Airfix 1/24 Hellcat F6F-5

[Whitewolf]

Gotta be honest and say I was surprised at this. I'm sure it'll be a great kit, but why yet another model of the Hellcat? I had hoped Airfix would continue down the RAF road and do something like a 1/24 Griffon engined Spitfire like a PRXIX? This much loved variant has been the star of many an Air show courtesy of the BBMF but is completely ignored above 1/48?? 

[sinnerboy]

BUT I WANTED A DEFIANT!😭

 

I'm going to scweam and scweam and scweam until i'm sick.

 

 

might still buy one tho

[fightersweep]

2 minutes ago, Stealthman said:

Gotta be honest and say I was surprised at this. I'm sure it'll be a great kit, but why yet another model of the Hellcat? I had hoped Airfix would continue down the RAF road and do something like a 1/24 Griffon engined Spitfire like a PRXIX? This much loved variant has been the star of many an Air show courtesy of the BBMF but is completely ignored above 1/48?? 

 

I do agree. A 1/24 Griffon Spitfire is my top wish for a kit. Maybe we'll see one some day. I hope so. I'd even take a Mk IX and hope the aftermarket boys bring out a conversion for a Mk XIV or XIX. In the meantime, I'm happy with a Hellcat too. It's seen lots of other scales, but not 1/24 before.

[The Tomohawk Kid]

22 minutes ago, Stealthman said:

Gotta be honest and say I was surprised at this. I'm sure it'll be a great kit, but why yet another model of the Hellcat? I had hoped Airfix would continue down the RAF road and do something like a 1/24 Griffon engined Spitfire like a PRXIX? This much loved variant has been the star of many an Air show courtesy of the BBMF but is completely ignored above 1/48?? 

 

Where are these myriad of models of the Hellcat you speak of? Why do we have to endure another model of a boring Spitfire.

 

Well done Airfix for entering the global market.

 

Tommo.

Edited November 11, 2018 by The Tomohawk Kid

[fightersweep]

2 minutes ago, The Tomohawk Kid said:

 

Well done Airix for entering the golbal market.

 

Tommo.

Well, the Spitfire must have global appeal also, otherwise almost every model manufacturer on the planet wouldn't have produced them. 

 

It is good to see the Hellcat in 1/24. A Corsair would have been equally great....even my pet US choice in this scale, the P-51B.

[Paul Bradley]

Was it just me or did anyone else watch that video and keep pausing it to see what other kits they were working on?  😅  I don't think they let slip any secrets though....

[Head in the clouds.]

Well done Airfix and boy does it look good, I think it will be a winner although not my cup of rosie lee.

[Plasto]

Airfix have really excelled at product launch marketing for this kit. 

 

I like the subject choice I think it will sell well and the sprues and renders and built model all look good so far. 

 

Its a a good choice as for a large scale hellcat ATM you have to older Hasegawa kit or the Trumpeter which has a few well known shape issues..

 

So if your in the market for a large scale Hellcat this will be the defacto kit somewhat like the Typhoon. Plus like the Typhoon with a few tweaks you can backdate the kit to an earlier mark.

 

I’m looking forward to seeing how brave they are in their Decal and colour scheme choices.

[k5054nz]

I was also hoping for a 1/48 Tiger Moth. Hopefully not long to wait, even if it's not from Airfix...?

 

The "Built For Battle" video got me a lot more excited for this kit than the initial announcement. It's great to hear such detail about the design and development process directly from those involved. "Wing fold option" - that means either/or, doesn't it?

 

10 hours ago, Work In Progress said:

The top-ranking WW2 types to use it were the Hellcat, Thunderbolt, Corsair, Black Widow, A-26 Invader, Ventura and C-46.  Early post-war it went into the Tigercat and Bearcat, and the DC-6 amongst many airliners and commercial transports. It continues in commercial service today, in the DC-6 and Canadair CL-215.

Okay, hands up everyone else who's thinking Airfix 1/24 Ventura next year?

