TAMIYA 1:48 F4F-4/FM-1

[fubar57]

Stalled out on my GB waiting for decals so I thought I would do something else in the meantime. I've always liked the Atlantic anti-submarine scheme of Dark Gull Grey over Insignia White. The difference between the F4F-4 made by Grumman and the FM-1 made by General Motors was the later only carried 4 MGs so an easy-peasy conversion. Right now looking for cockpit colours: I've seen everything from the standard cockpit green to bronze green. This is just a generic profile retrieved from the web as I am still looking for an FM-1 that has the lower parts of the propellers painted white.

 

[fubar57]

The kit parts.

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Tamiya erred on the cockpit floor. The marked off areas will have to be removed to allow the pilot to look down to the two lower fuselage windows

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The decals, which I won't be using

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The clear parts on my GB have been re-done and are resting peacefully. I'll get back to that once the decals have arrived

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[Wurger]

The kite of the profile you posted above seems to have the standard painting of the prop. However the bottom areas of the baldes look much lighter than those that can be seen in other pics of Wildcats. But it might be the light trick.

 

[fubar57]

I think that may be an FM-2 judging by the vertical antenna. I just Google Imaged "f4f wilcat anti submarine" and the 3rd image shown is a four ship formation with a #4 in the background with the sloped antenna of the FM-1. Also note that the cowling may be a replacement as the Dk. Gull Grey doesn't line up with the fuselage. This may be the one I want to do. Note also that #5 has a vertical antenna. I'm not positive that this was a change-over from the FM-1 to FM-2, more reading required.

 

[fubar57]

Just went through "Detail & Scale" and the vertical tail was taller on the FM-2 so your kite looks like an FM-1. Can't find anything on the antenna yet though the kit antenna is sloped and I'm not sure yet what it would take to make it vertical

 

[Wurger]

The plane above is the FM-1 for sure. The engine cowling and the shape of the fin+rudder indicated that nicely but:
The FM-2 didn't have the air intake at the top of the engine cowling and also too many of cooling tabs. The taller fin had the different in shape top tip although the small antanna mast was retained there. The main antenna mast was vertical for the FM-2 as you mentioned but the one in the pic above is slanted with no doubt. Additionally the prop should be the uncuffed Curtiss Electric for the FM-2 whle most of FM-1 had the cuffed one.
Here is another plane I found. The one is said to be the FM-2 but I doubt it was. The plane has all features that determinate the FM-1 although the kite seems to still being armed with six MGs. A note though.. the first FM-1s still had the six MGs mounted as the F4F-4 that was the basic airframe for the version of the Wildcat.

 

[fubar57]

Learning more all the time. The same photo I mentioned also shows #2 and #8 with a slanted antenna so it will be one of the three I'll depict. Not sure what the white stripe across the upper fuselage on #8 is

 

[Wurger]

Do you mean the shot?

the pic source: the net.

 

[fubar57]

That's the one

 

[Wurger]

I see. The main problem is that all of the planes in the pic have the top of the engine cowlingcovered with the prop blades.As a result it is not possible to see if there are the air intakes at the cowling tops. This would be the best detail that could say if these are of the FM-1 or the FM-2 kites. But all of them seem to have the cooling tabs ,even the black 5 with the vertical antenna mast. What is more, the fins+rudders look like of the FM-1 shape. Additionally, there can be noticed the small oblong bulges at the bottom edge of the cooling tab line. The FM-2s did't have them there. Therefore I would say it is very likely these planes are the FM-1s than the FM-2.

 

[fubar57]

#4 it is with the mismatched cowling.....at least I think is. Here's what I have for the innards...

 

[fubar57]

This according to "Interior Colours of US Aircraft Part 3 Camouflage & Markings: Interior Colours of US Aircraft, 1941-45 (Part III)

"General Motors-produced FM-1 and FM-2s had a standardised interior finish of Interior Green from the inside of the cowling all the way back, including the undercarriage struts." Your photos show a light colour

 

[fubar57]

This from D Dana Bell on the britmodeller.com site...

"All Grumman-built Wildcats used Bronze Green cockpits. Kenneth L. Kelly, former head of color standards at the National Bureaus of Standards, noted that Army Bronze Green #9 (which was the color adopted by the Navy) was darker than 595a color 24050 and glossy. All my standards from the 1930s and '40s show a very bluish green, which makes sense since it was mixed from Chrome Yellow and Prussian Blue.

When the aluminum shortage was declared, Grumman was given permission to used Light Gray camouflage lacquer as a finish coat on other interior surfaces (replacing aluminized lacquer).

Bronze Green was also used on the first FM-1s, being replaced by Dull Dark Green late in production. ANA Dull Dark Green is generally darker than 34092, though some confusing correspondence resulted in a version of the color based on the Army camouflage color Dark Green #30 - almost a German Black-Green. Interior Green was introduced to Wildcat cockpits on FM-2 BuNo 16152 (though some prepainted cockpit components - seats, etc - may have remained Dull Dark Green for some time)."

 

[Wurger]

The interior Green ( ANA 611) - FS 34151 was a quite light colour and can seem to be light at the sunlight. In the same way like the RLM02.. However it can be because the NAVY planes could get the white colour for the struts while the entire wheel bays retained the ANA 611. Also all details of the landing gear including the wheel bays could have been of the white or light grey. It wouldn't be strange because the undersides and sides were of the white paint overall.

 

[fubar57]

Getting closer to starting. Repainting the mess I made of my clear parts in the GB at the moment

 

[Wurger]

PM sent.

 

[fubar57]

Updated Post #2. While looking at the sprues I noticed Tamiya included the vertical antenna as well as the slanted one so this may open up other options but as it stands for now, #4 with its mismatched cowling is my choice.

 

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

Beauty. What is on the very front of the cowling: white, metal or just a play of the light?

 

[Wurger]

IMHO that's a small digit "4"