Snorry Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 (edited) It seems that there is a bon ton at this forum to start topic ahead of actual GB starting. So I, as a newbe had to behave like others - and I do! I have no doubts about my entry, for Aeronavale's Hellcat was mentioned as eligible right from the very start of discussions about GB. But I have serious doubts about success of my attempt to make something good out of mix of chinese plastic, italian decals and japanese liquids. The kit is awful for inaccuracy, decals (taken from Italeri's Hellcat which is also not a piece of cake) also have no much resemblance with what we can see on photos of real french Hellcats, and of bad printing quality, liquids mostly well, but that japanese "navy blue" to me, at least at the can, looks conspiciously violet. But, nevertheless - er... Allons enfants de la Patrie!!! Here is the box: Mine is almost like that but with the sticker on side, on which in Russian, among many others things, stated that "Shelf life is unlimited". Better be if this kit still lay on that shelf. I will try to build it without any corrections of geometry for they are useless and this Hellcat is helpless in this respect. I will just add some parts, absence of which is evident and in some case making those parts is essential to fit the kit all together. So it will be making "out the box and out of the trash can" - the latter will be the source of small pieces of plastic to glue in. As the kit provides option to fold the wing, I will use that. And in the end, I hope, that will have resemblance with F6F-5 of 11F - at least when viewing out of some (meters?) distance . As far I understand, actual start of building process will be at March 21. Is it permitted to show building also at other forums, like scalemodels.ru (they also run similar GB on french aviation) and at my personal page? Edited June 21, 2015 by Snorry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Snorry, An Aeronavale Hellcat? Definitely welcome!! You paint an inviting picture of your proposed project - good luck. Feel free to show what you like on other forums - it's your model after all. Yes the GB starts on Saturday 21st March so no sneaky building before then. Wez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorry Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 Roger-Roger! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 to the GB! It's good to see a Hellcat. It is certainly acceptable to show this build on other forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorry Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) And here I go! Last look on the undisturbed contents of the box: At right bottom corner - that sticker I have mentioned above. We are definetely in Snowy Russia (and we had serious snowstorm today). And let the massacre (definitely french word, as my dictionary tells) begin! This is capot-moteur: Not a best fit, you see, and some filling and sanding (F&S) needed. And this cowling is incorrect both in shape and in detail... And this is external fuel tank after first round of F&S: Ups, sink marks on the nose - F&S again! By the way, the tank is not for F6F-5, it looks much like an early version for F6F-3. What is not good for war-time Hellcats, not very bad for 1950s machine for it can be easily converted to the late "universal" 150 gal tank, seen on all Aeronavale Hellcats. But this is OUT THE BOX building - and let it goes as is. Indeed, I have told to do so - and I do. Edited March 22, 2015 by Snorry 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorry Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 And now the bombs: You would ask why I have cut the stabilizer? It's for it is undersized and turned off the correct position. It should be like that (lower item): And now I had to turn another stabilizer in right position. I cant do anything with their size - so let they be as is, to the shame of CH-D! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted March 25, 2015 Share Posted March 25, 2015 Well be watching your work on this one as the Aeronavale Hellcats wore my second favourite choice of scheme for this type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorry Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 And what is the first favorite? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Royal Navy machines in the Gloss Sea Blue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorry Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 Good choice! And mine is USN F6F-5K off USS Shangri-La during Operation Crossroads. The Hell-cat out of Hell 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorry Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 And here are news from the fields! Fields of Russia still covered with snow, and I still trying to build Hellcat... Here are bombs with stabilizers in position they should be: Next - the fuel tank. Now it have... antlers? Legs? Not the steel bandages of real thing, indeed. But i have tried to make them thin - and will try. And will F&S... And cowling as it is now: Stlil a lot of F&S work ahead.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEMPESTMK5 Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Good morning Snorry Good work so far .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorry Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 Thank you, Patrice! But I'm dfinitely not so fast as you - your Vampire is almost completed, and my Hellcat is still just started... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEMPESTMK5 Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Hello Snorry Yes I must admit that point but the Vampire kit is rather esay to build .. I try to work on it every day and if all goes as I expect I will start painting this Week end .. Being french and very interested by aircraft with french roundels I am very motivated with this Gb , I also have a lot of models in my stash .