1:72 F6F-3

The fighter that took over the watch over the Pacific

The Grumman F6F-3 entered combat in the autumn of 1943 and within less than two years it reversed the balance of forces in the air. Compared with its predecessor it received a more powerful radial engine, a substantially larger wing area and a cockpit set so high that the pilot could see over the nose even on a slow approach to the stern of a carrier. It was precisely this unremarkable quality that made the machine the aircraft on which fresh pilots learned to land on deck faster than on anything else.

The finish that decides the work

At the height of its deployment the version designated F6F-3 wore the three-tone naval finish: dark blue on the upper surfaces, an intermediate blue tone on the sides and white underneath, with soft transitions between the fields. It is exactly those transitions that decide the impression the finished model makes. They are sprayed freehand or over a makeshift mask raised above the surface, so that the edge stays diffuse and does not form a sharp step.

The last coat

Before the decals come, the matte banded finish needs a gloss intermediate coat, otherwise air gets trapped under the carrier film and a white frame forms around the marking. Once dry, the decals are covered with another thin gloss layer, and only on that belong the accentuated panel lines and traces of service, with a unifying matte or satin coat right at the end. For carrier machines satin is the better fit: the deck did wear the real aircraft, but a completely dead matte surface looks unnatural on a naval aircraft.