Hobby Boss 1/48 Martlet IV

 Grumman made this model of the Wildcat especially for the British; I have seen it sometimes designated F4F-4B, and it is said that some were used in the US as trainers. The main particularity of this version was the replacement of the P&W 1830 engine for a Wright 1820 Cyclone. The length of the fuselage was the same as in 1830-powered Wildcats, but the cowling was shorter owing to the single row engine, so the front fuselage was proportionally longer. The cowling had no carburetor intake, and there were no intercoolers. Magnetos were in the rear of the engine. Propeller was a Hamilton Standard. It had folding wings, with three MGs each. All in all, it makes for an interesting conversion for a different looking Wildcat.

I selected a Hobbyboss F4F-4 for the conversion, I did not want to spoil a Tamiya one (though it would have been feasible) I like the HB Wildcats, they are honest kits that can be built as accurate models, and even have some detail corrections over the older Tamiya. The conversion was centered around the shorter, wider cowling; there are a few ways to do this, but I sourced a resin cowling from somewhere I cannot trace. You can make it cutting the cowling of the standard Tamiya at flaps line; the mouth will be just a bit smaller, but nothing anyone but an expert will notice. I also had the cowling of a Hobbyboss FM-2 (on which I had used the Vector conversion –to itself!) so I had both a ring to extend the fuselage and a workable Cyclone. An Aeroclub metal propeller stood for the Hamilton.; Eduard PE were used for the cockpit and a Squadron vac for the hood.

The HB kit has a complete and accurate cockpit with no floor. Instrument panel was made out of PE, as well as the side consoles, which have to be a repositioned a little lower. Electrical boxes and wiring were added from scratch, as were the MGs arming handles. The early gunsight was also scratchbuilt; no good example seems to be available in any form. Seat was replaced by the one in an Eduard F4F; the kit’s was unusable (but no worse than Tamiya’s) and the PE was not suitable for a RN Sutton harness, which was sourced from a generic Eduard PE set. Cockpit was painted in Dark Dull Green using an old WEMM paint. Pre-painted ED etched parts were Interior Green; they were carefully repainted in a more appropriate color. Engine bay was detailed with a better oil tank and several containers, tubes, boxes and cables, but the main pieces and bearers are there. Magnetos were added to the back of the engine, and a carburetor box to the top (it was glued to the rear of the bulkhead), while a better looking plug connector ring was added from solder wire. Engine/wheel bay was painted Revell Light Grey, a good mimick for “Grumman Grey”, as was the lower fuselage under the cockpit. The belly windows were added before closing the fuselage belly, to have some maneuver ability.

The main work of the conversion was not that difficult. A ring was cut from the HB FM-2 cowling and added to the front fuselage. Then, the measure was taken (up to the cowling flaps hinge line) and sanded. The cowling was a little bit longer and was also sanded to keep the overall fuselage length identical to a standard F4F-4. To ensure the wings would have the same dihedral, the U/C legs, to which oleo tubes had been previously added, were glued to the wheel bay. The wings naturally adopt a slightly flat attitude, so bringing them to a correct dihedral was a chore (aye, how I missed the one piece Tamiya wing) The wheel covers are slightly misshaped and you have to trim them to assume the right stance. Generally speaking, F4F undercarriage is complex and demands a lot of care.

Few schemes more amiable than RN FAA Temperate Sea. The colors are fantastic, and can be altered easily to look faded and weathered. I used old WEMM paints. I airbrushed a Grey primer and then a dark and White marble preshade; then airbrushed the colors “in mottle fashion”, with a Blue Tack masking in the upper surfaces. Then made a weathering with lightened colours. I used Eduard’s masks, an absolute must in any build; I discovered that the ones for the belly windows covered the whole transparent piece, instead of just the window shape… the ones for the Tamiya kit seem to have the appropriate shape, though.

Eagle Strike Decals 48-016 "Grumman Martlets 1941-44, Part 1" were used, providing markings for a Martlet IV flown by 893 Squadron aboard HMS "Formidable," with US insignia painted over the British national markings for “Operation Torch”, the North African invasion, so as not to offend French sensibilities –and not to be shot by the Americans, I surmise. They are a bit bigger than should be, a common occurrence. Worst, they were badly affected by Micro Sol (I later guessed the fluid was ruined) and virtually folded on themselves. I managed to rescue them with liberal use of Daco Green fluid and some strategic cuts.

I am fond of Hobbyboss F4Fs, giving excellent result for the money (though nowadays old Tamiya is almost as cheap –not the new FM-1 boxing). Nothing out of the extraordinary but a solid looking model. The thing about getting the correct dihedral put me a bit off in this one. The model is very different from a normal F4F and certainly is the most accurate Martlet IV you’ll see for some time!

Fernando Rolandelli

5 November 2026