Modelling a computer game - Hellcats over the Pacific

[sroubos]

For some time now I've been thinking of doing this rather mad project - combining my love for flight simulators with kit building. My first sim was Hellcats over the Pacific, which I played on my dad's Apple Mac LCIII. It was released in the early 90s and at the time it was one of the most advanced and realistic sims available. Today, it definitely looks like a 90s game, but it still plays brilliantly.

The game modelled just a single plane which was, unsurprisingly, the F6F Hellcat. It had a limited set of missions all set in 1943 in the Solomons. A year later, an expansion set was released called Missions at Leyte Gulf, which added more missions, weapons and enemies and was set during the Phillipines campaign.

So what's the big idea here? I simply want to build every plane in the game, in 1/72. I have built quite a few of them already, but the twist is that this time I want to build the planes with paint jobs appropriate to the Guadalcanal or Leyte settings of the game. I though it would be quite easy to find the right decal sets and versions, but this turns out to be slightly more difficult than I thought in some cases! I've managed to put the following list together with planes I want to build, the kit I'm going to build and the decal set I can use. Where it's marked up in red is where I'd love some help - choosing a kit or a decal set, or finding out which version of the plane was used in these campaigns.

This will be a project that will last some years - in return for your help I promise to keep the topic going for as long as it takes and to post my progress!

Hellcats over the Pacific - Plane list

Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat

• Kit: Eduard
• Version: I believe only the F6F-3 was used in the Solomons campaign. In the game, the plane is armed with 500lb bombs, I’m not sure if this was actually the case.
• Decals: I have a couple of boxings of Eduard’s Hellcat, including the F6F-3. It has decals for a plane based on Ondonga which I believe is in the Solomons, as well as some carrier-based aircraft which have in all likelihood seen service in the campaign as well in 1943 (VF-16, VF-33). I know there are a couple of Superscale sheets that do -3s and also -3s and -5s, which might be a good deal too.

Vought F4U-1 Corsair

• Version: In the game, the Corsair takes off from a carrier (it’s the Intrepid I believe, which may or may not be historically accurate), which limits the choice to pretty much only VF-17 I think? No idea what stores these plane carried, if any.
• Kit: Tamiya’s F4U-1A
• Decals: This set looks perfectly appropriate. http://modelingmadness.com/scott/decals/super/ss72740.htm

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

• Version: My limited research shows some B-17Es were active in the Solomons campaign. The plane has an olive drab over grey paint scheme.
• Kit: I have Revell’s B-17G, which probably isn’t suitable. I believe Academy did an –E years ago.
• Decals: I haven’t been able to find a decal set appropriate for the Solomons.

Mitsubishi A6M Zero

• Version: The game’s Zeroes are always in the traditional 'ame-iro' schemes with black cowlings. Timing-wise, I suppose it could have been either an A6M2 or an A6M3.
• Kit: Tamiya A6M3
• Decals: Tamiya’s kit includes decals for an ame-iro plane that took part in the Solomons campaign. I also have a DP Casper set that has some decals for 2s and 2s but these are not ame-iro.

Mitsubishi G4M Betty

• Version: I think the G4M1 was the prevailing version used in 1943.
• Kit: Hasegawa old mould Betty is a G4M1. Ironically, I have the newer mould G4M2 which wasn’t used in the Solomons – or am I wrong? In any case, I need the G4M2 for the Leyte campaign.
• Decals: The DP Casper set includes decals for a G4M1.

Missions at Leyte Gulf - Plane list

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat

• Version: For the Leyte Gulf missions I want to build an F6F-5. In the game, it can be armed with rockets and either 500lb bombs or torpedoes! I think the latter is not very historically correct, so I will build this one with both rockets and bombs.
• Kit: Eduard
• Decals: See above, there are plenty of options available and I think Eduard do a weekend edition as well with Phillipines decals.

Lockheed P-38 Lightning

• Version: This is a difficult one. I know there were P-38Ls active in the Phillipines, but since I only have a P-38J kit available, I’d prefer to use that. The game’s Lightning is in Olive drab over grey.
• Kit: Academy if I can use the P-38J variant, otherwise it will have to be an L, any suggestions for this?
• Decals: I’ve found P-38L decals that can be used, but I would love to know if there are P-38J in Olive drab decals available somewhere. I know Academy do a Pacific boxing of this kit but not if that is applicable to Leyte.

Nakajima Ki-84 Frank

• Version: I have both the early Ki-84 boxing from Sword as well as the older kit but later model Hasegawa variants.
• Kit: Sword or Hasegawa
• Decals: I believe both kits have suitable decals.

Mitsubishi A6M Zero

• Version: The game still uses ame-iro camouflaged Zeroes in the Leyte Gulf campaign, which I’m sure is not historically accurate, but I’d love to stand corrected. By this time I think most Zeroes would have been A6M5s?
• Kit: Tamiya / Hasegawa A6M5
• Decals: I haven’t checked the kit options, but is anybody aware of a Leyte Gulf Zero decal set?

Mitsubishi G4M Betty

• Version: For Leyte Gulf I will be building the G4M2.
• Kit: Hasegawa
• Decals: I don’t have any decals for Phillipines Betties and I’m not aware of any third party set, would love to hear suggestions.

That's the list! Quite a lot of building ahead of me, especially at my speed of completing kids. I may add some vehicles to the mix as well but I haven't quite made my mind up there.

Edited February 13, 2015 by sroubos

[Procopius]

This is an awesome theme for a build! I cut my teeth on LucasArt's Battle of Britain, and then played the hell out of Aces over the Pacific and Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe.

[Learstang]

This is an awesome theme for a build! I cut my teeth on LucasArt's Battle of Britain, and then played the hell out of Aces over the Pacific and Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe.

"Aces Over the Pacific" was a great game - I wasted many hours playing that one. I loved the Tigercat - it was built like a battleship and with 4 20-mm cannons and 4 .50's all you needed was a 1-second burst to bring down anything. On the Japanese side I loved the Ki-83 - what a monster; fast (430mph), manoeuvrable (even with two engines, it was more manoeuvrable than most single-engined fighters), tough, and with 2 20-mm and 2 30-mm cannons in the nose it didn't take a long burst to bring down another aeroplane.

Sroubos, regarding your idea, I think it's a brilliant idea! I've pretty much done the same thing with "IL-2 Sturmovik" (NB: it should be "Shturmovik, but there you go!), but that's just because I basically want to build any combat aircraft or transport that flew on the Eastern Front. And also some non-combat types, as long as they're interesting, like the Ar-65 (the first Luftwaffe fighter, I believe, and used over the Taman Peninsula for glider towing in 1943).

Regards,

Jason

[sroubos]

Thanks for the encouragement guys! I was always jealous of PC gamers since games like Aces over the Pacific, 1942 and Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe were not available on Mac, but I had Hellcats and it was great too It's a shame there are so few sims out there nowadays.

By the time Il-2 was released, I did have a PC and I have played all versions of that game, but to be honest, the mission structure never managed to suck me in so I've always enjoyed the quick mission builder to create my own and introduce some interesting pairing (109s vs Corsairs over China...).

I've removed the screenshots for now, the site I linked from didn't like hotlinking. I'll put them on my webspace over the weekend and place them back.

Edited February 13, 2015 by sroubos

[Nick Millman]

Zeros engaged in the Solomons campaign began to be field camouflaged with dark green during mid-March 1943. Those schemes varied in style and methods of application.

The camouflaging coincided with a requirement to begin painting the Zero 'deep green black' at the factories but the formal order to do so was issued on 3 July 1943.