**** DONE: GB-57 1/48 F4F-4 Wildcat Mk.V FAA – WWII Foreign Service

[Gnomey]

Good work so far Vic!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks Andy and Hugh. Also many thanks Wojtek. Following Wojtek and my little correspondence this morning (my time) the wing placement of guns was sorted.

Today, working on this recent information I cleaned away the panels and blisters for the outer guns and opened the ejector chutes.

With this out of the way, it was time to fit the wings which went well with only a couple of areas the will need sorting.

 

[rochie]

nice work Vic

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks Karl.

 

[Wurger]

 

[N4521U]

Isn't that a submissive posture, on its back? Looks like you won!

 

[Gnomey]

Nice work so far Vic!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks Hugh.

 

[R Leonard]

Actually nothing was removed. Just the FM-1 ( RN Martlet V/ Wildcat V ) had the two MGs per a wing installed like the F4F-3. The wing structure was slightly changed in order to accomodate the different ammo feeding system. It means that the wing skin panels got the different layout.

Below there are two images I found via the net. The first one shows the one of the first FM-1s ( believing the caption) while the second one the British Martlet V s/n. JV337. As memo serves there were small teardrop-shaped fairings behind each of the shell ejection port for each of the MG installed. Can you see the layout and the number of the bulges? If you can, you already know which guns were installed for the RN Wildcat Vs.

View attachment 713790

View attachment 713791
the pic source: the net.

I believe the first 10 FM-1's had the typical F4F-4 six guns armament. After those, the rest were equipped with just four guns.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

That's okay then as looking at the RAF Serial Number Register I think mine was the 110th production as a Mk.V Wildcat for the FAA.

 

[Wurger]

I believe the first 10 FM-1's had the typical F4F-4 six guns armament. After those, the rest were equipped with just four guns.

Yes I agree. Beginning the 11th plane the armament was of the four MGs.

That's okay then as looking at the RAF Serial Number Register I think mine was the 110th production as a Mk.V Wildcat for the FAA.

Contract 99036, 18 April 1942, for 1,150 FM-1 (311 for RN) with P&W R-1830-86
Contract NOa(s)-227 (99036), 31 December 1943, for 4,100 FM-2 (340 for RN) plus another 1,423 in 1945 of which 746 were cancelled, with Wright R-1820-56/72W in 1943, -72W only in 1944, -56W in 1945, a total of 4,777 built.

All serials for the WIldcat Vs were JV325-JV636. However there was a batch of the Martlet VI ( FM-2 ) serie that had serials started with the JV prefix as well but of the following numbers .. 637 to 902.
Hypothetically, if we assume that the first 10 FM-1s had the 6 MGs mounted, their serials would be JV325 to JV335. Then, the JV336 and the entire rest of the kites should have the four MGs installed. Therefore the JV337 in the pic attached to my post #19, had the 4 MGs only as she would be the 12th FM-1 aircraft of the series. A note here .. according to my notes the JV325 to 414 didn't have the USN BuNo. The JV428 ( BuNo. 15415) was delivered to USN initially and then sent to the Britain in 1943.
To sum up ... IMHO the RN FAA Wildcat V series didn't contain the 10 first FM-1s with the 6 MGs mounted. All of them had the four MGs attached only. So no matter which one you decided to replicate.

 

[Kalakan]

Lovely work so far Vic

 

[Wayne Little]

Real nice work there Vic.

 

[Crimea_River]

Cracking job so far Vic.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Let the painting begin...................................................undercoat applied.

Thanks for checking in folks you comments are heart warming and appreciated.

 

[Wurger]

 

[T Bolt]

Very nice work Vic. I love that cockpit!

 

[Crimea_River]

A nice smooth coat. Looking forward to the next colors.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks for checking in gents and for the kind words......................................................Got a couple of coats of paint on today, started with a bit of black to mark main panel lines.

The underside is SMS Acrylic Lacquer PL124 Sky.

On top for the first coat, SMS Acrylic Lacquer LP222 Extra Dark Sea Grey. I had to change the background colour as it came out a very blueish colour on the green.

Tomorrow if time permits I'll have a go at masking the Bill way (I'm always game for a bit of a challenge) then add the final colour.

 

[Wurger]