Tamiya Models Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat Model Kit

This kit was such a pleasure to put together. Every piece fit together perfectly, needing very minimal glue. The panel lines and details across the fuselage and wing surfaces are really nice as well. The landing gear looks complex, but just dry fit and follow the instructions precisely and you’ll have no trouble. The decals are certainly the worst part of this kit. I highly recommend using Tamiya mark fit super strong to get them to stick well and conform to the round surface of the fuselage.

It built up great. It's simple but handsome.

This is an excellent kit, very well detailed with engraved panel lines and nice cockpit details. For the most part, it's an easy build, but keep in mind that the Wildcat had rather complicated landing gear, so you need to pay close attention to the instructions when working on the landing gear and you might want to test fit those parts before gluing them together. The decals are fairly thick and sturdy, which is a little problematic when applying the national insignia to the fuselage (with that ridge between the cockpit and tail). I applied some decal setting solution, which took care of that. I enjoyed this kit so much that I ordered a second one so I could build one with a Pacific scheme and one with an Atlantic ASW scheme. I definitely recommend this kit.

This Tamiya model has fewer parts than most Of their models. There is very little detail in the cockpit including no pilot. This model is a good aircraft to practice air brush skills. A mainstay aircraft for the Navy during the difficult days of the war in the Pacific.

It is a good model for beginners, except the landing gear is very week. I gave up and made it in fly mode. Nice model once finished!

This is a great model, and definitely a step up from Revell kits. The fits are generally flush and there is very little flash. The landing gear is shockingly sturdy.My only major complaint lies in the decals. They are extremely thin, and tore like soaked tissue paper under the slightest of pressure. I employ micro set/sol when applying decals, and these were so thin that rips appeared due the rivets as the decal settled in and molded itself. Decals are generally the only thing that Revell excels at with their older kits, and I was discouraged to see that Tamiya's decals are entirely inferior.All in all a fun build and one I hope to repeat. I would give it 4.5 stars if I could.

Nice model. Great model for detail. Donated finished model to local VFW. They love the look

Do not buy this model unless you want to cuss all day long, and wonder why you started building models in the first place.

Fantastic kit, went together really well. Only downside was the canopy - it broke in half when I tried to mask it. My fault really should have packed it out with tissue. Overall 5 out of 5.

太平洋戦争の緒戦で無敵の快進撃を続ける零戦の前に立ちはだかったのが、F4Fワイルドキャットです。ワイルドキャットは零戦と同時期に開発された同じ艦上戦闘機という事もあり、零戦のライバルとも言われる戦闘機です。ワイルドキャットは零戦より飛行性能は劣りましたが、無線や機銃の性能、機体強度や防弾装備などは零戦よりはるかに勝り、それらを活かした戦術に切り替えてからは零戦と互角以上の空戦を望める様になりました。F4F-4は1941年11月から生産されたタイプで、空母上での利便性を図る為に主翼を折り畳み式とし、機銃を四挺から六挺に強化されましたが機銃の増強は重量の増加を招き、しかも携行弾数はF4F-3の1800発から1440発に減ってしまったので、パイロットには不評だったと言われます。本製品は1994年の初版から30年近くが経過しましたが、現在でもこのスケールのワイルドキャットとしては決定版と呼べるキットです。プロポーションはワイルドキャットそのもので、メリハリのある筋彫りや凹凸を使い分けたリベットのモールド等は、今見ても素晴らしく古さを全く感じません。このキットの特に素晴らしい所はパーツ数を抑えながらも完成後の精密感を損なっていないセンスあるパーツ設計で、これは他社では真似できないタミヤならではの美点だと思います。パーツの篏合ももちろん良好なので、初心者から上級者まで安心して組み立てられるキットです。付属のマーキングは四種で、塗装例A、Cが大西洋、塗装例B、Dが太平洋戦線で運用された機体です。零戦とワイルドキャットが最も激しく戦ったのがガダルカナル島攻防戦で、この戦いに参加した機体は塗装例Bの機体ですが、キットのVMF-224所属というのは間違いで、VF-11「サンダウナーズ」所属が正しいです。ワイルドキャットは海軍/海兵隊共に地味な塗装例しかありませんが、実機がそうなので仕方ありません。エースの乗機などを作りたければ、ウルフパックデザインなどからリリースされている別売りデカールを購入すると良いでしょう(もっともエース機のマーキングも地味ですが)ワイルドキャットは良くも悪くも零戦とは対照的なスタイルの戦闘機なので、零戦のプラモと作り比べてみると面白いかと思います。

Usual Tamiya build quality but I have never come across such poor quality decals. I have built several Tamiya kits and quality has been excellent in all components and decals but this kit is let down by ultra thin decals which break apart when sliding them off the backing sheet - not as bad with the larger ones but forget the smaller ones. Even after leaving them in tepid water for the designated time they don’t slide easy and invariably split.

全体的に合わせは良いです。組み立て易かった。キャノピーを開状態にすると納まりが悪く無理して取り付けると割れます。気を付けてください。

安定のタミヤ 社製品。