Jump to content

Airfix News Just in from Telford: 1/24 Hellcat!


LSP_Kevin

Recommended Posts

On 11/12/2018 at 3:08 PM, Jennings Heilig said:

There were several thousand -5s built with the aft windows, and I know for certain most all of them were in GSB.  As I said, I’ve yet to find a photo of a -5 in four-tone camo that I can positively identify.  I really don’t think it happened.

 

 

F6F-5 production started in April of 1944.

 

The BoA issued a directive in March 1944 that all carrier aircraft be painted in overall GSB.

 

Grumman pragmatically made the switch to GSB with the introduction of the -5. Hence all -5 production was in GSB . The first 1000 -5 airframes retained the rear fuselage windows. 

 

Late -3 airframes used some -5 features such as the revised cowl etc. The only way to really tell a late -3 from an early -5 is the paint scheme. Airfix’s kit is of a mid to late -5 as it has no rear windows. So there will unlikely be a tricolour wartime scheme for it. 

 

To back date the kit to a  mid production -3 you’d need to do the rear windows, windscreen , cowl and IP for starters. For a late -3 just the same minus the cowl mods..

 

the -5 used the R2800-10w while the -3 used the R2800-10 I’m not sure if there is any physical difference in model form..

 

For a -5N you need the exhaust flame dampers radar pod, and the revised IP (which we seem to have) with scope. Some -5N’s had a mixed battery of .50 and 20mm Cannon.

 

Thanks to some great reference material and I hope the above is useful...

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Southern Bandit said:

Looks amazing for sure, Airfix sure seem to have nailed the stressed skin effect, couple of thoughts and yup its early productions shots ... but the IP? it looks really soft, especially for 1/24 scale, am I missing something there? does the real one really look like that?

 

editor_181110_5be762c8a0582-1600x1200.jp

 

 

 

thats what I was thinking, but I think it is trying to reproduce the reflector that sat on top of the panel to aid night vision

 

in all the period shots I can find the panel looks like this..

 

panel26_zpssntjgbwj.jpg

 

I can't assume all period shots were only nightfighters tho..

 

In non period it looks like this...

 

panel26a_zpst7qklrpa.jpg

 

..so I am not sure if the reflector fitting was exclusively nightfighers, though as I said it is festooned with small red lamps which is a night vision thing and I think this is the part Airfix have captured. I suspect the normal IP is a clear part beneath this - that or ALL dash 5's had it...

 

trying to unravel that little mystery...

 

Peter

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Peter, this panel really reminds me of the old “steam-dial” set up on the older legacy DHC-6 Twin Otters I used to fly... festooned with the red lamps over all and guages, guages, guages... my money is on the Nightfighter version - any a/c so equiped is going to be used primarily in both daylight and darkness; just like our Otters that were so equiped for night Instrument Flight Rules (IFR)... the Otters used only in daylight (Visual Flight Rules [VFR])ops were on floats and they were not equiped with the red lamps. 

Cheers

Alan

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Southern Bandit said:

Looks amazing for sure, Airfix sure seem to have nailed the stressed skin effect, couple of thoughts and yup its early productions shots ... but the IP? it looks really soft, especially for 1/24 scale, am I missing something there? does the real one really look like that? the other thing was some of the riveting seems a bit heavy to me, but am no expert on this Aircraft type at all and of course know these are early shots and subject to change.

 

editor_181110_5be762c8a0582-1600x1200.jp

Its been a long, loooooong time since I have built anything Airfix 1/24 but have noticed how good the Mosquito and Typhoon were from other folks build reviews, would have preferred 1/32 for this subject of course but might just go for this ... again would have preferred a tri colour option, but not applicable to the version this kit depicts I read here ... fair play on that too.

Is there any midnight blue paint out there for this kit? Tamiya often release their own shades for new kits, but just thinking I'd need a fair bit of it if I were to buy the kit and would prefer not to mix it for correct shade :)

After a quick search of the inter web, I think when we get a definiative answer from someone that has real expertise we will find this piece is used on F6F-5N night fighters.  A quick search looks like this was installed over the regular IP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, cbk57 said:

After a quick search of the inter web, I think when we get a definiative answer from someone that has real expertise we will find this piece is used on F6F-5N night fighters.  A quick search looks like this was installed over the regular IP.

 

That would certainly explain all of the beveled openings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

41 minutes ago, hanna said:

There is color profile of a 3 color -5 in the Hellcat monograph 10 from Kagero. Stated from VF 17 on Hornet first half 1945

 

Yep, and here it is. My guess is that it's wrong though.

 

 

snj1RQ.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...