1:48 Grumman F4F-3/F4F-4 Wildcat - Canopy and Wheel Masks (for Eduard kits)

The Wildcat from the first decks

The Grumman F4F Wildcat bore the weight of the first year of fighting in the Pacific. The F4F-3 form had a fixed wing and four machine guns, while the F4F-4 brought folding surfaces because of cramped hangars and two barrels more, which however cut the ammunition per weapon. Against more agile opponents the pilots learned to fight in pairs and to rely on a strong airframe, which survived even what sent other machines into the water.

A stocky fuselage, a narrow wing and hand-cranked landing gear make the Wildcat one of the most characterful machines of its day. The two forms moreover differ in their exhausts and in the appearance of the wheels, whereas the cockpit glazing stayed the same, and that is why one masking set covers both without compromise.

Wheels without paint running in

Circular cutouts separate the rubber ring from the metal hub. The paint is applied across the whole disc and once it is lifted the boundary stays clean all the way round. That practically cannot be repeated identically on both wheels by cutting from tape, and the asymmetry is visible on a finished model. Anyone who wants to go further will add a fine touch of dust to the ring once it is off and visually settle the wheel on the ground with that.

Glazing and fit

The stencils for the canopy follow the frames of the typical angular box of the cockpit as the moldings from Eduard have it in this size. Leave the film in the warmth of the room for a while before work; cold, it is harder to shape into a curve and it lifts in the corners. It will seat into a rounded corner of the canopy more readily if you stretch it slightly while offering it up. Neither the paints nor the model itself belong to the delivery.