1:72 F4F-3 Wildcat (for Arma Hobby Kits)

The real subject

The Grumman F4F Wildcat was an American carrier fighter with a radial engine and landing gear that retracted into the fuselage by hand, with a crank in the cockpit. A stocky fuselage and short wings gave it an unmistakable silhouette. The F4F-3 rendering is among the early machines and can be told from the later versions among other things by the fact that its wings did not fold.

What the set contains

A photo-etched set from the brand Eduard in 1:72 scale, cut for Arma Hobby kits. Photo-etched parts are thin metal shapes that replace detail simplified in plastic in places where an injection-molded part would have to be disproportionately thick. The extent of the sheet and which parts of the aircraft it covers are given in the manufacturer's instructions.

Building and painting tips

• Separate the parts from the sheet with a sharp blade on a hard surface, not with scissors, which bend the metal.
• Sand the remains of the tabs away with a fine file, or the part will not sit flush.
• Make the bends in a bender or between two blades; a bent edge should be sharp and straight.
• They are bonded with super glue applied in a really small amount, ideally with a pin.
• Degrease the metal before painting and use a primer that holds on a smooth surface.

Who the set is for

For modelers building the Wildcat in 1:72 scale who want to add detail to the model of a kind that cannot be molded in plastic in this scale. Working with photo-etched parts calls for tweezers, calm and good light.

The package contains the photo-etched set only. The kit itself, paints and glue are not included, unless stated otherwise.