Grumman Widgeon USCG
I present my build of the Classic Airframes Widgeon.
I chose the USCG markings because of its story, but also because I didn't have any WW2 era Coast Guard Aircraft in my collection. The USCG did a lot to protect the Eastern Seaboard. I am especially proud of the hatch on the fuselage top- I used a trip to the museum in Pensacola to get lots of close up shots of theirs.
I also am proud of the stainless steel wires I used for rigging. I love Classic Airframes- wish they had put out a SOC-3 Seagull before going into hiatus.
You mean the hatch wasn't molded in on the kit...? You created the look of the wooden props to a "T", Dan - nice job.
Sorry, I need to clarify, the part is provided, but you need to work with it a bit to make it look like the real thing- not a simple insertion of the part.
Thanks for the compliment on the props- not to toot my own horn but it looks way better in proper lighting conditions...
Very nice, particularly since I know it's not an easy kit.
Thanks Tom! I need to figure out how to shoot these kits better. I appreciate the kind comment.
Very very nice Dan. I do have a secret liking for flying boats, must be something to do with watching "Tale of the Gold Monkey" when I was young.. 🙂
Cheers
Jim
Loved that show too! Bought a 1/48 Grumman Goose because of it! It will be produced as a standard WW2 tricolour USN Goose though! In case you are interested, there is an aftermarket sheet that allows you to do "Cutter's Goose"!
Well Done, Dan !
As the guy who provided most of the information to Jules at Classic Airframes for the kit I have to say YOU did a spectacular job.
I see a couple small things that you missed (not to toot MY horn, but few people know the Widgeon as well as I do) that aren't in the inst. sheet.
But all in all, You Done Good on a kit that like Tom said isn't a particularly easy one.
please tell me more on the items that I could have added! What I thought would be a quick build ended up taking twice as long because of my interest in the widgeon and trying to get it right. I have to say I really love this little kit!
I wasn't going to say anything, but others said if you don't make the corrections other builders will make the same mistakes.
You really have to be picking the fly poop out of the pepper to see what you missed.
But since you asked :
Photo 1, the spray rail that wraps around the bow and back to the wheel wells shouldn't be there, they didn't come along until well after WW II.
Photo 2, the bow cleat is just a blob, not your fault, that's the way it is in the kit, I made new ones from stretched sprue in the kits I'm working on.
Also, the accessory section vents on top of the nacelles could have been feathered in a little better.
Photo 3, the nav lights shouldn't stand proud but be a half round teardrop and flush on the wing tip, again a kit error.
Photo 4, you didn't use the long step hull extension (Part 17), all Grumman built G-44s and J4Fs had the long step (the post war G-44A and French built SCAN had the short step [they cut 9 inches off] you have on your build, most Widgeons now have the short step).
Also in pic. 4, the back 1/3d of the exhaust pipe should be bent up a little (it hangs too low) and a piece of stretched sprue should be glued between the very upper tip of the pipe and the bottom of the wing.
Still in pic.4 on the USCG J4F-1 to gain access to the top hatch there were 2 small steps that were mounted on the left side of the hull.
The bottom one was on the chine about a foot in front of the second step, the second was about 1/2 way up the side and forward of the bottom one, about a foot behind the middle of the small side door.
They are pretty small, about 4 in deep X 7 in. long.
Like I said, you really have to be anal about these things to know what what was missed (Who ME ?!?!?!).
I can send you photos of what I described if you want.
All in all a nice build though.
Where were you when I was building? 🙂
The instructions did not stress enough about the step, but I did use the kit part!
I will probably sort out the wingtip lights as I was sure it wasn't right, but had to go on the available info (instructions)
missed the steps you mentioned but I am sure I will see them when I look at the museum pics from Pensacola!
I appreciate all you said- thanks!
Take Bill's constructive comments as if etched in stone. In all the years I've been acquainted with him, I've known him to be THE "go-to" guy for these type aircraft. If he says it's so, believe me, it's so. HTH
Heck, I'm all over the place, Seawings forum, HyperScale, my Grumman Yahoo groups.
I'm about as hard to find as a penny. LOL
The NMNA removed the upper entry step to keep people from climbing on it and the bottom one is kind of hard to see.
Do a Google image search for J4F-1 and you'll probably find at least one pic. that shows them.
Or wait a few days, I'll add a subsection to the Widgeon walk around I posted in the Groups Section here.
Heck, I'm all over the place, Seawings forum, HyperScale, my Grumman Yahoo groups.
I'm about as hard to find as a penny. LOL
The NMNA removed the upper entry step to keep people from climbing on it and the bottom one is kind of hard to see.
Do a Google image search for J4F-1 and you'll probably find at least one pic. that shows them.
Or wait a few days, I'll add a subsection to the Widgeon walk around I posted in the Groups Section here.
Thanks for the vote of confidence Craig, but I do find errors now & again, mostly due to new info being discovered.
For such seemingly simple airplanes the Widgeon has a very complicated history.
Dan, I posted those photos in the walk around section.
(Sorry about the double post above, I was trying to correct the first one)
Very nice clean build Dan. I am fond of that whole series of aircraft from Grumman. I am actually currently employed in the restoration/renovation of a Goose. It is a veteran of WWII and the Alaska Department of Interior. I can tell you these planes were built TOUGH. You wouldn't believe the rivet count! I am glad I don't worry about trying to duplicate them all on most models. Great build again Dan.
thanks man- I wish I was in a position that I could retire and work on restorations of historic aircraft - then go up for test flights! However, the current historic aviation restoration biz in Bermuda is non-existent!
I don't know if you would want to give up the balmy weather of Bermuda for ours up here in the Seattle area, but it is a lot of fun and my boss is a great guy!
I LOVE the SEATAC area. My wife and I came through on a short trip with family, then came through again to take a cruise, but also stayed a while after to drive around. Love the feel of the whole place- also went to that awesome museum north of seattle - can't remember the name- awesome airframes- they have a Storch among others.
Walt, are you working on N642 ?
You don't get to see these built very often. This is great.
I was very tempted to get a second, but I have to keep my kit acquisition under control!