1:48 F4F-4 Wildcat with late wheels LooKplus

LööKplus 1:48 - the Wildcat in the late form of its wheels

A package of the LööKplus line brings the fittings of the pilot's station completed with further cast details. It is aimed at the Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat in 1:48 scale, and it differs from its sister item in the late form of the main wheels, which the name states expressly. The set is fitted into a kit that you have to have acquired separately. Behind its production stands Eduard of Obrnice near Most.

The Wildcat over Guadalcanal

While the early periods of the wars in the Pacific belonged to defensive fighting, by the autumn of 1942 Wildcats were already operating from the muddy airfield Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. American tactics leaned on pairs of machines that covered each other's tail, because in a turn the Wildcat stood no chance against the Japanese fighter. What paid off was the strength of the airframe, the armor and the ability to carry a damaged machine home. Production of this type later passed to the automaker General Motors and the machines received the designation FM.

Building advice

Dry-fit the cockpit fittings before the fuselage halves are glued together, because once it is closed you will not get inside any more. Clean grease off the castings and glue them in spots with cyanoacrylate. It pays to leave the tires in a shade of dark gray, as pure black looks unnatural in this scale. Leave fitting the wheels to the very end, after varnishing and after the decals have gone on.

Suitable for

• modelers building the F4F-4 in the late form
• enthusiasts of naval aviation of the Second World War
• those who want a cockpit with detail without laborious painting
• intermediate and experienced builders