I just bought a later version of this kit that does not have HVAR rockets on it just bombs and a drop tank. There are no flashed over holes for you to drill out to place the HVAR rockets. I would like an instruction that shows the placement of the holes on the bottom of the wing in 1/48th scale and the distances in milimeters. No need for diameter of the holes. And I allready have rockets for the kit from Monogram's 1/48th scale Douglas A-26B.

Wow, your usual fantastic work Joe- how on Earth did I miss this the first time around!?!

Another fine masterpiece!

Mike

That's good to know.  I'm thinking about doing the same kind of cubed block of cypress again.  I may do two set ups and compare. It'll probably be a 5 or 6 inch square piece that I can place on top so they'll be easy to swop out.  The actual carrier deck itself is something I'll need to research more. I'll be doing the Yorktown's surface during the Battle of Coral Sea.  So that was back in '42.  All the photos I've seen at the time show a dark and dirty surface.  Would you consider this a camouflaged deck?  Or does it really matter.  Dirty is dirty right?! lol  =]

I'm somewhat late on this.  I'm amazed at the detail of the carrier deck as well as the Hellcat, what an amazing duo these two does to compliment each other.  Only a pro like you could have pulled this off.

Toshi

Well, good thing this necro-thread was resurrected, this is indeed a great build!

Joe, I cannot believe I've never come across this before.  I know I was on the forum in 2013, but I can't believe I wasn't around enough to never come across this.  I'm usually just a first pager only, but that's often because I try to stay updated.  =]

Great Hellcat.  I built Viraciu's Gadget back in the summer of 2011.  It was this kit exactly.  First build I ever did where I felt like I had achieved something...lol...it's such a great kit.  I plan on doing another one some time soon, but I'm looking for a good pilot and good scheme.  I do plan on building another base like I just finished but with a carrier theme much like the one above.  I hadn't considered balsa wood as a medium.  How did it come out (looking close up)??  Does the grain jump out too much or does it serve to add a textured surface for the deck.  I had planned on using plastic strip mostly on account of durability and control in weathering and painting.  I wouldn't be opposed to trying something else. =]

Thanks Roger.  Gary, thank you for that link.  What a fantastic movie  I watched it twice!  I wish I would have seen that before this build for there are some great examples of weathering on that two tone scheme.  I think my Accurate Miniatures Dauntless and Avenger may have just moved up in the pile.  

Gary (Tex), I hope to get some time on the Spit in the next couple of days.  I'm considering a full invasion stripes example since I was pleased how they turned out on my P-38,but we'll seewhen I get there.  I am however sort of intrigued by that NMF version supplied in the kit...  

Joe

Absolutely beautifully built!!!

Joe,

Thanks!  You answered my question (however badly it was worded) perfectly.  The shading is just about perfect.  And since you've never seen "The Fighting Lady" (in it's entirety), I'll just give you a link.  Enjoy!

Gary

PS>  This is the Essex Class USS Yorktown.  The documentary is just over an hour long.  Pappy Boyington said one of the fighters actually filmed the pit he and other POWs were thrown into during the attack.  "In it's entirety" means that every dogfight gun camera footage was used in later films and on TV.  You'll recognize most of them. 

I can't wait to see what you do with that Eduard Spit Joe.  Dude, that should be a real treat!  Get busy Joe, inquiring minds are wanting to know!!

Gary

Thanks Gary, Reasoned, Nathan, Eric and Clemens, you guys are always so kind.  Nathan, I had no trouble with the landing gears.  This kit is leaps and bounds ahead of their 190 series.  Its just awesome.  The gears were nicely detailed and even had the swivel gears (similar to the P-40) at the top. I assembled mine before paint and installation.    

Eric, interestingly I initially ordered the Verlinden carrier deck from Sprue Brothers for this project, but  I got impatient and tired of waiting for it to arrive (well over a week which is uncharacteristic of SB...probably USPS fault), so I figured I would have my hand at trying to make my own.  Then the Verlinden product arrived today.  What a rip off!  $10.00 bucks for one photocopied half-a@@ed picture of a carrier deck that my 6 year old daughter could do a better job drawing. The least they could have done was put a few sheets in there.  Well, now I have a reference picture to make my own again out of balsa.  hopefully I just saved some of you $10.00

I just started cutting sprue on the new 1/48 Eduard Spitfire IXc,  Another awesome kit which appears to be up there with the Tamiya P-47 series (my holy grail kit).  I guess I'm on an Eduard kick right now.  I can't wait to get my hands on an Eduard Hellcat dash 5 now.  If Eduard continues this trend, we surely are in for modeling bliss.  

Joe    

Amazing finish Joe! Your bases always look sharp but I think I may like this one best of all! The Hellcat turned out beautifully and that is an understatement. What do you have your sights on next??

Your Hellcat is truly a Masterpiece, Joe!

To the Gear/Gear Bays: I am building this kit right now as well (mine wont turn out half as good) and the gear bays are molded on at the lower wing halves. The Landing gear is a bit fiddly, but it's not that bad.

Cheers, Clemens

Nice Cat Joe. The carrier deck is very convincing. How is the detail in the landing gear and gear bays? Did they fit well or are they flimsy like the 190 kits? Looks like the sliding canopy fit well in the open position?

Joe, your "Zero Killer" IS KILLER! Wow, what a great build and in some record time.  The weathering, paint layer technique and dio are to behold.  I am with you on those Eduard masks, it's a lazy man's way of making one of the worst parts of building.... tolerable.  I love the carrier deck look, very real.  Congrats again on a super fine job. 

Joe, what can I say, you've done it again!  That is another beautiful model, and they are coming fast and furious these days.   Man, I am stuck in a very unmotivated phase and just am having a hard time getting started on another build (I guess the MiG-17 took a lot out of this ol' boy, lol).  You sir, are an inspiration to me! 

