Arma Hobby 1/72 F4F-4 Wildcat Build-Review

Today's report is dedicated to Arma Hobby 1/72 F4F-4 Wildcat. I reviewed this plastic kit some time ago, but now it was interesting to actually assemble everything together. Out of the box plastic looks great, and in this article I will show you what is actually copied in the package. I highly recommend to watch the video-report as you will see even more there. :)

By the way, here you can read review with the plastic kit where I show parts in clean form.
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Here are some facts about this aircraft:

Development: Designed in the late 1930s, the F4F-4 was an evolution of the earlier F4F-3 Wildcat. It addressed limitations like heavier weight by introducing folding wings for easier carrier storage.

Service Entry: Entering service in 1940, the Wildcat became the primary fighter for the U.S. Navy by the war's outbreak.

Early Battles: Despite being outclassed by newer Japanese fighters, the Wildcat's ruggedness, maneuverability, and skilled pilots proved decisive in crucial battles like Coral Sea and Midway, halting Japanese advances.

Later Role: As newer fighters like the F6F Hellcat became available, the Wildcat transitioned to training and escort roles.

Legacy: Though overshadowed by later aircraft, the F4F-4 Wildcat's early wartime performance and pilot skill were instrumental in defending the Pacific during a critical period.

As usual, first I recommend to watch video-report with the build of this small fighter aircraft.

Everything starts with the landing gear bay. Here you have to use PE parts and I left the tweezers so that you can understand the size of this assembly.

Arma Hobby supplies nicely detailed engine out of the box, so it is just a matter of careful assembly and painting. Some of the parts are a bit fiddly, but manageable with tweezers.

Assembled and painted cockpit looks like this. Yes, there are PE belts included too.

I have to say that details are quite cool for this size, it is just painting them might take some time. :D

Next step is to install both engine and the cockpit into fuselage half. Overall fitment is quite nice and guiding elements will help you with the right placement.

I applied primer, then preshaded all panel lines for a bit weathered/tired look and covered whole model with blue.

As you can see, preshading gives a bit more contrast and weary look, what was typical for Wildcats.

Note that engine was left off during painting stage and now can be installed back on the model. Here you can also see decals applied.

In theory it is not necessary to glue the cowling as this way you will be able to show the engine underneath.

Next photos show the final result of the assembly.

I have to say that overall quality of the kit is really top notch. All parts fit nicely and don't require any additional fixing. Moreover, such small scale might be also interesting for beginners, who are brave enough to work with PE. I also like the fact that manufacturer tried to copy many features into such tiny package. Even with the closed canopy it is visible that there are many details inside, and you can also expose the engine. The only thing that could be handy here - pilot on the wing, so that it would be easier to understand the size of the aircraft.

Get the same kit and some others on official Arma Hobby website.

Pros

• Nice molding quality
• Clever design of parts
• PE included
• Great decals to apply

Cons

• Small size might be tricky for some modelers