Classic 1/48 Grumman Widgeon
QUICKIE KIT REVIEW – Classic Airframes 1:48 Grumman J4F-1 / 2 Widgeon.
There’s a bit of an Israeli theme to my two reviews this month. Sparked by the intriguing (to an impressionable 15 year old) success of the Israeli Air Force during the Six Day War, I developed a strong interest in their air force and aircraft across several eras. I particularly liked the brown and blue cam scheme of the 50-60s and the three tone desert scheme of the 60s-80s, but I have for some time been collecting the occasional kit to help build up a display of models of the embryonic Israeli air force in 1948, representing the eclectic collection of airframes they gathered from all sources.Now, thanks to Fishers and the tempting 20% discount during their recent sale, I have purchased the Classic Airframes 1:48 Grumman Widgeon for $70, a kit which I never thought I would be able to afford and which will complement my Avia S.199, Mustang, Spitfire, Norseman, Beaufighter and Republic Seabee (the remarkable all-clear plastic Glencoe kit) in displaying the Chel Ha’Avir of 1948.
This is an open-box review of the CA Widgeon kit which was, I think, released in about 2007 or 2008. You may be able to order it or find it at some of the more diversified model shops. I’ve built one CA kit before (the 1:48 Hudson) which was a commissioned job and not necessarily one I desperately enjoyed, due mainly to all manner of fit and location problems. However, I must say that this Widgeon is a delightfully moulded kit, most of the parts being crisply represented in blue-grey plastic, with some lovely resin parts for the cockpit and undercarriage. The model is quite sizeable at 255mm span and with over 80 parts it looks most complete, with full cockpit detail including two crew seats, four pax seats, instrument panel and control column.
There are two very neatly moulded undercarriage assemblies which fit into resin wheel wells in the fuselage. The instruction sheet provides some quite adequate interior colour hints.Many of the 200 Widgeons built saw civilian service and in lovely colour schemes too for the more ambitious modeller – the wonderfully styled resin armchairs for the passengers reflect the rather romantic aspect of this ‘family-size amphibian’. However, it was also widely used by the US Army and Navy, as well as Portugal, Thailand, Canada and the Royal Navy, who called it the Gosling.
There are camouflage details and decals for two USN aircraft (one in the two-tone blue grey over light grey scheme and one on the mid-war three tone Sea Blue, Intermediate Blue and White scheme), one RN aircraft in the temperate sea scheme (though the pattern looks strange) and one plain aluminium aircraft in US Coast Guard markings. It seems likely that my planned Israeli aircraft was an ex-USN J4F-2 model with the locally-applied green and brown camouflage of the 1948 period; I think I’ll paint the wing undersides in USN Light Grey. I’ll just need to dig out some decals.There are several reviews of the kit on Hyperscale and the like and they are very complimentary about the fit of the kit – this is very good news after my Hudson experience.
The kit shows its limited run heritage in very few ways; the plastic moulded items are normal thickness, very sharp and neat with normal size gates and lovely engraved detail, but there are no locating pins on most mating parts, so watch your alignment! The fin to fuselage joint is without pins or tabs and may benefit from a little positive location for reinforcement, given that the fin also mounts the tailplanes (which do have little pins!). The wing upper surface is one piece from tip to tip and will be a strong assembly, I feel. There are two underwing floats which require some rigging but this can’t be too hard, surely!All in all, this looks like a lovely kit of a very attractive aircraft; see if you can find one too and we’ll have an amphibious theme display (in about five years, at my build rate..!
My example was bought at Fishers during their discount sale.
Dave Richardson