Grumman F4F- 3 "Wildcat" (late)

Grumman's F4F Wildcat, with its short, stubby wings, is one of its most famous and successful fighters.
The F4F-3 Wildcat had a rather short, rounded fuselage with rectangular center wings.
The wings could not be folded for storage on the aircraft carrier.
All of the aircraft's major components were located in the forward section of the stubby fuselage, with the fuel tank and retractable landing gear directly below the pilot.
This weight concentration made for a nimble and maneuverable fighter.
Its 1,200 hp, air-cooled, 14-cylinder, two-row Pratt & Whitney radial engine (R-1830-76 or 86) gave it a top speed of 330 mph.
The F4F-3's range was 845 miles.
Its standard armament consisted of four wing-mounted .50-caliber machine guns.
The service ceiling was 37,500 feet.
The F4F-3 offered good robustness, pilot armor, and a high dive speed.
It was also highly maneuverable, although it was soon discovered that it could not keep up with the Japanese Zero in this area.
A common complaint from pilots was the manually retractable landing gear, which required 30 turns of the crank. A single slip could result in serious wrist injuries.

Plastic model kit

• with photo-etched parts

Scale 1:32

unbuilt / unpainted

Paint and glue not included