Here are some photos of my recently finished 1/72 scale Eduard F6F-5 Hellcat. It depicts an aircraft from VF-12. I always thought the stripes on the tail looked cool. I’m more of a model railroad guy, but am interested in WWII Pacific War history, so have always been a fan of the Hellcat. This was a fun kit. I painted the model with Mr Color C365 Gloss Sea Blue. The decals are from the Furball Aero-Design F6F-5 Hellcat Part 2 set (a great decal set even though the side number is noticeably thicker than the number on the prototype). The figures are CMK US Navy F6F Pilot and Mechanic. The deck is laser cut plywood I bought on eBay from a Ukrainian company. The wood base is made from 3/16" a 1" basswood stained in natural oak, and finished off with a brass name plate I had made at a local trophy shop.
The deck actually took a while for something that is only one piece. I started by staining select boards black, gray, brown, or umber. I then airbrushed the tie down strips a dark blue gray, which were metal on the real thing. I then hand painted the top of the tie down strips a slightly lighter shade of blue gray. Next I lightly airbrushed the blue gray deck stain, applying the coat thin enough to be able to see some of the board color underneath. I then masked and airbrushed the white deck stripes. Spraying a light coat. Lastly I used the tip of a razor blade to scratch and damage the paint on some of the boards.
I added some extra details made out of styrene and brass wire to both the cockpit and the engine (mostly to the front, which is visible through the engine cowling)
Thanks for the kind words guys. Trying to get the look I wanted with something painted so dark turned out to be quite a challenge. I’m pleased with the results. And I finally have a Hellcat on my shelf.
Whoa! That friggin’ penny really brought things into perspective, the Eduard kit is obviously much better than the Academy kit that I built, still love those Cats though, your plane looks . . . . well perfect.
Thanks Cajun! It was definitely a fun project. And I was impressed with the Eduard kit. The level of detail is pretty high. It’s hard to not want to build another one!
