1:48 F6F3 Hellcat

The cat that settled accounts over the Pacific

Grumman's F6F fighter grew out of the hard experience of the first months of the Pacific war, when its slower predecessor coped with Japanese opponents mainly thanks to tactics and a durable structure. The new machine received the most powerful radial engine available, an exceptionally large wing area and a seat set high so that the pilot could see over the massive nose on the approach to a deck. The production F6F-3 entered combat in the second half of 1943 and within a few months tipped the balance of power in favor of the US Navy.

The angular canopy and its frames

The glazing above the cockpit on this type has a strikingly angular cut. The fixed windscreen, the sliding section and the rear transition into the spine together form several separate panes with narrow frames running between them. It is those that make trimming tape by hand a slow and thankless job: one edge only has to wander by a tenth of a millimeter and the asymmetry is visible on a finished model from every angle.

Outside and inside in one package

The delivery allows for both sides of the glass. The inner parts make it possible to spray the frame from inside in the cockpit color before the canopy settles on the fuselage, so the result looks the same as on the real aircraft. The shapes follow the parts of a particular plastic kit, so there is no measuring and no dry fitting.

A short piece of advice on applying

The film is lifted off the backing with the tip of a knife or with tweezers and is laid on without water and without decal softener. It is best to work from the top down: the largest pane first, the view is aligned by it and only then do the small corner pieces come in turn. After spraying, the covering is taken off before the paint has fully cured, and the edge then comes away most cleanly.