Eduard’s 1/48 FAA Hellcat Mk.II
Eduard's Weekend Edition Grumman Hellcat Mk.II finished in the markings of No.1844 Squadron FAA, based on the aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable stationed off Okinawa around April 1945 & piloted by Sub Lt. W.M.C. Foster.
Completed back in January 2017, what's to say about the Eduard kit that hasn't already been said... It is a quality kit, and a very easy & straightforward build.
I tried to keep it as close to out of the box as I could. Some aftermarket bits were eventually used namely the drop tank harness pinched from Eduard's Profi-Pack F4F-3 which was in my stash as well as the ignition harness.
On the subject of the ignition harness my advice is don't bother with the photo-etch part and use fuse wire instead. It's more 3D and less prone to breaking.
An Eduard photo-etch seat harness was also used as well as some hollow brass tubes for the guns and other than that it was pretty much it for the aftermarket.
Paints used were from Mr. Color as spec'd on the instruction sheet.
It was also my first go at lacquer based acrylics.
The paints are excellent from a quality standpoint and I'm now a convert.
You do however have to be sensible in handling the paints from health & safety point of view ...& you really don't want to be breathing this stuff in whilst you spray. Wear a suitable respirator!
So, great kit, very enjoyable build what's more to say?
Thanks for looking.
Looks great!
I don't get to see many FAA Hellcats, always good to have something different to look at. Good looking Hellcat.
Love the "Cats," especially the Hellcats!
Nice one, I like it.
Very nice! I love Hellcats in this scheme - I'm going to have to get around to doing one myself...
Great 'Cat!
Fantastic. I absolutely love that scheme and your execution is flawless. #Cat Envy.
This one would have been a great addition to the "Year of the Cat" GB... It really looks great.
Very nice indeed...I like it (a lot). 🙂
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Like Louis said above, another would be worthy addition to the Year of the Cat group build.
How slack am I that I didn't even realise this was running!
Guys, comments much appreciated & thanks.
Lovely work and beautifully displayed, Marek.
Marek, I can't say much, other than this is really nice ! Well done !
Nice work! As my avatar indicates, I’m a fan of Hellcats and the British Pacific Fleet. I built that same kit a few years ago and really enjoyed it.
Hi John, good to see another Hellcat fan (nice work on yours too), the Eduard kits are a breeze to build compared to some of the other kits out there...
There is an F6F-3 Hellcat or "build number two" sitting in the stash with the Wolfpack wingfold; so I guess at some point in the not too dim & distant future I'll get round to having a go at at one.
Looks great Marek. I hope that when I get around to mine it looks half as good
Hello Marek,
Wow, great work.
I've pretty much finished the Eduard 1/72 version with exactly the same marking 🙂
I'm currently trying to decide what kind of sheen to give it. I see you've gone for a more matt version. Could I ask, what matt varnish did you use?
All the best from Australia,
Greg
Hi Greg,
I'm pretty impressed people are still viewing this stuff even after a couple of years!
Checking back on the article, I recall using Mr Color throughout the build & that included the dull coat. Depending on where you are in Australia (I'm based in Brisbane) I can point you in the direction of suppliers of Mr Color local to me in SE Queensland. The other alternative is Tamiya's latest venture into lacquer based acrylics and their flat coat, which I've used, & is also very good.
Both have to be thinned with lacquer based thinners. Mr Levelling Thinner works with both brands, as does Tamiya's own lacquer thinners. Note, these dull coats & their thinners are not compatible with water based acrylics, as they're far too "hot", and I can't vouch for their compatibility with enamel paints.
I hope this has been of use to you.