Commemorative Air Force Wildcat

[AndrewR]

As I am also building an Academy Wildcat at present, I thought that I would also haul out an ancient Airfix Wildcat VI (FM-2) at the same time.

I was looking around for a good scheme for an FM-2, and I found one so breathtakingly unauthentic that it has to be done:

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/22207801@N00/2082815792/;

The Commemorative Air Force's flying FM-2, in Fleet Air Arm roundels and codes, but with a dark green over pale blue camo.

I wonder what mind altering substance they were all taking when they came up with that.

Here's the kit. Ancient bagged version, with hardly any flash on it. The pilot is of the Ronnie Corbett variety and will be replaced. He gets to sit on a dodgy seat resting on two pins. I will add a headrest as the major upgrade. I'm not even going to put a paper instrument panel in this. It's a $1 kit...



I have been working to tone down the rivets a bit. Going to need a new sanding stick!



I won't be using the appalling rocket armament, so I backed the mounting holes with some plastic card so as to make filling a bit easier.

[AndrewR]

I need to rummage around for some thinner card for the other holes!



The decals are past their best, but no doubt could be revived by Zee



The only place this kit beats the Academy is the wheels, which have 4 rivets on them. Crikey! I've counted rivets

I have thinned down the supports on the drop tanks from tree trunk proportions:-




More fun with the Wildcat to come!

Cheers

Andrew

[PaulBradley]

I was looking around for a good scheme for an FM-2, and I found one so breathtakingly unauthentic that it has to be done:

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/22207801@N00/2082815792/;

The Commemorative Air Force's flying FM-2, in Fleet Air Arm roundels and codes, but with a dark green over pale blue camo.

I wonder what mind altering substance they were all taking when they came up with that.

I know that one well - isn't it just terrible? This just confirms the theory that some guys have far more money than sense......

Here's a couple I took of it a few years ago - hope they are useful:

[AndrewR]

Thanks Paul, they are very handy indeed. At least I don't have to worry about getting the lettering straight!

How deep is the blue in real life? RLM 65 ish or a bit lighter?

Cheers

Andrew

[Dirkpitt289]

Looks like that old kit could be a bit challenging. Good luck with it

[AndrewR]

Looks like that old kit could be a bit challenging. Good luck with it

Building wheels up always helps, as there are fewer parts to deal with

[Zee28]

Ooooh, the nostalgia washing over me whilst looking at your 'Baggy' Airfix classic, I'm almost envious mate! Makes me feel 8 years old again.

That colour scheme is bonkers! It looks like the blue is like Humbrol 65 (often found underneath German and Soviet stuff), and is that underside white??? Wild!

The Wildcat is such a cutie, and your lettering is QT too, cool!

Rivets on the wheels eh? See, who needs those modern kits, that's proper detail that is!

[AndrewR]

Ooooh, the nostalgia washing over me whilst looking at your 'Baggy' Airfix classic, I'm almost envious mate! Makes me feel 8 years old again.

Exactly. Wander round Woolies looking at all those kits...

Rivets on the wheels eh? See, who needs those modern kits, that's proper detail that is!

Well they're probably meant to be bolts :-) but the hexagonal detail seems to be missing

[AndrewR]

The interior can best be described as deeply tragic. I've primed it with bronze green.






The wings have now been glued together.



Cheers

Andrew

[PaulBradley]

I'd say the top photo is truer to life, though photo conditions aren't great in AZ - colours tend to get rather washed out in the harsh sunlight. I'd say a touch darker than 65.

EDIT: Just been looking at photos of it online, and either it's been repainted at some point, or my photos are showing a darker blue than most photos! It's really hard to tell......

In any event, it's darned ugly.......

[AndrewR]

I'd say the top photo is truer to life, though photo conditions aren't great in AZ - colours tend to get rather washed out in the harsh sunlight. I'd say a touch darker than 65.

EDIT: Just been looking at photos of it online, and either it's been repainted at some point, or my photos are showing a darker blue than most photos! It's really hard to tell......

In any event, it's darned ugly.......

Well, I always think Vallajo Air RLM 65 is a bit too intense anyway, and so allowing for the scale effect, alignment of the moons of Saturn and the fluctuations in the global stock markets, using VA RLM 65 straight from the bottle is in order.

cheers

Andrew

[AndrewR]

And for the last bit of modelling today:



Green zinc chromate insides painted.

And here's our gallant pilot relaxing with the prop from Keith Park's Hurricane.




The pilot will be added once the cockpit halves are together.

Cheers

Andrew

[AndrewR]

Fuselage glued together and fits together quite well.



The area around the back of the seat will need fixing though.

The wing wasn't quite such a good fit so some filler will be needed at the wing to fuselage seams both above and below. The Academy kit fitted much better in this area.

Cheers

Andrew

[Stuart]

Ahhhh, don't we all wish we could relax by Keith Park's propellor...

This is coming along nicely Andrew - even the "deeply tragic" cockpit

[AndrewR]

Here it is with a bit more stuff glued on



The wing dihedral isn't symmetrical
Never mind, I'm not going to lose sleep over it.



Cheers

Andrew