A few questions about FAA Hellcats in South East Asia

[DominikS]

Hi ev'ryone

Got a few questions about Fleet Air Arm Hellcats. To be precise, I need a type info and camo infoe.

Starting from the beginning. I've recently bought DP Casper's decals "Meridian" and there are two Hellcats marked as Mk.II. I just need confirmation as I have no access to any data about British Hellcats.

1. Was Hellcat flown by Lt. K. McLennan (FN439) Mk. I, early Mk.II or late Mk.II?

2. Was Hellcat flown by Lt. Cdr. Shotten (JX758) Mk.I, early Mk.II or late Mk.II?

3. Can I trust Eduard's information about colours used to paint camouflage and lower surffaces?

Thank you in advance for any help.

Cheers

Dominik

[Test Graham]

1. FN439 was a Mk.I

2. I don't know how you are differentiating Mk.IIs - it is about in the middle of deliveries to the FAA.

3. Grumman used paints that matched the British specifications. I don't know what Eduard say.

[Wez]

1. FN439 was a Mk.I

2. I don't know how you are differentiating Mk.IIs - it is about in the middle of deliveries to the FAA.

3. Grumman used paints that matched the British specifications. I don't know what Eduard say.

Graham,

I think Dominik is referring to an F6F-5 airframe but retaining the quarter lights behind the canopy of an F6F-3 airframe. So an early F6F-5 which is a MkII in the FAA inventory.

Dominik,

Please correct me if my interpretation is wrong.

Wez

Edited March 16, 2014 by Wez

[Test Graham]

How does that read across to deliveries to the FAA? I'd have expected few early Hellcats to have appeared outside of the USN. The photos I have to hand of near-serials all have the canopy slid back, so don't help. If anyone can say where in the production this mod was introduced, then the Bureau No. can be linked to FAA serials.

OK, that depends what you mean by "early". JV191 has it. At least two of 898's Mk.IIPRs have the window, and these will be around JX89x serials. JZ921 lacks it. This suggests JX758 will also have had it. Probably.

Edited March 16, 2014 by Graham Boak

[Wez]

How does that read across to deliveries to the FAA? I'd have expected few early Hellcats to have appeared outside of the USN. The photos I have to hand of near-serials all have the canopy slid back, so don't help. If anyone can say where in the production this mod was introduced, then the Bureau No. can be linked to FAA serials.

OK, that depends what you mean by "early". JV191 has it. At least two of 898's Mk.IIPRs have the window, and these will be around JX89x serials. JZ921 lacks it. This suggests JX758 will also have had it. Probably.

There were quite a large number of F6F-5's produced with the quarter lights behind the canopy, it's inevitable that some would and in fact did make their way into FAA use as you yourself have discovered. I think most of the MkII's in TSS camouflage had this feature.

Wez

[DominikS]

Graham

As Wez said, early F6F-5s had small windows aft the cockpit (same F6F-3). Thank you for help with FN439. So asap I'll start working on my first ever Hellcat.

[Fernando]

Hi, Dominik,

Disregard Eduard colour calls and paint your Hellcat in usual DSG/EDSG/Sky; the little eventual tonal diffrernce will be compensated by the particular interpretation of thr colours the hobby paint brand you are using made, anyway

Fernando

[Steven Eisenman]

Early Mk. II (note rear quarter light) in TSS, SEA.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e44/modeldad/F6FHellcatIIaircraftoftheBritishNavybelongingtothe808SquadroninflightoverKatukurunda1945_zpsd30ec509.jpg

A discussion of Mk. IIs in TSS

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234952496-f6f-5-hellcat/?hl=%2Bhellcat+%2Bmk.

Edited April 10, 2014 by Steven Eisenman