1/24 Airfix F6F-5 Hellcat

[Out2gtcha]

44 minutes ago, Folgore_1963 said:

It is interesting if confirmed. Really don't know if it is possible to post a picture due to copyright laws

 

 

I dont think it would be an issue under the Fair Use act. 

[Maw1963]

Thank You, here we go

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152580474@N06/48258576547/in/album-72157709580158996/

[Out2gtcha]

I would probably need more definative proof than 1 profile. I'm no F6F SME, but from the bit of research I've done and seen, including statements made by those more in the know like Jennings, the DSB started with the -5s. Believe me, I want to do a tri-color Hellcat in 24th too.

I would be apt to want to find out the exact BU number of that ship to see where in the -5 production it appeared.

[Maw1963]

Your are absolutely right Out2gtcha, but I think I will take the risk

[ltdann]

So the first F6F-5 was tri-color. There is a photo of this plane in the Squadron Walk Around. At one point it also sported a blown (Malcolm type) canopy, which you can see in the photo in the book.  

 

The blown hood was engineered by Grumman, but only a handful of these were produced.  Most of these were assigned to No 800 Sqn, Fleet Air Arm.

 

Rich

Edited July 12, 2019 by ltdann

[Out2gtcha]

Never heard of that.......from all the documentation I've seen, everything seems to say the DSB started with the -5s. Not saying it's not true, just have not ever heard of any tri-color -5s.

[justplanecrazy]

My father flew Hellcats off the U.S.S Randolph with VF 16 at the end of the war, so I am a bit of a Hellcat nut. I do know that the exhaust bulge on the cowling, along with the lower exhaust flap were deleted somewhere in early to mid -3 production, and that the very early F6F-5's had the windows behind the canopy. There is a picture of David McCampbell's MINSI II that is an early -5 and it is glossy sea blue overall with the aft windows, it is my understanding these were deleted on the -5 early in production. The only visible difference between a late -3 and early -5 is the windscreen. I have also read that -5's left the factory with rocket stubs installed and metal blast deflector plates over the flaps behind the stubs, -3's did not. Also as a side note regarding arming your Hellcat, dad said he flew with rockets OR bombs on a strike, never both

[ltdann]

So this is supposed to be the number 1 F6F-5.  I obtained this photo from the Grumman archives. The other photo is a 800 Sqn F6F-5 with the blown hood. 

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235041054-difference-between-a-late-f6f-3-and-f6f-5-cowling/

 

https://imgur.com/7HLepqp

 

Rich

 

[Joe Hegedus]

That one may be the prototype for the -5 and have the windscreen, but the BuNo is solidly in the middle of the -3 blocks.  I haven't seen any documentation that it ever was designated anything other than F6F-3.  That said, it is a flat-windscreen Hellcat day fighter in tri-color scheme.  Good luck making that odd canopy!

[Randy]

On 7/12/2019 at 3:53 PM, justplanecrazy said:

My father flew Hellcats off the U.S.S Randolph with VF 16 at the end of the war, so I am a bit of a Hellcat nut. I do know that the exhaust bulge on the cowling, along with the lower exhaust flap were deleted somewhere in early to mid -3 production, and that the very early F6F-5's had the windows behind the canopy. There is a picture of David McCampbell's MINSI II that is an early -5 and it is glossy sea blue overall with the aft windows, it is my understanding these were deleted on the -5 early in production. The only visible difference between a late -3 and early -5 is the windscreen. I have also read that -5's left the factory with rocket stubs installed and metal blast deflector plates over the flaps behind the stubs, -3's did not. Also as a side note regarding arming your Hellcat, dad said he flew with rockets OR bombs on a strike, never both

I read about these metal plates on the flaps as well, but have seen no photographic proof or read any official literature to say that they actually existed.  Detail & Scale had a simple line drawing of an F6F-5 showing these plates, but I would never consider that an accurate resource.  Restoration warbirds can’t be accepted as accurate either.  Anyone have any thoughts?  Since the Airfix kit doesn’t have this detail in their molded kit parts, this will become an issue for anyone attaching rockets to their models.

[Markjames1968]

Laziness and lack of time as im on holiday  prompts this question ,

 

are there any CUrRENT restored f5fs flying around that are f3f markings as a tribute to a particular pilot or aircraft? That would be enough ‘evidence’ for me to do a 3 tone machine if you see what i mean...

[Joe Hegedus]

23 hours ago, Jennings Heilig said:

That may be the "prototype" -5, but I'd bet it's a -3 with a -5 windscreen.  You'd need to know the BuNo for sure.

The BuNo, 25881, is identified in the caption of the photo that was linked. 

[Randy]

On 7/14/2019 at 12:40 PM, Randy said:

I read about these metal plates on the flaps as well, but have seen no photographic proof or read any official literature to say that they actually existed.  Detail & Scale had a simple line drawing of an F6F-5 showing these plates, but I would never consider that an accurate resource.  Restoration warbirds can’t be accepted as accurate either.  Anyone have any thoughts?  Since the Airfix kit doesn’t have this detail in their molded kit parts, this will become an issue for anyone attaching rockets to their models.

I answered my own question. I found an old file envelope that was mailed to me in 1994 from the Grumman Corporation. I wrote at the time asking for some wing fold details for the Hellcat.  What they sent were some engineering drawings of the wing fold hinge and photocopies of some overall drawings.  On the last page is a fold-out drawing of an F6F-5.  The caption at the wing states “ ROCKET MOUNTS When used, 3 Rockets were carried under each wing and protective covers fitted to bottom of fabric surfaces of outboard flaps.”  It has the Grumman Hellcat logo on the page so I guess that’s as “official” as it gets.  I totally forgot that I had this.  

[Chad Veich]

On 7/15/2019 at 5:11 AM, Markjames1968 said:

Laziness and lack of time as im on holiday  prompts this question ,

 

are there any CUrRENT restored f5fs flying around that are f3f markings as a tribute to a particular pilot or aircraft? That would be enough ‘evidence’ for me to do a 3 tone machine if you see what i mean...

  The Fighter Collection in the UK operated a -5 painted up as Vraciu's -3 up until very recently.  There are thousands of photos to be found online including a number of good walkaround pictorials.

[Out2gtcha]