Bullbasket Posted November 7, 2021 Share Posted November 7, 2021 OK, I'm in uncharted territory for me, so bear with me. Many years ago, when I used to build wingy things, one topic that interested me were the drones and drone controllers of the USN, mainly the Hellcats. I haven't built an aircraft for about 20 years, but I felt as though I needed a change. My problem now is that I sold all of my kits, bits and decals and all of the many books which I had on the subject, so now I will be starting from scratch again (oh swmbo is gonna love this!!) I prefer 1/48th scale, but a quick look through Hannants site threw up zilch (no surprise really as their search engine isn't up to much). So my question is, can anyone recommend any kits, decals, conversions, books etc. I will be at Telford at the weekend coming so hopefully I will be able to pick something up there. Thanks for any help. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 7, 2021 Share Posted November 7, 2021 It depends which Hellcat drone you want to do: the early A-bomb test aircraft were quite different to the machines used at China Lake etc for Sparrow (and later) AAM tests. I have some info on both and recall that there is a decal sheet available for the Bikini test machines. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted November 7, 2021 Author Share Posted November 7, 2021 16 minutes ago, Sabrejet said: It depends which Hellcat drone you want to do: the early A-bomb test aircraft were quite different to the machines used at China Lake etc for Sparrow (and later) AAM tests. I have some info on both and recall that there is a decal sheet available for the Bikini test machines. Basically, any machine that was very colourful. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 7, 2021 Share Posted November 7, 2021 You've probably seen these: F6F-3Ks used during Operation Crossroads, 1946. Pairs of drones wore overall red schemes with colour-coded tails. Each drone pair was assigned to an F6F-5 drone controller which had the corresponding colour painted around the engine cowling. Note that '14/pink' has the name 'Janie' on the cowling. And a few F6F-5Ks, mainly operated by VU-3/VU-3K: note the thickened wingtips, which (IIRC) housed cameras and miss-distance indicators. For info, the F6F drone controllers used by VU-3 (etc) were even more colourful, wearing the engine grey/red/yellow scheme. 9 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orso Posted November 8, 2021 Share Posted November 8, 2021 A search at Hannants for Hellcat, 1/48 scale, decals gave this: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/LFMC4889?result-token=24fEv In 1/72 one have more choices, there are three sheets two of them with multiple options. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnl42 Posted November 8, 2021 Share Posted November 8, 2021 4 minutes ago, Orso said: A search at Hannants for Hellcat, 1/48 scale, decals gave this: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/LFMC4889?result-token=24fEv In 1/72 one have more choices, there are three sheets two of them with multiple options. Those are the only 1/48 decals I'm aware of. 1/72 does indeed seem to be a better choice. Platz produced two 1/144 boxings; Eduard reboxed the plastic with 1 drone scheme. And of course, any discussion of Hellcat drones needs to mention the Battle of Palmdale. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fubar57 Posted November 8, 2021 Share Posted November 8, 2021 (edited) Alley Cat Decals makes a 1:48 set but mistakenly call them F6F-5Ks. There is one F6F-5K on the sheet which is the one I modelled using an old Monogram kit, the one with the folding wings and no interior. Two things to note. The antennae coming off the cross beam on the tail both enter the left fuselage at the same location. Look at the second photo down in sabrejet's second post, the tail wheels have extensions. I added 2mm of round stock for mine. Decals https://www.alleycatmodels.co.uk/post-war-test-f6f-5k-hellcats-4247-p.asp Edited November 8, 2021 by fubar57 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted November 8, 2021 Share Posted November 8, 2021 Eduard did a Royal boxing if you can find one. Regards Robert 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbasket Posted November 8, 2021 Author Share Posted November 8, 2021 Many thanks for all of the replies, especially for the photos from @Sabrejet and @fubar57. I'll definitely be looking out for stuff at Telford. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tailspin Turtle Posted November 8, 2021 Share Posted November 8, 2021 A summary of Navy F6F drone programs: https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2009/11/f6f-drones.html Not colorful but distinctive: https://tailhooktopics.blogspot.com/2015/07/f6f-5k-drone-strike-korea.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fubar57 Posted November 8, 2021 Share Posted November 8, 2021 If you are going to do one of the -3s in Post #2 and not "Jane" try and acquire just numbers from spares or a friend. Alley Cat provide the decals for mine, one set of Stars and Bars and then a bunch of numbers. The numbers for the tail are about 9mm and for the cowl about 5.5mm. No other special markings 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 8, 2021 Share Posted November 8, 2021 A bit more info on the asymmetric F6F-3K/5K antenna: 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fubar57 Posted November 8, 2021 Share Posted November 8, 2021 Beauty. And a nice clear shot of the tail wheel extension Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 8, 2021 Share Posted November 8, 2021 And just to add a bit to the "Crossroads" F6F-3Ks, two shots that show how the drones gained coloured forward engine cowlings at Kwajalein: This is 3/Orange: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted November 9, 2021 Share Posted November 9, 2021 Does anyone know the reason for the taller tail wheel leg? Just wondering what particular issue that was addressing. Duncan B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 9, 2021 Share Posted November 9, 2021 3 hours ago, Duncan B said: Does anyone know the reason for the taller tail wheel leg? Just wondering what particular issue that was addressing. Duncan B Best I can do is to suggest that this mod was to give clearance to novel/non-standard stores installed beneath the centre fuselage. It's stated as part of the F6F-3K/5K conversion requirement but I can't find a definitive reason. