**** DONE: GB-58 1/72 Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat - Nignt Fighters all Eras

[fubar57]

Very nice

 

[rochie]

yes, looks great !

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Love that pit and hay, you still have summer, while were just waiting on it.

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far!

 

[PlasticHero]

Here is one of the stranger design choices I've seen from Eduard. I love these kits, there is so much more detail then I can utilize. But when they did the wing bottoms, there are MG case ejection ports which are molded closed but all aircraft had them, and the rocket mounting holes are open when NOT all aircraft used them. They are right along panel lines of course so closing them up without ruining all that lovey detail is impossible (for me). Doing the best I can.

Please make the optional mounting points closed so it's easy to drill them open instead of an evening closing them.

 

[Wurger]

ther pic source: the net.

 

[fubar57]

I agree. I would rather have to option to open the holes

 

[SaparotRob]

That's what she said.

 

[Gnomey]

Nice work so far!

 

[N4521U]

Excellllent ref photos!
You go man!

 

[Ralph Haus]

Looking very nice, especially being a 1/72.

 

[Wayne Little]

Good work keep it up...!

 

[PlasticHero]

I taped a small bit of sprue to protect the guns, worked so far. Found some very informative pictures as I started planning and paint for final assembly. Don't fret I'm a looong way from done. I'm using Tamiya X-4 gloss blue paint. Eduard provides 2 kinds of tires, a smooth (R) and a treaded (L) style. Also shoutout for making the hub separate part!! The treaded one is more "interesting" but there is a picture from a RAF Hellcat on a carrier that looks smooth.

Any thoughts on which is correct? I will go with the smooth one based on this image unless there is good reason not to. Next I was not sure if the night fighter would carry the extra fuel; I was pretty sure it would and this picture confirmed it.

White 6 doesn't show it's number on the engine cowl but 2 does. I'm going to put 13 on just because it makes the deckhands life easier. And here it is showing the white radome.

 

[PlasticHero]

I just noticed when trying NOT to glue the elevators on backwards that they are not mirror images of each other as I expected. Here is the left one;

Notice the four small round panels just ahead of the hinge line.

Here is the right side, no round panels and it's the same aircraft.

Kit parts, top is the top and bottom is the underside, so just flipped them over in place. As far as I can tell, they are the same and could be interchanged. Did Grumman make one elevator that could be used on either side???? What a cost and supply saving but can the elevators have a symmetrical airfoil shape and rely on angle of attack only?

These plans show the same detail. That's one potential error that I can't make.

 

[N4521U]

That would be the Smart thing to do!

 

[Wurger]

Yes the stabilizers and elevators were interchangeable. All of them had the same structure and mechinery inside. The airfoil was the symetrical one. The stabilizer wedging angle was constant and of +1.5°. The port stabilizer had the inspection round panels on the top skin while the starboard one flipped with the panels on the bottom. Both elevators had the trim tabs.

And a supplement to the rocket launcher mount ... IMHO the Eduard could follow the shot ...

the source: the net.

 

[Wayne Little]

that is interesting info about the rear end....!

 

[N4521U]

From what I understand the F4U's were the same for the horiz stabs as well.

 

[PlasticHero]

Everything is painted and starting on decals. The painting crew had quite the party cause they just slapped the stencil on the cowl and let er rip. (It was the first decal I did and I usually put a drop of Microsol 2 on and slide the decal onto it. The instant it hit the Sol, it stuck and rather then ruin it, I went with a backstory; they also put a decal on the wrong side of a gear door but you will see that in the finish shots.)

I don't know why they put the circle on the tail so it overlaps the leading edge. Make the circle smaller or move it back. Oh, and I'm about to break that gun barrel off.

And yes, this one's for you Lucky13

 

[Gnomey]

Nicely done so far!