Hasegawa 1:32 Grumman F6F Hellcat
My latest build.
Started the build in October last year and then I got the "whooping-cough".
Inflamation of my ears, lost my voice and making sounds like a Pit Bull on steroids... couldn't build because of the severe cough.
Took me almost two months to get well... 🙁
But it's finished since last week and had to wait for some sun to take some photos.
Sprayed everything with Tamiya acrylics.
Vallejo washes are used for the panellines. Revell enamels to weather the wheels along with Tamiya pastels.
Antenna is sewing thread which looks like fishing line.
Decals are from Techmod.
Best regards;
Ulrich Schütt
Pleasant job done there Ulrich.
I like the use of Lego as a jig, nice idea.
Well done sir.
Thank you for the compliment. Is use the Lego for the landing struts, to keep them in the right position while drying.
Nice work on that old Sow's ear. Now if H-K would take the accurate outline and overall shape of this kit and marry that to the nice details of the otherwise-awful Trumpeter kit, we could have a real state of the art 1/32 Hellcat.
Yes I agree. For years I really wanted to get a 'top flight' large scale Hellcat but held off because of issues with Trumpeter kits.
Although, Ulrich, you've turned out a nice looking model with this Hasagawa offering.
Sharp Hellcat Ulrich. Glad your feeling better.
Thank you!
Your model's looking great and definitely Hellcat is desired in my collection. It inspired me. By the way, could you share your technique of painting the tyres? They look so realistic.
I rub some enamel paint on my finger and rub this over the tyres. From the inside (rim) outward.
Thanks for the kind words !
That's interesting and quite unusual I think, thanks, I'll try it out 🙂
Outstanding build, Ulrich...nicely finished & photographed.
Thank you.
The photos were quite an adventure too...
Had to wait for a sunny day to take them. Put the display, an artist canvas on some paint cans on top of a garbage container. Hoping the wind wouldn't blow it away...
Ausgezeichnet! A very good rendition of a true classic!
Vielen dank!
Nice one Ulrich ! A classical fighter build from a classical kit !
Thank you!
Nice hellcat Ulrich - never built a Hellcat in my life!
Thanks.
That is a beautiful Hellcat, Ulrich. Good that you recovered from your cough.
Can you comment a bit on this unusual "428" numbering?
Thank you!
The 428 is a temporary ferry number assigned at the factory, for delivery to the Navy. Once delivered (and sometimes not) the number is erased. Like the Luftwaffe 4 letter codes on ME/BF 109s, which were in a removable paint for the delivery flight.
Good job on the Hellcat. The newest isn't always the best.
I knew it was factory applied but didn't know that is was a "ferry" number.
Thank you for the compliment!
Thanks Bernard and Ulrich.
I love that sort of entirely useless but competent and entertaining information.
Love the story behind the photos. Must have been nerve wracking.
Glad you're over the cough, mine was similar, never thought it would leave. Once it did, took more time to really feel up to snuff.
I didn't even want to model, I felt so rough.
I always loved Hellcats, yours is a particularly fine example.
Nice job! I'm not up to snuff on the Hellcat, but this is a -3 variant isn't it? I know there are a lot of small differences between the model types, but the window behind the canopy sticks out in my mind as a giveaway between a -3 and earlier or a -5. Is this true? It also looks like that section of the spine was separate so you could build one with or without this window. I like kits like that!
Were the cowlings left unpainted inside on the actual bird? The gold color you chose looks like gas and oil stained aluminum and looks great surrounding the engine. (Which also looks cool. Was it a full two rows in the kit or do they mold the rear set with the firewall?)
What order do you spray in to get the sun beaten splotchy look on the upper surface? Light to dark, or the other way around? It looks the part either way! Nice job "repurposing" the kid's Legos! I'll have to remember that! Incidentally, one of the best toys ever made! I'm almost 40 and I still build airplanes with them from time to time. (Whether or not I fly them around the house when no one is looking, I'll never tell!)
Nice looking model,Ulrich, really good finish, and the photographs show it off really well. Glad you're feeling better, I hope your cough wasn't caused by breathing in too many model fumes...they can do nasty things to you!
Nice job! I stay away from 1/32 scale...too intimidating...but I admire the models built in this scale. Yours is great!