Arma Hobby 70047 - 1:72 F4F-4 Wildcat - Expert Set

Plastic model kit of the American F4F-4 Wildcat fighter in 1:72 scale – Expert Set

The F4F-4 was the version in which Grumman's fighter entered the hardest phase of the Pacific war: with folding wings and six heavy machine guns. Arma Hobby kit 70047 renders it in the most comprehensive Expert Set boxing – with photo-etched parts, self-adhesive masks and a wide choice of schemes.

The model comprises 80 plastic parts and 5 clear ones. The brass photo-etched fret provides an optional instrument panel, seat belts, handles, the landing gear chains and the engine ignition harness – parts whose thinness is hard to reproduce in styrene. The masks cover the canopy glazing and the wheels.

The Techmod decals cover six schemes: F4F-4 white '84' of VMF-121 flown by Cpt Joe Foss over Guadalcanal in October and November 1942; F4F-4 black '8-26' of VGF-27, Guadalcanal, 8 April 1943; F4F-4 black '6-F-8' of VF-6 from USS Enterprise, 10 April 1942; F4F-4 white '23' of VF-3 from USS Yorktown at the battle of Midway, 4 June 1942; F4F-4 '29-GF-10' of VGF-29 from USS Santee, 8 November 1942; and Martlet Mk II AJ148 of 888 NAS FAA from HMS Formidable, 14 December 1942. Four bonus schemes are added: further VMF-121 aircraft flown by Foss, a VF-3 machine from Midway and a VGF-29 aircraft.

What's in the box:

• Two plastic sprues (80 parts)
• One clear sprue (5 parts)
• Brass photo-etched fret: optional instrument panel, seat belts, handles, landing gear chains, ignition harness
• Self-adhesive masks for the canopy glazing and wheels
• Techmod decals for six marking options plus four bonus schemes
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Kit specifications:

• Scale: 1:72
• Catalogue number: 70047
• Manufacturer: Arma Hobby
• Assembled length: approx. 122 mm
• Assembled wingspan: approx. 161 mm
• Skill level: intermediate (photo-etched parts, many small details)

Please note: glue, paints and modelling tools are not included. The model requires assembly.

Building the model:

We suggest starting with the cockpit – the photo-etched seat belts and the optional instrument panel lift its appearance considerably, and access becomes very limited once the fuselage halves are closed. Cyanoacrylate glue and precision tweezers work best for the photo-etched parts. The ignition harness on the radial engine is a particular pleasure – visible through the cowling openings, it really brings the nose of the model to life. The chains of the manually operated landing gear are a detail typical of the Wildcat.

The American aircraft of 1942 and 1943 wore Blue Gray uppersurfaces over Light Gray, while the Fleet Air Arm Martlet Mk II carries the naval camouflage of Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey over Sky. We recommend applying the decals over a gloss coat to reduce silvering, and finishing the model with a satin varnish. The self-adhesive masks noticeably speed up painting the canopy glazing and the wheels.

Tools you will need:

• Sprue cutters for removing the parts from the sprues
• Modelling knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding sticks for cleaning up gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Cyanoacrylate glue for the 3D-printed and photo-etched parts
• Precision modelling tweezers
• Brushes in a range of sizes or an airbrush
• Model paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Gloss varnish for decalling and satin varnish for the final finish
• Decal setting solution
• Wash for picking out panel lines and details

About the aircraft – Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat:

The Grumman F4F Wildcat was the standard carrier fighter of the US Navy and the US Marine Corps in the first half of the Pacific war. The stubby, barrel-fuselaged monoplane was no record breaker, but it made up for it with a rugged structure, cockpit armour, self-sealing fuel tanks and unusually heavy gun armament.

The F4F-4 of 1942 introduced two key changes: folding wings, which allowed many more aircraft to be carried aboard a carrier, and an armament increased to six 12.7 mm heavy machine guns. Power came from a Pratt & Whitney R-1830-86 Twin Wasp radial of 1,200 hp. One characteristic feature remained the manually retracted landing gear – the pilot had to turn a crank dozens of times after take-off.

Against the Japanese A6M Zero the Wildcat was outturned and outclimbed, but American pilots developed a team tactic known as the Thach Weave that played to its strengths. Aircraft of this type fought at Midway, over Guadalcanal and on convoy escort duty, and served with the Fleet Air Arm under the name Martlet.

Original aircraft specifications (F4F-4 Wildcat):

• Crew: 1
• Length: 8.76 m
• Wingspan: 11.58 m
• Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney R-1830-86 Twin Wasp radial engine of 1,200 hp
• Gun armament: 6 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 heavy machine guns in the wings
• External load: provision for 2 x 100 lb bombs
• Maximum speed: approx. 515 km/h
• Service ceiling: approx. 10,400 m
• Range: approx. 1,240 km
• Distinguishing features: folding wings, manually retracted landing gear

About the manufacturer – Arma Hobby:

Arma Hobby is a Polish model company from Warsaw, releasing plastic kits under its current name since 2016. Its roots go back to Attack Squadron and its resin detail sets, and that background is visible in the way the kits are engineered. The moulds are designed and produced in Poland, based on CAD work and scanning of surviving airframes. Typical features include subtle riveting and panel lines, thin wing and control surface trailing edges, clear transparencies and neatly printed decal sheets. The catalogue is built around 1:72 and 1:48 scales, with Polish aviation – PZL P.7a, PZL P.11c, TS-11 Iskra – and Allied Second World War aircraft. Several releases have been honoured in industry polls, including the Model of the Year title at the Nuremberg toy fair. The manufacturer consistently combines conventional injection moulding with 3D-printed parts and files offered for home printing.