Monogram 1/32nd F3F-3

[stoney]

Hello, newbie here for the first time. Love the site!

My question pertains to the Monogram Grumman F3F-3 kit in 1/32nd scale. The wing in the F3F-3 kit is two short by about 1.5 ins. Correct, more or less, for a F2F but not the 32ft wing of the F3F. As I am given to understand that a replacement wing, of the correct span was, at one time, was made available through Lone Star Models.Are there any other after market wings out there? I would sure appreciate it. Thank you.

[LSP_Kevin]

I can't help you with your question but, but I'd like to welcome you aboard!

 

 

Kev

[ssculptor]

Some of the guys simply took another of the kits, cut out the extra ribs and glued them in the original wing. A little filling, filing and sanding and they had made the span of the model correct.

I never heard of an aftermarket wing in 1/32 scale of the correct length.

But, have you contacted Lone Star and asked them? I found their site with a 10 second search on Google.

http://www.lonestarmodels.com/

Stephen

[Tnarg]

The wing and an interior set are available from Mike at Lone Star. I recently ordered one and he shipped it out to me pretty fast. I like the detail on the wings, a bit more restrained versus the 1960's deep trenches on the original. The cockpit looks interesting and includes radio compartment detail. I need to look some more at the detail, but it looks good on the initial check.

 

I haven't tried the Vector engine, but almost anything would be a lot better than the kit bump on a flat piece of plastic.

 

Yellow Wings decals let you do three versions of the plane, and they look nice with blue or black stripes and red tail.

 

Lone Star also includes much improved wheels, but the kit's movable landing gear, while very cool when I was a much younger lad, just won't make it for me. I guess I have to scratch build something on the kit. Mike also includes a filler plug for the slot in the fuselage they made to clear the landing gear "gear".

 

One of the builds of the kit (search the forums for Grumman F3F) suggested that the fuselage wasn't perfect, but was almost to scale with drawings, but that the vertical tail was a bit smaller than the photos and plans show. That seems to be the only remaining defect, and maybe could be fixed with more scratch building... except for all of those rivets. There was also a good list of photos and walk around links that you would want to search (again in the same forum).

 

Anyway, that is as far as I got on the kit. Too many other interesting distractions, but it is open in the box and I am planning to build it. I highly recommend Mike's detail sets.

 

Tnarg

[stoney]

Well thanks guys for the quick replies. I do appreciate it. I do have a request in at Lone Star now, hoping to hear from them soon.

I have a second kit as well and had given some thought to the wing surgery' but I am loath to lose the whole second kit for the 1.5 inches of wing at this time. A lot depends on the Lone Star situation.

I do have the Yellow Wings decal set that I bought at the local IPMS contest a few years back.

The F3F is my favorite plane and 1/32nd is the only scale I build biplanes in. A refection on the old eyes.

[Hubert Boillot]

The wing issue is answered; either add ribs from a second wing, or get the Lonestar fix....

 

As for the fuselage, as I should have shown on a long overdue update of my Grumman G-22 build in the Multiuwing GB , it is in fact too short by some 4 to 5 mm, which also results in the rear fuselage being too shallow. Cutting it just at the the end of the canopy opening, and adding a plug there just does the trick of correcting the mistake in both axes. I have labored a lot on producing some accurate drawings (and not finished yet) for the Gulfhawk, until I discovered that The Comet drawings were about the best ones you could find for thje Gulfhawk. There are many drawings from Comet which are oversimplistic, but not this one. A Google serach can produce some of these drawings. A guy is also selling a CD of some 160 Comet drawings on eBay...

 

I also confirm that the LG needs redoing, and the wheels are too thin The see-through effect is right, but this whole area needs some furnishing (bulkheads, keel-box, fuel tank, etc...).As for the engine, the Vector Wright R1820-g is the nicest around, although not without its faults: too small diameter, and not regular distribution of the 9 cylinders on the periphery, to allow for some space between the two lower ones for the oil sump / filter .... which is creating havoc in the pushrods alignment, whose distribution is more regular.

 

Hubert.