Whew! Glad this one is done. This is Trumps 1/32 Wildcat. Overall, A great kit with good engine and office detail. I got Verlindens resin office upgrade but didn’t use it. The kit parts were better and cleaner. That was $25 wasted. This build was a pain. Had all sorts of problems along the way but I pushed on thru. I managed to gash my finger open twice with my xacto and also dropped it only to watch it stick in my thigh. I didn’t opt for doing the folding wings and the moving flaps. The engine and strut framework was frustrating and didn’t fit too well. Overall, I’m OK with it but it’s not my best work. I used some leftover aeromaster decals that were pretty close to scale. Comments and crit welcomed…
Very nicely weathered and finished, that’s what I’d like my model of a Wildcat to be done like. I do think Trumpeter sort of missed on the propeller, though. The cuffs look oversize, maybe the blades are a bit thin as well, or maybe it is the photo (which are all also very good) that just makes it look that way.
I looks great Wulf. The paint chipping is nicely done as is the panel lines. I think thats one of the better 3 tone US paint jobs I’ve seen, I think you nailed it. They painted them and retouched it by hand with no masking, so there should be a feathered line between colors. Getting that feathered (overspeary) look to scale can be hard sometimes. If you mask them off and produce a hard line It just doesn’t look right at all. I see alot of corsairs like that. I like the tight somewhat uneven line between the white and blue/gray I have pics that show that same thing. As for accuracy I can’t comment, I possess little knowledge of the wildcat, I’m more of a corasir/hellcat guy. Even though you had to spill blood to built it, the end result is excellent Wulf.
Looking at your photo’s she looks good to me[tup], the paint job and shadding is excellent! Don’t feel bad about the xacto…I was digging out a panel on a German vehicle and the blade slipped and buried into my right knee…think of the movie "Young Frankenstein " 3 stitches.
Amazing job on this one! Once again, you have raised the bar. I especially like the subtle weathering and the overall finish, striking to say the least!
Andy: my only constructive criticism is to invest in a pair of Exacto Armor pants. Other than that, she ended up looking like a Wildcat, and she’s probably more impressive in person than in photo’s. I hear it;s a great kit and you just proved it.
You have set a new level for us to aspire to with this build, Wulf! That is one of the most realistic builds I have ever seen! However, I mostly admire your “blood, sweat and tears” approach to kit building! [;)]. Thanks for sharing with us, I cannot say enough about the work you did on this one! [bow]
