From: "Steve Bamford ARC" To: "J.C. Bahr" References: Subject: Re: F4F-3 Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 23:35:29 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0122_01C4500C.CD915560" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1409 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0122_01C4500C.CD915560 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi J.C., Thanks for sending in your Wildcat article. I'll e-mail you when your = article goes on ARC....early next week. Steve Bamford Aircraft Resource Center http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com =20 Live like there is no tomorrow; Love like you've never been hurt. Work like you don't need the money. Dance like nobody's watching. Sing like nobody's listening. Live like it's Heaven on Earth. ----- Original Message -----=20 From: J.C. Bahr=20 To: Steve Bamford=20 Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2004 6:52 PM Subject: F4F-3 =20 1/72 Hasegawa F4F-3=20 by J.C. Bahr -------------------- Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg = here=20 =20 This is my 1/72 Hasegawa F4F-3 that I built a few years back for the = kit review section of Bert Kinzey's most recent Detail & Scale volume on = the Wildcat. Click on images below to see larger images =20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 03.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 03.jpg=20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 04.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 04.jpg=20 =20 The kit originally started out as Hasegawa's F4F-4 that was improperly = boxed as a -3 with colorful pre-war markings. Modifications were made = to convert the kit to a -3 variant by carefully filling in the wing-fold = joint on the top and bottom of the wings, filling in the outer gun = portal & gun bay panel lines and filling in the three cowl flaps on the = sides of the top of the cowl and then rescribing them as one big solid = flap. In retrospect I have since found out that my current gun bay panel = lines are incorrect, but this was not readily apparent in the references = I had at the time. I've had the privilege of being able to examine one = of the surviving restored specimens that was retrieved from the bottom = of the Great Lakes several years back and the gun-bay panels were = totally different than what is found on the -4's. Also the placement of = the wing guns on the -3 are said to be closer to the fuselage than on = the -4, but after having seen the real specimen, I'm not certain = myself... so I would recommend checking photos and references very = closely if you're going for all out accuracy on a -3. While operating from carriers, Wildcats used a hard-rubber tire on the = tail gear, while land based aircraft used a low pressure inflated tire. = In early 1943 a high pressure inflated tire was introduced that was = suitable to both land and carrier based ops. To replicate the early = hard-rubber tire on this model, I used a spare item that I had left over = from a Hasegawa Brewster 239 Buffalo kit. =20 Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg = here=20 =20 A True Details resin interior and gear bay set was used to help busy = up the landing gear bay, which is a tad bit spartan to say the least. = Once cleaned up, the True Details parts fit amazingly well as they are = very well engineered and almost simply drop into place once a few = interior pegs have been ground down or removed from the existing kit = fuselage halves. Paints used were Pollyscale acrylics and the decals are from a = Superscale set, since I was not impressed with the ones that came in the = kit. The aircraft I chose to model was the one that is currently on = display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, = Florida... as I just didn't want to do another overall blue Wildcat and = was really drawn to the bright markings of this aircraft. Plus, the = Wildcats were some of the last fleet aircraft to wear the colorful = pre-war markings before the switch to low-vis grays and blues. = Unfortunately I was unable to match the blue shade that Superscale used = for their stripes, so just went with what I could find that I felt was = 'close enough' to paint the blue cowl ring. In comparison to the bird = on display at the NMNA, I feel that Superscale's shade of blue is a tad = bit light anyhow, so I probably would've been better off masking and = painting all the stripes, but... oh well, I'll live with it. Apart from the inaccurate gun-bay panel lines, off-blue cowl ring and = some other minor imperfections that I'm sure some of the sharper eyed = among you will see in these photos... I'm very happy with the way this = kit turned out and love the color that it adds to my collection. J.C. Click on images below to see larger images =20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 05.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 05.jpg=20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 06.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 06.jpg=20 =20 Photos and text =A9 2004 by J.C. Bahr ------=_NextPart_000_0122_01C4500C.CD915560 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Hi J.C.,
Thanks for sending in = your Wildcat=20 article.  I'll e-mail you when your article goes on ARC....early = next=20 week.
 
Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource = Center
http://www.aircraftresourc= ecenter.com
 
Live=20 like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work = like you=20 don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like = nobody's=20 listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.
----- Original Message -----
From:=20 J.C. Bahr=20
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2004 = 6:52=20 PM
Subject: F4F-3

  

1/72 Hasegawa=20 F4F-3 

by J.C.=20 Bahr
--------------------

Steve Bamford = will insert=20 full sized version = of=20 photo 01.jpg here
 
This = is my 1/72=20 Hasegawa F4F-3 that I built a few years back for the kit review = section of=20 Bert Kinzey's most recent Detail & Scale volume on the=20 Wildcat.

Click on images = below to see=20 larger images

Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller = version of=20 photo 03.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo = will bring=20 up the full sized version of photo 03.jpg=20

<= IMG=20 = src=3D"http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Article-Templates/03t.jpg"=20 border=3D0>

  Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller = version of=20 photo 04.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo = will bring=20 up the full sized version of photo 04.jpg=20

<= IMG=20 = src=3D"http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Article-Templates/04t.jpg"=20 border=3D0>

The kit originally = started out=20 as Hasegawa's F4F-4 that was improperly boxed as a -3 with colorful = pre-war=20 markings.  Modifications = were made=20 to convert the kit to a -3 variant by carefully filling in the = wing-fold=20 joint on the top and bottom of the wings, filling in the outer gun=20 portal & gun bay panel lines and filling in the three = cowl flaps=20 on the sides of the top of the cowl and then rescribing them as one = big solid=20 flap.

In retrospect I = have since=20 found out that my current gun bay panel lines are incorrect, but this = was not=20 readily apparent in the references I had at the time.  I've = had the=20 privilege of being able to examine one of the surviving restored = specimens=20 that was retrieved from the bottom of the Great Lakes several years = back and=20 the gun-bay panels were totally different than what is found on the=20 -4's.  Also the placement of the wing guns on the -3 are = said to be=20 closer to the fuselage than on the -4, but after having seen the real=20 specimen, I'm not certain myself... so I would recommend checking = photos and=20 references very closely if you're going for all out accuracy on a=20 -3.

While operating = from carriers,=20 Wildcats used a hard-rubber tire on the tail gear, while land based = aircraft=20 used a low pressure inflated tire.  In early 1943 a high pressure = inflated tire was introduced that was suitable to both land and = carrier based=20 ops.  To replicate the early hard-rubber tire on this model, I = used a=20 spare item that I had left over from a Hasegawa Brewster 239 Buffalo=20 kit.

 =20
Steve Bamford = will insert=20 full sized version of photo 02.jpg here =

A True Details = resin interior=20 and gear bay set was used to help busy up the landing gear bay, which = is a tad=20 bit spartan to say the least.  Once=20 cleaned up, the True Details parts fit amazingly well as they are very = well=20 engineered and almost simply drop into place once a few interior pegs = have=20 been ground down or removed from the existing kit fuselage=20 halves.

Paints used were = Pollyscale=20 acrylics and the decals are from a Superscale set, since I was not = impressed=20 with the ones that came in the kit.  The aircraft I chose to = model was=20 the one that is currently on display at the National Museum of Naval = Aviation=20 in Pensacola, Florida... as I just didn't want to do another overall = blue=20 Wildcat and was really drawn to the bright markings of this = aircraft. =20 Plus, the Wildcats were some of the last fleet aircraft to wear the = colorful=20 pre-war markings before the switch to low-vis grays and blues. =20 Unfortunately I was unable to match the blue shade that = Superscale used=20 for their stripes, so just went with what I could find that I felt was = 'close=20 enough' to paint the blue cowl ring.  In comparison to the bird = on=20 display at the NMNA, I feel that Superscale's shade of blue is a tad = bit light=20 anyhow, so I probably would've been better off masking and painting = all the=20 stripes, but... oh well, I'll live with it.

Apart from the = inaccurate=20 gun-bay panel lines, off-blue cowl ring and some other minor=20 imperfections that I'm sure some of the sharper eyed among you will = see in=20 these photos... I'm very happy with the way this kit turned out and = love the=20 color that it adds to my collection.

J.C.

Click on images = below to see=20 larger images

Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller = version of=20 photo 05.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo = will bring=20 up the full sized version of photo 05.jpg=20

<= IMG=20 = src=3D"http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Article-Templates/05t.jpg"=20 border=3D0>

  Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller = version of=20 photo 06.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo = will bring=20 up the full sized version of photo 06.jpg=20

<= IMG=20 = src=3D"http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Article-Templates/06t.jpg"=20 = border=3D0>

Photos and text =A9 2004 by J.C.=20 = Bahr

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