[Paul J]

Just watched the video and am impressed by the dedication of the Airfix team. I am almost sold on  it. It does look very impressive though. A bit of a U turn by me I know but still hope for a Tiger in the big scale.

[Whitewolf]

2 hours ago, The Tomohawk Kid said:

 

Where are these myriad of models of the Hellcat you speak of? Why do we have to endure another model of a boring Spitfire.

 

Well done Airfix for entering the global market.

 

Tommo.

Hasegawa, Trumpeter etc.... The Griffon Engined Spits are far from boring, but sadly completely overlooked in anything above 1/48.....

[Julien]

Its nice but falls into the would like category but not the must have category.

 

Understand Airfix have done this to try and get into the US market but the kit will UK & French decals so there should be more appeal. The wingfold should also bring some people on board,

 

Julien

[Andre B]

1 hour ago, Julien said:

Its nice but falls into the would like category but not the must have category.

 

Understand Airfix have done this to try and get into the US market but the kit will UK & French decals so there should be more appeal. The wingfold should also bring some people on board,

 

Julien

Something for Dien and the Battle of Indochina with french markings?

 

Cheers / André

[FlyingPenguin]

5 hours ago, sinnerboy said:

BUT I WANTED A DEFIANT!😭

 

I'm going to scweam and scweam and scweam until i'm sick.

 

 

might still buy one tho

Would have loved a Defiant :). Maybe in 4 years after lots of Hellcats and perhaps Corsairs sale...I am looking forward to the Hellcat, although not sure if I even would get it started. 

 

 

[RussellE]

Nicely played, Airfix, nicely played. 

 

Didn't see that coming at all. 

 

A surprising yet welcome choice all the same that raises several interesting questions. 

 

Surprising because: it's in a theatre that Airfix have not previously released a 1/24 kit in before (the Pacific); it's use by only 3 air forces with only 2? main variants limits the number of boxing's able to be got from this tooling, ( honestly I thought a P40 was in line for the 1/24 treatment given the large number of operators, number of variants and it's operational history). 

 

Welcome because: it has no real direct competition, (which is good because its success helps everyone's favorite model company); the subject matter is a superlative fighter from the PTO; it's a topic that appeals to the largest market on Earth (the US). 

 

The questions it raises are:

1. If the rumours are true that the CAD was ready to go in 2014 then that means it only takes around 18 months to prep a 1/24 design, given its proximity to 2013's Typhoon. Accordingly if the new CEO was the one who secured the funds for the tooling, does this then mean Airfix could in theory, release a new 1/24 kit every 24~36 months? 

2. If it's a success & HH return to profit does that mean a new 1/24 kit sooner rather than later?

3. With this foray into the PTO what can we expect from Airfix next? A Corsair perhaps? The aforementioned P40? A Zero?

 

Consequently being an Aussie of British descent, would I buy one? Initially, I was luke warm to the idea, but given the Typhoon was a game changer for Airfix, & this kit looks to be a step up again, I am certain it will be added to my collection in the not too distant future. 

 

Finally,  my hopes are still for a new tool 1/24 Spitfire MkI or IX in the not too distant future, because, yes I am one of those modellers who refuses to fix up old kit when there's newer & better to be had, like the F6F and Typhoon!

[Plasto]

The Hellcat was used by the USN, FAA, Aeronavale and Uruguayn naval aviation...

 

There are a lot of schemes for F6F-5’s...

[Troy Smith]

6 hours ago, Plasto said:

The Hellcat was used by the USN, FAA, Aeronavale and Uruguayn naval aviation...

 

There are a lot of schemes for F6F-5’s...

Indeed...

for something really eye catching...

http://www.letletlet-warplanes.com/2014/12/01/hellcat-drone/

Quote

During the operation Crossroads in 1946, a fleet of Hellcat drones were used and they was in red orange color with tails in various bright color, and this practice was used to denote frequency. Machines used by Guided Missile Unit 90 was standard Sea Blue Gloss overal and that was the machines used for attack on ground target in Korea in 1952. Drones used in various test in USA was also painted in diaglo color. No matter of primary conversion as drones, some was used later as target tug and in this role they have Sea Blue Gloss fuselage with yellow wings and tail, with red stripes. Hellcat drone are make history in December 1952 when XAAM-2 Sparrow missile destroy one Hellcat and that was first air to air kill done with guided missile.

