Mystery Grumman F9F-3

[fixerupper]

I found this on eBay a year or so ago. After cleaning off years of grime, the model presents quite nicely. Made of hardwood in 1/48 scale, the fuselage has several pieces neatly machined and assembled. The outline of the model is right on, as is the color of the paint which is beginning to craze with age. The decals are accurate and old. The canopy is carved from solid plexiglass and this with all of the other characteristics point to a model that dates to 1950. The landing gear is all metal. This is obviously a professional model and part of a production run. Interestingly, the markings on the tail are hand painted. There is no provision for the model to be mounted on a stand. My first guess was that this was a Grumman subcontracted model, but having shown it to a number of collectors who offered no positive identification, I am left wondering. Does anyone have a clue?

[grwebster]

Grumman had its own model shop, so judging from the photos and your description I would hazard a guess that is was made 'in-house'