1:72 F6F-3 Hellcat - Early Cowling and Cooling Flaps CLOSED (for Eduard Kits)

F6F-3 Hellcat – early cowling with cooling flaps closed 1:72, Quickboost

A resin engine cowling for a model of the Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat carrier fighter in 1:72 scale. According to the name it is the early cowling pattern with the cooling flaps in the closed position. It is not a kit but a replacement part. In 1:72 a one-piece casting makes most sense precisely on the cowling: the plastic one is assembled from several parts and the seam that results on a circular section is very hard to remove, because sanding takes the fine engraving around it away as well.

The real subject

The Hellcat was an American carrier fighter built around a large radial engine. The pilot opened the cooling flaps at the rear of the cowling according to the load on the engine: fully while taxiing and climbing, partly closed in fast flight. The closed position therefore corresponds to a model in the flight configuration. The early cowling pattern differed from the later one in details of shape, so the choice of variant depends on which production batch you want to represent.

Fitting and painting tips

First wash the resin castings in lukewarm soapy water so that the mold release agent disappears, because paint will not hold over it. Cut the casting block off with a saw and level the mating face on abrasive paper laid on glass, so that the cowling does not sit crooked – in a small scale a tilted ring shows more than anything else. Closed flaps save you painting the inside, but the edge of the cowling needs a clean transition to the fuselage: try it dry and fill a hairline gap with thicker super glue rather than filler. Apply a primer before the paint, as resin itself holds paint less well than plastic.

Who the set is for

• Builders of American carrier fighters in 1:72 scale.
• Modelers bothered by the seam left by gluing a plastic cowling together.
• Those who build a model in the flight attitude on a stand.
• Beginners in working with resin – a closed cowling calls for no detail inside.

The accessory is supplied unpainted, as resin castings. Glue, paints and the base kit are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.