1:32 F6F5N Hellcat

Markings that were not meant to be seen

The Grumman F6F in its night fighter form, with radar in a pod on the right wing, received an overall dark blue finish. On it the usual insignia lost most of its point: a white star on a dark background shines out at dusk over a great distance. Hence the subdued form, in which the white is replaced by gray and the blue circle merges with the surrounding color so that the insignia is legible only from close up. It was precisely this approach that gradually carried over to day fighters as well during the war, because the recognition function of the insignia moved to radio transponders and the insignia remained more of a legal mark of nationality.

What comes out of the set

The box covers the cockpit glazing from the outer and the inner face and adds two masks for the national insignia. Spraying through a stencil is more advantageous than a decal with subdued markings: you mix the shade yourself and can bring it close to the surrounding camouflage so that the insignia really does look suppressed. A decal does not give you that choice, as its color is fixed by the printing. On an overall dark machine every imperfect transition also gives itself away, so the smooth edge left by a film tells more than on a camouflaged airframe.

Procedure

• Let the dark base cure thoroughly, otherwise it will peel away with the film.
• Try the subdued shade on an offcut first; the difference between two parts of gray is very apparent over blue.
• Mask the radar pod separately, as its cover tends to be of a different material from the wing.
• Once the film is off, even out the sheen with an overall clear coat.

The box contains masking material, not a kit and not paints.