Grumman FM-2 Wildcat (oz16285)

About this Plan

Grumman FM-2 Wildcat. Radio control scale model WWII fighter. Wingspan 74 in, for OS 90 engine. Scale is 1/6.

Note sheet 3 shows full details to fabricate folding retract system from scratch.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Update 23/9/2025: Added article (also article part 2, details of the retract gear), thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "Lex duPont, of Wilmington, Delaware, owns and flies N315E, a Wildcat FM-2 which he restored and painted in early 1942 Navy colors. When the restoration was done in 1960, 12-inch registration numbers were an FAA requirement and these replaced the original markings which could have been 3F14. The color scheme was used only on the carrier Lexington and the time would have been February 1942. Even though Lex duPont's Wildcat is

hangared, after 15 years the paint has faded and oxidized. There are numerous patches and touch-up spots as well. It's rare indeed to see a full-scale 1942 restoration with dull, faded paint. At Grumman's 50th Anniversary, Lex received the award for the most authentic Wildcat.

R/Cers favor World War II fighters, but the Wildcat has been neglected by scale competitors. Grumman did not have the modeler in mind when the landing gear was designed.

In any event, Lex duPont's N315E became the subject of this modeling project, despite the problems of a retracting gear I would face. The paint job was dull, which hides workmanship defects, and is very easy to patch after ground contact. And the full-size bird was easily available for documentation. These two points made the gear difficulties acceptable.

If shiny paint jobs are your thing, there are lots that can be applied to a Wildcat, particularly pre-WW II. They were light gray with yellow wings and colorful tail groups. In the Atlantic theater, Wildcats flew from 'jeep' carriers and had a shiny blue finish with colorful stripes on the wing and fuselage. Of course, late in the war they were all glossy sea blue.

For some paint schemes, the FM-2 must be converted to an F4F which requires a differently shaped cowl, a shorter rudder/ fin and a pair of oil coolers under each wing.

This model is quite large in 1/6 scale with a wing area of 1,000 square inches. It is powered by a geared Webra 60 on a 16x8 propeller turning at 7,300 rpm. If there is no slippage, the speed calculates to something about 55 mph - just 1/6 the real aircraft's speed. In actual flight, this model does not exceed scale speed although it does climb faster than a real Wildcat.

Other suitable engines would include the OS or Webra 90s, the Fox Twin, and the geared (2:1) OS 60. A geared 90 would also work well, as would the Tartan 1.35. Weight in the nose is OK and an engine capable of handling at least a 16-inch prop is needed.

The model at birth weighed 13 pounds, 2 ounces, but a major rebuild now puts it at 14 pounds even.

Plans for the model were developed using several sources, but many innaccuracies were noted in these sources. About the only thing exactly right was the wing and stabilizer planform. The complete fuselage outline was therefore measured from Lex duPont's airplane and that was a time-consuming, difficult job. The only thing I know that is not scale is the airfoil. I used a 2415 foil instead of the 23015. This change would be difficult to detect and I believe the 2400 series gives better stall characteristics.

Wheels and tires are homemade as no manufacturer makes what really looks like a tire from a car. The guys who own real Wildcats use the nose wheel tire made for the Convair. Williams Brothers' balloon design fits fine and is a smooth tread as would have been used during the war.

The entire landing gear, complete with driving servo, is easily removed. In fact, this is necessary for access to the fuel tank and batteries. This article will not deal with the retract system. That is planned for the next issue of MAN.

Construction is definitely not conventional with rear formers bent from 3/32 x 1/4 inch basswood, and a fully-sheeted, no-stringer fuselage. The formers were tack-glued to an exterior jig to keep things in line.

Anyone attempting this project must be capable of devising a construction format. However, I might suggest a crutch arrangement as an alternate to my jig system. Another possibility is the half side, shell type of construction with two halves completed and sheeted, then glued together. Formers could be of sheet balsa, but I like those bent basswood units on my Wildcat.

No matter what system you devise, bulkhead No.2 should be completed with the wing spars, landing gear tray, and all doublers and rails installed. This bulkhead carries the landing gear and wings as well as providing a reference point to space and align the rest of the structure..."

Supplementary file notes

Article.
Article (retracts).

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