Some (More) Hellcat questions (why don't I just buy a book?)

[Duncan B]

As a Mojo restorer I have started a HobbyBoss F6F-3 Hellcat as (hopefully) a quick build. The reason for picking the Hellcat was because I know nothing about them so can't get bogged down with the never ending spiral of research and detail chasing but that does have it's down side when it comes to getting the basic colours right.

Can someone tell me what colour I should paint the engine crankcases and the inside of the cowling please, I'm thinking it'll be a grey? Also, I seem to remember being told that the wheel wells and legs would be the same colour as the underside, would that e correct?

Hopefully I haven't inadvertently stumbled into the USN equivalent of RLM 02 v RLM 66 interiors  etc as I'm just wanting to get it close enough without upsetting the Grumman Fans out there.

 

Duncan B

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

Hi Duncan

 

I can't tell you as I'm not at home but why not go onto Eduard's website and check out the instructions for one of their Hellcat kits? That should tell you the colours easily enough.

 

thanks

Mike

[Jure Miljevic]

Hi, Duncan

Your choice of colurs sounds fine to me, the only exception being the interior of the cowling. I think this colour varied depending on manufacturer, although I cannot remember where I read this. Cheers

Jure

[Col.]

Took a look in the Eduard F6F-5 instruction sheet and it says H-306 Grey for the crankcase, H-58 Interior Green for the cowl inners, then H-54 Navy Blue for the undercarriage of an overall H-54 Navy Blue machine.

[Duncan B]

Thanks Gents, I'm going to do the tri-colour (or should that be color?) scheme so the underside will be the white colour. Great suggestion about checking the Eduard website, I'd forgotten about doing that (just shows what 6 months away from the bench does to the thought processes!).

 

Duncan B

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

Most of the inside of an F6F-3 except the immediate cockpit area would have been Grumman Gray primer. Light Gull Gray would work fine. The gray would start behind the bulkhead with pilot's seat attached so you'd see gray through the quarterlight windows. I think gray would be a safe bet inside the cowling. Most Grumman firewalls were bright aluminium.

 

Pratt & Whitney crank cases were a darker gray.

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

In that case look up 8221 on Eduard's website, that will give you the 1/48 F6F-3 instructions, in the tri colour scheme.

 

thanks

Mike

[Chuck1945]

The gear bays and struts would normally be the underside color; white if a tri-color scheme or Gloss Sea Blue if overall GSB. Dark grey crankcase, and despite Eduard, probably a lighter grey (Grumman Grey?) inside of cowls.

[Jure Miljevic]

Hi

I browsed through few books at hand and most of the colour photos from WWII period show cowling interiors in light to middle gray, although some are definitely in either zinc chromate green or interior green. Few of them look black, however this may have been due to photo of printing imperfections. To avoid paralysis through analysis (whoever came up with this phrase has my undying admiration) go with a Grumman gray primer as SovereignHobbies suggested. This colour seems to be the most commonly used. Cheers

Jure

Edited November 30, 2016 by Jure Miljevic
Edited for spelling

[LDSModeller]

Hi Duncan,

If doing a F6F-3 I would state the following:

 

Engine Crankcase - Engine Grey

Cowling Interior up to Engine Bulkhead Forward wall - Grumman Grey same/similar to this Grumman Avenger -

this would be same/similar to Grumman built Wildcats too.

 

Cockpit (being a -3) I would use either Dull Dark Green or Bronze Green again as in this Grumman Avenger TBF-1c

 

Rest of Interior Zinc Chromate Green

 

Undercart/Wheel well same as undersides (if 4 Tone scheme)

 

Bear in mind, any Grumman designed aircraft,  built by General Motors would be Zinc Chromate/Interior green. Hellcat to my knowledge was not built by GM, so go with my comments above

 

F6F-5 Hellcat in overall GSB would/could be different in interior colours

 

Hope that helps?

 

Regards

 

Alan

Edited December 1, 2016 by LDSModeller

[Troy Smith]

On 30/11/2016 at 18:45, Duncan B said:

I'm just wanting to get it close enough without upsetting the Grumman Fans out there.

 

Duncan B

erm ,Hobby Boss did

http://aeroscale.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=4770

I mention this that a mojo restorer the HB kit may cause you to be a bit cheesed off if you find out later.

 

There have been Eduard weekend edition Hellcats about cheap recently, I've never seen a build where they caused problems, 

 

But, the Hobby Boss is apparently a very good kit to build though

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234962328-hobby-boss-148-hellcat-mki-fleet-air-arm/

 

Note,  Hobby Boss is not a total write off,  as it makes for a cheap wing fold conversion.

http://modelingmadness.com/review/allies/cleaver/us/tmcf6f.htm

and creative use of leftover Eduard bits

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/52776-yellow-wings-hellcat/

 

Hope of use?  Apologies if not.

T

 

 

[Duncan B]

5 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

erm ,Hobby Boss did

http://aeroscale.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=4770

I mention this that a mojo restorer the HB kit may cause you to be a bit cheesed off if you find out later.

