US Navy and USMC Between The Wars in 1/100

[Vinalssergio155]

Garry wonderful job!

[Wyvern]

Wonderful TBD. Would love to see it offered on Ecards.

WYVERN

[gomidefilho]

Amazing my friend! Is a classical pre war color scheme!!!

[Gene K]

Originally Posted by Rata

...the crew figures are a free download from Bruno's OMPWD thread ... .

Thanks much - perfect instructions (and Control-F worked perfect for searching!).

Gene K

[Rata]

Don Boose and myself were keen to revive this thread so here is the first subject: a Grumman F3F-1 of VF-4M.

A Scissors & Planes repaint and conversion, I'll submit to Ecards if anyone would like to build their own.

Thanks for looking and now over to Don.

[Don Boose]

Gary’s model is Grumman F3F-1 Bureau of Aeronautics Number (BuNo) 0257 as it appeared in 1937 when assigned to Marine Corps Fighting Squadron 4 (VF-4M), Aircraft Two, Fleet Marine Force, Marine Corps Base, Naval Operating Base, San Diego, California.

Beginning with the two-seat Grumman FF-1 of 1931, the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation produced a series of stubby, highly maneuverable carrier fighters for the U.S. Navy. The F3F-1 was an improved version of the F2F-1 with increased fuselage length and wingspan to improve maneuverability and a more powerful version of the 14-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-1535-72 engine that had powered the F2F-1. The R-1535-84 had the same diameter as the R-1535-72, so the F3F-1 had the same close cowling with rocker arm fairings and two-bladed propeller as the F2F-1. Both the F2F-1 and F3F-1 were armed with two .30-caliber machine guns.

Fifty-four F3F-1s were delivered early in 1936 to serve with Navy Fighting Squadrons VF-5B aboard USS Ranger (CV-5) and VF-6B aboard USS Enterprise (CV-6). The following year, the Navy ordered 81 F3F-2s, which had a larger-diameter and more powerful supercharged Wright R-1820-22 single-row 950 horsepower R-1820-22 engine, a three-bladed propeller, and an armament of one .50-caliber and one .30-caliber machine gun. These were to be issued to VF-6B and newly established Marine Fighting Squadron 4 (VF-4M), but pending delivery of the newer aircraft, VF-4M was issued six F3F-1s, including BuNo 0257 in January 1937.

Garry’s model of BuNo 0257 is in the standard pre-war Navy and Marine Corps overall light gray with the top of the upper wing in Orange Yellow. The vertical blue-white-red stripes were the standard rudder marking for Marine Corps aircraft of the time, as was the Marine Corps eagle, globe, and anchor emblem in red and gold under the cockpit. The markings are those carried between January and July 1937, during which time Marine Corps squadrons were identified by a fuselage code that included the squadron number, a squadron class (mission) designator inside a circle to distinguish Marine from Navy squadrons of the same mission type, and the individual aircraft number: in this case “4 – circle F – 5” meaning the 4th Marine Fighting Squadron, 5th aircraft. There were six three-plane sections in each 18-plane squadron. BuNo 0257 was the second aircraft in Section 2 as indicated by the white top half of the cowling and the white formation-keeping chevron on the top wing. The section leader, 4 – circle F – 4, would have had the entire cowling in white and would have had a white stripe circling the fuselage as in Image 4, below, of 2-MF-4 (BuNo 0256).

In July 1937 as part of a Navy and Marine Corps aviation re-organization, the squadron designation changed from Marine Fighting Squadron 4 (VF-4M) to Marine Fighting Squadron 2 (VMF-2) and the fuselage squadron code changed from an “F” inside a black circle to “MF.” Two Grumman F2F-1s and one Vought O3U-1 utility aircraft were added to the squadron establishment. In 1938, the squadron traded the six F3F-1s for 17 F3F-2s.

By 1938, all the F3F-1s in FMF-2 had been replaced, but the little biplanes continued in service for a few more years as squadron hacks or utility aircraft. By the end of 1942, none were left.

Images

Images 1 and 2: Grumman F3F-1 BuNo0257 of VF-4M photographed by William L. Larkins at Marine Corps Air Station San Diego in 1937. Larkins, U.S. Marine Corps Aircraft, p. 69; San Diego Air & Space Museum.

Image 3: Painting by Peter Freeman of Grumman F3F-1 BuNo 0251, another of the six F3F-1s delivered to VF-4M in January 1937 as interim equipment pending delivery of F3F-2s. This aircraft was lead ship of VF-4M as indicated by the Insignia Red cowling and fuselage stripe. The six sections of Navy and Marine Corps squadrons were identified by the colors Insignia Red, White, True Blue, Black, Willow Green, and Lemon Yellow. Freeman, Wings of the Fleet, p. 44.

Image 4: Grumman F3F-1 BuNo 0256 photographed by William Larkins at Naval Reserve Air Base Oakland, California, on 7 November 1937. This shows the squadron markings after the July 1937 reorganization of Navy and Marine Corps aviation. The “F” in a circle has been replaced by “MF” (Marine Fighting Squadron) and the squadron number has been changed from VF-4M to VFM-2. This is the lead aircraft of Section 2 as indicated by the white fuselage stripe and the entire front of the cowling painted white. Larkins, U.S. Marine Corps Aircraft, p. 70.

Sources:

Joe Baugher, US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos Second Series (0001 to 5029) available at US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos--Second Series (0001 to 5029)

Richard S. Dann, Grumman Biplane Fighters in Action, Aircraft Number 160, Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal, 1996.

Thomas E. Doll, Berkley R. Jackson, and William A. Riley, Navy Air Colors: United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Camouflage and Markings, Vol. 1 1911-1945 (Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal, 1983), p. 35.

John M. Elliott, The Official Monogram US Navy & Marine Corps Aircraft Color Guide, Vol. 1, 1911-1939, Boylston, MA: Monogram Aviation Publications, 1987.

René J. Francillon, Grumman Aircraft Since 1929, Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1988.

Peter Freeman, Wings of the Fleet: US Navy & Marine Corps Aviation 1919-1941, On Target Special, Ardington, Oxfordshire, UK: The Aviation Workshop Publications Ltd., 2010.

E.R. Johnson, United States Naval Aviation 1919-1941: Aircraft, Airships and Ships Between the Wars, Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2011.

William T. Larkins, U.S. Marine Corps Aircraft 1914-1959, Concord, CA: Aviation History Publications, 1960, pp. 69-70.

Mitch Mayborn, Grumman Guidebook, American Aircraft Series Book 4, Dallas, TX: Flying Enterprise Publications, 1976.

J.V. Mizrahi, Carrier Fighters Volume 1, Northridge, CA: Sentry Books, 1969, pp. 43-48.

Richard Thruelson, The Grumman Story, New York: Praeger, 1976.

[rickstef]

Hey Garry,

As you are picking this "thread" up again, could you provide a listing of Navy versus Marine Corps aircraft?

One might use it as a shopping list at a certain online retailer of paper models, and of a certain branch of the service......

[Rata]

Will do Rick. Some of the early entries on here were straight S&P builds, but most of the more recent S&P subjects are either full repaints or modified originals.
I'll go through and what I can submit to that 'certain retailer', I will.

[rickstef]

Garry,

thank you, I will be adding those USMC aircraft to my collection

Rick

[Butelczynski]

I remember that plane from Dive Bomber movie. Some were in pre war colors,some in transitional schemes used just prior to Dec 41. On Wiki I see F3F were used as advanced trainers stateside till 1943 just like Vindicators,Buffalos, TBF and other planes from pre war era.

Very nice model Garry. Thanks for jogging my memory lol. I have to find that DVD now.