Eduard F6F-3 Hellcat, 1/48th. The model represents a VF-16 training aircraft from August, 1943. By the time the unit went into combat in September the red surrounds had been painted over blue.
When I started I was not to happy with the kit. The cockpit leaves some to be desired for the price of the kit. But that’s only on the face of it. After you figure in that Eduard includes two sets of PE and decals for five BuNos the kit really is a bargain.
The fit of the main airframe parts is wonderful and the wings and fuse required only a whisp of Mr. Surfacer. The kits main landing gear go together in such a way as to practically gaurantee perfect alignment.
The PE set comes with a ignition wire harness that I used in the build. I usually avoid these because they are flat, not round like the prototype and I fear they will not look right. I had seen pics of the part used recently and they looked good so I decided to use it. It looks really good peeking out from the cowl and the flat profile is not obvious.
The paint is a combination of Tamiya acryls and MM enamels. I tinkered with the paint until I had an acceptable result but it took a while. Most of the effort was spent overcoming an experiment that didn’t turn out.
The prop blades were very thick so I sanded them thinner, careful to retain the proper profile. The hub bolt detail was nearly invisible on the kit part so I added my own bolts made from stretched sprue. It’s been said that the kit wheels are to narrow. I used them without modification and think they compare well to reference pics I’ve seen. You be the judge.
A mild wash made from Mig oils and mineral spirits was run into select panels and smeared into and onto specific lines and panels to accent areas prone to grime and leaking oil.
I used mild post shading to hint at some fading on the upper surfaces and panel line grime on the bottom side. All this was followed by a PolyScale flat coat after which the three color exhaust stains were applied with my Eclipse C. After a tragic antenna destruction incident followed by a quick repair the remaining small bits were applied and the model was complete.
As always, comments are welcome. Constructive ones are most desired as they will help myself and other readers improve the builds we turn out, something I’m sure we all aspire to. Thanks for looking!
Looks good hkshooter. The exhaust stains give it that training look were the planes were “ridin’ hard and put away wet”. The only thing I might add is some poseder residue around the guns and ejection ports. Also, maybe a little chipping around wing roots and maybe the prop. Those upper surfaces look good with that fade.
That’s a top notch Hellcat, and the nicest one I’d seen an awhile! Well done![8D]
Although the red lines around the insignias weren’t really “popular” per say, in combat; I’ve always thought they looked really sharp! Are those the aforementioned aftermarket decals?
This is one great looking Hellcat hk!! I absoulutely love the exhaust staining, could you elaborate a bit more on how you accomplished that?? I have this kit in the stash and hope it turns out just a fraction as good as this one!!
Well hey, that turned out really nice! I was a bit worried with the WIP paintjob, but you’ve made that bird into a looker! Well done, especially for all the grief she gave ya! [tup]
The exhaust staining is excellent. The subtle browns really make them pop. I would have gone a bit more subtle on the pre-shading for the underside but that’s mostly personal preference. It’s a top notch build either way. I still would like to see those of us that post pics to show front view + side view + top view (myself included) so that we can look at alignment, etc. I hope you found these comments helpful.
Sure Jester. The base color is Tamiya XF-19 sky gray. It’s sprayed from the cowl to as far back as you want the staining to go. The next color is Tamiya XF-52 Flat earth. This color is sprayed over the gray for the length of the gray but sprayed inside the gray, leaving a bit of the untouched gray as a border to the flat earth. The final color is XF-10 flat brown and is sprayed only right behind the exhaust outlets and faded quickly.
As the staining goes along the fuse, allow the spray pattern to fan out a bit, making the pattern wider as it flows along the fuse. This allows the colors to blend together the further back on the plane it goes. Looks good to me. Besides good ref pics I have also refered to my friends NA-50 after a few hours of air time. Especially after a trip to Tuscon, AZ from Indiana there is a really nice flow of color along the airframe. A PITA to clean off but reference heaven to a modeler!
Fine looking ace maker hkshooter. Everything looks top notch. The decal weathering on the fuselage is great. The others mentioned the exhaust stains. I also like the the way you weathered the upper dark sea blue, this is particularly good on the front fuselage. Very nice work!
Now that I can see the Hellcat’s clean lines from a side and front view, I gotta say…I think that this is your best yet! I really like everything about this build…it just…works! Mebbe think about submitting this badboy to FSM?
I’m one of those that particulary like the Hellcat quite a lot. They’ve got a tough and brutal look. You’ve recreated, in minature, those attributes in excellent fashion.
They do kinda have a muscle bound, bully look to them, don’t they. I imagine the Hellcat as what the Wildcat would have been when it grew up. Not something I’d have wanted to see if my plane had a rising sun on the side.
