1/48 Royal Navy Hellcat Mk 1 (as used during attacks on the Tirpitz)

[Colin L]

This is one of the earliest Hellcat Mk 1's in the Royal Navy, operating with 800 Sqn FAA, HMS Emperor, and participated in the attacks on the Tirpitz in a 'fighter suppression' role. It accounted for three FW-190's in those strikes.

This is the ancient Otaki 1/48 Hellcat with some improvements. With a bit of work, some of these Otaki kits still standup today!

- Detailed gunsight, True details cockpit, scratchbuilt rear bulkhead and armour plate based on photos, replaced machinegun barrels, and exhaust with aluminum and brass tubing.
- Canopy is Squadron vacuform with internal structure from plastic strip.
- Removed and scratch built wheel wells from photos and plans, scratch built arrester hook and holdback, detailed landing gear, and thinned and corrected gear doors and actuators.
- Rebuilt and corrected droptank as per photos.
- Detailed engine and wired, added cowl inner structure and details, deepened intakes and added screen.
- Added formation, ID, landing and nav lights with acrylic rod.
- Painted with Tamiya acrylics, weathered (hairspray technique) with stiff brush and sharpened toothpicks, pastels and enamel paint.
- Decals from Techmod, spares, and custom made.

Hope you like,

Colin

 

[rochie]

Really nice, i am currently building the Eduard kit as JV132 E*F

 

[Crimea_River]

Gorgeous!

 

[Airframes]

Very nicely done.

 

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

Very nice looking machine

 

[hal bregg]

A good one. Congrats.

 

[Gnomey]

Good work!

 

[Builder 2010]

Very Good! Perfect balance between being a nice model and weathering. It looks like a plane that was used, but was cared for, like most of them are.

 

[Colin L]

Thanks all! I do like the old Otaki kits, and this one is to be 1/3 of a Royal Navy 'Tirpitz' strike trio, the other will be a Barracuda, and a Firefly Mk 1. Somewhere in my to do pile!

Colin

 

[Tony C]

Just like to say that, that is one of the nicest finishes Ive seen for sometime =D>