Airfix – Hellcat F6F 1:24 Scale (now available)

[Anonymous]

I remember @warzan @lloyd and possibly @avernos had chatted about Hornby and Airfix in a long past Weekender or XLBS relating to James May’s Big Trouble at Model Britain and Warren had mentioned something about a 1:24 scale model they had never released.  Well, it is available now and I thought I would share in case anyone is interested.

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/grumman-f6f-5-hellcat.html

It is pricey but the hours of modelling and enjoyment you would get out of building something like this would be unbelievable.

Few aircraft in the history of aerial warfare can boast the impact and combat credentials of the Grumman F6F Hellcat, one of the finest fighting machines ever to take to the skies. A product of the already successful Grumman ‘Ironworks’, the company’s design philosophy was only to produce aircraft which were easy to manufacture and maintain and must be reliable in a combat situation. Importantly, it must be an effective combat aircraft and able to be mastered by the average wartime pilot following a standard conversion period. This no nonsense approach ensured that the Hellcat was ready to fight and available in some numbers when they eventually reached US Navy units in 1943.

Features:

• Over 600 parts
• Can be built with wings open or folded
• Includes full cockpit detail with open or closed canopy options
• Complete fully detailed radial engine, engine mount and all ancillaries
• Separate engine cowling and forward fuselage panels
• Detailed undercarriage, undercarriage bays and arrestor hook with options to build with wheels up or down
• Fully detailed gun bays with complete machine guns and ammunition trays
• Can be built with closed or extended landing flaps
• Poseable control surfaces and trim tabs
• Realistic surface detailing showing rivets, fasteners and rippled ‘stressed skin’
• Drop tanks (2 types), 250Ib and 500Ib bombs and rockets all included
• Includes a choice of four decal schemes

[phaidknott 7253xp 0]

I always remember I think it was a 1:24th Lysander Aircraft (by Matchbox). Oooooh I so wanted that kit (but alas such things were way out of “pocket money” affordability.

Even as an adult, it’s out of reach (like where you going to be able to store it), I’d expect the other half wouldn’t be impressed if you tried to hang THAT from the ceiling just using thread and a tack pin 😀

 

[limburger 22474xp 0]

They’ve got a Hawker Typhoon at the same scale too.

Impressive level of detail.

It sucks that the dedicated model shops have gone the way of the dodo. There used to be an awesome one a few kilometers from my home when I was a kid.

@phaidknott I know that feeling … I always wanted to do a tank model at a similar scale.

In the video he shows it with a motorized propellor, so maybe sell it to your significant other as an (expensive) desktop fan ? 😉

[Anonymous]

@limburger it could have been the Typhoon they talked about on the XLBS.  Good idea on the deskfan, cheaper than a Dyson fan!

@phaidknott I don’t know if you ever watch Flory Models on YouTube but I have seen him mount aircraft to the wall.  They actually look impressive that way.  Not much good if you want to show the model with open canopy and wings folded but a space saver for larger planes in flight mode!

[Author]

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