Issue 170 - http://www.modelairplaneinternational.com 73NEXT MONTH
We will continue with
our look at this very
impressive model,
completing construction
and applying what we
hope will be a rather
different-looking colour
scheme. We hope that
you’ve enjoyed this
month’s feature and look
forward to seeing you in
the next issue!1:24
the core had been more fi rmly joined to create
a narrower shape (and with hindsight, I had
left out the parts that form its interior for no
good reason!) but I didn’t, so needed to work
on the fi t. One thing that I am grateful for is
that I carried all of this out before I applied
any paint. Had I already painted the various
sub-assemblies and then had to adjust the
fi t, I would have been in for a devil of job with
touching up and the like,, Actually, given the
work needed, I think that I would have been in
for a complete repaint, so it’s reassuring that I
didn’t go down that route!
Once the parts are cleaned up and their fi t
adjusted, you can begin to bring everything
together. Follow the instructions and don’t
be tempted to be clever and do things out
of sequence. I’m a nuisance when it comes
to this type of work, often deviating from a
prescribed path and then fi nding myself in
uncharted waters; having built this part of the
model I can assure you that the assembly
instructions are sensibly laid out and will guide
you to completion without addition problems
— other than the innate complexity that I’ve
already mentioned! Painting instructions are
also explicit, as are the wiring diagrams for
the ignition wires. Though not supplied in the
kit, the instructions supply a set of superb
drawings that will help you add the necessary
wires with their length and location being
accurately drawn. In this case I used lead wire
to create these important features rather than
the copper suggested by Airfi x, but what you
use is entirely down to personal preference.
At this point in proceedings you have broken
the back of this build in terms of large sub-
assemblies, the wings can be fi xed in place,tailplanes and fl ying surfaces constructed and
then attention turned to the ‘smaller’ features
such as the fl aps, undercarriage and engine
panels, all of which we will look at in further
detail, as this series of features progresses.
With the plastic parts all dealt with, attention
turns to the colour schemes and the choices
on offer. As usual with these large kits, the
choices are well thought out, the instructions
for painting, superb and the decal sheet,
large, cleverly designed and perfectly printed.
Despite being a British company, Airfi x
have rightly made American subjects the
centrepiece of their choices with two overall
blue aircraft on offer, followed by an overall
blue French aircraft. The fi nal choice is aimed
at the home market, depicting as it does a
camoufl aged Royal Navy aircraft. The specifi c
aircraft are as follows:● Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat - ‘Paper Doll’,
fl own by Lt. Carl A. Brown Jr., VF-27, USS
Princeton, October 1944
● Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat - VF-12, Use
Randolph (CV-15), May 1945
● Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat - Flotille 1F,
carrier Arromanches (R95), l’Aéronavale,
Indochina War, 1953.
● Grumman Hellcat Mk.II - ‘Operation
Sunfi sh’, No.808 Naval Air Squadron, Fleet
Air Arm, HMS Khedive, East Indies, March-
April 1945. ■Close-up of one of the wheel bays. Note the delicate detail, the
rivets and the sharply-defi ned structural members. Superb!Next month we will get to grips with
the completion of this model. See
you then!