Relative 1.48th model comparison to US Dollar, wartime photos show yellow-outline US invasion insignia used on Wildcat fuselage and underneath both wings, while regular insignia carried on upper wings, so decided to use artist license and apply invasion markings on all F4F surfaces. Plastic clear canopy's frame was too large for its scale, hence removed frame via sand paper, resulting rough surface smoothen via plastic model liquid cement (product melts plastic surface for bonding, thus used conservatively). Canopy painted flat acrylic black, masking tape demarcated thinner frame lines and painted acrylic navy grey. Grumman F4F Wildcat Aces - www.acepilots.com/planes/f4f_wildcat.html

Rollover : Model based on 1970s-era Monogram plastic kit, hence had rudimentary plastic pivots and struts for its folding wings. Since inner wings had no detail, decided to glue wings in flying position. Thick black lines next to fuselage are anti-skid surfaces for pilot entry/exit into canopy. Note, early plastic models were completely accurate in depiction, in reality F4F-4 (with 6@50-caliber guns) was first Wildcat folded-wing version, model above depicts F4F-3 (with 4@50-caliber guns) should not have had folded wings. Folding wing - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folding_wing

Inset 1 : US Navy VF-9 figther squadron patch wore by its pilots. WW2-era squadron names can be difficult to track since they are often reformed and assigned different carrier groups after each combat deployment. From WW2 to late-1940s, US Navy squadron letter tailcodes referred to specific carrier assignments, but being too cumbersome to maintain after expansion of carrier fleet and squadron carrier groups in 1950s, squadron letter tailcodes now refer to individual squadron units. Naval Aviation U.S. Navy WWII Fighting Squadrons - www.acepilots.com/usn_sqns.html

During 1938 flight trials, US Navy actually selected Brewster F2A Buffalo over F4F Wildcat as priority replacement for its F3F carrier bi-plane fighters due to better controllability during carrier deck landings. Upon US entry into WW2, F2A's lack of speed and maneuverability against enemy combatants, coupled with combat inexperienced pilots, produced diasterous results. F2A combat debuted in June 1942 Battle of Midway, its loss rate was such that US pilots called it Flying Coffins. After Midway battle, F2As were pulled from frontline service and converted to state-side trainers. Brewster Buffalo - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F2A

Surprisingly, first Wildcat order came from French Aeronavale's (French Navy) 100 batch order in early 1939 (US Navy followed with circa 50 orders in late-1939). However, with France's looming military collapse and formal surrender to Germany in 1940, US diverted Wildcat batch to United Kingdom's Fleet Air Arm (operational group within Royal Navy), whereupon British renamed it F4F Martlet (British changed name back to Wildcat in 1944). Royal Navy - www.royal-navy.mod.uk

British Martlet fighters assigned to Fleet Air Arm (Royal Navy squadrons) by July 1940 and complemented its emerging escort carrier fleet. More Wildcat fighters were transferred to Royal Navy via America's Lend-Lease program (a form of US international barter to support military and geopolitical aims). Martlet's (Wildcat) first victory over Axis aircraft was 25 December 1940 shotdown of German Junker Ju-88 medium bomber. Fleet Air Arm Wildcat (Martlet) - www.ivyandmartin.demon.co.uk/wildcat.htm

Inset 2 : Martlet in British Fleet Air Arm markings and camouflage, just landed on escort carrier circa late-1943 era (note deck hands attending out-stretched arrestor cable in plane rear), during North Atlantic convoy run to northern Soviet Union... so-called Murmansk Run. The Murmansk Run: An Account, and the S.S. Corvallis - www.corvalliscommunitypages.com/Americas/US/wwii/murmanskall.htm