Grumman Hellcat MkII, Eduard 1:48 Weekend Edition

[Shar2]

Grumman Hellcat MkII

1:48

The Royal Navy received 252 F6F-3s as Hellcat I under Lend-Lease. Production continued until November 1945 by which time 7870 F6F-5s had been built, of which some 930 had been supplied to the Royal Navy as Hellcat II and 1434 of the total had been completed as F6F-5N night-fighters. Ultimately, the Hellcat equipped 14 FAA front-line squadrons.

The first Hellcat Mark Is started to be delivered to the Fleet Air Arm on 13 March 1943, FN321 and FN323 arriving three months later, in June 1943 to the A and C Flights of A&AEE, Boscombe Down for service trials by RN pilots, and in July 1943 FN330 was tested by 778 squadron at Crail.

Very soon afterwards the Hellcat was distributed to operational squadrons, 800 Squadron received its first Hellcats in batches in July, August and October 1943, and 1839 squadron from December 1943. Not long after this, on 31 August, 1943 the first combat sorties were being flown by the USN VF9 and VF-5 squadrons aboard USS Yorktown against Japanese targets on Marcus Island (Minami-tori Island) some 700 miles southeast of Japan.

The first and second batches of 188 F6F-5 Hellcat Mark IIs started to be delivered to the Royal Navy from May 1944, primarily to 1840 squadron. By this time many Hellcats were being shipped to overseas FAA squadrons directly from Norfolk, Virginia, USA to HMS Thane 14 August 1944 and on to RNARY Wingfield, then onto 804 Squadron in September 1944.

The subsequent batch of 295 Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat Mk F.II was also shipped directly to RNARY Wingfield in HMS Ranee in September 1944, and on to RNARY Coimbatore. Many of these Hellcats were still in service in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) after the end of the war and into1946. However, quite a number were surplus to requirement after VJ-Day and dumped in the sea off Australia by HMS Colossus in 1945.

The final 293 Hellcat II to be delivered to the Fleet Air Arm arrived between January and May 1945, the very last aircraft, being delivered on 11 May 1945.

The Hellcat served post war and some of the earlier batches managed to remain in RN service, in 709 squadron. After this aircraft was paid off it went to Fairey Aviation at Hayes in 1946. Whilst Grumman F.II KE209 remained as the personal aircraft of the Lossiemouth Station Flight Commanding Officer Caspar John until 1952, and the Aircraft Holding Unit in 1954, (this aircraft is now on display in the Fleet Air arm Museum at Yeovilton, Somerset).

The Model

With a Hellcat in RN colours on the front of the standard Weekend Edition yellow/white and blue box. Upon opening the kit is well wrapped in a poly bag with the decals and instructions loose. The model is produced on five sprues of greeny beige styrene. Being a weekend edition, there are no resin or etched parts. All the parts are nicely moulded with no visible imperfections but quite a few moulding pips. The details are well presented including the prominent rivets on the rear fuselage. The panel lines are finely done and seem to represent the aircraft structure well.

Construction starts with the cockpit tub which is made up of the floor, rear bulkhead, seat, joystick, rudder pedals, instrument panel and side consoles. Detailed painting and the provided decals will pay dividends on the instrument panel and consoles. The cockpit assembly is then fitted to one side of the fuselage. With the addition of the tailwheel, and under cockpit panel the fuselage can be closed up. Note that if the centreline external fuel tank is to be fitted then a slot in the fuselage needs to be removed. The engine assembly comes next with the two banks of cylinders, crankcase and magnetos along with the prop shaft. The whole assembly is then fitted to the fuselage followed by the two halves of the engine cowling sides and front. Now, there are two sets of cowling, but there is no reference to why inthe instructions. To the rear of the fuselage the horizontal tailplanes with their respective elevators and the rudder can be fitted.

The wings consist of upper and lower halves, clear landing and navigations lights, machine gun barrels, undercarriage bays, plus separate ailerons and flaps. Firstly the machine gun barrels and undercarriage bays are fitted to the lower wing sections before the upper sections are attached. Although separate the ailerons and flaps don’t appear to be posable without some modification and scratch building. Once the wing halves and flying controls are fitted then the clear navigation and landing lights are fitted. When all complete, the wings can be attached to the fuselage. At this point the instructions call for the cockpit canopy and aerials to be fitted, but these may be left off till near the end of the build, unless of course the canopy is to be posed closed, then the two parts can be fitted at this point. Turning over the completed assembly there are couple of small parts to be added to each wheelwells along with three identification lights on the centreline of the lower fuselage. The hook can also be fitted, either in the retracted or extended position. The undercarriage is built up of the main leg, retraction jack, scissor links, main undercarriage doors and four piece wheels, made up of the separate tyre halves, inner and outer wheels. Now, while this will help with the painting of the wheel, but it will need some careful cleaning up of the tyres join. The completed undercarriage can then be added to the main assembly. The final parts to be added are the built up long range fuel tank and its support, propeller, front undercarriage doors, and the optional rockets, 6 of which are provided, and finally the pitot probe.

Decals

The only decal option provided is that for an aircraft flown by Sub-Lieutenant W.M.C. Foster, of No1844 Sqn when onboard HMS Indomitable, Okinawa, April 1945. Along with the main insignia, decals are also provided for the propeller, cockpit side consoles and instrument panels, for use if painting them is not for the modeller. The decals are well printed to the standard we are coming to expect from Eduard, in good register and nicely opaque.

Conclusion

This is another very nice kit from Eduard. It looks like it will build into a very nice model and I don’t think the missing resin and etch of this weekend edition makes it any real difference, unless you are a real superdetailing modeller. It would certainly make for a good, quick mojo booster. Recommended.

[Nobby57]

Accurate and well written review Dave (10 out of 10). Having obtained the very same kit at the Abingdon Model Show on Saturday, I've carefully read your review to compare notes. I concur with your sentiments and this has to be my mojo finder with all that has happened recently. Apart from attempting a wiring harness it will be built straight from the box and I hope Graham will get to photograph it soon. It'll also help keep me from getting bored with a Mach2 PBM of 524 Squadron RAF.

Graham

[Steve86]

Thanks for the review, I made the 1/72 Revell Hellcat last year, maybe it's time for a bigger brother!

[sroubos]

Built this kit's smaller 1/72 brother.

Best. Kit. Ever.

[DaveCromie]

What sroubos said! I am pretty sure my 3 1/72 Hellcats actually built themselves in the box when I wasn't looking so if the 1/48 version is half as good......

DC