FSX
Just a small update. I didn't have a lot of time to work on the kitty this weekend. Holidays and all! Hope everyone had a great year in 2013, and hope 2014 is better!!!
Just a small update. I didn't have a lot of time to work on the kitty this weekend. Holidays and all! Hope everyone had a great year in 2013, and hope 2014 is better!!!
Kevin "Gibbage" Miller
CAN'T WAIT TO FLY AS JOE FOSS KITTY OVER THE CANAL!!!
If government was the answer, it was a stupid question!
And yes, the Wildcatfish will be a reality.
If you don't like it, don't fly it =)
Kevin "Gibbage" Miller
Gibbage, its looking great! My request is simple. A repaint in the restored version of Kermit Weeks' F4F.
MACH 3 DESIGN STUDIO
Heatblur Rivet Counting Squad™
I must admit that over the years I never really paid that much attention the Wildcat. However, upon diving into its history and
reading how it shouldered a lot in the early years of carrying the fight to the enemy, I developed a lot of respect for the a/c and
the men who flew it.
Looking forward to this release in 2014! As for repaints, I would like to see some of the planes that the Cactus Air Force flew
included. It's looking good so far!
"Hornets by mandate, Tomcats by choice!"
Two most influential aircraft for the Navy in the PTO was the Dauntless and the Wildcat. For the USAAF in the PTO it was the B-25 and B-29. And I would put the P-38 as a very close third deserving honorable mention.
By the time the Corsair and Hellcat came along the tide was already turned though hardly anyone at the time knew it. The Dauntless and the Wildcat simply killed the vast majority of Japan's top echelon pilots, either by sinking their carriers or shooting them down in the air. Japan's best pilots were in the IJN. The Japanese Army never developed exceptional pilots. Yet, neither the navy or army in Japan ever had a pilot training program that could maintain their qualitative levels. So, while there's no question that the Wildcat was qualitatively excelled by the Corsair and Hellcat, it was already a different fight when they came online.
The reason why the Dauntless and Wildcat remain immortal is because when things were dire, those two aircraft stood on the line and delivered crushing blows that none of the other aircraft the Navy had at the time were able to deliver.
Ken
Since I was hoping for a Wake Island paint, would it be possible to offer a version of the F4F3?
I don't know all the differences, but the intake on the top of the nose cowling seems to be the most visible.
Robert Shaw painting from Cranston's and model borrowed from Bill Koppos
Most -3's had the intake on the cowling (carb air intake). If I recall, it was just the F4F-3A's that deleted the carb air scoop? Its really hard to tell. You cant tell a 3 from a 3A without looking into the wheel well's. The 3A had a single stage super and deleted the intercoolers located in the wheel well since the carb air on the single stage didnt get as hot. Can anyone confirm this?
Kevin "Gibbage" Miller
This is correct though you know more about the precise placements of the two types of superchargers.Originally Posted by Gibbage
The F4F-3A was really a lower performance aircraft than the F4F-3 and the reason was the use of a simpler and less performance capable supercharger on the F4F-3A. The F4F-3A used a 1,200 horsepower engine and a single-stage supercharger. The RAF used them more in the anti-submarine service of the North Atlantic, launching them off escort carriers. However, for the very reason of the lower capability supercharger, the US Navy and Marines got rid of them quickly. The F4F-3A was developed merely because of the shortage of the two-stage supercharger.
In addition, there was a slightly different engine in the two. The F4F-3 was fitted with the Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp R-1830-76, which produced a rated 1,200 horsepower. The F4F-3A had an R-1830-90 engine, which also produced a rated 1,200 horsepower, but this was deceiving. Because, due to the lower output supercharger, the -90 engine could only achieve its max rated 1,200 horsepower at sea level. Once the F4F-3A started climbing its ability to maintain this 1,200 horsepower output was stymied above 13,000 feet. Below 13,000 feet, the F4F-3A actually had the same horsepower reserve but better fuel economy to get it, resulting in slightly longer range. Above 13,000 feet the -3A had lower horsepower output than the -3 and with that all the associated drop off in aircraft performance, speed, climb, and altitude.
