Aigore Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I´m about to start on an new endeavour....namely building a pre-war F3F4 Wildcat. What I´m curious about is the color scheme, I understand that they didn´t have natural metal finnish but instead were painted in a silvery hue, how am I going about that? And it's going to get very nice yellow wings.....what yellow would you recomend? I have access to Modelmaster , Humbrol, Tamiya and Xtracrylics locally, so any reference in those would be apreciated Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Skyking Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 (edited) I´m about to start on an new endeavour....namely building a pre-war F3F4 Wildcat.What I´m curious about is the color scheme, I understand that they didn´t have natural metal finnish but instead were painted in a silvery hue, how am I going about that? And it's going to get very nice yellow wings.....what yellow would you recomend? I have access to Modelmaster , Humbrol, Tamiya and Xtracrylics locally, so any reference in those would be apreciated Welcome to an addicting era in aviation. The color choices and way of application will vary from person to person, but here's some helpful information. Yes you are correct, they were not natural metal, but painted with aluminum lacquer for corrosion control. I have two preferences, Pactra Aerogloss Silvaire Aluminum Butyerate Dope, or Alclad Aluminum Lacquer. They are both very close in shade and hue and dry fast and hard as nails. For the wings I use Modelmaster Chrome Yellow. Xtracolor also makes a fine line of premixed early US Navy colors. Make sure you do not use Lemmon Yellow for the wings, it's too light, but Lemon Yellow was used for wing chevrons, fuselage bands and cowl bands. If you are doing an F3F-3 from the Ranger you will need Willow Green for the tail colors, available from Xtracolor. If you are doing an aircraft from the Wasp you will need Gloss Black. Here is a link of some F4F-3 Profiles done by Capt Rich Dann USNR. http://webpages.charter.net/ltdann/F4F%20profiles.htm HTH Cheers Mike Edited March 7, 2008 by Skyking Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aigore Posted March 7, 2008 Author Share Posted March 7, 2008 Great! Thanx Mike!! That was just what i was looking for....and hey, my machine was there as well, the F3 with the yellow cowling and black fin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jeff briner Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Great! Thanx Mike!!That was just what i was looking for....and hey, my machine was there as well, the F3 with the yellow cowling and black fin :P Welcome... this should be a very interesting build. We're looking forward to seeing pictures of your progress. Yellow wings rock!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
redruffensore Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 I´m about to start on an new endeavour....namely building a pre-war F3F4 Wildcat.What I´m curious about is the color scheme, I understand that they didn´t have natural metal finnish but instead were painted in a silvery hue, how am I going about that? And it's going to get very nice yellow wings.....what yellow would you recomend? I have access to Modelmaster , Humbrol, Tamiya and Xtracrylics locally, so any reference in those would be apreciated ;) You mean F4F-3 (Hard Wing, did not fold) Wildcat. If you have access to Model Master, use Chrome Yellow (FS:13538). Humbrol and XtraCrylics also makes this colour. Note from an experienced modeler, when any shade of Yellow is called for, one is best to prime with a coat of good white first. White works almost as well as black when used as a primer for silver or natural metal finishes too. As a rule, some early Wildcats had silver fuselages, but most all production F3F-3s had fuselages painted in Light Gray (sometimes called Silver-Gray, FS:16622). This paint was a high gloss paint. The undersides of the wings were in bright Aluminum Lacquer. Note how the Chrome-Yellow wraps around the leading edge and the forward part of the underside. Caz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aigore Posted April 14, 2008 Author Share Posted April 14, 2008 Thanx for all the help guys! I´m coming along with my cat....and have actually painted it by now. And I´ve reached another hurdle, the wing tanks, were they painted in silver gray or did they have a NMF? I haven´t gone overboard with getting it to look as correct as possible, it´s more of an experiment kit for me where I´m trying out new techniques and such but I´d like it to at least aproach the correct look. I´ve painted it in SNJ aluminium without polishing and inted to put a gloss varnish over it to make it as glossy as possible, that should make it kind of silvery gray I hope Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joe Hegedus Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Thanx for all the help guys! I´m coming along with my cat....and have actually painted it by now. And I´ve reached another hurdle, the wing tanks, were they painted in silver gray or did they have a NMF? Niether. I don't believe that external tank capability was available on the F4F-3. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aigore Posted April 14, 2008 Author Share Posted April 14, 2008 Doh! The wings has got some nice holes for them and they´re in the kit.......mumble mumble, that means i got to fill those ....male puppies of female dogs! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ltdann Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 (edited) Doh!The wings has got some nice holes for them and they´re in the kit.......mumble mumble, that means i got to fill those ....male puppies of female dogs! DO NOT put the wing tanks on! Fill the holes, the F4F-3 did not carry them!!! Also, it looks as if you may have painted the entire wing yellow....the bottom was silver, but the upper yellow did wrap around the leading edge. I can't tell for sure...if I am wrong, pls pardon my mistake. Rich Dann Edited April 17, 2008 by ltdann Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aigore Posted April 17, 2008 Author Share Posted April 17, 2008 DO NOT put the wing tanks on! Fill the holes, the F4F-3 did not carry them!!!Also, it looks as if you may have painted the entire wing yellow....the bottom was silver, but the upper yellow did wrap around the leading edge. I can't tell for sure...if I am wrong, pls pardon my mistake. Rich Dann Naw it´s only the to the leading edge......the undersides are silver, so no worries I´ll get at it this weekend to get the darn thing finnished so I can get on with new and more exciting projects The filling shouyldn´t pose any biggy.....I´m just a bit fed up with sanding and filling......there were som to do before painting already Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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