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1/32 Trumpeter F4F-3 Wildcat: 3/21/2017 Final Update


Joel_W

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A Static gun will help with the dust particles. Aim, shoot, poof, they're gone.

 

Lee,

   I've never heard of a static gun. I've seen spray cans of Static Guard. Will do a google search and see what they are, and where to get one.

 

Joel

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Great progress Joel. Wing roots frustrate me a lot, but you seem to handle them with ease. The build certainly looks great so far and I know it will look even better with the paint on.

 

Tony,

  Thanks so much for those most positive and encouraging words. Luckily for me, those gaps weren't nearly as bad as I thought, and they were mostly on just one side. Back in the good old 70's when I 1st got back into modeling. 1/72 was the "in" scale, and the kits back then didn't have molds designed and cut by computers. Wing roots for proper alignment was always an issue, so we just learned to deal with it.

 

   Looking forward to primer and then some paint after re-putty work, and re-scribing.

 

  So what's next on your workbench?

 

Joel

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Bookmarking this build for when I do mine Joel. Good work on these wing roots.

 

Amazon sell static guns. With the revival of vinyl records, these guns have found a new lease of life.

 

Hubert

 

Hubert,

  thanks for stopping by and liking  my efforts. it's certainly been a journey just getting to this point.

 

  I'll checkout Amazon and maybe even Barnes and Noble for that static gun.

 

  I did notice the last few times I was checking out the oldie CDs, that there was once again Vinyl records. Thought that was kind of odd, and certainly seems that it's gone full circle. Wonder if the newer turntables have a fix for the dreaded skipping issue, and if the newer vinyl records don't warp like they use to.

 

Joel

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It's really starting to look like a Wildcat now, I too prefer it to the Hellcat it just seems to have more character to it.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

Dennis,

   The Hellcat just seems more like a fighter without that personality that it's little chunky brother has.  And thanks for stopping by and having a look. It's much appreciated.

 

Joel

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I'm getting going on a Bf109 to try and have it done for a contest in June. Also fiddling with the Flanker but everything associated with starting my new job in a week is slowing me down.

 

Tony,

  I thought that you mentioned the Bf109.  New jobs can certainly do that as you're always focused on it even at home. Once you're comfortable there, you'll have the mindset to model at the pace you did before. Don't worry about making that June contest if it means rushing to get to the finish line. You'll find the temptation to settle for standards that normally you wouldn't do.  there's always another contest.

 

Joel

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Awesome progress, Joel..and yes the Wildcat is starting to grow on me (but I still think it looks like the dumpy sister to the Hellcat)!

 

Shaka Hi,

  Glad you like my modest progress. As for the Wildcat being a dumpy sister, I see it as the smaller older brother with less athletic skills, but still ends up 1st string on the Varsity team when there wasn't enough top players ready to play the game.

 

Joel

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Guest Peterpools

JA

Terrific progress on the Wildcat; just love it when all the sub assemblies come together. I had my doubts on how well the wings would look with all the fiit issues but they look simply perfect.

Looking mighty good

Keep 'em coming

Bro

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PLEASE do not put the drop tanks on this beautiful build.  F4F-3s did not have the capability to carry drop tanks.  They had a bomb rack capable of a 110 lb bomb much further outboard on the wing.  The tanks and plumbing were not incorporated until the F4F-4.

 

Rich

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JA

Terrific progress on the Wildcat; just love it when all the sub assemblies come together. I had my doubts on how well the wings would look with all the fiit issues but they look simply perfect.

Looking mighty good

Keep 'em coming

Bro

 

Bro,

  Thanks so much for stopping by. You're not the only one who  had their doubts about the wings butt mounting, but so far so good. Lets see how good they actually look after priming today.

 

Joel

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PLEASE do not put the drop tanks on this beautiful build.  F4F-3s did not have the capability to carry drop tanks.  They had a bomb rack capable of a 110 lb bomb much further outboard on the wing.  The tanks and plumbing were not incorporated until the F4F-4.

 

Rich

 

Rich,

   Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my F4-3 Wildcat build. 

 

   My references and research (if you can actually call it that), does indeed show that the two 58 gal external wing tanks were 1st fitted to the -4 versions.  As you pointed out the two bomb racks were fitted to hard points much further out on the folding wings, but the gas tanks when used were actually on the inner fixed wing portion.  I did assemble the drop tanks so I wouldn't loose any of the parts, but I'm not using them on this build. I'm also not installing the bomb racks as none is supplied in the kit, and the vast majority of pictures that I have don't show them on the -3s.

 

Joel

 

Joel

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Update:Primer 101

 

   With the basic construction now completed, it's time to move into the next phase of the build: Priming. I've tried pre-shading and honestly, I just don't like the general overall effect I would get of a checkerboard pattern using the panel lines to form the checkerboard. Real aircraft just don't weather that way. So then I tried post shading both with a panel line wash which I now could control where, how dark or light, and even what colors to use, as well as adding various modulated tones of the base colors. I much prefered this method. Then Black Basing came along.
 
   The premise of Black Basing was to give the basic color modulation a completely varied look, which it certainly does. But the colors do darken up which at times is a concern to me, especially when I'm air brushing on light colors, or I want to feature bleaching and fading effects from the tropical sun, and salt air. So I've been experimentating with what's called White Basing.
 
   White Basing is just using in my case Gray primer, and then blotches of White to simulate the random bleaching/fading of the basic colors.
    The 1st step was to prime the F4F-3 with Mig Ammo Acrylic Gray primer that I thin 1:1 with Tamiya X20-A thinner. When dry I polished it out with a #4,000 Micro Mesh pad.
 
G1Od9J.jpg

 

2KhXaJ.jpg

 

81UxNt.jpg
 
    Then I apply random blotches of Tamiya XF-2 Flat White thinned 1 part paint to 2 parts Yellow cap, but larger then the general small squiggly lines associated with Black Basing.
 
xoCCK5.jpg
 
2wUR1I.jpg
   
  Over the next few days, I'll air brush on the basic colors with very light well thinned paint.
 
Joel
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