Airfix 1/72 Grumman F6F Hellcat

AIRFIX 1:72 GRUMMAN F6F HELLCAT

Reviewer: Steve Papworth (rec.models.scale)
Kit Review submitted: 21 February 2003

Kit Details:

Airfix Kit 02087 (released 1989)

Aircraft History:

The Grumman F6 Hellcat entered service with the US Navy in January 1943 with the F6F3 version. It was powered by a Pratt and Whitney R2800-10. double wasp, 18 cylinder dual row radial engine, producing 2000 Hp. The fighter was armed with six wing mounted Browning .50cal. machine guns. This kit is the F6F5 version which varied from the F6F3 by having extra armour, a stronger main gear and modified ailerons. Most F6F5’s had a water boosted engine which gave 2,200 Hp. The top speed of the F6F5 was 380 mph. The F6F5 served until the end of the war as the US Navy’s primary carrier based fighter, with 12,272 produced.

The Kit:

The kit is marked as copy write 1989, however I picked it up in the late ‘90’s. It was part of a series produced by Airfix called ‘World War II Aircraft of the Aces’. The kit is a cut above what one was used to in Airfix. It consists of 65(66) parts including a clear windshield, separate canopy and clear vision panels. The other parts are moulded in light grey plastic with my kit containing two cowlings? The quality of the parts is excellent with no flash and a good fit all round.

Instructions:

The instructions consist of a four A4 page document giving 5 construction steps in five languages. The instructions are well drawn and easy to follow.

Construction:

Whilst the kit has no skill level marked on the box, being a special edition, one may assume that it was intended for experienced modellers and the construction reflects that. As always, I started with a basic Airfix cockpit, which has a nicely detailed pilot figure, a simple seat which slots into the armour plate at the rear of the cockpit. No instrument panel or floor is provided and this should be rectified if you wanted to display the cockpit open. The first construction step details the cockpit construction and joining of the fuselage halves. Care must be taken at the rudder as the arrestor hook is retractable and slides inside the fuselage. The second stage is construction of the wings. The wings can be assembled as retracted if one wished to do so. The ailerons are moveable as well so a pre assembly check is required to ensure they fit. Following this the engine and cowling are assembled. The P&W R2800 is assembled in two parts which have good detail on them. The undercarriage follows and whilst detailed, the inner wing area can be seen through the wheel wells. The final stage is the assembly and attachment of underwing ordinance; rockets, bombs and a drop tank are provided.

Painting/ Decals:

The kit builds only one version, the F6F5 Hellcat, ‘Minsi III’ flown by Commander David S McCampbell in 1945.

Cdr McCampbell in Minsi III, 1945 (www.mccambell.navy.mil)

Commander McCampbell was born on January 16 1910 in Alabama. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1933 and completed flight training in 1938. He was assigned to carrier USS Ranger. 1942 found him aboard the USS Wasp when it was sunk by a Japanese submarine. He returned to the United States and was an instructor in Florida until September 1943 when he assumed command of VF-15 followed by Carrier Air Group 15 in February 1944. CAG 15 sailed aboard the USS Essex in May 1944 for the South Pacific. McCampbell’s most notable actions were on the 19 June 1944, during the battle of the Phillipine Sea, he shot down 7 Japanese aircraft. On 24 October 1944 at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, whilst McCampbell’s aircraft was being refuelled the Essex group was attacked by Japanese Aircraft. McCambell took off with a wingman and shot down 9 Japanese fighters. For this feat he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. McCampbell shot down 34 aircraft and destroyed 20 on the ground, he remained in the Navy until his retirement in 1964. He died on June 30 1996.

The aircraft is finished in Humbrol 181 – Gloss Sea Blue, which is discontinued. I managed a close match using Revell and the model finished up nicely using that. As the kit is detailed most parts should be pre-painted prior to assembly. The R2800 engine is visible through the cowling, I picked out the details using Revell aluminium, anthracite and Humbrol silver and the result was well worth the effort. As with all Airfix you must paint the interior of the top wing as it is clearly visible. If the model was displayed with open cockpit then detail must be added here. The decals are simple and easy to fix. However if you wished to assemble the kit with the wings retracted you would have to paint it and apply the decals first.

Overall:

The kit is now out of production. As I mentioned I picked it up in the late 90’s and kept it for a while before building it. As a special edition it is obviously intended for the experienced modeller, a novice would not achieve the same result. It is well detailed for an Airfix kit but falls down on the wheel wells and cockpit detail. Apart from that I enjoyed building the kit and the finished product turned out really well. I found mine in a toy shop where it obviously didn’t interest the kids! Perhaps it may be re-released or available at a swap meet.

Related Reviews:-

Related INBOX Reviews:-

Italeri 1/72 F6F-3 & Revell 1/72 F6F-5 Grumman Hellcats

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