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Cat out of hell! 1/24 Airfix F6F-5 Hellcat Mk.II FAA


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4 hours ago, Alan P said:

Blimey that was fast work!

 

I'm waiting for the decals to come out, but can't stop looking in the box. Superb kit and your build really does it justice.

 

Was it easy to build with the 'one wing folded, one extended' option?

 

Alan

Absolutely no issues making half folded. Just study the build sequence. Airfix kept the sequences separate, so you can tell

which is which. 

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1 minute ago, Habu12 said:

Absolutely no issues making half folded. Just study the build sequence. Airfix kept the sequences separate, so you can tell

which is which. 

Thanks. I'll be taking the same route, just need to be careful following the instructions!

 

Alan

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Airfix 1/24 F6F-5 Hellcat

Box

Packaging/Decals/Pubs: 10

My thoughts on the boxart has been recorded, and nothing changes here. For this kit, the instruction sheet isimpeccable, and in multicolor and 3D CAD exploded views. The wiring guide for the engine is also fantastic. The decals are Catrograph and no issues were encountered whatsoever. Top marks. 

Sprues: 9

The gates are much improved over the Spitfire, andcutting parts off didn’t include chunks of plastic this time. There was still a little flash here and there however. But the genius stroke, was keeping all the subassemblies on one spure. All the engine parts on one, all the cockpit parts on one, etc..

Shape: 10

The stressed skin effect was very well represented, and very convincing. Bravo! The other shapes looked spot on, no issues.

Subject/Cool Factor: 10

This was initially a head scratcher. But the risk Airfix took in going for say, a tier II subject has paid off. This was a hole in the line of WWII fighters that was finally filled. And while the Hellcat doesn’t have the sexy lines of a Spitfire or Mustang, it definitely looks great in this scale. It makes up for the fact that is isn’t a Mustang or Spitfire in the risk that was taken. Top marks here too.

Engineering: 10

Airfix has taken that leap forward that I hoped they would with this kit. The build sequence is logical, the spuresfollow the subassemblies, the instruction sheet is easy to follow and well illustrated and colored, and I encountered no issues in the build.

BOX SCORE: 49

BUILD

Fit: 9

I take point away here for one reason: the fit is too good. There is absolutely no wiggle room in the parts. And I think that contributed to the fact that I misaligned the bottom of the fuselage. However I do blame myself mostly. However, the engine an ancillary components did have some parts that were just too tight, and fitting was difficult. There was literally no room for it to wiggle on. Also, the engine covers do have a looser fit if you don’t get it 110% right. And that extra 10% is almost impossible to get without eating up time. 

Detail: 9

Detail is fantastic, for the scale, and I’m thinking Airfixhave hit maximum density on their box plastic detail. Sure, some crisper look can be had with aftermarket parts, but out of the box, the detail is still fantastic. How much you want to add to that is just a matter of your time and money. 

Effort: 9

Just a tick off for the fit that’s just too tight. Other than that, It was an absolute delight to build. 

Value: 10

Put bluntly, you can’t get better value than this. A mighty kit for $160. The HK Lancaster and HB Liberator are $300+ and have known issues. This kit doesn’t have any of those, and at half the price. 

Fun Factor: 10

This was an absolute delight. Enjoyed every minute of it.

BUILD SCORE: 48

Add it all up and the D score is…97 out of 100

This is a Grade A kit. The highest score I’ve given so far, and even if this isn’t your scale or your subject, GO BUY THIS KIT! Keep it in your stash if you must. 

 

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