1:48 FM-2 Wldcat

A Wildcat for small carriers

The FM-2 was a lightened Wildcat from Eastern Aircraft production, that is from automobile plants that took the program over from Grumman. It received a single-row Wright radial engine and a conspicuously taller vertical tail surface to balance its increased torque. It came about for escort carriers with a short deck, where every meter of the takeoff run mattered, and in that role it served until the end of the war in the Pacific.

Where it comes in during the build

Carrier machines were sprayed in three bands, from a dark upper surface to a white underside, and the transitions between them are the most sensitive place on a model. The insignia masks are therefore laid only over the finished band scheme, when it is clear where the demarcation runs: the star with bars lies on the fuselage as well as the wing exactly where two colors meet.

What you get

The package contains a mask for the outer side of the cockpit, a mask for the inner side and one set of masks for the national markings. The film is self-adhesive and cut to shape; paints are supplied by the modeler. The dimensions of the individual pieces of film are not stated here, the sheet is cut for one particular kit, and that is why a trial fitting before cutting is worthwhile.

Before weathering comes

Sprayed insignia take wear better than a decal: they can be sanded down, darkened with a filter and scraped at the edges without the edge blurring. Lift the masks only after the last covering varnish, otherwise the crisp edge gets clogged with varnish from further coats.