As far as any data I have says, the only difference between the two engines was the integration of the single stage two-speed supercharger on the -3A vice the double stage two-speed supercharger on the -3. Given that you know the precise differences in the internal location of the two types of superchargers, I think you are entirely correct in your thoughts.
Ken
BTW: Kevin I noted you were going to also include the F4F-3S, which is the Wildcatfish floatplane version. I suppose you long ago already knew this, but despite placing a production order for 100 of these types, the contract was cancelled. Primarily, this was because the US Navy committed itself to launching fighters off carriers and land bases. My understanding is that a few prototypes were built but none were ever put into service.
Ken
Ya. I know the F4F-3S never made it into production, but its still going to happen. There are plenty of photo's and references. I also made the Spitfire floatplane many years ago. I just love floaters, and it adds a lot of value to the product for not a lot of work. Plus it just looks so cool!
Kevin "Gibbage" Miller
You certainly won't get any disagreement from me that it was very high on the cool scale!
Ken
Interesting. Are you planning on doing the 3, 3A, and 4 or are you just going to stick with one model for simplicity?
I have my favorite (for obvious reasons) but I'd be happy to get ANY Wildcat!
My old flight jacket.
Deacon
It was the Fleet Air Arm not the RAF!The RAF used them more in the anti-submarine service of the North Atlantic, launching them off escort carriers.
OK guys. I need your help! There are two objects on the left side of the F4F-3 I cant identify.
The object circled in green. I think its a buzzer or some sort of alarm?
The object circled in red. At first, I thought it was the supercharger state selector since I don't see it in late F4F's, but that lever is on the left side. Can anyone identify this lever? I need more information so I can properly model it. Thank you in advance!!!
Kevin
Kevin "Gibbage" Miller
Hmmm "SELECTIVE" L&R "BAL". . .it's not for Flap positions is it?
Been a while since I watched em but there might be an answer in these vids...OK guys. I need your help! There are two objects on the left side of the F4F-3 I cant identify.
The object circled in green. I think its a buzzer or some sort of alarm?
The object circled in red. At first, I thought it was the supercharger state selector since I don't see it in late F4F's, but that lever is on the left side. Can anyone identify this lever? I need more information so I can properly model it. Thank you in advance!!!
Kevin
You can't take the sky from me...
Thanks for sharing the video! It will be really helpful, but still didn't explain the lever. He's flying an FM2 and does not have the lever.
Kevin "Gibbage" Miller
I think its the bomb select levers. Fig2 page 10 item 14, and the landing gear warning horn page 10 fig2 item 2
http://www.spruemaster.com/blog/wp-c...0R-1830-86.pdf
Could it be the fuel tank selection ?
Or perhaps, the selection of pylons for dropping or jettisoning the load ?
Well, I'm no expert but...
The Just Flight Wildcat and Martlett manual states that the lever there is the "Ordnance and Tank Controls". They actually work in the sim. The tooltips are not displayed in the screenshots below, but if you hover over the black handle it says "External Stores Selector" and the bluish handle behind says "Drop [Left, Right, Both] Stores". I have no doubt that this is probably correct and I don't see anything else in the cockpit that would perform that function, so it seems perfectly reasonable.
The big circle I was actually going to guess was a cockpit pressure valve (it looks like some I've seen in other aircraft) but I don't think that the Wildcat was pressurized. If you look closely on the top of the second picture, you will barely see the text "General Purpose Alarm (horn?)". I don't know what it activates however.
Oh, I take it back. The Just Flight manual actually does say that it is the "Landing Gear Warning Horn".
Oh, and thank you to Just Flight for the source material!
Looks like we have a winner for red circle! The manual linked says its the bomb control, and reading the text on the lever it says L Sal R (Sal is for Salvo).
The green circle is left, but this is more out of personal curiosity then anything simulated.
Kevin "Gibbage" Miller
It looks like you've got your answers regarding those items, but I thought I would confirm again that the item in the green circle is a (standard for the era) landing gear horn.
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