Hi. I was wondering if anyone had ever done the AMT 1/48 F7F-2 Tigercat kit? I am thinking of snagging one on eBay but I have had mixed results with some AMT kits in the past and I wanted to get some opinions from folks who have already done the kit. Could you give me some of your impressions and experience with this kit? Thanks.
Rich
I built one many years ago. As I recall, fit & detail wasn’t too bad but it was a major tail sitter. I ended up using a brace to hold the tail up. The other problem was the rubber tires which have a tendency to melt. I used resin wheel replacements but I don’t recall the maker.
Regards, Rick
I’ve built two of them, got another in the “hangar”, as well as the F7F-3, and can say that they have plenty of detail, nicely engrave panel lines, engines that BEG for super-detailing, and cockpit(s) that are nice, and also beg or super-detailing…
She’s a BIG Kitty though, and once you weight the nose, you’ll not want to “floor taxi” it as the nosegear is a bit fragile… If you weight the nacelles, you can relieve some pressure on th enose gear though… There’s a fuel drum/ammo-crate “tailstand” included though, if weighting it isn’t something you want to do… But mine’s been sitting on it’s gear for over two years without any deformation of bending…
She comes with two sets of decals, one, an F7F-2 during carrier quals aboard the U.S.S. Antietam in WW2 (April 45), so the red bar isn’t in the National Insignia (that happed in '47) and also has the decals and paint instructions to build an All-Yellow F7F-2N staioned at the Naval Test Center in '48… I think HKShooter built that version… It’s LOUD, an all-yellow aircraft that big!
One warning though… Make sure, and I mean SURE, that you paint the ENTIRE wheel hub on all three gear struts!! The vinyl tires included in the kit will attack the bare plastic for some reason and trun the hubs into goo over time… Even if there’s a smudge of bare plastic…I painted only the outsides of the hubs on my F7F-3 version, and they ruined the wheel-hubs, and I had to replace them with some hubs & tires I dug outta the parts-bin…
But overall, it’s a great kit, IMNHO, although there’s no pilot figure…
I’d say “Go For It!”…
I just put a bid on it. I doubt I will get it but you never know. The person selling it put up an image of the yellow variant. VERY loud 
I’ll stick with the 45 version if I get it. I usually hang them if they are this big. I like to have gear down and flaps extended (which I know will require major surgery) in a final approach position.
The Italeri T-Cat is ok too… It’s MSRP is 35.00, so the one listed is still a good deal… The other AMT T-cat, the F7F-3 is almost indentical to the -2 kit (the difference is in the nose), and at 24.00 and change is AT MSRP already…
The Dash 2/2N is MSRP’d at 16.00 so watch it… I’d let it go if it gets up past 25.00 by very much… 'Course, That’s the 1990’s price…[whstl]
EDIT: Even if you hang it, paint those hubs… But the flaps aren’t much trouble to drop… They’re the “plain flaps” on the F7F, rather than the more complicated sliding “Fowler Flaps”…
Right you are, Hans. I like the kit actually. Plastic is a bit soft but detail is great. I have another in the stash I plan to build as a 3N provided I can come across the CE nose.
To the OP, look up Terry Dean. He makes a premolded lead nose weight that makes the kit easy to sit on it’s nose. I’ve obtained one for my second kit and it will be much easier than using lead shot like I did this kit.
The Italeri re-pop of this kit replaces the vinyl tires with styrene ones on a separate tree.
I haven’t built it yet, but it does look like a nice kit with decent decals too (one of four Marine birds, three based in Korea and one base at Miramar in '46 before they put the red stripe in the national symbols).
i liked it a lot. i don’t remember using any filler at all. detail was enough to keep me happy. i used true details resin wheels to by pass the rubber tyre hassle.my landing gear has been fine despite a lead filled nose. the decals in mine silvered badly so i replaced most of them with aeromaster ones- i only had a partial sheet at the time but i’ve got a couple of them since. the italeri re-issue has proper wheels and a really nice decal sheet as well. i built mine in 2004 and it’s still one of my favourite models. anyway,if you like the subject, it’s the only choice!
Well, the fates must like me today. I managed to snag it on eBay, still factory sealed yet, only $13.50 That’s it for the next month.
With shipping? If so, that’s a great price. My Italeri kit was twice that.
Shipping was like $5. I have been trying to get one of these within my budget for a while now. Finally… lol.
Rich
Rich, I am glad you asked about the AMT Tigercat as I have been shopping for one myself. I’ve bid on a few on ebay yet they seem to go for more than I am willing to pay. I was aware that it was a rather decent kit but it is nice to get some more opinions. With the info you’ve drummed here I may have to be more aggressive in getting one.
Joe
I still had a couple of others on my watch list.
That’s the only sub $20 one still there in 1/48.
Maybe we could get a group build together. We could do a GB for any and all of the Grumman “Cat series”. That might be fun. What do you think?
Rich
Glad ya got it, Sparrow… Let’s see a build log on it! [:P]
Rich, I would very interested in a Tigercat GB. The caviat being that I need to get my hands on one. I have a bid in on a F7F-2 and I picked up a set of resin wheels for $5.50 after reading about the vinyl tires and that issue. I’ll let you know how I fare.
Joe
Hi. What I had in mind was a Build where the builders could choose to build any of the Grumman Cat planes. F4F, F6F, F7F, F8F, F9F, or the F14. Say all in either 1/72 or 1/48 scale for us old timers who can’t do the small stuff anymore. Where did you find the resin wheels? That’s a good price for them and Im thinking of picking some up. If I don’t, I do have a couple of tricks to “Stabilize” the rubber ones that the kit comes with.
Rich
Guys, I completed an AMT Tigercat a few months ago. I was very happy with the fit, the details, and the look of the aircraft. The suggestions that have been thrown out in the previous posts are right on the money. The nose will need to be packed with weight to get it to stand on all three. But the gear is strong enough to hold up. Nice detail, but if you wish, there is room to scratch detail a lot more.
Check out the “ALLEY CAT” Group Build going on right now. There are a couple Tigercats being built there. You may still be able to join. We all enjoy the company. Rick
[quote user=“Sparrowhyperion”]
Hi. What I had in mind was a Build where the builders could choose to build any of the Grumman Cat planes. F4F, F6F, F7F, F8F, F9F, or the F14. Say all in either 1/72 or 1/48 scale for us old timers who can’t do the small stuff anymore. Where did you find the resin wheels? That’s a good price for them and Im thinking of picking some up. If I don’t, I do have a couple of tricks to “Stabilize” the rubber ones that the kit comes with.
Rich
JOE RIX:
Rich, I would very interested in a Tigercat GB. The caviat being that I need to get my hands on one. I have a bid in on a F7F-2 and I picked up a set of resin wheels for $5.50 after reading about the vinyl tires and that issue. I’ll let you know how I fare.
Joe
RICH - Even better as I also have a Hasegawa 1/32 F6F Hellcat and an Eduard 1/48 F6F Hellcat in my stash. Got the wheels on ebay. Appears to be another set there, $2.48, $2.95 SH, Buy iy now - modeldetailer (TD49801)
I’ll check out the wheels. The F7F rounds out my “Cat” collection. Mostly Revell or Monogram 1/48, but one Testors Bearcat. But the Tigercat looks like it is going to be the most fun to build.
There’s Grumman “Alley Cat” group build going on right now, runs until July, and like Wabash said, the more the merrier… I’m already in it with my dash 2 Tigercat, but WAY behind the curve…