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorry Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 (edited) Unfortunately, amount of boxes in the stash has no effect on building speed. I'm slightly afraid of giant leaps, so here is another small step by these legs: As usual, all straight OOB with some drilling. In fact, all these parts, except the main wheels, have both excellent details and many inaccuracies (especially upper end of main legs). But for making fun they are good enough! And these threaded main wheels is really great! As Quickboosts ones, I suppose By the way, I have made tail wheel removable to easy the upcoming (and awaited with some shivering...) painting process, and you can see uncutted axle made of stretched sprue. Edited April 6, 2015 by Snorry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorry Posted April 7, 2015 Author Share Posted April 7, 2015 (edited) And here I go for fight with the intestines. Or to the dogs, for in Russian word "interrior" sounds exactly like "in terrier" And all this is in a cat! There are many more interior parts in the kit, but when completed, they anyway could not be seen without X-rays equipment. So I have left them on the sprues, and to glue together just essentials. Together they go well, to fuselage - with half a mm gaps. To avoid extensive F&S on prepainted interrior, I decided to add some thin plastic to fill the gaps at rear bulkhead and instrument panel. And this is how it looks inside fuselage: Edited April 7, 2015 by Snorry 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Well Snorry, this is a good start. Leaving invisible parts on the sprues can make sense. Why not after all? I have never seen the Cyber Hobby Hellcat, only the Academy one. It looks rather good on your photos. Have fun. JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorry Posted April 8, 2015 Author Share Posted April 8, 2015 (edited) Hello, Jean! There in Rissia is widely popular one movie about conscripts in the Army. And it have the next dialogue: - Do you see the suslik? -No. -But he is there. Suslik is a small animal, kind of ground squirrel, and lives in ground holes (but you, with your passion to biology, know it already, yes?). So, as the suslik in his hole is invisible, the knowing of his existence is almost pointless. And if somebody says "Don't breed the susliks!" it means "Do not make something useless what nobody could see". Cyber-hobby gave almost a dozen parts one can easily describe as the susliks - if you do not intended to cut off the fuselage, of course. But I do not - so I leave those "susliks" on the sprues. It's just common sense But to the kit again, and here is the first big flaw of it, making Aeronavale a/c OOB impossible. Look: Seems, that Italeri's rudder decal is bit larger than kit's rudder? No, its the kit rudder is narrower than it should be! And here is the proof: Upper- Academy, lower - Cyberhobby, centre - real thing, CH rudder is almost 1.5 mm narrower, and for anchor on tricolor it is critical. So, I had to make new rudder from scratch... But, dealing with interrior, I had a bright idea, and here it is: I had cut out instrument panel cowling from fuselage halves and glue it to the panel itself, making filling and sanding gaps more easy. And. when installed in fuselage, the cut out line is perfectly masked by the canopy! And, removing that obstacle, I started to paint interior parts. And here is what come out of it: Seat belts is the only PE parts of the kit, and they are nice one. Incorrect in places, as all the interior parts, but still nice! Edited April 8, 2015 by Snorry 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEMPESTMK5 Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 (edited) Good morning Snorry Too bad for the rudder I hope you will manage to get something better from scratch .. Patrice Edited April 8, 2015 by TEMPESTMK5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorry Posted April 8, 2015 Author Share Posted April 8, 2015 Yes, Patrice, i hope I will make something at least not worse than the kit part. But it wiil postpone completion of model a bit. And as I still prepairing to glue fuselage halves, you have managed to complete Texan and to paint Vampire! Congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEMPESTMK5 Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Yes, Patrice, i hope I will make something at least not worse than the kit part. But it wiil postpone completion of model a bit. And as I still prepairing to glue fuselage halves, you have managed to complete Texan and to paint Vampire! Congratulations! Hello Snorry Thank you but these 2 kits are very easy to build ..it looks like the CH Hellcat you are building is far more difficult ... In 2011 I built the Italeri Hellcat in the markings of an aircraft of the Armée de l'Air in Indochina if I can find the pics I will post them .. Patrice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 May it be easier to shim the rudder rather than build a new one from scratch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorry Posted April 9, 2015 Author Share Posted April 9, 2015 .it looks like the CH Hellcat you are building is far more difficult ... No, I think it is modeller who make building of kits difficult You take them easy - and go fast and easy. I take them more "seriously" - and move slowly. Someone takes kits even more "seriously" - and stops at all May it be easier to shim the rudder rather than build a new one from scratch? No way, I have thought about it. Kit's rudder is rounded at the base, and to shim it to make it wide, I should sand this curvature off and then glue about 2 mm of plastic. And what will happen with all this ribs? They will go backwards of fin! So, there is first steps to the new rudder: Plastic taken from the old refrigerator, ribs of Surfacer. And first experiments with japanese NAVY BLUE. it looks more like a EXTRA DARK SEA GREY to me, but who knows? so I intended to use this paint, and even had to for some reason 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorry Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 And here is the new rudder! Feel the difference in size! As of ribs, my rudder is less incorrect in this respect than CH's, but next time I will try to use stretched sprue instead of Surfacer... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Snorry, good show with the rudder! It sure makes a huge difference. Keep them coming! JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts