AIRFIX 1/24 F6F-5 to F6F-3?

[gunpowder]

OK im sure a few of us are wondering this. What has to be done to the Airfix hellcat to backdate it to an f6f-3 please?

 

From what i can gather , add widows behind seat , ad cooloing gills to lower cowl , add lumps on cowling over exhausts?

Edited June 24, 2019 by gunpowder

[Joe Hegedus]

The lower cowl flaps and bumps over the exhausts are maybes, it depends on the specific airplane.  Both features were deleted during the -3 production, I believe the lower cowl flaps went away first.  The big thing that needs to change, other than adding the windows behind the canopy, is the windscreen; the -3 had a 4-piece windscreen with a curved front piece, 2 side panels, and a panel at the top with an armor glass panel inside, whereas the -5 had a 3-piece windscreen with a flat, armored glass front pane and 2 side pieces that met at the top.  There are also a few minor adjustments to make to the cockpit consoles to delete some things that the -5 had that the -3 did not. Also, the metal skinning on the underside of the flaps where the rocket exhaust would impinge needs to be backdated to the fabric like on the upper surface.  There may be a couple of other things, but those are the really visible ones I can think of. 

[Out2gtcha]

Good to know!   I know I've thought about it, and the rear window to me would be the easiest thing to correct. For me the windscreen is the deal breaker. I know I could scratch one up, but having experience in that area tells me I may or may not even be able to make a replacement that is acceptable to me. I think I may make an in-flight -5 with this one and hang it from the ceiling of my model room, and hope that AF does a -3. 

[gunpowder]

Yes i see what you mean now. The -3 windshield is more rounded with different framing......thats a shame.

[Kagemusha]

Despite what they've said, probably to help sales of the - 5, it's unimaginable that Airfix won't release the - 3.

[gunpowder]

Both good points. Thanks Guys.

[Tom]

in addition to the above comments, I think the panel lines on the outer wings were also different between the  F6F-5 and the F6F-3.

 

I'm with the crowd of modellers hoping Airfix issue a dash 3 version with all the appropriate changes.

[Out2gtcha]

I think outer wings would be 10 times easier for me than scratch building an accurate -3 windscreen.

[Joe Hegedus]

Personally, wing panel lines are insignificant compared to the windscreen and cowl differences.

[LSP_K2]

On 6/24/2019 at 12:22 PM, Kagemusha said:

Despite what they've said, probably to help sales of the - 5, it's unimaginable that Airfix won't release the - 3.

 

I agree 100%. Not doing a -3, makes absolutely no sense at all.

[LSP_K2]

37 minutes ago, Jennings Heilig said:

Not doing a new 1/72 Vulcan makes no sense either. Tamiya not doing an F-16D makes no sense either. What makes sense seems to have nothing to do with it.

 

Just going by the Hawker Typhoon kits, provisions were made in the bubble top version to also do the car door version. Based on that reality alone, and having never yet seen the -5 Hellcat, I can only hope (and perhaps presume), that they'd be clever enough to take full advantage of that tooling, to release what might arguably be considered a more widely desirable version of the aircraft.

[32scalelover]

To me it would have made more sense to do the -3 first, as it is easier to cover up existing windows than cut them into the fuselage.

[gunner]

I agree with many of you. An F6F-3 and 5N are most likely in the future. I got my kit today and will be converting it to an F6F-5P. Very simple modification I have done on the Trumpeter kit. 

I would like to see someone come out with 1/24 tie down strips in P.E. so I can do a carrier deck. I’m still searching for pilot figures, seated and standing. Decals would be nice too.

 

Model on boyos

[gunner]

The 2 F6F-5P's that the Marines flew off of the USS Gilbert Islands had the single camera on the port fuselage, aft of the trailing edge of the wing . They were part of MCVG-2 and were flown by pilots from VMF-512 and VMTB-143. About 10 years ago I did an oral history for the Flying Leatherneck Museum aboard MCB Miramar, with 2 of the pilots from VMTB-143 who flew the 5P on several occasions. Both said they enjoyed the handling of the Hellcat and the fact that they were fully armed on the missions.

 

From what I have read, the 2 camera aircraft were later versions, possibly used after the war. You are correct, there is very little information on the 5P’s. If you find out anything, please let us know.

 

Thanks

[gunner]

Hello Jennings,

 

Go to www.adamsplanes.com

 

 

Look under USS Gilbert Islands, VMTB-143 and VMA-512. Most of the planes had white nose art and were kept in immaculate condition. The Gloss Sea Blue was touched up after every flight. Their maintenance office was a real stickler on corrosion control. The story of the air group is fascinating. My interviews were with Lt. Liebech and Lally. The PAO was a celebrity. You will like the story.