F6F-5 Hellcat Hobby Boss 1/48

Quoting from Wikipedia, "The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft conceived to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy (USN) service. Although the F6F resembled the Wildcat, it was a completely new design, powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800, the same powerplant used for both the Navy's earlier Chance Vought F4U Corsair and the United States Army Air Force's (USAAF) Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighters. Some military observers tagged the Hellcat as the "Wildcat's big brother".The F6F was best known for its role as a rugged, well designed carrier fighter which was able, after its combat debut in early 1943, to counter the Mitsubishi A6M and help secure air superiority over the Pacific Theater. Such was the quality of the basic simple, straightforward design, that the Hellcat was the least modified fighter of the war, with a total of 12,200 being built in just over two years.Hellcats were credited with destroying 5,223 aircraft while in service with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. This was more than any other Allied naval aircraft."

THE KIT
Being an aircraft carrier fighter, you can see on many reference photos the Hellcat depicted with the folded wings. The nice option offered by the Hobby Boss kit is the folded wings, allowing you to depict the airplane as you like more.

The 1:48 scale kit  comes in a very sturdy top opening cardboard box. The single cowling piece and a small sprue with the instrument panel are protected separately. Inside the box you find 4 sprues of light grey plastic, 1 smaller sprue with the exhausts and the instrument panel, 1 separate front cowling part, 2 sprues holding the clear canopy parts.

Fitting is excellent and the kit build is quiet easy. Colors used: Vallejo AirColor.

Comments

Blye (not verified)
Tue, 10/29/2013 - 15:37

Why is the top wing colour not the same with the body colour. So far all images showing the top wing is the same colour with the body.

admin
Wed, 01/29/2014 - 17:14

It was a big mistake that i made. And not the only one: also the shark's mouth is wrong: reversed :)

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