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Last Updated: Nov 17th, 2009 - 17:02:08 |
This is the first 1/72 scale acceptable injection moulded kit of this subject ( there may have been an earlier crude cottage industry offering) and its issue has helped me to add another model to my US Navy display without having to resort to a vacform kit!
The Grumman FF-1 was developed in the early thirties as a two seat carrier-borne fighter, only twenty seven being built. Twenty five went to VF-SB aboard USS Lexington between April and November 1933, the other two going to VF-1B and NAS Anacostia respectively. VF-SB was reassigned to USS Ranger in the Autumn of 1935 their aircraft were replaced between November 1935 and April 1936 with F2F-1’s and F3F-1’s so the front line service was relatively short lived. Twenty two of the FF-1’s were converted to FF-2’s and distributed to various Naval Reserve Air Bases as fighter trainers. There were other developments resulting in the SF-2 and the G-23 Goblin manufactured by the Canadian Car & Foundry works - details of these can be found in the Squadron Signal Publication No.160, Grumman Biplane Fighters In Action.
The kit, with options for either an FF-1 or G-23, comes in an cardboard flap end box with an attractive colour painting of an aircraft from USS Lexington ( true blue tails ) 5-F-7. There are two injection moulded frets in medium soft grey plastic with good surface detail and etched panel lines, a clear moulded canopy, a resin engine , a small etched brass fret, an instrument panel film, a decal sheet with three options and a twelve page instruction booklet with exploded diagrams and colour diagrams with decal placement.
As with the previous MPM kits I have built there are no locating pins or tongues and all joints are of the butt variety including the struts. There are no locating points for the centre section struts. Naturally there is a certain amount of moulding flash to be removed.
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