# Photos of 1/32 Butch O'Hare F4F-3 Wildcat



## Phillip1 (Jul 24, 2009)

Attached are photos of my Trumpeter 1/32 scale F4F-3 “Wildcat”. The kit is excellent and very well engineered. Butch O’Hare has always been a personal hero of mine, so building a replica of the plane he flew on his Model of Honor Flight has always been at the top of my list. The modifications made to the kit included:
>Adding Eduard’s photo-etch set used for the cockpit, bomb racks and engine
>Scratch built reflector gun sight.
>Small flexible wire was used for hinges on the rudder, elevators and ailerons.
> O’Hare’s plane had smooth tires and the kit’s rubber tires had a diamond tread, so they could not be used. A resin replacement set from J. Rutman Productions was purchased. These also had a diamond tread pattern but it was filled with superglue and sanded away. They were also modified by using the kit’s front and back hub covers.
>The wing walkways were made from masking tape that was cut to size and painted before being added. 
>Butch O’Hare’s F4F-3 carried the U.S. Navy color scheme of Non-Specular Blue Gray on the upper surfaces and Non-Specular Gray on the lower surfaces. Model Master paints 2055 and 1730 were used for these. 

History
On the morning of February 20, 1942, U.S. Navy Task Force 11 was detected by long-range Japanese patrol planes near Bougainville Island while trying to conduct a “hit and run” raid against the Japanese bases at Rabaul. The Japanese launched several air attacks against the American force, which included a formation of eight Mitsubishi “Betty” medium bombers. At one point in the battle the only thing that stood between this experienced and determined Japanese formation and the task force’s flagship (U.S.S. Lexington-CV2) was a lone Grumman F4F-3 “Wildcat” fighter flown by Lt. Edward “Butch” O’Hare. Without hesitation Lt. O’Hare engaged the Japanese bombers and achieved remarkable results. In a span of about five minutes he single-handedly crippled the formation, and very likely saved the U.S.S. Lexington from destruction. For his actions he was officially credited with shooting down five planes, became the first U.S. Navy Ace of WWII, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and promoted to the rank of Lt. Commander.

In addition to the Medal of Honor Flight, the Wildcat O’Hare flew had a very color history. It was one of a group of 87 aircraft manufactured and shipped to the U.S. Navy between July and September 1941. Aircraft from this batch were delivered to various Marine (VMF) and Navy (VF) fighter squadrons with Bureau Number 4031 assigned to VMF-211. The aircraft was not selected to go with most of the rest of the squadron to re-enforce Wake Island on November 28, 1941. It was at Ewa Marines Corps Air Station (Pearl Harbor) when the Japanese Navy attacked on December 7, 1941. Nine of the eleven VMF-211 F4F-3s present were destroyed in this attack, with 4031 being one of the survivors. The aircraft was transferred to VF-3 on December 15, 1941 (side code “F-15”), and was frequently flown by Lt. Edward “Butch” O’Hare, including his Medal of Honor flight and the Lae-Salamaua raid conducted on March 10, 1942. It next served as part of VF-2 during the Battle of the Coral Sea, and became one of only six “Wildcats” of that squadron to survive the battle by landing on the U.S.S. Yorktown instead of the U.S.S. Lexington on May 8, 1942. Bureau Number 4031 was then transferred to VF-42 until the middle of June 1942. It was then assigned to Marine Air Group (MAG) 23 and used in a training role. This history making aircraft was stricken from the U.S. Navy’s inventory on July 29, 1944 and later scrapped.

I hope you enjoy the photos.


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## Phillip1 (Jul 24, 2009)

*Final Butch O'Hare F4F-3 Wildcat Photos*


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## philo426 (Mar 4, 2009)

Nice Job!How do you like the photoetched hinges?I made my Trump Wildcat with the wings folded but I had to use fishing line to hold them in position because the wing machine guns and ammo belts were so heavy.


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## Sgthawker (Apr 20, 2012)

Very nice build. What detail, the rivets show thru the decals.


