F4F-3 Wildcats

Vital Stats

Manufacturer: Hobby Boss
Scale: 1:48
Aircraft: Grumman F4F-3 Wildcats
Markings: Custom schemes for the kids based on pre-WWII U.S. Navy “yellow wing” scheme
Aftermarket: Squadron vacform canopies | Yellow Wings Decals

Mini-Review

The Hobby Boss F4F-3 Wildcat feels like it was designed by two different people. On the one hand, you have areas of brilliance, with excellent detail and Tamiya-quality fit. On the other, you have fit and alignment issues galore. Now that I’ve seen a Tamiya F4F-4, I can’t help but wonder if all the strongest parts of the Hobby Boss kit were stolen from the Tamiya. The cockpits do look identical, after all.

There are so many minor (and unecessary) fit problems with this kit that I’m loathe to go into all of them. To name the worst of the culprits, the wings (which have a very shallow connection to the fuselage), the landing gear struts, and the main canopy, which sits a millimeter or so lower than the windscreen, yet is too thick to be posed open.

I started out loving this kit, but by the time I was done I was ready to be done. To be honest, I don’t see myself swinging back around to build more Hobby Boss Wildcats anytime soon.

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT