Light Gull Grey is more correct, it's just Azure Blue is terminally wrong

AX730 might be correct though - those Martlets were operating with the American S/n for quite some time, until they were taken officially into the strength and reserialed with proper British serials.

The war was not run by the modelers, so the last thing everyone wanted to do at 40 deg.C in the shade was to repaint an aircraft.

Eventually they received a camo though, but just prior or not until moving to Kenya.

Here is the K's stable mate, I have more pics, including the K, but too lazy to scan, sorry...

NOTE: the chromatic film was used hence the "yellow" that doesn't look like yellow in gray scale

[Rampage55]

Fantastic build Dmitri!!!

It looks as though you've certainly done your homework. I have the same Aeromaster sheet and intend to use a combination of HobbyBoss Wildcat kits to model this interesting Martlet one day. Your build is most helpful. My only 'nit pick' would be to perhaps flat spot the tires a bit, other than that she looks terrific.

Mark

[Dmitri]

Fantastic build Dmitri!!!

It looks as though you've certainly done your homework. I have the same Aeromaster sheet and intend to use a combination of HobbyBoss Wildcat kits to model this interesting Martlet one day. Your build is most helpful. My only 'nit pick' would be to perhaps flat spot the tires a bit, other than that she looks terrific.

Mark

Hi Mark, thanks for the kind words. I will probably flatten the tires after all - they are real rubber, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Another thing you might consider: painting the tip of the propeller boss in red - theater color. I am at 50/50 on that - it might very much be the case. I'm expecting the FLEET AIR ARM By Stuart Lloyd book to arrive, I'll be able to verify then. And the gun casing discharge shoot openings could be duct taped - red color, same as gun barrels. I opted not to, as I've seen pictures both ways.

Don't forget to shave off the arrester hook guard and replace it with squared wire (it's the F4F-3A after all, not -4). The engine was R-1830-90, that didn't have magnetos on the crank case, and no intercoolers inside of the wheel bay (Vector makes a correct engine), no cheek air intakes for the intercoolers on the cowl ring. You should also add the rearview mirror and Sutton harness. The colors for the cockpit: Bronze Dark Green with black instrument panel and black side instrument panels. I do believe that size and location of two cooling flaps on the cowl on the HobbyBoss kit are wrong - you might want to check your references.

Another thing: there are no two sets of F4F-3/3A drawings from different sources that agree and identical. Kagero book is not bad though.

Good luck!