Kit: No. 4132
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Classic Airframes, 773-883-8888, www.classicairframes.com
Price: $55
Comments: 89 injection-molded, 12 cast-resin parts; decals
Pros: Variety of markings; construction options; good fit of cabin windows
Cons: Cockpit floor needs narrowing to fit; split windshield; no instructions for wire antenna
Issue Published: January 2009
Similar to but smaller than Grumman’s Goose, the Widgeon first flew June 28, 1940.
The box contains gray and clear injection-molded plastic and cast-resin pieces along with six-page, 17-step instructions, and a color sheet for markings. The no-glitch, six-color decal sheet, printed by Cartograf, provides markings for four World War II aircraft: two from the U.S. Coast Guard and one each in U.S. Navy and Royal Navy service.
Seams and flash are minimal in the clean, smooth, and glossy moldings. Scribing is shallow but consistent. The resin parts must be removed from their plugs but are then ready for paint. (I left some of them off my model.)
The cockpit floor fits only one way around the wheel wells, but it was too wide to allow the fuselage halves to be joined. I filed and sanded the edges of the floor but was never able to remove enough material. Next time, I would slice the floor down the middle and remove material there. That might require relocation of seats and control column, but it would be easier. The other cockpit parts went in according to the drawings.
The wing panels’ fit was nearly perfect, needing just light sanding to trim the join seams. I drilled tiny holes to receive rigging and used Wonder Wire for the floats’ rigging. I installed one of the pitot tubes provided; it is shown in the box art but is absent from the instructions and drawings. The clear-plastic wingtip navigation lights needed filing and sanding to fit flush, a chore for such tiny parts.
While I approve of injection-molded clear parts, I am not at all a fan of split windshields. After trying to join them with Future floor polish and having them part while trying to work them into a tight fit, I used Windex to remove the Future and glued the halves with Weld-On 3 liquid styrene cement. Micro Kristal Klear filled the seams.
I painted with out-of-production AeroMaster and Floquil Military Colors. With no instruction for painting propellers, I relied on photos for the details.
Decal application was trouble-free using Micro Sol and Micro Set. I was unable to locate a good reference for the Widgeon that showed the correct antenna arrangement; my simple (and possibly incorrect) wire antenna is heat-shrunk clear stretched sprue with white paint insulators.
The flattened cast-resin main wheels just do not look right – too much material where the tires are flattened.
The finished model measures out a bit large but is still easy to picture on the ramp at Pensacola or Brooklyn in 1943. Without the cockpit fit and windshield problems, this kit could have been finished in 10-15 hours. In the end, it took a little more than 25. Still, it was an enjoyable build. I’m ready for the next Classic Airframes release. They keep me from getting spoiled.
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