Both done +++ Two Continental F4F Wildcats: France & Belgium

[Dizzyfugu]

A hot topic for the BoB GB, since the F4F had been ordered by some countries and were never delivered to their final destination. Greece will certainly not fit, but Belgium and/or France are potential whif candidates.
An Aéronavale Wildcat would be rather simple and straightforward, but what would a Belgian one look like? Dark Green/Dark Earth/Alo Dope, like the Huricanes?

[Captain Canada]

Interesting ! One of those ideas where you wonder why it hasn't been done yet.

[Dizzyfugu]

Second that. Found an AZ model kit with British, Greek and French markings - that made me wonder...



The F4F is, together with the Brewster Buffalo (also ordered by Belgium), a great type for this GB. Now the recent impulse purchase of an F4F trio from Hobby Boss starts to make sense...   I might even tackle a French and a Belgium one together?

[Captain Canada]

Neat stuff. I'd never seen 2 out of 3 of those ! Now I want to build a Wildcat myself 

[zenrat]

Is that green & PRU blue camo?  (I can't read the text).  It looks very good and has given me some ideas.

[Dizzyfugu]

I am also puzzled about the colors - but NEVER EVER trust print colors or their representation on a monitor screen.
Actually, the RAF version hangs in a UK museum, restored in 2013 to what is supposed to be the original colors:



I assume that these are Pre WWII "Dark Sea Green" (not Dark Salte Grey) and "Dark Sea Grey". The green is a VERY penetrating, bottle green tone, much like FS 34092 or Humbrol 88.

A model of it (and others) can be found here: http://www.gengriz.co.uk/RNPropsweb/RNprops2c.htm

Looks weird, but why not take it and add Belgian markings? I guess that's what the Belgian Wildcats were supposed to look like upon delivery, and when they arrived at GB only the roundels were changed.

For the French one I'd rather take other Aéronavale aircraft of that era as benchmark. One option could be a grey/green scheme, waht the French SBC Helldovers carried, but I already made the similar VG-38. So I might rather use a uniform blue-grey from abobe, and a pale grey below - inspired by Latecoère 298 torpedo bombers. The Tricolore on the stabilizer rudders is nice - only the navy machines had these.

[Thorvic]

This might help:-

http://www.fleetairarm.com/Uploads/Files/en-GB/martlet%20history%20and%20project.PDF



The museum stripped back the later paint layers to discover the originial Grumman applied scheme and colour matched that to apply to the fuselage, so its authentic for the period you want.

[Dizzyfugu]

And it rather looks like two greens? Interesting. A mix of Humbrol 120 and some 88 might work for the light tone, and 91 for the dark. THAT with Belgian roundels...  Sounds like a winner.

Thanks a lot for digging this pic up! 

[Captain Canada]

Great stuff ! Thanks for that info Geoff. I love the first pic tho with her all surrounded by model kits 

[PR19_Kit]

Great stuff ! Thanks for that info Geoff. I love the first pic tho with her all surrounded by model kits 

That's because it was taken at the annual Yeovilton Model Day, a splendid affair where the clubs' and trader's stands are all in there with the museum's aircraft.

My club used to exhibit there and our usual position was in front of the Albacore. It's somewhat of a shaker when you lean back on this handy wing that's behind you, and then you realise that it's the ONLY Albacore left in the entire world!

[Captain Canada]

Wow...that would be an experience Kit ! Be a lot of inadvertent theft as people pic up kits whilst gawking at the real aeroplanes all around them ! Seeing the Albacore would be a real treat. Just don't be like that kid on the video I was watching the other day and trip and poke your hand through it  Someday I'll get over to Yeovil. Really wish it were before the Sea Kings go tho !

[PR19_Kit]

The lower wing of an Albacore is just about shoulder height on me so there was little chance of 'falling' on it, thank goodness! But the Yeovilton shows were always excellent, and probably still are, but our club doesn't attend any more, it's a tad too far on a weekend. It's in February as I recall so you'd be a tad warmer over here if you came. 

[Dizzyfugu]

Found as recommended colors for the museum F4F FS 34092 an FS 36081 - Forest Green and Dark Grey (actually, two tones from the A-10's Lizard scheme).
Anyway, I think that both will be too dark on a 1:72 kit - but I like the concept.

[Thorvic]

Found as recommended colors for the museum F4F FS 34092 an FS 36081 - Forest Green and Dark Grey (actually, two tones from the A-10's Lizard scheme).
Anyway, I think that both will be too dark on a 1:72 kit - but I like the concept.

Grumman were trying to match Dark Slate Gray/Extra Dark Sea Grey and Sky undersides using US equivalents, ending up with the Green and Grey with a pale blue.

You'll have to try them out for 1940 they would still be pretty fresh on a land based Wildcat, although if for Belgium wouldn't they be in US equivalents to Dark Green & Dark Earth  ?

[Dizzyfugu]

Well, I know that US production aircraft intended for European use had local paint/tones applied to match e. g. RAF of Coastal Command colors. Those FS tones I found are just recommendations from a model kit, nothing "official", IMHO. And when I take a look at the museum F4F, they are only a superficial match, suitable only when you use stock paint.

Anyway, the plan to use two of the Hobby Boss F4Fs for a French and Belgian machine will come true. Have enough info for both and ordered a PrintScale sheet for D.520s that will cover both subjects. I am actually really curious about the Belgian ones, with that naval scheme and the colorful roundels!