1:32 F6F Hellcat - early armament (.50 cal Browning barrels with drilled cooling jackets)

F6F Hellcat 1:32 - early armament, metal 12.7 mm Browning barrels (MASTER)

A set of turned metal barrels for Hellcat kits in the large 1:32 scale. These are the early armament, that is, barrels with drilled cooling jackets, which on the first machines projected from the leading edge of the wing. It is neither a kit nor part of the airframe, but an accessory that replaces the most conspicuous detail of the armament.

The real subject

The Hellcat was a carrier-borne fighter with a radial engine, a robust structure and armament of 12.7 mm machine guns in the wing. On early machines the ends of the barrels with their perforated cooling jackets were clearly visible; the later version had the muzzles faired over, which is a different set. If you are building a particular machine, check against a photograph which version it carried.

Fitting and painting tips

A perforated jacket is exactly the detail that in 1:32 scale is produced in plastic only as suggested relief. A turned part has the holes genuinely made, so once fitted only small refinement is needed. Cut the plastic stubs in the leading edge off flush with the skin and open the holes out with a micro drill gradually, not all at once. Try the metal parts dry before gluing and check that they all project the same distance; an uneven projection shows at a glance on a large model. Handle the painting with oxidation or a dark metal shade over a primer for metal.

Who the set is for

• Builders of the Hellcat in 1:32 scale who want the early armament
• Modelers bothered by a merely suggested perforation of the cooling jacket
• Anyone interested in faithful detail on large carrier-borne fighters
• Those who build a particular machine from a period photograph

This is an accessory for a kit, not a model in its own right. The base kit, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.