FAA Hellcat questions

[Thomas Lund]

Hi guys

 

In progress with this one and I have a couple of questions / query's

 

Looking at the rockets - it seems to me that when I look at the... clips... that hold them just behind the warhead, that there are 4 rockets... But looking at the tails then it seems to me that there are only two... any guesses and even better - good info on how many they usually carried ? Could the... clips... be there on empty racks ?

 

I'm contemplating building a bit of carrier deck for it - anyone have better pictures/drawings of those guide (?) thingies next to the main wheels ? And the deck configuration on FAA carriers - the catapult rail, the planks and tie down rails ?

 

[R Palimaka]

Just a guess, but could there be two clips on each of the two rockets, on either sides of the tube?

 

Richard

[Joe Hegedus]

6 hours ago, Thomas Lund said:

Hi guys

 

In progress with this one and I have a couple of questions / query's

 

Looking at the rockets - it seems to me that when I look at the... clips... that hold them just behind the warhead, that there are 4 rockets... But looking at the tails then it seems to me that there are only two... any guesses and even better - good info on how many they usually carried ? Could the... clips... be there on empty racks ?

 

I'm contemplating building a bit of carrier deck for it - anyone have better pictures/drawings of those guide (?) thingies next to the main wheels ? And the deck configuration on FAA carriers - the catapult rail, the planks and tie down rails ?

 

If you look more closely at the photo, it appears that there are 4 rockets loaded.   The angle of the photo makes it hard to distinguish the fins.

[Bob MDC]

Hi,

The angle throws it out, but front clips, no rear easily seen possibly hiding in the "fins" but it's a Mk 3 rail  will have a search.

 

 

Bob

[Oldbaldguy]

Looks like only two per wing, assuming a symmetrical load.  I see two warheads and two side by side lighter spots back at the fins.  The clips you mention:   Could it be there are two in the front and two in the back that attach the rocket to the rail but ride on either side of the rail?  Otherwise, what’s to keep the rocket from falling off?  This obviously is not a zero-length launch rail and the rockets have to ride along it to the end when fired.

[Thomas Lund]

Ok maybe this is it...

 

This is a rendering of the rockets I bought - special hobby

 

 

The clips - as cast here - are pretty solid. But if you look at this picture you see that the clip is more open, and I figure that's what shows up as 4 clips on the original image

 

 

What do you think ?

[Juggernut]

 

 

These two photos seem to show four rails.

 

 

REFERENCE:  www.ageofstock.com, accessed 9/23/2023 @ 11:15 EDT.

[Joe Hegedus]

Look at the original image again and compare it to how the rockets are hung from the rails.  The clips go on the outside of the lower part of the rail in a "C"-shaped fitting; in the original image, only the clip at the very front is seen on the outside of the rail indicating that the other ones are on different rails.    Couple that with the other images posted here showing 4 rails per wing on that Hellcat I, and I think it makes a pretty good case for 4 rockets per wing in the original image.  

 

That, plus when I enlarged the image on my iPad I could make out (just) 4 sets of fins in the orignal image.  The angle of the photo is such that the tips of the fins all line up perfectly, but one can make out trailing edges and individual rocket exhausts - 4 of them.

 

The Typhoon image doesn't help as it is fitted with a different style rail that takes the clip with a "T"-shaped fitting between two rods.

 

Edited September 23, 2023 by Joe Hegedus

[Bob MDC]

Hi,

Found this on Britmodeller

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235046552-faa-hellcat-info-needed/

Looks like they used a blast plate as per Swordfish but with fairings as some of the initial rocket fits, (the swordfish aerodynamics was not an issue) but if you trawl round some of the British aircraft with rockets fitted, it looks like the original blast plate with fairings added.

It looks like Mk 3 rails in most photos the clips are a pig to replicate ( but 3D might come to the rescue).

The Typhoon picture is Mk 1 rails.

 

Bob

[Oldbaldguy]

On 9/23/2023 at 1:49 PM, Joe Hegedus said:

Look at the original image again and compare it to how the rockets are hung from the rails.  The clips go on the outside of the lower part of the rail in a "C"-shaped fitting; in the original image, only the clip at the very front is seen on the outside of the rail indicating that the other ones are on different rails.    Couple that with the other images posted here showing 4 rails per wing on that Hellcat I, and I think it makes a pretty good case for 4 rockets per wing in the original image.  

 

That, plus when I enlarged the image on my iPad I could make out (just) 4 sets of fins in the orignal image.  The angle of the photo is such that the tips of the fins all line up perfectly, but one can make out trailing edges and individual rocket exhausts - 4 of them.

 

The Typhoon image doesn't help as it is fitted with a different style rail that takes the clip with a "T"-shaped fitting between two rods.

 

Four works as well.  I think you are probably right since there are four hangy-down things clearly visible in the photo and it appears each round apparently has only one of these things at the front and back of the rocket tube.