Grumman Wildcat

2022 Model Build #1 - 1/72 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat

This is my first Airfix kit. I've wanted to build one for a while and whilst the reputation of the older kits isn't so good, this is a new kit and builds really well. I've recently become more interested in the history of the Battle of Midway, so building a Wildcat was an obvious choice. I'm now planning a set of builds to cover most of Grumman's 'cats'. I currently have this and a Tomcat. This is one of the smallest kits I've ever built as I usually do 1/48 props (or 1/72 jets), but I won't have space if I build the set in 1/48.

The kit is the Airfix (A02070) kit from 2015. The fit was really good, but being only 1/72 scale meant there weren't too many bits to it. It also allowed it to be a fairly quick and simple build. It's painted with Vallejo acrylics. This is the first kit I've had to prime as the plastic didn't hold the paint well at all. I don't normally clean the sprues beforehand, but this probably would've benefitted from it.

I did a little weathering with oil paints and AK Interactive panel liners. I didn't want to over do it, but in the end I think it's a little uneven, but at the same time it's only noticeable from some angles. The decals were really nice. I used Microscale Micro Set and Micro Sol. I'm really happy with the result as there's very little silvering. I dipped the canopy in Gauzy Agent, and the result was really good. Masking the canopy took a while due to the number of windows and lack of clear delineation between the frame and the window. The end result wasn't too bad though. The front window fit better than on any other model I've ever built.

The markings used are just the kit ones representing a Wildcat from VF-6 onboard USS Enterprise (CV-6) in 1942. Overall this was on the bench for around 2 months. Most of that was me just procrastinating rather than actually building. It could be done much quicker. I'm quite happy with the end result as I was looking for a quick build which wasn't super detailed.

The lessons:
- A set of magnifiers are a cheap but amazing investment
- A quick, less detailed build can still be fun

The firsts:
- AK weathering pencils (only used in the cockpit, but seemed to work quite well)
- A 1/72 prop...so tiny!

The good:
- The decals were really nice
- The overall fit was good, especially the front canopy

The bad:
- The weathering could've been more even

Next up is a 1/72 Eduard Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat for a group build. I've only got 2 months to finish it, and it'll be more detailed than this one, including photo etch parts.