discussion Pete's Wildcat

[stillp]

Well, after that truly awful apology for a kit that was the Zhengdefu Leopard, and in response to Chris' vote, this should be more satisfying - the Airfix 1/72 F4F Wildcat. According to Scalemates this was a new tool in 2015, and so must be the most recent kit I've built! Here's the box and sprue shots:

Some cleanup needed, but nicely recessed detail:

It's a Starter set, so comes with a couple of Humbrol brushes, which I don't find much good for painting with, but they're fine for Microsol, PVA, etc., and 6 colours of paint. I know many people don't like these small pots of paint, but I've found them OK, especially for small areas.
The instructions seem clear, helped by some colour:

There aren't as many decals as my Hornet build!

You might be able to see in the sprue shots that they're almost dripping with release oil, so I'm off to the kitchen now to wash those sprues.
See you later,
Pete

 

[Si Benson]

Haven’t I seen you round here before Pete :smiling5: You certainly seem to be making the most of this GB....carry on sir:thumb2:

 

[stillp]

Who, me? Yes, now you mention it, I've done a few in this GB already... Enjoying it, and there are so many kits with animal names - I could probably keep building 'animals' well into next year! Thanks to you and Steve for hosting this GB.
Pete

 

[stillp]

Hmmm... there's a folded wing option...

 

[Guest]

No , keep it clean please !
Hopefully this not being very old you should be ok Pete .
Good luck , front seat please.

 

[stillp]

Waddya mean keep it clean John, I've washed the sprues!

There's a great video at

Love the way he explains the cockpit controls and instruments
Pete

 

[flyjoe180]

Great choice Pete, will keep be an eye on your build

 

[stillp]

I mentioned that I'd had good results from the starter kit paints in the past; not having any US interior green or bronze green, I thought I'd use the included Humbrol 117, so yesterday I gave the pot 10 minutes on the nail varnish shaker, emptied as much as I could into a dropper bottle, then added some deionised water to the pot, gave it another shake, then added that, plus a couple of mixing balls. Off to the garage to try it in the airbrush, and instant tip drying. Added A drop more water, no difference. Opened the airflow right up and managed to get paint on some parts, but only a 'puff' at a time - think Luftwaffe mottling! So, I thought I'd try with a few drops of Vallejo Flow Improver. Well it made a difference, the paint flooded out of the a/b but unevenly - looke like pebble dash!. Gave up at this point, stripped the airbrush to find it blocked with jelly-like gloop. Not sure if this was a reaction between the Humbrol and the flow improver, or between either or both of those and something left in the airbrush from the last session, which was Galeria Matt. I'd cleaned it of course, but the trouble with clear is that you can't really tell when you've got it all out.
Management wanted to go out today, so I suggested Wellingborough, and called into Trains & Models there to pick up some Mr Color. I'll try that later.
Pete

 

[stillp]

Well, I have a new favourite paint - Mr Color Aqueous. Went on beautifully, no tip drying or sputtering. Is it always this good?
Pete

 

[Guest]

I've never used the aqueous Pete but their lacquer range is superb, so I can imagine it's good stuff.

 

[stillp]

A little bit done; seat and seat back bulkhead attached to the floor, decals on the cockpit sides and the IP, engine bulkhead painted.

There's a cylinder on the rear floor, behind the seat. Could be an oxygen tank or fire extinguisher. Anyone know which, and what colour it would be?
Pete

 

[Guest]

I would guess an oxygen cylinder, but I don’t know what colour they would have had.

 

[stillp]

Thanks Jakko. They seem to be either interior green, or yellow. I might just leave it green.
Pete

 

[Tim Marlow]

WW2 oxygen tanks were green I think.....there is an Alastair Sims film called Green for danger made in that period, and the green oxygen tank is a major plot point.....

 

[Tim Marlow]

Got that wrong....just looked at the film synopsis to check....the plot point is that the green anaesthetic gas cylinder had been painted black to resemble an oxygen cylinder....so the correct colour should be black.....

 

[stillp]

Thanks Tim. The 'walk-around' portable tanks for US bomber crew were green, but I can't find any images for US fighter oxygen tanks. British ones were black. Although I think it should probably be green, black will look better - if green it'll just fade into the background colour.
Pete

 

[Guest]

I've seen variations of silver, cream, green and black.

I guess you can take your pick!

 

[stillp]

It's black now:

Left the fixing straps green for a bit more visual interest.
Pete

 

[yak face]

Great looking pit pete , is the bottle going to be visible though ,once the fuselage is joined ?

 

[stillp]

Probably not Tony!
Pete