After detail painting
a light burnt umber wash was applied, and raised details were
highlighted with a light dry brushing of silver. Assembly of the
cockpit/forward fuselage presented no challenges and went
together beautifully. The level of detail present in the cockpit
is quite good, although there are some minor accuracy problems
especially regarding the floor layout. However, if you are
planning on leaving the canopy closed, this is not readily
apparent and an aftermarket resin cockpit is probably a waste of
money.
Assembly of the fuselage halves and wings was quick and easy,
the seams lined up perfectly with no putty required and only
minimal sanding to clean up the join lines. The cockpit assembly
also installed beautifully with no problems. The engine assembly
also presents no problems and after detail painting as called
out in the instructions everything was given a light wash of
Tamiya Smoke to really pop out the detail and the cooling fins.
I then masked off the canopy and installed it with jewelers
watch cement and gave the entire model a good wipe down with
Pollys Plastic Prep to prepare the surfaces for painting. After
stuffing wet tissue paper in the engine opening and wheel wells,
it was off to the paint shop.
 |
PAINTING AND
MARKINGS.
The
paint scheme is very simple, the early Navy colors of
blue-gray over light gray undersurfaces. Since I was
planning on heavily weathering the model with paint
chipping, I first airbrushed a coat of Floquil Bright
Silver. I then airbrushed Polly Scale USN Blue Gray for
the topside, and USN Light Gray A/N602 for the
undersides. To fade the topside colors due to the
intense sunlight and harsh operating conditions I mixed
a 50:50 mix of Blue Gray and Dirty White thinned 50:50
with distilled water and airbrushed the interior panels
carefully. |
A light overall mist was also
airbrushed to provide for a general faded look. After letting
the paint cure overnight, I attacked the finish along panel
lines using a blunt pair of tweezers and tape to heavily chip
the surface to expose the underlying silver. I then airbrushed a
light coat of Future to prepare the surface for decaling. The
decals supplied with the kit are typical Tamiya, but I had an
old OOP Superscale sheet featuring Wildcat aces that I
substituted. I chose the decal option for Marion Carl's aircraft
used in the Guadalcanal campaign. After drying overnight, I
wiped the decals off with a moist cloth with Pollys Plastic Prep
to remove any residue and after drying I shot a light coat of
Future over the decals to seal them. Next, a burnt umber oil
wash was applied to the panel lines and after clean up a light
coat of Polly S Flat Finish was shot to provide a surface for
pastels. I then used pastels, and pastel pencils to lightly
highlight the panel lines and detail on the wings/tail surfaces
and fuselage.
| Next,
a burnt umber oil wash was applied to the panel lines
and after clean up a light coat of Polly S Flat Finish
was shot to provide a surface for pastels. I then used
pastels, and pastel pencils to lightly highlight the
panel lines and detail on the wings/tail surfaces and
fuselage. I use Derwent pastels and pencils and they are
quite easy to use, just lightly draw on the surface to
be highlighted and blend with artists blending stump. A
very nice, subtle effect can be achieved with these
pencils that is much easier for me than dry brushing or
pre-shading. Next I applied a heavy burnt umber oil wash
to the wheels and sealed everything with a light coat of
Future. |
 |
FINAL CONSTRUCTION.
After painting and weathering, I assembled the landing gear,
propeller, the drop tanks, pitot, and antenna mast. As usual,
everything went together flawlessly. The only difficult part of
this kit are the wheel assemblies due to their intricate nature,
but if you closely follow the instructions there will be no
problems and Tamiya is to be commended for fantastic engineering
of a very complex mechanism. Finally, several coats of Polly S
Flat Finish was shot to achieve a flat finish common to aircraft
operated in harsh conditions and then the remaining clear parts
were installed in place with white glue.
 |
CONCLUSION.
Tamiya models are my absolute favorite to build, as they
usually have no major problems to contend with. This kit
was no exception, and not a single spot of filler was
needed. This kit makes a beginner modeler look like an
expert, is extremely easy to build, and is highly
recommended. This kit is so easy; it's almost ridiculous!
|
REFERENCES.
Squadron/Signal Publications, F4F Wildcat Walk Around,
SS5504
|
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Text&pictures: Robert
E. Laskodi
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