In Box Review of Revell 1/32nd Scale
U.S. Grumman F4F-4 "Wildcat" Fighter
Kit no. H299:200
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1969
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1969
HISTORY:
When the U.S. entered WWII, the Grumman "Wildcat" was the standard single-seat fighter serving with the Navy's shipboard squadrons, and remained so throughout the crucial first half of the Pacific conflict.
F4F-4 "Wildcats" made their operational debut at Midway in the summer of 1942 from the decks of the Yorktown, Enterprise and Hornet, valiantly facing the threat of deadly Japanese Zero-Sens, the terror of the skies.
Though sturdy and obedient, with fire-power and pilot protection superior to the Zeros, it could not match their performance. Its pilots had to develop combat tactics which utilized the "Wildcats" strengths against the Zero's weaknesses.
One of these, used throughout the remainder of the Pacific war, was the "Thach weave", evolved by Lt. Commander (now Admiral) John S. Thach of the Yorktown force.
In this tactic two "Wildcats" criss-crossed back and forth, each covering the other's tail, while they took the measure of their opponents. They tried to get above the Zeros and plunge through the Japanese formation in a firing pass, continuing their dive until they could zoom back to a favorable altitude for another attack. They tried to avoid a dogfight, in which the nimble Zero would have had the advantage.
In this way, the pugnacious, wily little "Wildcat" established an admirable record, flying from shore bases and carriers, large and small alike, and made a significant contribution to victory in the Pacific.
Before it was succeeded by more potent planes, the "Wildcat" had fought all the major battles of the Pacific war. Its battle honors, included the historic names of Wake, Midway, Guadal Canal, the Coral Sea and the Solomons.
The British version of the plane "Martlet IV) participated in landings on Madagascar and in the Allied invasion of North Africa. An earlier British version of the "Wildcat" was the first U.S. aircraft to shoot down a German plane in WWII, when a squadron of "Martlet I's" intercepted and destroyed a Junkers JU-88A bomber attempting to attack the Home Fleet base.
Nearly 8,000 "Wildcats" were produced during the fighter's six-year production life. American "Wildcats" destroyed over 900 enemy aircraft and lost only 178 during 1941-3, while its ratio of victories to losses for the entire war was 7 to 1. Not bad for a fighter whose performance never matched its competitors.
This Revell model of the Grumman F4F-4 "Wildcat" carries the markings of Admiral John S. Thach, when he was Lt. Commander flying from the U.S.S. Yorktown.
Revell wishes to thank Admiral Thach for his assistance in developing this model, and to the Air Museums, Ontario, California and Commander H.S. Packard, USN retired for technical information.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Wingspan: 38 ft., (folded - 14 ft. 4 in.)
Length: 29 ft.
Height: 8 ft. 11 in.
Powerplant: One 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830 air-cooled radial-engine.
Armament: Six 50 cal machine guns, plus 2,100 lb bombs
Maximum speed: 320 mph
Service ceiling: 34,000 ft.
When the U.S. entered WWII, the Grumman "Wildcat" was the standard single-seat fighter serving with the Navy's shipboard squadrons, and remained so throughout the crucial first half of the Pacific conflict.
F4F-4 "Wildcats" made their operational debut at Midway in the summer of 1942 from the decks of the Yorktown, Enterprise and Hornet, valiantly facing the threat of deadly Japanese Zero-Sens, the terror of the skies.
Though sturdy and obedient, with fire-power and pilot protection superior to the Zeros, it could not match their performance. Its pilots had to develop combat tactics which utilized the "Wildcats" strengths against the Zero's weaknesses.
One of these, used throughout the remainder of the Pacific war, was the "Thach weave", evolved by Lt. Commander (now Admiral) John S. Thach of the Yorktown force.
In this tactic two "Wildcats" criss-crossed back and forth, each covering the other's tail, while they took the measure of their opponents. They tried to get above the Zeros and plunge through the Japanese formation in a firing pass, continuing their dive until they could zoom back to a favorable altitude for another attack. They tried to avoid a dogfight, in which the nimble Zero would have had the advantage.
In this way, the pugnacious, wily little "Wildcat" established an admirable record, flying from shore bases and carriers, large and small alike, and made a significant contribution to victory in the Pacific.
Before it was succeeded by more potent planes, the "Wildcat" had fought all the major battles of the Pacific war. Its battle honors, included the historic names of Wake, Midway, Guadal Canal, the Coral Sea and the Solomons.
The British version of the plane "Martlet IV) participated in landings on Madagascar and in the Allied invasion of North Africa. An earlier British version of the "Wildcat" was the first U.S. aircraft to shoot down a German plane in WWII, when a squadron of "Martlet I's" intercepted and destroyed a Junkers JU-88A bomber attempting to attack the Home Fleet base.
