Airfix 1/24 Hellcat MKII
Hellcat MKII operated by the FAA off HMS Khedive, East Indies, March- April 1945.
A relatively trouble free build. I was, however, disappointed by some of the detail left of by Airfix on such a large scale kit, but nothing that the average modeller with good references cannot add.
I went for a sunbleached, faded finish that was seen on these aircraft operating in the tropics. I tried to stay away from aftermarket parts with the exception of Aeroscale brass undercarriage and Barracuda resin wheels, these still have to be attached.
Note that FAA Hellcats with Admiralty issue radio equipment never had aerial leads and often had the aerial masts truncated and replaced with whip aerials.
Nice looking build, Mark. Paint job is well done.
Thanks Gary!
Excellent big bird, Mark!
Interesting that Airfix left some details out in this big scale kit.
Thank you Spiros. Some detail was omitted and very soft in other areas, especially around the rocker covers.
Well done, Mark (@mikekilo). This plane must be huge in 1/24th! Your fading is very well done. What technique did you use to fade the paint?
Thanks George.
I used shades of the base colour then finished off with a very pale gray in oils.
That’s excellent, Mark! Eastern Fleet/BPF stuff is one of my big interest areas. I’ve never built a 1/24 kit but that one tempts me.
Thank you John.
Wonderful work, Mark, as you achieved a high degree of realism with your fine modeling skills. Special...all the way around.
Thanks Bob!
Fantastic result, Mark.
The paintwork is really amazing, very nice sun fading effects.
Thanks John!
Excellent model! painting and weathering is superb
Thank you David.
Ditto all the comments above! I'm also a fan of schemes from that theater. Well done.
Thanks Greg!
Amazing work Mark , I don't know why but I am developing a bit of a Hellcat fixation , I'm close to finishing an FAA Hellcat myself , nowhere near as good as this... and two others lined up.
You've done me a favour because I was going to ask the question here about the radio masts, now I have the answer.
This is fantastic work.
Thank you Neil.
The paintwork is very effective and looks highly realistic. Very nice work on this overall.
Thanks Tom!
Superb work on the Hellcat, Mark. Yours is the best build I have seen yet of this kit, especially the weathering. In 1/24th, your model could work as a very convincing movie prop miniature to stand-in for the real thing. The gun bays look full-scale with the very interesting color elements - the first I've seen that done. I am glad you gave us a chance to see the work on the fuselage that would otherwise be hidden by the folded wings. Any shots of the cockpit?
Another quick question: Did the high parts count of the kit get tiring at all for you? I have this one in my stash but it seems like it would take ages to complete, even doing the simpler cat mouth scheme (which I favor).
Thanks for the comment Colin.
The parts count didn't really bother me. I build as and when I feel like it. There were days when I didn't touch the kit. But as I said I enjoyed the build. The kit went together well although I made many changes and additions to the cockpit, engine area, wing fold mechanism and added the bullet resistant glass.
One *ell of a Hellcat, Mark! Looks great in FAA scheme.
Thanks Robert.
Lovely work Mark!
Thanks David