1:48 Colors & Markings of F6F-5 Hellcats Part 1

Twelve Hellcats from the last year of the war in the Pacific

In 1945 the Grumman F6F-5 was the most widespread carrier fighter of the US Navy and did most of the work in the closing phase of the fighting in the Pacific. It is exactly this period that the sheet focuses on, offering machines from twelve different units, from large fleet carriers to smaller escort ships.

What the listing contains

Each option gives the unit, the name of the ship, the year and the number painted on the fuselage. Alongside the ordinary fighter machines there is also one reconnaissance variant with photographic equipment and one aircraft from 1944 that carries its own personal lettering instead of a mere number.

Why this period is rewarding

Toward the end of the war the machines received a uniform dark blue finish and were told apart mainly by the large geometric markings on the vertical tail and on the wing, which the command introduced so that the aircraft could be recognized at a distance. On a model the combination of a plain surface and prominent markings therefore shows to advantage, with the color decal film doing most of the work.

Recommended procedure

Go over the base with a gloss coat, otherwise the edges of the film will show on the dark blue surface. Apply the large markings on the tail one at a time and check that they are vertical, because any asymmetry is immediately visible on a single-color machine. The delivery does not contain the model or paints. This line also includes a second part with further machines of the same type, so a collector can use both envelopes side by side without the risk of ending up with the same aircraft twice.