This is the elderly Hasegawa 1/32nd scale F-6F Hellcat in the markings of USS Bunker Hill. One of the elderly gentlemen in my model club had this kit and wanted to donate it to our club's travelling showcase. He had not started it, but several key parts were missing, but nothing that the scratchbuilding gods couldn't provide (after the appropriate sacrifice, of course...).
The kit is pretty chunky with limited detail - it's an old kit. There are pin marks, casting flaws and everything in between. Amid the gaggle of other WW2 birds in large scale, this issue was welcomed by a lot of builders. There is limited "wow" factor here, as the old kit used it's size to thrill the builder.
Full gun bays with removable (tho incorrect) gun bay covers are provided as well as six kinda-sorta accurate fifty caliber guns. The flaps move but strangely, a wing-fold option is not given. The gear wheel wells are adequate but all in all, the bird is missing a ton of panels, ports, vents, etc.
The cockpit is completely lacking in detail. The canopy can be built open or closed. It appears that the kit's main emphasis, detail wise, is the engine. Wiring and plumbing push the engine to just over twenty parts, which isn't too shabby for today, let alone the timeframe of the kit.
The kit gives you six underwing rockets and a centerline fuel tank. Weirdly, the kit does not ask you to open holes in the wing for the rockets nor do they give you the stubs for mounting the rockets. Here's the kit alongside the unfinished Hasegawa 48th scale and the finished Hobbyboss 72nd scale.
I had to build some engine parts for the prop and other little bits but nothing outside of my comfort zone. I also have the Trumpeter 1/32nd scale Hellcat and it is 500% better.
Cheers,
Don
Very nice, Don!
Posted by Matty on March 4, 2011, 12:28:16, in reply to "What the Hell(cat)"
Neat build of a limited mold - I do notice, on the back spine, the lack of panel detail that I seem to recall on the real thing - and which the smaller molds do seem to show better. Your gorgeous paint job largely makes up for those shortcomings.
What paint is that dark blue? I think I recognize the interior green as Tamiya acrylic (right?) - is that the blue, too, or did you break down and revert to the "StinkyTestors" ?
Thanks for yet another great submission, Donny - will definitely go into the new Gallery ASAP.
Cheers,
-Matty
Re: Very nice, Don!
Posted by Don Murphy on March 12, 2011, 14:35:19, in reply to "Very nice, Don!"
The paint is flat Tamiya Sea Blue. I then shot it with Testor's ModelMaster gloss coat. The interior is Polyscale Zinc Chromate.
I found that the "stinky" (ha ha) Testor's goes on way too thick and really isn't that shiny. The Tamiya goes on paper thin (as it's flat) and then the gloss coat gives me my glow-in-the-dark shine.
Cheers,
Don
P.S. The 48th scale Hasegawa -5 is almost done.
P.P.S. The first Renwall upgrade is almost done. Got the sail planes done and the bow section. Just working on the stern planes and rudder now...