Were there any other paint schemes for the Wildcat other than the blue-gray over light gray? Did they incorporate the tri color to the Wildcat? Any info will be appreciated…
Andy
There were a few “Hot Rod” Wildcats in the tri-color sceme. Aeromaster did a 1/48 decal sheet with markings for several Tri-Color Wildcats, but I fear it’s long OOP.
Regards, Rick
Wildcats were around long enough to get just about every paint scheme, from the yellow wings, the tri-color scheme, the overall dark sea blue, and the Atlanic light grey over white. The British had some pretty good paint schemes too. Happy decal hunting!
It all depends on the period and version you’re thinking of portraying. A 3-tone Wildcat would be most likely found after the Hellcat replaced them as front-line carrier fighters, so it would more than likely be an FM-2 flying off of an escort carrier doing anti-sub duty.
Squadron’s F4F Wildcat in Action has a photo of an FM-2 clearly wearing 3-tone camo, lfying off of the USS Hoggatt Bay (CVE-75). While I don’t know for sure, I would assume that ship was engaged in anti-sub patrols in the Atlantic.
All in all, it’s pretty safe to say that most actual F4F Wildcats went with the 2-tone pattern while they were seeing front-line duty (in the sense that they were the US Navy’s front-line fighters).
Final note - if you’re after a different look for a Wildcat than the same old 2-tone, you might consider doing one up as a Royal Navy Martlet - they had some nice-loooking camouflage patterns.
Thanks guys…
actually I am thinking of doing the Marlet scheme. It’s a toss up!
You know, Wulf - I’m glad you asked this question. I’ve been knocking myself out trying to decide what to do with my Monogram 1/48 F4F-4, since I really would like to convert it to an F4F-3 but don’t have anywhere near the skills yet to pull it off with any hope of success. Making it a Martlet would be different enough to make it a fun project - there really isn’t much you can do with that Monogram kit. I never would have considered it if you hadn’t gotten me to pull out my Squadron in-Action book and given all the different color schemes the once-over. Thanks!!!
The Tamiya F4F-4 1/48 kit has some markings from VF-22 flying off of the USS Independence in a three tone scheme.
Wulf -
To expand on what others have already said, I’ve seen photos of 3-tone F4F-4’s apparently in stateside training units, and FM-1’s also (which differed only in armament.) In the Atlantic anti-sub role, the two-tone gray/white scheme was prevalent. Fewer late Wildcat photos are available from the Pacific, where Hellcats and Corsairs got all the glory. There, FM-2’s started in 3-tone, then switched to Dark Sea Blue some time in 1945.
Of special interest to modelers, around 1944 all classes of carriers in the Pacific started using special ID markings on their planes, first with various geometric shapes such as the solid triangle on the 3-tone FM-2 photo. On escort carriers these were later replaced by hi-viz stripes and bars on wingtips and tails, in white and sometimes yellow also, each CVE having its own pattern. These were also applied to TBM’s, and to F6F’s and F4U’s when flown from CVE’s. Larger carriers, CV and CVL class, had separate schemes, such as the Essex double diamond. With a little research and a good photo or two, you might find a scheme for your model that could be done with just paint, without needing special decals.
HTH
Dick
One other scheme on US wildcats not mentioned here; the pre war overall gray that replaced the “yellow wings”. But yes, F4F’s wore all naval paint jobs in their career at one point or another. Yellow Wings, overall Gray, Blue Gray over Gray, Tri Color, Gray over White anti Sub, and overall Sea Blue. And that’s just U.S.N./ U.S.M.C.!
–quote user=“alumni72”–
You know, Wulf - I’m glad you asked this question. I’ve been knocking myself out trying to decide what to do with my Monogram 1/48 F4F-4, since I really would like to convert it to an F4F-3 but don’t have anywhere near the skills yet to pull it off with any hope of success.
Skills?
To convert to an -3 is simple:
Buy a Tamiya 1/48th scale kit.
Do not fold the wings-make them solid, fill in any “odd lines” that reveal folding seams.
Install a straight pitot tube instead of using the underwing one in the kit.
Install long blast tubes for the wing guns (four-two each wing)
Trim the “cuffs” off the prop and remove the scoop from the upper cowling(optional) if you really want to be exacting.
Paint it in overall silver, with yellow wing uppers and a colored tail marking, depending on the carrier group you are seeking to depict.
Scrounge some different scale star decals for the forward fuselage.
It is not as though you have to install cowling guns, etc.
At least that is what I am working at this time.
See this website:
Tom [C):-)]
there was the oyster white/blue scheme for the anti sub jeep carriers in the atlantic and the royal navy colours (note the u.k. spelling of colorrs!) your best bet is to buy squadrons f4f in action book. dave
Not that simple when I haven’t built a kit since 1989.
I am the reason there is a Tamiya F4F-4 kit. I caused it by starting out on a conversion of the Monogram kit to an F4F-3 some years ago. This was before the F4F-3’s were pulled out of Lake Michigan and there were no good drawings of the wings. I was able to find a photograph from straight above that was pretty good, and the old Detail and Scale on the F-4F had drawings of the wing lowers, so I muddled through that. After I had filled and sanded and rescribed the wings ad nauseum, the Tamiya kit came out. What to do… There was no way I was starting over, I had already also reworked the cowl to one of the -3 variations, the one with the upper scoop and the single cowl flaps on each side. The Tamiya kit became a donor for the cockpit, engine, inside cowl scoops, prop, landing gear, and engine/landing bay parts. Then the F4F-3’s came out of the water and Detail and Scale published a new book on the F4F-3 with all of my questions answered. Well, my rendition of the upper wing panel lines wasn’t too bad, but I missed the two inboard gun barrels sticking out of the wing, and now I see that I blew it on the wing painting, since I painted the lower surfaces yellow instead of silver. Somehow I also forgot to paint the tailwheel black. I guess it isn’t finished yet, as I haven’t put an antenna wire on it either. However, I will stand by the cuffed prop, as I have photos showing one on a Bu No very close to the one on my model. By the way, the fuselage is painted with Testors silver, several times as when I painted the stripes it pulled the silver up when I took off the tape. And the silver does dry, but it took more than a year on this model.
So, the only things I see on Tom’s list that I might differ are the 2 instead of four visible gun barrels, different panel lines on most of the inboard sections of the wings top and bottom, and that a cuffed prop may be OK on some -3’s but not all. There are so many cowl variations on -3’s that the only hope is Detail and Scale (the new one published in 2000) and photo references.
Whoa there, Mindfade!! I couldn’t believe I did it so I looked again, and I did paint the wing lowers silver with the yellow wrapping around the leading edge. Why would I doubt myself so? (Rhetorical question, no need to answer)
John, that’s a great looking dash 3.
BTW, believe it, the memory is the second thing to go. I have to go back and verify any statement I think about making here. Next I’ll be writing down that I verified it so I don’t forget again!
Dick