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## surfsup (Apr 19, 2009)

You have done a really nice job on her.....Cheers mark


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## Phillip1 (Jul 24, 2009)

surfsup/Sgthawker/philo426-Thanks for the compliments.

philo426-I used small diameter wire instead of the kit hinges on the elevators and alierons, because I didn't trust the hinges. When I built Trumpeter's 1/32Avenger I used the kit hinges and they worked out good.


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## philo426 (Mar 4, 2009)

They are real tight so I don't move them for fear of breaking them.


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## KUROK (Feb 2, 2004)

Sweet! Great job!

I too plan to model that plane in 1:48.


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

Phillip1, forgive my ignorance in all things WWII Naval (I'm a ETO kinda guy) but how does a plane with pre-war markings have Jap kill marks? Weren't the red stripes on the tail and the red dot in the roundel removed once we declared war? Or am I _more_ ignorant than I thought?

Your build looks great by the way!

Thanks,
HAL9001-


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Perfection!


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

hal9001 said:


> Phillip1, forgive my ignorance in all things WWII Naval (I'm a ETO kinda guy) but how does a plane with pre-war markings have Jap kill marks? Weren't the red stripes on the tail and the red dot in the roundel removed once we declared war? Or am I _more_ ignorant than I thought?


Shortly AFTER the war began. It took a few incidents where we shot at our own planes to realize it would be a good idea to remove the red dot.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The red stripes and centers were deleted after the Battle of the Coral Sea and before Midway. Red was reintroduced shortly in 1943 as a border for national insignia, then removed again.


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## philo426 (Mar 4, 2009)

Here it is!


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## Phillip1 (Jul 24, 2009)

Philo426-Nice Wildcat. Thanks for sharing.

John P/KUROK-Thanks for the compliments.

Hal9001-Concerning the red and white rudder stripes and red circles in the insignias, djnick66 is correct that they were the standard markings in the Pacific when Pearl Harbor was attacked, and removed just before the Battle of Midway. Details of their removal are listed below:

On April 9, 1942, Vice Admiral H.F. Leary, commander of the ANZAC Force in Australia and New Zealand, informed CinCPac that in April the Army Air Force units in the Southwest Pacific intended to paint out the red circles in the their white stars to prevent confusion. It appears the Aussies were letting go at anything red on an aircraft, thinking it was a Japanese “meatball”. Admiral Nimitz agreed and on April 24th, he forwarded a recommendation to Admiral King that the red circles and striped tails on naval aircraft be painted out. He requested early action on this from Washington. The Army Air Force went ahead with its plans, receiving approval in Washington to standardize insignia on the Army and Navy. On May 8th, the commanding general of the Hawaiian Department passed on to Admiral Nimitz the decision that as of May 15th, all U.S. military and naval aircraft would no longer have the red ball within the stars or striped rudders. The carrier squadrons began repainting their aircraft around May 10th. The rudders were painted blue-gray to match the camouflage scheme. This was the last major repainting of U.S. naval aircraft for many months (ref. “The First Team” by John Lundstrom).


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

The red surround, introducing the white bar, started in June 1943. Once again, people started shooting at the red part, even though it wasn't a circle! Orders followed in Sept to make the red surround the same blue as the circle. This is why the star doesn't go all the way to the edge of the circle, and why the white bars cut into the circle - it's really a blue circle and white bars with a blue border.


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## Phillip1 (Jul 24, 2009)

John P-I did not know that red in the insignia was altered a second time. Thanks for posting this.


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

And that's the rest of the story.... Thanks guys!

If ignorance is bliss, then I must be very blissed!!

HAL9001-


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## Modlerbob (Feb 10, 2011)

Very well done and the weathering looks good as it was not carried to the extreme that I have been seeing lately on some models.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Whipped this up a while ago to show the progression of the US insignia. (The yellow surround was during Operation Torch only)


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## Phillip1 (Jul 24, 2009)

John P-That is a good illustration. Thanks for the post.


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## machgo (Feb 10, 2010)

Phillip1 your plane is fantastic--an obvious labor of love. Great photos too, and a very interesting history!


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