KITS 10/2023

BuNo. 3991, VMF-111 Samoa, 1942

Since its establishment in September 1925, this

unit underwent several designations. It wasn't

until July 1, 1941, that the unit was redesignated as

VMF-111, a designation it held until its deactivation

on November 26, 1945. At the time of the attack

on Pearl Harbor, the pilots of the unit flew F4F-3

Wildcat aircraft, which the squadron retained

in service until the beginning of 1943, when it

transitioned to more modern Corsairs. In March

1942, the unit was moved to Tafuna Airfield (now

Pago Pago International Airport) on Tutuila Island,

part of the American Samoa archipelago. In July

of the same year, the unit was relocated to the

newly built Faleolo Airfield on Upolu Island in the

same archipelago. Here, the unit spent a year as

part of the defense of this territory, armed with

Wildcats that had seen service with U.S. Navy

squadrons operating from aircraft carriers.

Wildcat with Bureau Number 3991 initially served

on the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3) and

later, while part of VF-2, participated in the

Battle of the Coral Sea. During its service with

VMF-111, nicknamed Devil Dogs, it initially bore

markings with red centers and red and white

stripes on the rudder. In photographs taken

during its emergency landing on the sea's surface

in January 1943, the red centers on the markings

are already painted over, and the rudder has been

repainted with the camouflage color Blue Gray.

Recommended:

for F4F-3 Wildcat 1/48

481086

FE1290

FE1387

644171

648756

648765

648766

648767

648768

648769

648770

648777

648781

648792

648793

648794

648795

648825

648826

648827

3DL48076

3DL48080

EX878

EX984

F4F-3 landing flaps (PE-Set)

F4F seatbelts STEEL (PE-Set)

F4F-3 Weekend (PE-Set)

F4F-3 early LööK (Brassin)

F4F 42gal ventral drop tank PRINT (Brassin)

F4F-3 cockpit w/ telescopic gun sight PRINT (Brassin)

F4F-3 exhausts PRINT (Brassin)

F4F-3 wheels early (Brassin)

F4F-3 wheels late (Brassin)

F4F gun barrels PRINT (Brassin)

F4F-3 life raft PRINT (Brassin)

F4F-3 cockpit w/ reflector gun sight PRINT (Brassin)

F4F seat early PRINT (Brassin)

F4F-3 engine early PRINT (Brassin)

F4F-3 gun bays PRINT (Brassin)

F4F-3 landing flaps PRINT (Brassin)

F4F-3 wheel bay PRINT (Brassin)

F4F-3 engine mid PRINT (Brassin)

F4F-3 engine late PRINT (Brassin)

F4F-3A engine PRINT (Brassin)

F4F-3 late SPACE (3D Decal Set)

F4F-3 early SPACE (3D Decal Set)

F4F-3 TFace (Mask)

F4F-3 Weekend (Mask)

#648795

#648770

#648781

#648792

#648794

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INFO Eduard

October 2023