1:48 F4F-3A engine PRINT

F4F-3A Wildcat engine 1:48, 3D print

This is not a kit of the aircraft but an accessory set: a 3D-printed resin engine for a model of the Grumman F4F-3A Wildcat carrier fighter in 1:48 scale. On the Wildcat the radial engine is visible in the forward part of the fuselage even with the cowling closed, so its sharp detail tells even when you do not open the engine bay. The print manages the finning of the cylinders and the intake pipes that injection-molded plastic cannot cope with.

The real subject

The designation F4F-3A is not a misprint or a minor offshoot: it was precisely the powerplant that set this version apart from the basic F4F-3. While the F4F-3 flew with a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp with a two-stage supercharger, the F4F-3A got the variant with a single-stage supercharger. That told in high-altitude performance, but production ran on and the machines reached combat service. For a modeler a simple rule follows: an engine set for the F4F-3A is meant for this particular version.

Building and painting tips

Wash the parts in lukewarm water with detergent and only then cut the print supports off. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue). Paint the engine separately: a dark base, metallic shades on the cylinders, an oil wash into the recesses and dry-brushing on the edges of the fins. Finish the exhausts with rust and soot. Before gluing it in, try dry whether the engine seats in the cowling together with the propeller mounting — resin castings tend to be somewhat more accurate and at the same time bulkier than the plastic original.

Who the set is for

• modelers building the early versions of the Wildcat in 1:48 scale
• those after a true engine for the particular F4F-3A version
• builders who enjoy painting mechanical detail
• modelers with experience of resin

The accessory is supplied unpainted. The kit, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.