 

[Julien]

Hi,

 

can we please keep this thread on topic about the Hellcat, not an endless list of what else we wanted or have heard about.

 

Thx

 

Julien

[71chally]

Wow, great news!

All that time spent in the FAA Museum by Airfix not entirely wasted!

 

The kit looks beautifully engineered, the bit between the undercarriage and the wing fold is really quite something ti get your head around on the real thing and Airfix have capture it just right.

 

[pinky coffeeboat]

Definitely not what I thought Airfix would produce.

I thought it was going to be another yawn fest of a Spitfire/ Hurricane whatever so this announcement was interesting. I still have zero interest in anything Airfix put out, however watching the video and hearing the enthusiasm from the designer and the way the model looked mean and solid and "chunky" (as in, the actual F6F) I had a brief moment when I was tempted. Well done Airfix for not doing another boring Spitfire but deduct a point for doing another WW2 subject.

 

Jeff

[Grey Beema]

I was reading on another site something about a sound unit also being made available, not only can you swing the prop but you can hear the sound of the P&W.  Has anyone heard anything about the sound unit?

 

As for PTO only, for sure the Hellcat MK I was used in the European theatre (North Atlantic, Western Approaches and Mediterranean), I am pretty sure it would not be a massive step to convert the Mk II back to an MkI.  In fact @Troy Smith posted a diagram of the differences.  Just try to get a photo of your particular aircraft because there were variances on the cowl flaps even in the MkI (the FAA wired some shut)..

[Plasto]

There is quite a bit of work to convert what Airfix are releasing which is a mid /late f6f-5 (hellcat ii) back to a f6f-3 (hellcat i) especially in 1/24... Not impossible to do but more than a set of windows in the fuselage.

 

It would mean quite a bit of retooling for Airfix to produce the -3. Not saying they won’t. Just to get it correct in 1/24 for the enthusiast buyer will take a bit of investment.

 

What Airfix are giving us allows you to model probably the widest variety of schemes for the Hellcat. Which might be why they chose it as a subject along with the fact there isn’t a really good one in a large scale. 

[Dave Fleming]

On 11/11/2018 at 8:22 PM, Paul Bradley said:

Was it just me or did anyone else watch that video and keep pausing it to see what other kits they were working on?  😅  I don't think they let slip any secrets though....

 

Nope, me too - just Hunters and Wellingtons that I saw. No Vulcans

[Dave Fleming]

On 11/12/2018 at 2:38 AM, RussellE said:

 

The questions it raises are:

1. If the rumours are true that the CAD was ready to go in 2014 then that means it only takes around 18 months to prep a 1/24 design, given its proximity to 2013's Typhoon. Accordingly if the new CEO was the one who secured the funds for the tooling, does this then mean Airfix could in theory, release a new 1/24 kit every 24~36 months? 

 

 

My understanding is the project has been on the go since 2014, but there was a pause in the development until the new CEO gave the go for tooling.

There are also conversion possibilities into NF hellcats or one of the PR conversions used in SE Asia

[Whitewolf]

On 11/10/2018 at 8:46 PM, Paul J said:

Interesting subject but not one for me to get to excited about. It will go down well in the U.S I bet. My wallet can breathe a sigh of relief until the rest of 2019 announcements are made...

 

Have to say though I felt that heart sinking feeling when this news came out. Was so hoping for a 24th Tiger Moth; but maybe there will be a 48th one... that will make me smile!!

Strange thing is, I've yet to come across anybody who is excited by this, and I don't know of anyone who is even thinking of buying one. Everyone seems to feel Airfix have taken their finger off the pulse with this kit......Great though it looks, it's unwanted......??