1/48 Otaki F6-F3 Hellcat
The 1/48 Otaki F6-F3 Hellcat, as old as it is, still makes up into a fine looking model. While comparing this to my new Eduard Weekender kit, there were plenty of subtle differences, but we’re talking decades apart, and the Otaki still holds it’s own. I had done this one years ago, and noticed a missing antenna while taking the pics. I’ve always liked this paint scheme, but never realized how difficult it was to find an F3 in any other scheme. (help, Tom) It was a fun build and can still be found, inexpensively, because of it’s age, at various vendors. I decanned and mixed my own colors, and used kit decals.
6 additional images. Click to enlarge.
Craig Abrahamson said on November 22, 2013
Came out pretty well, Joe…..you know – in all my modeling years, I don’t believe I’ve ever built an Otaki kit. Looks good.
Erich Goldbach said on November 22, 2013
Hey Craig, they are nice straight forward kits to build. As the saying goes: “As your attorney, I’d advise you to buy a couple and build ’em” : )
Erich Goldbach said on November 22, 2013
Joe great job on you old Hellcat. That kit was one of the first kits I built when I got back into the hobby in the early 90’s. I’ve built just about every one of the 1:48 single seat fighters-they all built up into nice models as did yours!
Simon Whitney said on November 22, 2013
Nice job done there Joe. the paint job is subtle, especially arond the demarcation lines.
Yet another well done.
Jaime Carreon said on November 22, 2013
Great job, Joe!
The Royal Navy used the -3’s as the Hellcat II in the gray-green-sky camouflage. Postwar, a bunch of F6F’s were converted to drones and sported all kinds of colorful schemes:
http://static.rcgroups.net/forums/attachments/7/2/6/9/8/a4550461-9-F6F%20Drone%20%2311.jpg?d=1326495923
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:F6F_target_drone.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hellcats_1840_NAS_in_flight_1944.jpg
http://www.hyperscale.com/features/2000/f6fml_1.htm
Mike Maynard said on November 22, 2013
Nice clean build, good looking paint application. Do you coat your canopy with Future floor polish?
Joe Caputo said on November 22, 2013
Mike, I use Future (when I remember) on canopies, and thin it out a little for a semi-gloss, “metallic sheen” in certain areas.
bob mack said on November 22, 2013
another sweet job joe
Tom Cleaver said on November 22, 2013
You have it in the early “Norfolk” scheme, with the Sea Blue coming down to the wing. You could do the “Grumman production scheme” which is the Sea Blue on the upper surfaces going straight down the fuselage to the tail. But past that you’re right, the F6F-3 mostly appeared in that scheme. If you did Jimmy Flatley’s “00” airplane, that began life in Blue-grey over light grey, with Sea Blue applied “in the field” and the original large circle-star overpainted and replaced with a smaller fuselage insignia with red surround. That’s a scheme that only applied to the first 100 F6F-3s. You could also do the blue-grey over light grey, which was never used operationally.
If you get the True Details Hellcat cockpit (made for this kit) and the Squadron vac canopy, you can make a model with this kit every bit as “up to date” as the Eduard.
Alan Rush said on November 23, 2013
Very nice, Joe. I also like the camo pattern you have used. I have an Academy 1/72 kit on the shelf that I have yet to take on. Don’t know how that one compares to other kits.
Joe Caputo said on November 23, 2013
Thanks Alan, I’m sure the Academy kit will come out nice. I’ve built a couple 1/72 Hellcats a long time ago. The old Revell ( I think?) still sits on the shelf and I had done a Lindberg, for a “crash” scene in an aquarium we had. Eventually the decals started to come off, the wife panicked, and out it came.
George Williams said on November 23, 2013
Another very neat job, Jo Love the aquarium story, any pictures?
Eric aka The Yankymodeler said on November 24, 2013
Nice job! I too built this kit and think it has the overall best Hellcat shape and outline. A little bit of old fashioned modeling is all it takes to produce a model that is on par with anything on the market today, and you’ve done a fine job of that!
Frank Cronin said on November 24, 2013
Joe,
These Otaki kits are definate sleepers. They lack some of the current detail but in the hands of a good modeler they are supurb. You are one of the modelers that brings out the very best of the Otaki’s.