Gary

I am finally done my "Zero Killer".  The subject is the 1/48 Eduard Hellcat F6F3 in the markings of Alex Vraciu when he was with VF-6 off the USS Intrepid somewhere around January of 1944.  Interestingly,and completely unrelated, Vraciu's first recorded zero kill came on October 10th, 1943, which was the same day my Grandfather bailed out of a burning 390th BG B-17 over the Third Reich.

Anyhow, on to the kit.   I rarely build naval subjects but I haven't enjoyed a build this much in a long time. What an awesome kit.  Detail, fit,...only a couple quirks, such as replacing the prop and wheels which are mediocre at best.   The Profipack example comes with enough extras to satisfy most of us.  I am addicted to Eduard's pre-cut masks and I look to see if they are available on everything I build now.  This all aside, unfortunately, I can rarely resist additions.  I added a spare True Details seat I had on hand, and I replaced the prop and wheels with Ultracast examples.  I also added Quickboost guns.  I have mixed feelings about these.  They look great but I thought the outboard 50's were supposed to stick out of the wing a bit on the Hellcat?.... Oh well.  I scratch built the engine harness but that was out of  personal preference, which I do on all my radials.  I did shorten the main gear legs to squat it a bit and I added brake lines over the pre-molded ones.  It just looks better. 

This was my first attempt at building a makeshift carrier deck.  I took the pictures while the glue was still drying...lol.  More on this below. 

Now for the carrier deck.  I decided to try to replicate the Essex class Intrepid from a picture I found online (actually several).  I sliced up strips of balsa (I eyeballed the plank widths) and glued them into a piece of cardboard with Elmer's glue.  Once dry, I trimmed it into an oval to fit the base.  Fortunately my base is small so not much decking had to be reproduced.  My research indicated that by 1944, all US carriers had camouflage decks, usually done in "Norfolk 250N Blue flight deck ".  I sought to replicate that by mixing up XF-50 Field Blue and XF-18 Intermediate Blue. After a dusting of XF-69 NATO Black for weathering, I painted the blue  I tried to leave some wood color showing for wear.. Here's the result after a clear coat and wash.  Its not perfect but I'm happy with the results.

Thanks for following thread and comments are always welcome,

Joe

Thanks Gary.  I've never seen that one.  I'm gonna have to look it up.  I did see the "Zero Killer" Dogfight episode recently which was awesome.  I wish that series would come back to the History Channel, but unfortunately most of the pilots are no longer with us...shame.  The Hellcat...what a plane and at the right time.  The zero never stood a chance.

Reference your question, I'm kind of confused, but I'll try to answer.  I put down my color scheme and once done, I coat everything with Alclad Gloss coat.  Decals come next which are then sealed with more Alclad Gloss.  It gets a panel line wash (lately I've been using Flory) and when done, I seal everything with good old fashioned Testor's dull coat cut with lacquer thinner.  I vary this consistency depending on what sheen I'm going or.  I tend to like a slight sheen.

Reference the prop, on this one I accidentally installed the shaft before I got the Ultacast prop.  I had to saw off the shafts on both the engine and the UC prop then I fashioned a steel rod to attached the prop to the engine.  It works and spins freely...cool.  The prop is usually the last thing I add.  

I'm done with it and as soon as I finish building the carrier deck (a first, made out of strips of balsa) I'll post the finished pictures.  I just think my planes look naked without a base.  

Joe    

Joe,

That shading looks really good.  Just watched the documentary, "The Fighting Lady" and I immediately thought of your F6F.

A couple of questions (as you're the master at this):  Do you always put a finishing coat on before you weather, or do you add another coat after?

And do you always put the prop stub in and glue on the cowl, placing the propeller last?  Curious, as it seems easier to me to put the propeller on before gluing the cowl.

Thanks!

Gary

Thanks guys.  Reasoned, I don't know about that, there are a whole lot more talented modelers out there than I...but thanks anyways for the kind words.  Its all about finding the right technique, or combination of them, that works....I suppose I'm almost there.  Anyways, I got Gadget finally clear coated and decaled.  Oh..the beauty of Alclad Clear Gloss...I sprayed it in the morning and decaled it later that same evening.  Forget Future, or whatever incarnation it is now.  I used the kit decals and they worked fine.  I think Cartograph makes Eduard's decals, which are usually very nice.  I made it a point to use every stencil decal called out.  Mostly because I just wanted to see if I could do it.  I usually get tired of them about half way through and just use the prominent ones, like "no step" or "put gas here" and such.    Here's shiny Gadget.  Its almost a shame to have to dirty it up...

The decals were sealed with another coat of Alclad Gloss and It will soon get a Flory wash which will grunge this turkey up nicely.

Joe. 

Joe, I must say in all honesty your paint jobs are as good as seen on ANY forums, period.

Your Hellcat looks so beautiful, Joe!

I would be happy to have half as much skill as you do....

Clemens

Beautimous work on that tri-color scheme Joe!! Just love the streaking and shading. About Vraciu, if you have a Netflix account, there was an episode of Dogfights about him as well on Instant Watch. Was pretty good.

Thanks Nathan!

Thanks Gary.  No wash yet.  Just airbrushing trickery by means of some postshading,  I keep that diluted mix of black and red brown pre-mixed in a glass bottle so its ready at hand.  I alter it for my particular needs with 91 Isoprophy;.  The airframe will get a Flory wash after the decaling and a seal coat of Alclad Gloss Coat.  This fine forum introduced me to the Flory products and I have been using them ever since.   

Joe

I'm in love with that tri-color scheme! Exhaust stains look sweet over it too.

Joe, she's really looking fine.  At this point, has a wash been applied to the plane? 

Gary