Nearly 8,000 "Wildcats" were produced during the fighter's six-year production life. American "Wildcats" destroyed over 900 enemy aircraft and lost only 178 during 1941-3, while its ratio of victories to losses for the entire war was 7 to 1. Not bad for a fighter whose performance never matched its competitors.
This Revell model of the Grumman F4F-4 "Wildcat" carries the markings of Admiral John S. Thach, when he was Lt. Commander flying from the U.S.S. Yorktown.
Revell wishes to thank Admiral Thach for his assistance in developing this model, and to the Air Museums, Ontario, California and Commander H.S. Packard, USN retired for technical information.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Wingspan: 38 ft., (folded - 14 ft. 4 in.)
Length: 29 ft.
Height: 8 ft. 11 in.
Powerplant: One 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830 air-cooled radial-engine.
Armament: Six 50 cal machine guns, plus 2,100 lb bombs
Maximum speed: 320 mph
Service ceiling: 34,000 ft.
THE KIT:
Revell is an old prolific model company. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows 2 "Wildcats" bombing a Japanese carrier. Both are overall navy-blue, with red and white horizontal stripes on their rudder flaps and early war roundels of just a blue circle with a white star that has a red circle in the center of it.
One side panel has a small color repeat of the box art, followed by a one-paragraph history of the "Wildcat" and color illustrations of a pilot in his flight gear and the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engine, with removable cowl in the kit and the detailed cockpit, with sliding canopy.
The kit also has movable wheels and propeller and authentic U.S. Navy markings. CR date for the kit is 1969 and Revell is said to be located in Venice, CA then. Kit was made and printed in the USA.
Revell is an old prolific model company. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows 2 "Wildcats" bombing a Japanese carrier. Both are overall navy-blue, with red and white horizontal stripes on their rudder flaps and early war roundels of just a blue circle with a white star that has a red circle in the center of it.
One side panel has a small color repeat of the box art, followed by a one-paragraph history of the "Wildcat" and color illustrations of a pilot in his flight gear and the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engine, with removable cowl in the kit and the detailed cockpit, with sliding canopy.
The kit also has movable wheels and propeller and authentic U.S. Navy markings. CR date for the kit is 1969 and Revell is said to be located in Venice, CA then. Kit was made and printed in the USA.
The other side panel recommends Revell brand paints. There is an advertisement to get a 33 1/3 RPM phonograph record of sounds of the "Wildcat", followed by 3 color box arts of other 1/32nd scale aircraft kits by Revell: A N.American P-51B "Mustang", a Republic P-47D "Thunderbolt" and a Junkers JU-87B "Stuka".
No kit numbers are provided for these.
No kit numbers are provided for these.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The kit holds 4 navy-blue trees and a clear tree that are unwrapped and not cello bagged.
Trees fit the box tight and are alphabetized and illustrated in the instructions.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format.
Page 1 begins with the history and specifications of the "Wildcat", over the parts-trees illustrations, with some painting instructions for some of the parts on the trees.
Page 2 begins with IMPORTANT information about the kit and suggested tools to use, over the first assembly step.
Page 3 through 6 give a balance of a grand total of 10 assembly steps.
Each step calls out the names of the parts used in them.
Navy-blue letter A tree holds: a fuselage half, engine parts, firewall, seat back, cowling etc. (8 parts)
The kit holds 4 navy-blue trees and a clear tree that are unwrapped and not cello bagged.
Trees fit the box tight and are alphabetized and illustrated in the instructions.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format.
Page 1 begins with the history and specifications of the "Wildcat", over the parts-trees illustrations, with some painting instructions for some of the parts on the trees.
Page 2 begins with IMPORTANT information about the kit and suggested tools to use, over the first assembly step.
Page 3 through 6 give a balance of a grand total of 10 assembly steps.
Each step calls out the names of the parts used in them.
Navy-blue letter A tree holds: a fuselage half, engine parts, firewall, seat back, cowling etc. (8 parts)
Navy-blue letter B tree holds: main wheels, pilot figure, dashboard, wing bottom sections (13 parts)
Navy-blue letter C tree holds: other fuselage half, elevators, cockpit floor etc. (12 parts)
Navy-blue letter D tree holds: the wing tops, propeller, landing gear legs and struts, nose side panels etc. (33 parts)
The clear tree holds the canopy and windshield (4 parts)
The decal sheet completes the kit contents.
Detail is raised type. Wings can be displayed extended or folded. Flaps are all molded solid.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.