 

There have been Eduard weekend edition Hellcats about cheap recently, I've never seen a build where they caused problems, 

 

But, the Hobby Boss is apparently a very good kit to build though

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234962328-hobby-boss-148-hellcat-mki-fleet-air-arm/

 

Note,  Hobby Boss is not a total write off,  as it makes for a cheap wing fold conversion.

http://modelingmadness.com/review/allies/cleaver/us/tmcf6f.htm

and creative use of leftover Eduard bits

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/52776-yellow-wings-hellcat/

 

Hope of use?  Apologies if not.

T

 

 

Thanks Troy

 

I was aware that Hellcat fans weren't impressed but I wasn't concerned about any shape issues it might have and was more interested in a straightforward, cheap and fun build which it has turned out to be so far. I also fancied building it with wings folded so that was a bonus. (I have some Eduard Hellcats in stock too for the diehard Hellcat purists).

 

Duncan B

[Seawinder]

10 hours ago, Duncan B said:

Thanks Troy

 

I was aware that Hellcat fans weren't impressed but I wasn't concerned about any shape issues it might have and was more interested in a straightforward, cheap and fun build which it has turned out to be so far. I also fancied building it with wings folded so that was a bonus. (I have some Eduard Hellcats in stock too for the diehard Hellcat purists).

 

Duncan B

If/when you get around to building one of the Eduard Hellcats, I'm confident you'll find it a straightforward, fun build as well. It's really one of their best efforts in terms of engineering simplicity, and it goes together very nicely, quite unlike, for example, the Mirage IIICJ I just completed yesterday.

[Seahawk]

1 hour ago, Seawinder said:

If/when you get around to building one of the Eduard Hellcats, I'm confident you'll find it a straightforward, fun build as well. It's really one of their best efforts in terms of engineering simplicity, and it goes together very nicely, quite unlike, for example, the Mirage IIICJ I just completed yesterday.

 

Don't forget cheap, either.  They can be obtained at surprisingly reasonable prices, especially if you go for the weekend editions, without etch and masks.  Agree with you that the Eduard Hellcats are some of the finest 1/72 kits ever produced.  Though other later Eduard kits (Bf 110, Spitfire IX) probably surpass even them.

[Duncan B]

2 hours ago, Seawinder said:

If/when you get around to building one of the Eduard Hellcats, I'm confident you'll find it a straightforward, fun build as well. It's really one of their best efforts in terms of engineering simplicity, and it goes together very nicely, quite unlike, for example, the Mirage IIICJ I just completed yesterday.

 

55 minutes ago, Seahawk said:

 

Don't forget cheap, either.  They can be obtained at surprisingly reasonable prices, especially if you go for the weekend editions, without etch and masks.  Agree with you that the Eduard Hellcats are some of the finest 1/72 kits ever produced.  Though other later Eduard kits (Bf 110, Spitfire IX) probably surpass even them.

Thanks for the build information chaps, I have both the Eduard 1/48 and 1/72 Hellcats in stock and price-wise they are very good value for money.

 

Duncan B

[mike romeo]

Hope the HB build fully restores your mojo!  Go to it and have fun.

 

Regards

 

Martin

[iainpeden]

I did the HB one a few years ago and really enjoyed puting it together. The cockpit appears to be too big - canopy as well - but it was an easy build. A real plus point was selling it on e-bay for £20!

 

I picked up a dual Eduard Hellcat 1/48 combo at Telford (£20) and that's now at top of the build pile.

[Duncan B]

Another question for you guys, the kit provides rockets and bombs plus the drop tank. Would these be suitable for the F6F-3?

 

Duncan B

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

I wouldn't categorically say not but I would associate the bombs and rockets more with the F6F-5. To me the F6F-3 was introduced when there was still plenty of Japanese aircraft to shoot down, and that later on the F6F-5 was used more as a fighter bomber than the F6F-3 was. I do remember starting a thread a good while back along similar lines and the consensus there was that they generally used rockets or bombs and not really both at the same time.

 

thanks

Mike

[Duncan B]

7 minutes ago, Mikemx said:

I wouldn't categorically say not but I would associate the bombs and rockets more with the F6F-5. To me the F6F-3 was introduced when there was still plenty of Japanese aircraft to shoot down, and that later on the F6F-5 was used more as a fighter bomber than the F6F-3 was. I do remember starting a thread a good while back along similar lines and the consensus there was that they generally used rockets or bombs and not really both at the same time.

 

thanks

Mike

Hi Mike

So should I fill the holes for the rocket pylons and bomb racks on the wings and just go with the centreline drop tank? 

 

Duncan B

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

That's what I would do on an F6F-3.

 

thanks

Mike

[Duncan B]

10 minutes ago, Mikemx said:

That's what I would do on an F6F-3.

 

thanks

Mike

Sounds good to me Mike, nice and simple so just the thing for my restorative build, cheers.

 

Duncan B

[Duncan B]

Another Hellcat question, what colour would the inside of the wing fold area be?

 

Duncan B

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

Underside colour behind the hinge perhaps:

 

But in front looks to be Grumman Gray inside. Grumman Gray with white overspray not inconceivable!

 

 

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

These -3s have what looks to be "Interior Green" / black tinted yellow zinc chromate there however. They aslo pre-date the repaint into "tricolor" scheme as given away by the blue-gray paint and barless national insignia.