1/48 Sword FM-2 Wildcat

by Ryan Ahern

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I finally got an opportunity to do a non-blue color schemed WWII USN plane. This quarter-scale General Motors FM-2 Wildcat replica of "Black 4" of VC-13, USS Tripoli was made from the 1/48 scale Sword FM-2 kit with corrected non-cuffed propeller from Meteor Productions, AM decals from Techmod, and a few add-ons like needles for the additional upper and lower antennas, and bead wire for the radio antenna. I was a little liberal with the Tamiya X-19, but during my research found a number of these Dark Gull Gray and White, Atlantic scheme planes very weathered as such. Actually used a light gray marker after painting to accent the panel lines, using a Q-Tip to diffuse the effect. I was somewhat pleased with the results.

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This FM-2 rounds out my Wildcat collection. Starting at the top left in the picture below there's my F4F-3S Wildcatfish, to its right my F4F-4 Wildcat, and, of course at the bottom, the FM-2. I'm throwing in the towel on Wildcats after this. Too many other great planes to build.

In case people were curious about the marker used to trace the panel lines it was a Zig Memory System Writer I picked up at an art store one day (see pic below). Has a 0.5mm tip at one end, and 1.2mm tip at the other. I believe the color is officially platinum (maybe light gray?). I originally purchased it for use on NMF and light color paint schemed kits with raised panel lines, but found it to work pretty well for kits recessed panel lines.

Ryan

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Photos and text © by Ryan Ahern