Does anyone have any comments/critiques on the overall quality, fit, detail, etc on the Tamiya 1/48 scale F4F Wildcat?
I am looking at buying one but before I do I would like to know what people think of the particular kit.
Thanks in advance for your comments/help
Jamie
In my humble opinion it is a "shake & bake’'. Very nice kit. which we know is not unusual for Tamiya.
I just bought one last week. It appears to be a great kit. There is only one thing wrong that I noticed. For some reason Tamiya molded a complete cockpit floor. Which, as you may or may not know, is wrong. They did mold the foot troughs as a raised detail on to the floor. I plan to remove the areas of the floor around the foot troughs. This will require some scratchbuilding of the control linkages and control stick attachment. Other than that, the kit is outstanding. I like the way Tamiya engineered the kit. The first thing you do is put the fuselage together, then everything else is built up from the bottom. Reminds me of an Accurate Miniatures kit build up style.
I would definately recommend this kit to you.
Feel free to E-mail me with any qusetions or comments if you want. I would love to get your opinions and feedback on it as well.
Darren
Like Teise said, it’s a “shake-n-bake” kit. Matter of fact, this kit goes together so easily…
When I got mine, I set it on the counter at the hobby shop and a kid ran by and knocked it onto the floor. I got home, opened it up and it was already together! Painted, decaled and everything. Semi-true story.
Seriously, though, it’s a great fitting kit and you should have few problems with it, if any.
Fade to Black…
Hey Ya,
Blackwolf, I hope that kid was not me LMAO!!!.
I built two, count them two Wildcats. So far I feel this kit was the most fun I have ever had in building a kit. (Basically this kit would not become a lawn dart…!!!) W/ minor tweeking, this kit is a two thumbs up[:D] Flaps up, Mike
LET’S ROLL…!!!
Hey ya again,
The Tamiya F4F Wildcat has one of the best fits that I have seen. The panel lines are well represented. The canopy fits like a gem and its frame stands out nicley. Which means when it comes to masking the windows, you have a definite pattern to follow.
The cockpit floor molding is the only error that I see as to Darrenbb discription above and w/ a lil research. With that minor flaw, it would not stop me from building a beaut of an a/c unless that really bothers you. Enjoy your purchase.
Flaps up, Mike
There are interior sets for the Tamiya F4F, available from the usual suspects, which address the floor issue, although grinding off the excess material will probably work, and is the approach I took on Hasegawa’s 1/72 F4F-3, after using the True Details resin set on the FM-1 from the same source.
Thanks folks for the ringing endorsement on the kit. I will definitely go out and buy it, and probably add a cockpit set in order to correct the floor issue. Does Black Box make a resin set for this one?
Cheers and happy modeling,
Jamie
Gen Lee
True Details has a interior for her. Black box I’m not too sure about. If I’m not mistaken they do not have one yet. Flaps up,Mike
There is a resin Drop-in cockpit from Aries. All you have to do is prime it and drop it in. It works great and it’s under $10 US!
I just finished building that same kit , and like everyone else said…it was a great “build”…fit was excellent, and for a change, the landing gear was not fragile as in most models.