Academy, 1:48 Scale, Grumman F4F-4, "Wildcat".
Calling this one to be finished for 2024!
This is a new release of Grumman's stubby little fighter. Academy I think wanted to get this to market for the 80th Anniversary of Midway, but they fell short and Eduard released their awesome kits which i am sure hasn't helped.
Instructions are clearly printed and easy to read. There are markings for six(?) different F4F's that fought the Battle of Midway in June of 1942. I had to be different and chose a "Wildcat" from USS Ranger during the "Torch" landings in November 1942. Markings are for Lt. Cdr. John 'Jack' Raby, the C.O. of VF-9.
That being said, this kit is really, REALLY nice. Detail is fine and very well done inside and out. The engine and wheel bay are like small models all by themselves. So is the cockpit. The whole kit is well engineered. I was really impressed with the way the wing fold is designed, Very strong joint and it looks the part. If you build the wings extended it will be just as good a seam there at the fold too-no gaps.
In addition to the folded wing option, Academy give a set of masks which were very good. Also the choice for open or closed cowl flaps and two different canopy hood, depending if you want it open or closed. A small PE fret is provided for the belts and the seal detail.
In closing I highly recommend this new "Wildcat". It really is a nice kit, everything fits very well and has a boatload of detail where you want to see it. I still Eduard makes a better model of the F4F and I would rate that kit higher than this kit, but the Academy kit is superior to both Tamiya and Hobby Boss...in my opinion...
Thanks for reading this and it's on to the next one!
So many model, so little time...y'all
I'm glad someone built this one. I was curious how it compared to the Eduard one.
Excellent model.
I think it compares favorably to be honest. The Eduard kit has much finer detail and is the better of the two kits, but this Academy is pretty close. It is better than the Tamiya and Hobby Boss kits. And you HAVE to love the wing fold option... Folded or not, the fit is good either way.
I'd been wondering about this one. Thanks for the demonstration of its goodness. Great work.
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this kit, Tom. You are a LOT more analytical than I am.
Well done, Frederick! An excellent result and great info on the Academy offering!
Thank you, Spiros!
That's a wonderful Wildcat, Frederick @fjs3
Beautiful paintwork and weathering.
Thank you, John.
A great build - congratulations! Inspiring - to which the excellent photographs contribute!
Thank you, Roland. These pictures came out decent...for my talent level. I've never been known for my camera work.
Gorgeous weathering, really nice.
Thanks, Felix!
Very impressive and detailed build, Frederick!
Nice wear and tear too.
Congrats on this one.
Thank you, Alfred. This is the kit as it builds straight from the box. The only thing I used differently were the decals.
Well done, Frederick.
Thank you Gary.
Really sweet work. I love the finish.
Thanks, Brian!
Thanks for your input and fine model. academy Zero model 21 and this one the F-4F have some pretty good reviews elsewhere and the price tag is very competitive.
I have been looking to find a good deal to buy this kit, just because of the folding wings. Eduard might have a finer kit as you mention but folding wings is brassin extra, so more €€€.
I’m very glad to have solid competition it only favours each one’s taste
Thank you, Pedro.
I have also read that the Academy A6M is very nice as well. I have yet to build that one. I do like the way Academy engineered the wing fold. It is a very strong joint and it goes together seamlessly. If you decide to extend the wings, the system is equally strong and I found the fit was tight and had no weird bumps or gaps that needed attention. Granted the Eduard kit is a much finer detailed kit but, if you want to fold the wings, or redo the engine, or anything else to enhance the kit, it'll cost you, on average, depending on the upgrade, $15, $20, $30 US. Might as well buy another model! 😉
That is a good-looking 'Cat - well done!
Thanks, Greg.
Very well done - I like the wing fold, looks good!
Thank you, Charles
Outstanding build and excellent painting, Frederick! You've really got the wing-fold detail to show clearly and realistically. I got this a couple of weeks ago and have so far managed to clip away the main parts for pre-painting the interiors - along with the other manufacturers' kits for an F4F extravaganza! It does look like a good kit. In looking over the kits available now, I wonder most about the treatment of the inter-cooler ducting, from Tamiya's literally half-a$$ed approach, to Eduard's and Academy's nicely done complete back-side half-a$$ed, to HobbyBoss's limitedly detailed front you'll never see and back side approach. The same goes for the oil tank (?) which Tamiya molded the mounting frame for but left out the tank itself, while everyone else managed the tank if not always its filler tube. The various cockpits all seem to get to about the same place, save that Tamiya has a builder-mostly-correctable solid floor that makes the fuselage windows irrelevant and misses most of the right panel switches (I'm not trying to be snotty about Tamiya's kit, as its quality must be judged by its age, but the recent re-release should have had more attention paid to these out-dated and correctable glitches rather than just sticking in a new US pilot figure), the HobbyBoss instrument panel needs a decal, and the Eduard has all variations from simple to assemble to impossibly complex for those of us with older eyes and fingers. Academy's product-development team really missed the show with the late release of their A6M2 with Pearl Harbor markings boxed as Midway, and now this kit boxed correctly but after the anniversary. Nevertheless, both look like excellent kits well worth building by those of us for whom Eduard's increasing attention to minutiae has come a bit late.
Thanks Christopher,
There a lot of insight in your response that I completely agree with. I still love the Tamiya kit for it's simplicity. However it does have it shortcomings. Hobby Boss is a little better details in areas, but the detail of same seems 'clunky'? Not that the Hobby Boss is a bad model, between the two I like the Tamiya kit better. The Eduard kits are amazing, but you'd better have on you updated eyeglasses for them. I have built one so far, and have opted for the 'plastic only' approach and have not used any of the PE they provide. Funny thing is, with the PE they give you, no engine harness, which is the one piece I would use. The Academy kit has a lot more detail than the Tamiya and Hobby Boss kit and it's details are finely done. Not to the extent of Eduard, but it's there. In my opinion it falls between the Eduard and Tamiya kits. Thank you again for your insight.
Great work on what looks like a nice kit.
Thanks, John
Very sharp Wildcat, nice job!
Thanks, Joe
G’day Frederick (@fjs3),
This is a great looking build.
I have each of the other F4F kits in the stash, so maybe I should add this one.
A wing fold out of the box is very tempting, especially if it is as easy as you say.
Liked very much!
Thank you, Michael, and it IS as easy as 1-2-3. Plus it's a fairly strong join as well.
Great looking model, awesome detail on the wing fold! Thanks for posting a review of this kit, have wondered about it (and Academy's A6M2) as to how they compared to the others.
Thank you Doug
Very nice work, Frederick. I recently bought a copy of the kit and look forward to building it. Can you let us know what paints you used? I still have some hoarded bottles of Floquil Military Colors Blue-Gray, but I've also just invested in a bottle of Mr. Color as well as some MRP Light Gray and AK Real Colors Bronze Green.
Good Morning, Pip,
First off, thank you. Secondly, I used a custom mix of Tamiya acrylics and a 50/40 ratio of paint to thinner plus a little of their paint retarder. I used to use the Floquil paints a lot and they were fabulous although I thought the Blue grey looked a tad greenish? It looked weird to me. The MRP is really nice and the Mr.Color, (Which I have not used but have seen many models painted with it...) looks great too. Even Model Master, (If you can find it...) looks fine.