This decal set is intended for the Eduard 1/48 F4F-3 Wildcat and is one of the three Wildcat decals sets from Starfighter Decals. The Early USN Wildcats set provides markings for six different aircraft: F4F-3A Number 3916 Ens. Daniels VF6; F4F-3A Bu. Number 3914 Lt. Rawle VF-6; F4F-3A Bu. Number 4031 Lt. E. O’Hare VF-2; F4F-3A Bu. Number 3976 Lt. J.S. Thatch VF-2; F4F-3 Bu. Number 2531 Ens. McCuskey VF-42 and F-1 Bu. No. 4031 Lt. Cmdr. Paul L. Ramsey.

The decals are easy to work with, however, there are a few things to watch out for. The tail rudder decals are larger than the kit’s rudder piece. To get the edges to lay down, you will need to apply MicroSol or a similar product. Apply a decal on one side and allow it to fully dry, and then apply the opposite side. BUT…pay attention to the strips so that they line up. Next, use care when positioning. These decals are thin, and moving them around too much on the surface of the plane will cause them to tear.

Eduard’s new F4F-3 Wildcat is a beautiful and well-engineered kit. The recessed panel lines, raised and recessed rivets are gorgeous. The kit contains five gray and one clear sprues, beautiful pre-painted photo-etch parts and a decal sheet, which provides markings for six different planes.

The kit, however, is not without its flaws. The 58-gallon drop tank, which all productions of the F4F-3 could carry, is absent from the instructions. There is mistake with the decal callouts (what is identified as Nr. 59 should be Nr. 54). There are raised demarcation lines on the edges of the prop blades for the yellow tips. These should be sanded down. There is nothing inside the wings to hold the guns, so when you insert them into the holes, they won’t stop and you could easily lose a gun inside the wing and end up with a rattle.

Manufacturer’s Kit Notes

‘Desert Storm’

“US aircraft OV-10A and OV-10D+, 1991

The United States military in Vietnam quickly realized the need for attack helicopters to support both ground forces and cargo helicopters. The AH-1G was the first specifically designed attack helicopter (it was originally designated the UH-1H, but the “A” was added for the attack designation, but when the ubiquitous “Huey” Iroquois UH-1D became the UH-1H, the Huey Cobra became the AH-1G) and made its combat debut in August 1967 with the US Army.

The US Marine Corps also saw a need for attack helicopters and 38 AH-1Gs were transferred from the Army in 1969 as an interim measure until the USMC’s requirement for twin-engine Cobras (AH-1J) were available. This kit has markings for three of these AH-1G Cobras (the fourth is for a US Navy Test Pilot School aircraft).

Historical Background

The hobby of modeling has been around for almost as long as mankind, perfected in the later centuries by sailors aboard ships, who occupied free time by building ship models. In the twentieth century, with the development of airplanes and motorized vehicles, modeling expanded, with the appearance of kits made of wood, plastic, metals, and other materials. With this amount of activity, modeling became a popular activity, and publications and organizations began to appear throughout the world. The development of plastic kits probably began in England before World War II, and the use of models for military recognition training gave more people experience with the activity. American high school students build model airplanes for the military from plans provided by the military, and other models were produced of ships and vehicles for those services. Boys of that generation all built models of one kind or another.