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Hi,

This is the Hobbyboss FM-2 Wildcat. The kit comes with the beautiful markings of VC-93 aboard CVE-80 Petrof Bay.

I find these some of the most attractive and easy to remember of the geometric markings of 1945.

In this history http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/carriers/cve80.txt you can see what VC-93 did. These escort carriers may not be as famous as the big carriers, but VC-93 shot down 17 enemy aircraft during the Okinawa operation.

ARCMRGB1.jpg

The kit parts are well protected in the box.

Construction should be easy, but there are a few things to change to make it into a real FM-2.

The oil coolers (circled in red) should be removed and this small fairing (circled in yellow) too.

According to the D&S book (Vol.65) the oil cooler of the FM-2 was behind the engine.

ARCMRGB2.jpg

Cheers, Stefan.

Edited by Stefan buysse
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Thanks for your interest, Wayne.

There are some other things about the Hobbyboss 1/72 FM-2 that I haven't mentioned yet.

The antenna on top of the spine should be vertical and not raked forward as on earlier Wildcat models: easy to fix.

The FM-2 had only four machine guns in the wings, not six like the F4F-4: easy to fill the out muzzle on each wing and corresponding case ejector slots with putty.

Most FM-2's had a different prop (uncuffed and paddle blade) than the earlier Wildcats. The kit contains a beautiful example of the earlier prop. I'm just going to attach it without glue until I find something suitable.

There is a picture of FM-2's with the earlier props in the D&S book. But these aircraft are stateside trainers and I'm pretty sure that the FM-2's VC-93 had the late prop.

Cheers, Stefan.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi,

Denzil, thanks for the interest.

Jason,

I have the main parts (wing and fuselage) together... and applied the putty to hide the seams that left a bit.

There is also putty where the underwing oil coolers were.

With some sandpaper, I created the indented areas on the fuselage behind the exhausts.

I'll give it a coat of primer to check it over.

Cheers, Stefan.

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  • 4 months later...

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