Monogram 1/72 Boeing F4B-4 a return to the "Yellow-wings" period

 

 

 

       I'm still running away from painting more Hinchliffe Indian figures, so I had to find something different to do. A quick visit to the Heap of Embarrassment surrendered this little gem, a very old kit of an iconic U.S. Navy fighter aircraft, the Boeing F4B-4. This aircraft (and its near-twin the P-12) stood as the main force of U.S. fighter strength during the mid 1930's. It was celebrated as one of the most maneuverable aircraft ever flown and served as a trainer after retiring from first line service. Small quantities served in other Air Forces around the world. Of course there is a Wikipedia article of interest

 

the Monogram kit is a great example of the wonderful kits made back in the 1960s

brilliant design, excellent engineering and careful casting make them a dream to build

 

the U.S. wasn't the least bit shy about using color in the 1930's

 

shockingly the decals performed perfectly despite being over four decades old

 

happily this model came with a pilot figure

 

 

I just realized that I need to paint the wing-walks

        This was a fun build; quick, simple, and colorful. It adds another aircraft to my "Yellow Wings" U.S. aircraft, a force that I have woefully underrepresented in my model building. I will return to this effort soon as this was so much fun. Maybe I will knock out several more before heading back to the pile of lead.