Military Model Scene

Title:  TopDrawings, Grumman F4F Wildcat

Author: Oleksandr Boiko

Publisher:  Kagero

ISBN:  978-83-65437-63-1

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Number 48 in the TopDrawings series of books from Kagero, for the Grumman F4F Wildcat.  A softcover book of 17 pages, plus an additional A3 size sheet tucked into it.  It contains fine scale drawings showing the variants in detail in both 1/48 and 1/32 scales.  It starts with the first F4F design, which was for another Grumman biplane, though that was dropped and the mid-mounted wing monoplane became the Wildcat we know.  There are also drawings of a version on floats, as well as those with the conventional wheeled undercarriage.  The other handy drawings include the folded wings.

In addition to the plans, there are 6 pages of very nicely done colour profiles, plus the back cover.  These illustrate Royal Navy Martlets in green/grey camouflage, desert sand and overall dark blue, along with US Navy Wildcats also in a variety of colours and marking schemes from early to later war periods.  A well used aircraft by both the Royal Navy and the US Navy so plenty of scope for the modeller.  With recent, modern production standard kits from Airfix now available, I am sure this will be a popular one.

One other little bonus for modellers that you will find tucked into the pages is a small sheet of foil masks for the cockpit glazing of both 1/72 (Airfix) and 1/48 (Tamiya) models.

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Distributed by Casemate Books, who kindly provided my review copy.

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Robin