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Dragon Models 1:72 Warbirds 50192 |
| 1:72 Scale | Length | Width | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grumman F4F Wildcat | 121mm | 159mm |
This fully finished and pre-painted model represents "White 29" from VC-93. It was flown by Lt. Hatherly Foster III, while based aboard the USS Petrof Bay (CVE-80) in April 1945.
The Grumman F4F Wildcat was the standard carrier-based fighter of the United States Navy for the first year and a half of World War II. An improved version built by General Motors (the General Motors FM Wildcat) remained in service throughout the war, on escort carriers where newer, larger and heavier fighters could not be used.
The Wildcat was outperformed by the Mitsubishi Zero, its major opponent in the Pacific war, but held its own by absorbing far more damage and wielding more firepower. With heavy armor and self-sealing fuel tanks, the Grumman airframe could survive far more than its lightweight, unarmored Japanese rival.
The original Grumman F4F-1 design was a biplane, which when proving inferior to rival designs was recast as the monoplane F4F-2. This was still not competitive with the Brewster F2A Buffalo which won initial US Navy orders, but when the F4F was fitted with a more powerful engine, the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp, it showed its true merits and became the F4F-3. US Navy orders followed as did some (with Wright Cyclone engines) from France; these ended up with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm after the fall of France. In British service initially these were known as the Martlet I, but not all Marlets would be to the exact same specifications as US Navy aircraft. The F4F-3A would enter service as the Marlet III(B), the FM-1 as the Marlet V, and the FM-2 as the Martlet VI. The name Wildcat was still commonly used for these aircraft inspite of the official name change.
A new version, the F4F-4, entered service in 1942 with six guns and folding wings, allowing more to be crammed on a carrier; this was the definitive version and the one that saw the most combat service in the early war years including the Battle of Midway.
Grumman production ceased in early 1943 to make way for the newer F6F Hellcat, but General Motors continued producing them for both US Navy and Fleet Air Arm use, as larger fighters such as the Hellcat and the Vought F4U Corsair were too large for use on escort carriers. At first they produced the identical FM-1 model but then switched to the improved FM-2 (based on Grumman's F4F-8 prototype) with a more powerful engine and a taller tail to cope with the torque. In all, 7,251 Wildcats were built.
All versions of the Wildcat used hand-cranked landing gear with a relatively narrow track, making landing accidents where the landing gear were not fully locked into place distressingly common.
Designed to meet a US Navy requirement for a new carrier-based fighter, the F-4F was first flown on September 2nd, 1937. Originally used by the British (who called it the Martlet) against the Luftwaffe, the Wildcat also became the United States Navy's primary carrier fighter in the Pacific Theatre. The Wildcat was no match for the maneuverability of the Japanese Zero, but the two airplanes were roughly equal in speed and the F-4F was able to absorb far more damage. With its array of 6 x 12.7mm machine guns and its distinctive Thach Weave maneuver, two Wildcats could handle four or five Zeros.
Dragon's F4F Wildcat series have exceptionally fine and detailed panel lines and rivets, a feature uncommon in 1:72 scale. These models are constructed with only a minimal amount of plastic and feel surprisingly heavy for such a small size. The bird cage canopy is locked in its groove and easily slides open to reveal the cockpit interior. Engine detail is seen inside the nose cowling behind a nicely detailed propeller. The robust metal landing gear is constructed as a subassembly for easy installation, and gun ports, navigation lights, and detailed pitot tube are all hand-painted.
The Dragon Models "Dragon Wings 1:72 Warbirds Series" presents highly-detailed, ready-made diecast models of military aircaft.
Dragon Models "Dragon Wings 1:72 Warbirds Series" diecast airplanes feature:
