Hobby Master Archive

Early in the Pacific War in WWII the Grumman F4F Wildcat was the best fighter aircraft the U.S. had but was out performed by the Japanese Zero. The Wildcat’s folding wings allowed for a greater number of aircraft that could be carried but added extra weight and reduced the aircraft performance. New features such as self-sealing fuel tanks, heavy armor made up for the Wildcat’s lesser performance. By the end of WWII the F4F had flown approximately 15,500 sorties with a kill ratio of 6.9 victories to 1.

On February 20, 1942 LTCDR Edward Henry “Butch” O’Hare became the USN’s first Ace and two months later was awarded the Medal of Honor, the first WWII USN pilot to do so. On February 20, 1942 O’Hare attacked a formation of nine Japanese Mitsubishi G4M “Betty” bombers and single handedly shot down five of the attackers and damaged a sixth. On the night of November 26, 1943 O’Hare was shot down and was never found. He was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously. In his honor a USN destroyer and Chicago’s Orchard Depot Airport were named O’Hare.

Specifications For The Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat British Name - Martlet Number Of All Wildcat Variants Produced - 7,860 Role - American Carrier-based Fighter Crew - 1 Dimensions Length - 28 ft 9 in (8.8 m) Wingspan - 38 ft (11.6 m) Height - 9 ft 2.5 in (2.8 m)

Weight Empty - 5,895 lb (2,674 kg) Loaded - 7,975 lb (3,617 kg) Maximum Takeoff - 8,762 lb (3,974 kg)

Performance Powerplant - 1 X Pratt & Whitney R-1830-86 Double-Row Radial Engine, 1,200 hp (900 kW) Maximum Speed - 320 mph (290 kn / 515 km/h) Rate Of Climb - 2,200 ft/min (11.17 m/s) Normal Power Service Ceiling - 34,000 ft (10,363 m) Range - 830 miles (721 nmi / 1,337 km)

Armament Guns - 6 X .050 in (12.7 mm) AN/M2 Browning Machine Guns

1/48 scale pre-finished. All markings pad applied for superb results. Canopy slides open. Comes with a pilot that can be removed. Comes with display stand. Landing gear is fully retractable and can be displayed up or down. Extremely sought after by collectors.

Hobby Master 1/48 Air Power Series HA8904 Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat “White F-15” LTCDR Edward H. “Butch” O’Hare VF-3, USS Lexington, WWII