Reviews : Tamiya Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat Fighter Aircraft

I posted the photo of the F4F-4 in Pug Sutherland's markings. The F4F Wildcat was sort of a seminal event in Tamiya's history since it marked the first WWII Navy subject since their F2A Buffalo (which despite its age is still a very nice kit). I think the molds are close to 20 years old or so, but its still the best Wildcat out there. While the choice of versions is rather restrictive (i.e., only the F4F-4 or with a little modification, the FM-1), it is a delight to build. The parts for the most part fit very well. Tamiya has captured the intricate look of the hand-cranked undercarriage and while it looks fiddly to put together, was really not all that bad. The powerplant, just like on their Corsair, is modular in design and very easy to paint. The kit canopy, while clear is a little bit on the thick side and best replaced with a Squadron clear wax or Rob Taurus canopy if you want to depict the canopy slid back. Cockpit detail, even out of the box is very good. There are also lots of aftermarket products available for the cockpit if one wishes. Vector/ Ultracast also has FM-2 conversions as well as some very nice aftermarket wheels available. straightening The actual F4F was covered with a lot of raised head rivets, which Tamiya has depicted. This can cut both ways from a model building standpoint. If you are building a camouflaged F4F and use contemporary painting techniques (e.g., washes) the rivets will appear oversized. Because of that i sanded all of the raised rivets from my model. However, those of you with plans to do a pre-war, silver painted F4F would be better served by leaving them on, since those planes were meticulously cared for anyway. Its a shame Tamiya didn't choose to expand the Wildcat series with an F4F-3, FM-2 or the British/ french/ Greek versions. While those versions are catered for by HobbyBoss, their execution overall is a bit more complicated. My suggestion would be to take this kit on before starting the Tamiya Corsair; It's a good warm-up. The Tamiya kit captures the clunky, pugnacious, transitional in-between-a biplane-and-a-monoplane look of the sturdy and reliable Wildcat. Highly recommended.

I decided to give aircraft a try. Been doing armor for a while now and needed a new area. Tamiya armor kits are good at worse and outstanding at best. So I have always liked the Wildcat fighter and decided to pick this one up. After working armor kits with upwards of 1,000 parts, I was like, where are the parts??? This kit went together very, very well. Fit was very good with no filler required. The kit went together very fast. All was well until I got to the decals. These decals are microscopically THIN. If I even looked at them wrong, they would just shred. I managed to get the stars on the fuselage and one each on the upper and lower wing. Those were only after I resorted to an old trick for thin decals. I sprayed them with several thin coats of gloss clear. Guess, I need to look for aftermarket decal sets for these aircraft. Disappointed in Tamiya with these decals. I have never had this trouble with their decals in armor kits. Those are thicker but still snug down nicely, even over Zimmerit, with some Tamiya strong decal set solution. Other than the decals, this kit was a nice representation of a -4 Wildcat.

I really like Tamiya kits, and the F4F Wildcat is no exception. The kit went together flawlessly, with the usual Tamiya quality. I like how the outer wheel part is separate from the tire, making painting of the rim easy. The engine detail is pretty nice, and with some careful painting it turned out very nice. The canopy comes in two pieces so you can pose it open or closed. The cockpit has some nice detail that with a wash and some drybrushing stands out nicely. The only small complaint that I have is that the instructions for attaching the main gear doors are a bit unclear. The kit offers 4 sets of decal markings; Three navy planes and one Marine. I needed to use decal set, especially on the large stars on the fuselage - Otherwise the fit of the decals along the curvature will not be good. Overall, a very fun kit.

Don't be dismayed by the low part count. This kit is representative of Tamiya quality and detail, which is beautifully molded into the parts making this kit easy too build. You don't eed lots of parts to obtain good detail if you have great molds which Tamiya certainly has for this kit. No overflash, everything comes of the sprues cleanly, and fits together like a dream come true. The build is performed in logical assemblies and so it goes quickly, and smoothly from start to finish. The end result is a fine representation of this little plane which preceded the Hellcat, and will compliment your WWII US Naval collection nicely.

I built this kit several months ago and the ease of the build was a pleasure through out the process! I enjoy the history of the aircraft which is pointed out in many articles and the instruction sheet. There was no flash on the parts which made the easy of construction better. I recommend that close attention be paid to the landing gear as it looks a little complex but it is just a matter of following the instruction sheet which isn't too complex. I finished my model with acrylic paints and the decals supplied in the kit. I highly recommend this model for any level of experience with aircraft.

Even thought this kit is dated a bit by Tamiya standards - 1994, it is still a great little kit. I bought the Eduard Cockpit Zoom color PE set for it and made the cockpit more accurate. I used Tamiya paints and Mr. Hobby 1200 primer. The only issue I had is the fit between the fuselage and the wing, on the bottom of the aircraft. The rear part of where the wing and fuse met created a little step. To eliminate this step' required sanding which also eliminated some of the the rivet detail. Other than that, good fits all around!

This was a great kit in general in assembling. If my own experience is any good guide, make sure to pay close attention to the undercarriage assembly in the instructions. I got the assembly backward initially not having the greatest spatial skills. I had to carefully unassemble the cemented landing gear and re-assemble it correctly. Luckily, I had used Testers cement and not super glue and was able to correct - albeit messily - my mistake. All in all, a very nicely detailed kit with especially nice decals.

This is a great kit to build. All the parts fit well, there was no flash on the parts, and the decals went on easily and well. The detail is amazing as practically every nut and bolt on the plane seems to be molded into the parts. Be careful with the clear plastic canopy - it is a little thin and can snap in two at the top if you stress it too much when installing it. I followed the restoration of a real F4F from the framework up and the details in this kit are true to Grumman's design.

Just bought this kit and it went together very, very smoothly. Tamiya made this a joy to build and I am very happy with it. If you do the landing gear down, be aware that you will be working with some small parts and if you drop and lose them....just keep that in mind. Thinking about buying a few more of these kits and setup a mini strike force squad. Good job Tamiya and thanks Hobbylinc for the quick shipping.

This is a great little kit that goes together quite well. No putty was required and very little sanding to get rid of seams. It's older so not as detailed as newer releases but still a worthwhile kit to have in your collection. I will certainly build this again most likely two more times to build the other two versions detailed in the kit. But other kits are in line ahead of that so it will have to wait.

The Tamiya F4F has been the standard Wildcat of the industry since it was first released. It is accurate in outline and detail, and goes together beautifully... the fit is superb, and with some aftermarket bits, an experienced modeler can be turned it into a real stunner. While it could be built as a first or second model, it is more applicable to someone with a few models built.

Perfect kit for a beginner as well as a good canvas for an experienced modeler. The surface detail, cockpit, and landing gear are expertly engineered. Tamiya does an excellent job representing this aircraft and there are multiple options for paint and decal application. The decals are top quality as well. Get this kit and enjoy yourself.

The Wildcat has been on my wish list for quite a while so I thought I'd give this one a try. It was a wonderful build. Everything went together easily and the Tamiya quality came through. My one disappointment with was that I was unable to build it with the landing gear up but it is a welcome addition to my collection.

This kit went together really well and has a lot of out-of-the-box details, I was actually pleasantly surprised. This was my first Tamiya kit and it came together fast, easy, and fun. Needed some flash trim work, and the positive rivet details were a challenge to weather around, but I was very happy with my finished product.

built this kit years ago , went together really well can't go wrong with Tamiya . the fit was awesome and no flash . getting ready to build this again , just don't let your 2 year old son get a hold of it that's why i am building it again lol

Very well made model and good detail, but the decals were difficult to use because they were so brittle no matter how much micro sol or micro set I applied. I am less likely to purchase Tamiya if all their decals are this troublesome.

Overall this is an excellent kit. The detail is very good and there are only minor adjustments needed for part fit. The cockpit could use additional detail, aftermarket kits are available. Makes a very good addition to any collection.

This was the last kit that I built in 2022! It went together fast with no fit issues although the landing gear was a bit temperamental but that was the only issue I had. Overall a great kit and is a great kit for beginners!

True to form for Tamiya. It goes together well and is easy to build. Nice and sturdy. the fit is sharp with a few minor details that are easy to clean up. I would definitely recommend this kit to anyone.

Very nice kit. Fit is very good and assembly is pretty easy. Be careful when assembling the landing gear to be sure it's oriented in the right direction. Detail is very nice.

I am looking forward to building this airplane. The kit is well detailed and accurate. the parts fit well and the kit offers many options for the builder.

This is a sweet little kit to build. Great fit on all parts. No need for filler anywhere. Goes together like a dream. A really enjoyable build.

Every model I put together by Tamiya seems to get better. Even this older kit goes together surprisingly well. Great value for a WW2 kit.

This was a great kit. There were zero problems with fit, decals went on nice and easy, and directions were very clear.

a very detailed model, fit and finish are excellent. First model I have put together in 45 years.