Monogram 4 star F4Fswap

My Mono Wildcat:

Ok, I've got a later issue I can trade you. I don't see me building it anytime soon. I've always wanted to do a major job on one of those; somehow use the F3F retraction gears so the gear would retract. Cheers,

Keeper (of too much crap)

This would be *extremely* difficult for all but the most dedicated modeler! I have both Revell kits (1/32 Wildcat and F3F) and did a parts comparison with just such a project in mind. Unfortunately the F3F landing gear parts are just too small for the Wildcat and the mechanics are substantially different enough that you'd basically have to re-design and build most of the gear parts from scratch (brass? aluminum?) anyway. Who knows? Maybe some enterprising modeler/engineer will take the time to do so one of these days... (*hint, hint*)

Yes, one would probably be better off getting the drawings of the gear retraction sequence and reproducing them in white metal in the desired scale. This would have been great twenty years ago but now that everyone is enamoured with interior detail and no working features I'd probably be doing it for me and a few other interested parties. Hmm...I wonder how much the mechanics' manual on the F4F would cost? Cheers,

Keeper (of too much crap)

Um...would you add me to that list of "interested parties"? Please? Pretty Please???

ME too !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (keeper of several F 3 F's in hiding :)

"Only a Gentleman can insult me, and a true Gentleman never will..."

FWIW The biggest drawback to Monogram's F3F is that it has an F2F wing. This made it correct for the Gulfhawk variation, but to do a correct F3F you gotta either fabricate new wings out of Balsa or sheet styrene; or cut up 2 kits' wings and piece them together to get the correct span. A hassle either way.

Bill Shuey

I used to know a tool and die guy that speciallized in doing just this for R/C models - he is (or was...) the half-owner of Robart. You might also try concting Rudy Frasca in Urbana, Ill. He owns one and might be willing to help if you ask nice...

If you want some larger parts to look at for reference, get hold of the Trumpeter F4F-4 in 1/32 - it's landing gear parts are identical to the Tamiya ones in 1/48.

The gear-folding sequence/mechanism really doesn't look all that complex to me, although they do seem to leave out how those chain driven gears on the aft bay bulkhead actually tie into the gear system to retract the gear.

Yeah, we'll leave out the chain drive and just keep it on the back of the wall like in the Tamiya kit. Now, do we want a friction open/close like the Monogram kits of yore or do we want locks? Cheers,

Keeper (of too much crap)