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petetasker Posted November 9, 2021 Share Posted November 9, 2021 Hello mate The antenna and tail wheel mods have already been covered but the attached might be of interest detailing some of the black box mods incorporated into the drones. Another Britmodeller member very kindly forwarded this last time I made a similar enquiry. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tailspin Turtle Posted November 9, 2021 Share Posted November 9, 2021 5 hours ago, Duncan B said: Does anyone know the reason for the taller tail wheel leg? Just wondering what particular issue that was addressing. Duncan B Probably one of the two reasons cited for the longer tail wheel strut on the F4U Corsair, improved directional control on landings (the other was forward visibility on takeoffs and landing rollout). Why was the strut not lengthened on the piloted F6Fs if directional control after touchdown on landing was a problem? Probably because a pilot would be quicker to react to a swing developing (tail-dragger driver imperative: never let the back end get a good look ahead) than the remote control operator standing off to the side. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fubar57 Posted November 9, 2021 Share Posted November 9, 2021 I wonder if the taller tail wheel strut had something to do with the external fuel tank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 9, 2021 Share Posted November 9, 2021 2 hours ago, Tailspin Turtle said: Probably one of the two reasons cited for the longer tail wheel strut on the F4U Corsair, improved directional control on landings (the other was forward visibility on takeoffs and landing rollout). Why was the strut not lengthened on the piloted F6Fs if directional control after touchdown on landing was a problem? Probably because a pilot would be quicker to react to a swing developing (tail-dragger driver imperative: never let the back end get a good look ahead) than the remote control operator standing off to the side. Ah but some drone control F6Fs had the lengthened tail wheel leg. Thus I think it's more related to external stores than anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FZ6 Posted November 12, 2021 Share Posted November 12, 2021 Interesting thread as I'd like to build one of these at some point. I read an interesting account of a runaway F6F-5K evading two F-89Ds sent to intercept it in what became known as the Battle of Palmdale! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Palmdale 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxbat Posted November 15, 2021 Share Posted November 15, 2021 Saw this too late for Telford, but two threads from the recent Hellcat STGB might be useful: Drone Controller F6F-5 Drone Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted October 5, 2022 Share Posted October 5, 2022 Sorry to bring an older thread up, Im building Hellcat #14 with the Pink tail. Ive found the photo showing the drop-tank being the same blue/grey as aircraft #15. Does anyone have a guess at the color ? Some description’s call for neutral grey but it looks to blue to me ? Looks closer to Intermediate blue with grey added to it. I was thinking if also using XF-25 with a drop or two of XF-23 blue from Tamiya ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted October 5, 2022 Share Posted October 5, 2022 I'd say it's the same pale blue used on aircraft #15 and #16. However that's just a guess. I suspect that some of these identification colours were mixed locally rather than being a particular FS number. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e8n2 Posted October 5, 2022 Share Posted October 5, 2022 (edited) On 11/7/2021 at 11:42 AM, Sabrejet said: You've probably seen these: F6F-3Ks used during Operation Crossroads, 1946. Pairs of drones wore overall red schemes with colour-coded tails. Each drone pair was assigned to an F6F-5 drone controller which had the corresponding colour painted around the engine cowling. Note that '14/pink' has the name 'Janie' on the cowling. And a few F6F-5Ks, mainly operated by VU-3/VU-3K: note the thickened wingtips, which (IIRC) housed cameras and miss-distance indicators. For info, the F6F drone controllers used by VU-3 (etc) were even more colourful, wearing the engine grey/red/yellow scheme. The photo of the F6F-5 drone controller is NOT from 1946. In 1946 the fuselage would have been GSB. As this is definitely in Engine gray with the blue of the national insignia clearly visible as well as the flat black anti-glare panel, it would have to have been from February of 1955. However the wing does not appear to be in yellow to my Mk. 1 eyeball, so it may be in a totally different scheme. Later, Dave P.S, Considering it seems to be all one color, it is probably red like in the photo above this last one. Edited October 5, 2022 by e8n2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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