Background
The Wildcat stemmed from a line of Grumman aircraft that served with the US Navy. Initially the US Navy ordered a limited number of the XF4F-1 as a backup in case the preferred choice of the Brewster Buffalo did not live up to expectations. Grumman went back to the drawing board and came up with the much-improved XF4F-3, with the new wings and tail and a supercharged version of the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 "Twin Wasp" radial engine. The improvement led to orders of the production model [F4F-3] from the US Navy, British Fleet Air Arm [FAA] and France. With the fall of Europe the aircraft bound for France were delivered to Britain and were subsequently named the Martlet. Later the FAA adopted the US Navy and Marine name Wildcat. It proved to be successful in the air war over the north Atlantic, shooting down many Luftwaffe raiders. Out in the Pacific against the Japanese Zero the Wildcat was very successful, despite the Zeros superior performance. Taking advantage of its better performance at altitude enabled it to be used successfully in the tactic of diving – hitting - running. In defence the Beam Defence Position or the Thatch weave was devised by John S. Thatch, a tactic that provided a highly effective against Japanese fighters.
This kit by ARMA Hobby of the Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat was the first version to have folding wings. A huge advantage particularly on the small escort carriers from which the F4F-4 would operate.
One of the finest test pilots of the era Eric M. "Winkle" Brown had high praise for the Wildcat
“I would still assess the Wildcat as the outstanding naval fighter of the early years of World War II ... I can vouch as a matter of personal experience, this Grumman fighter was one of the finest shipboard aeroplanes ever created”.
ARMA Hobby has quite a few 1:72 scale releases of the Grumman FM-2 Wildcat and Wildcat Mk. VI under their belts and now it’s the turn of the F4F-4 Wildcat. This release contains just the plastic parts and decals for two marking options. Contents includes:
- 2 x grey plastic sprues
- 1 x clear plastic sprue
- 1 x decal sheet
- 1 x instructions
First impression on opening the end opening box is extremely positive. Everything is contained in a single bag for security. The quality and consistency of the recessed and raised detail is quite superb. Even the piano hinges of the access panels are reproduced. There are around eighty parts on the two grey plastic sprues. There are locating pins on all the major airframe parts. The ejection marks on the inside of the fuselage and wings are unusual and interesting. As are the interlocking sprue spacers. I did check for any evidence of sinkage on the reverse sides to where the ejection marks are, but there is no sign at all. There are some signs of flash, but nothing excessive. Just as you would expect from a new mould.
The detail on the plastic for the cockpit parts is superb. Detailing on the frame for the seat, cockpit floor and instrument panel [IP] is very good and some highlighting will pay dividends. Instrument faces are supplied as decals and is broken down into three parts. There is also a set of seat harness on the decal sheet as well as placards on the side panels. The inside of the fuselage is also well detailed.
The main undercarriage bay is worthy of a special mention. The design of the ten-part undercarriage provides a fair bit of strength. Detail as well is very good, particularly with the addition of the photo etched cogs and chains. ARMA Hobby has included a jig to help set up some of the undercarriage structure. There are two choices of wheels: spoked or faired. Tyres has a flattened look and you can even just make out the Goodyear tyre manufactures name on the sidewall. The instructions have multi view images of the various phases of construction of the complex gear, and it does look very impressive when completed. In contrast the two choices of tailwheel are both one piece, though very detailed.
The engine bay is just packed with detail including twelve parts making up the P&W Twin Wasp and that’s not including the three-part engine mount. It’s the kind of attention to detail that would be found in1:48 or 1:32. Although there are two choices of cowling only one is used with the eight cooling flaps. The cowling is made up from three parts with the lip being one piece. The three vents on the lip are moulded in situ.
ARMA Hobby has captured the fuselage shape really well. The F4F-4 has the ventral windows which are supplied as clear parts. The three sets of ID lights on the belly of the aircraft will need removing. These only featured on later models of the F4F-4. The separate one-piece rudder has generous sized tabs to slot into the fin. At the other end the three bladed propeller is one piece with a separate boss.
The wings have beautifully thin trailing edges. There are no separate control surfaces or flaps. The oil cooler housing are separate parts. If you want to fit the wing fuel tanks then you will need to drill holes into the wing. There are partial holes indicating the place to drill. The horizontal tail has positionable one-piece elevators.
The clear parts are crystal clear, the canopy and windscreen are separate parts. The two small windows in the belly can be fitted towards the end of the build. There is a small sill in the recess to stop the clear panels being pushed right through.
The decal sheet is printed by Techmod and looks comprehensive. As previously mentioned, there are IP and side panel instruments, placards and seat harnesses for the cockpit. Colour looks good and very glossy. Excess carrier film is kept to a minimum.
Instructions
The twelve-page A5 format instructions is mostly in colour. Construction instructions are colour coded and a useful aid are the CAD images of the finished items: engine and undercarriage bays and the undercarriage itself. There are a number of paint manufactures referenced in the instructions including: Hataka, AK RC, Lifecolor, Ammo, Humbrol, Vallejo and Tamiya.
ARMA Hobby has also posted a useful guide to building this release from the designer of the kit Marcin Ciepierski:
http://armahobbynews.pl/en/blog/2021/09/15/building-the-f4f-4-wildcat-notes-from-the-model-designer/
There are two marking options one serving for the US Navy and the other is US Marines. They are both finished in blue grey upper surfaces and light gull grey lower surfaces. Option 1 looks quite distinctive as it has Popeye art work on the fuselage as well as a white star [included as a decal] painted on the outer wheel hubs.
- Grumman F4F-4 VMF-111 [Devil Dogs], Sam Folsom, Western Samoa, Spring 1944
- Grumman F4F-4 VF-11 [Sundowners], Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, 1943
Price: €16.65
Conclusion
It’s good to see ARMA Hobby releasing their excellent F4F-4 Wildcat without the PE and masks. Its such a detailed kit than it can be built without fear of losing out on quality. The amount of thought and care that ARMA Hobby’s has put into producing this 1:72 scale Wildcat is evident. It certainly raises the bar for other manufacturers to follow. The price is very reasonable for a kit brimming with this much quality and detail. Highly recommended.
Our thanks to ARMA Hobby for this review sample.
70048 - Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat® - 1:72
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