1/32 Hasegawa Grumman Hellcat F6F-3

[Kagemusha]

8 hours ago, Collin said:

Really looking forward to this build. The Hellcat is my favorite US WW2 subject….and unfortunately we don’t have a modern new tool of this subject. 
 

watching with great interest. 
 

Cheers

Collin

 

There was a rumour Great Wall Hobbies were developing a 1/32 version. 

[LSP_Kevin]

Very nice work, Tolga!

 

Kev

[amurray]

16 hours ago, Collin said:

Really looking forward to this build. The Hellcat is my favorite US WW2 subject….and unfortunately we don’t have a modern new tool of this subject. 
 

watching with great interest. 
 

Cheers

Collin

Any thoughts as to why no one tackled it?  Seems like a natural for Zoukei-Mura.

[Tolga ULGUR]

Today's update

 

 

[Reuben L. Hernandez]

Following this build with great interest. Are you planning on addressing the lack of details or only half the gear bays being built by Hasegawa.

 

Reuben 

[Tolga ULGUR]

1 hour ago, Reuben L. Hernandez said:

Following this build with great interest. Are you planning on addressing the lack of details or only half the gear bays being built by Hasegawa.

 

Reuben 

 

Thanks Reuben

Unfortunately there are not many AM products for this kit, especially for the wheel bay. Eduard's old products are already out of production. I am thinking of some scratch modification for the wheel bay.

[BiggTim]

1 hour ago, Tolga ULGUR said:

 

Thanks Reuben

Unfortunately there are not many AM products for this kit, especially for the wheel bay. Eduard's old products are already out of production. I am thinking of some scratch modification for the wheel bay.

 

Yes, it's tough to find good AM stuff for this kit beyond what you already have. I used some brass gun barrels from Master Model and some Techmod decals to go along with my Montex masks, some RB seatbelts (but you could use HGW now). I had to scratch everything in the wheel wells, as there is NOTHING out there.

 

If you didn't have a cockpit already, you might track down one of the Avionix sets, they are pretty good. There are also quite a few wheels, too, as you know.

 

Tim

[Tolga ULGUR]

13 minutes ago, BiggTim said:

 

Yes, it's tough to find good AM stuff for this kit beyond what you already have. I used some brass gun barrels from Master Model and some Techmod decals to go along with my Montex masks, some RB seatbelts (but you could use HGW now). I had to scratch everything in the wheel wells, as there is NOTHING out there.

 

If you didn't have a cockpit already, you might track down one of the Avionix sets, they are pretty good. There are also quite a few wheels, too, as you know.

 

Tim

 

Thanks Tim

Yes I have Montex masks, Master gun barrels, Reskit wheels, CMK cockpit set and Eduard seat belts. 

[Splatman812]

9 hours ago, Tolga ULGUR said:

 

Thanks Tim

Yes I have Montex masks, Master gun barrels, Reskit wheels, CMK cockpit set and Eduard seat belts. 

Yup, I have the same AM along with the Techmod decal set. I'm also going replace the Hasegawa r-2800 with this Quickboost version. Not a full engine, but a nice upgrade for $17. The distributor (or magneto?) is wrong, but I'll swap it out with my Trumpy P-47 (which is navy type)

https://www.scalehobbyist.com/catagories/Detailing_and_Weathering/p-47d-thunderbolt-engine/QUB00032038/product.php?kw=p-47,1/32

Edited June 12 by Splatman812

[Tolga ULGUR]

Fuselage halves went together

 

[Tolga ULGUR]

Second update for today

Instrumental  panel is ready for installing

 

 

[Splatman812]

One thing I noticed about the CMK IP----is there a small panel on the lower right side slightly angled inward that's missing from the CMK IP set? Wouldn't be too hard to scratch, but am I missing something here?

[amurray]

On 6/11/2025 at 3:09 PM, Tolga ULGUR said:

 

Thanks Reuben

Unfortunately there are not many AM products for this kit, especially for the wheel bay. Eduard's old products are already out of production. I am thinking of some scratch modification for the wheel bay.

 

Would any old 1/32 F4F AM detail sets be applicable?  Maybe take some 1/48 AM PE detail sets and use them as templates to blow up to 1/32 scale?  A lot of work, I know.

[D Bellis]

The inside of the Hellcat's fuselage and cowl were a light gray known as "Grumman Gray". Only the cockpit itself was Interior Green. Some period color shots of the Grumman Gray:

 

 

Even with the later Gloss Sea Blue scheme, the Grumman Gray could be seen through the small windows of early F6F-5s:

 

HTH,

D

 

Edited June 13 by D Bellis

[Tolga ULGUR]

11 hours ago, Splatman812 said:

One thing I noticed about the CMK IP----is there a small panel on the lower right side slightly angled inward that's missing from the CMK IP set? Wouldn't be too hard to scratch, but am I missing something here?

 

4 hours ago, amurray said:

 

Would any old 1/32 F4F AM detail sets be applicable?  Maybe take some 1/48 AM PE detail sets and use them as templates to blow up to 1/32 scale?  A lot of work, I know.

 

 

Is this the part you are talking about, I deleted it. It was very fragile and was touching the cockpit wall
Most of it will not be visible inside the cockpit anyway

I do not aim to build a very detailed and flawless Hellcat in this project. I just want to finish this old kit to a reasonable level