I’m working on a Tamiya 1/48 F4F-4 and have a couple reference questions.
The kit instructions for painting the formation lights has them bright colors, and I see a lot of folks finishing their builds accordingly. I’ve grabbed just about every image I can find off the internets of Wildcats across all varients, including historical and contemporary refurbs and haven’t been able to find even a single image where the formation lights are visible. Also, the molded detail looks more like regular access panels than lights. I’m inclined to just treat like the rest of the underside in the light grey camo color, but if I’m missing something will certainly address. What’s the story there?
I see a lot of modelers putting on heavy cordite burn stains on the wing behind the guns and following the ejection ports, but I can’t find a single reference image showing this. To follow up, I searched images for any WWII fighter, and can’t find any precidence at all. Was that a real thing, or is that artistic interpretation?
I like your attention to detail, IMO that’s what modelling is all about. While I don’t know much specifically about the F4F, maybe I could help you more generally. Let’s start from the end - those gray squares are probably there to represent the reainders of tape or something similar that was put over the guns before takoff to minimize the drag and protect the guns from salt water spray and debris that might enter the gun barrels. Once you shoot the guns the tape gets pierced. Of course that can only be done in aircraft where the guns don’t protrude beyond the sheet metal.
I don’t know about those burns around the casing ejection ports - depends on the gun in question, propellant charge in question and other things. I’d say omit unless you can find a photo that proves it, or some other clue.
Those lights - from what I have seen on other aircraft, they only look bright when lit, otherwise they seem almost black. so then it depends on you how you want to show them.
Hope it helps - good luck with your build and please show some pictures! Have a nice day
Thanks so much. That all makes so much sense and is very helpful.
Covering the gun barrells in that environment—the descriptions of planes scrambling on Henderson field kicking up so much dust that after the first few visibility was almost nothing—would be smart. I replaced the molded guns with aluminum tubes, not sure yet if want to model the tape. In my head I’ve been thinking of my subject as being prior to take off, but I don’t want to cover the barrels.
I want to model it parked, so dark formation lights make sense. I wonder if it’s worth it to drill out and put in transparent or semi-transparent plastic for lenses? Since the interior of the fuselage is dark, they read dark, but not opaque like paint would.
Thanks for the interest in pics of the build. I’m not very diligent at documenting as I go, but will be trying to get some sort of build log up in the aircraft forum soon.
Glad I could help. With the lights - I wouldn’t bother with clear plastic, I believe a drop of clear (maybe tinted, over a dark background) would absolutely do.
