Best 1/35 Hellcat model...

I read a good review on the AVF Club Hellcat. I might have to buy one some time.
mark956

As far as I know, only Academy and AFV Club produce M-18 Hellcat in injection mold. I built the AFV Club one back in 2000. It does have a very nice brass gun barrel. The model also comes with a coil spring to make the main gun to have recoil mechanism, but some how mine did not work; the barrel seems to be too large and stuck onto the mantlet. It's instruction sheet(in 2000) also had errors indicating wrong parts number in the left & right front road suspention arms. Other than that, the AFV Club M-18 has excellent interior in both turret and driving compartment. The turret may be cramp if you try to put 3 figures in it. On the whole, I enjoyed building it very much.

I haven't built the Academy one, but I've heard it is just slightly inferior to the AFV Club one. However, Academy one is way less expensive that AFV Club(about Cdn$10-15 less) and it also has nice interior(at least look from the box side pictures). So if budget is your problem, Academy M-18 seems to be a good bargain.

I've not put a set of callipers to either the AFV kit or the Academy.

But I do own both and I'll share my impressions.

Please bear in mind this is my opinion only.

The AFV kit is shorter than the Academy.
The AFV kit did a better job with the drive sprocket and idler wheel.
The AFV kit doesn't give you anything to cover the gun mantle with.

The Academy kit is taller than the AFV kit.
The Academy kit has those nasty motorization holes to fill.
The Academy kit has a raised area around where all the tools need to go.
The Academy kit does include the "covered" gun mantle.
The Academy kit gives you more options to use for the Hellcat, ex: Muzzle brakes vs no Muzzle brake, etc.

Somebody has the height wrong, but I don't know which is right. For my money, the AFV kit captures the low, sleek look of the Hellcat better than the Academy.

Either one is suppose to build into a nice Hellcat.

The AFV is a bit newer and comes with an aluminum barrel. Some of the fittings of the wheels in one review turned me off a little. I have the Academy one and it comes with 1-piece tracks or indy tracks.

i built the academy hellcat and i really enjoyed doing it, it was a fun little project. dont really know anything about the AFV one.
- Chris

the Hellcat was in WW2 and saw action from Italy on (called something else in italy)

heres a review of the AFV Clubs Hellcat http://www.jbwholesalers.com.au/reviews/afvclub/afv35015.htm

the Academy kit is meant to be good too but i cant find a reeview for that one

http://www.wwiivehicles.com/html/usa/m18_tankdestroyer.html