The little-known actual history of this airplane - from the story told me by Marion Carl at the 1992 AFAA convention - is that it was actually a "hangar queen" at Espiritu Santo. Af ter getting out of Guadalcanal alive, Carl was told he was to do a "press availabilty" and it was desired he be photographed on "his" airplane. "We didin't have individual airplanes at Henderson - you flew the first one you got to that worked," as he told it. So he and a Gunnery Sergeant found this unflyable parts supply in a hangar, wheeled it out, stuck 16 Japanese flag stickers on it, and he was photographed sitting on the wing and in the cockpit, and this became forever, "Marion Carl's Wildcat." (this happened with all the Marines in the south Pacific - all those "Pappy Boyington Corsairs" are him sitting in the nearest available airplane, with stickers under the cockpit to make it "his airplane")
Beautiful work. The paint job turned out great.
Nice work and a solid result.
The little-known actual history of this airplane - from the story told me by Marion Carl at the 1992 AFAA convention - is that it was actually a "hangar queen" at Espiritu Santo. Af ter getting out of Guadalcanal alive, Carl was told he was to do a "press availabilty" and it was desired he be photographed on "his" airplane. "We didin't have individual airplanes at Henderson - you flew the first one you got to that worked," as he told it. So he and a Gunnery Sergeant found this unflyable parts supply in a hangar, wheeled it out, stuck 16 Japanese flag stickers on it, and he was photographed sitting on the wing and in the cockpit, and this became forever, "Marion Carl's Wildcat." (this happened with all the Marines in the south Pacific - all those "Pappy Boyington Corsairs" are him sitting in the nearest available airplane, with stickers under the cockpit to make it "his airplane")
Fully agree with the above comments, a beautiful build, Zoran @sivcev
Very nicely done Zoran.
We do love our Wildcats. Great build & finish, Zoran. Really do dig that shade of blue on your 'cat.
Great build, Zoran!
Great paint and panel lines. Hope to do this well someday.
G’day Zoran (@sivcev),
Nicely done.
Liked!
Nicely done!