Subject: Re: Hellcat by Alan Williamson
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "hurricane" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2008 09:07:40 -0800

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: hurricane 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2008 9:43 PM
  Subject: Hellcat by Alan Williamson

  "1/48 Hasegawa F6F Hellcat" 

  by "Alan Williamson"
  --------------------

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg here  

  Kit: Hasegawa F6F Hellcat 09600

  Additions: Aires F6F Hellcat cockpit 4270 

                      AeroMaster decals Hellcats pt.II 48-600

  Constructions:

  I had been looking for a Hellcat for the past couple of years at my local Hobby shops, but could not find anything. That was until I came across Calum on E-bay a few years back when I brought my first Hasegawa F-14. I now buy most of my kit from Calum and Craig rather then the ever lacking hobby shops in Adelaide. I sent Calum an E-mail to ask if he could get a hold of the Hasegawa F6F and in his next order it came in. When it arrived via post I opened it up, and had a look the only available F6F at the time was the Hellcat marked with French Navy decals. My next step was to send Craig at Aeroworks an E-mail to order the decals 48-600 and the Aires cockpit 4270. Once every thing had arrived to was time to start assembling the kit. I had a few problems with the Aires cockpit, superglue can be a challenge to work with and that of the fiddley parts of the resin. However I managed to get the cockpit finished and ready to place into the fuselage. The overall assembly of the kit went together with little fuss, I always seem to have a problem closing the fuselage halve together when I add an aftermarket cockpit to a kit. Normally I'm left with a slight gap in the fuselage halves that I need to fill with putty. Which can cause complications down the track not always but in this assemble it did.

        Picture 03 and 04 is the finished Aires cockpit painted in Model Master interior green. I then when over the cockpit with the Tamyia weathering powders to give the cockpit a dirty and rag tag look.  Click on image below to see larger image
             
              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 03.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 04.jpg 

  Before paint I gave the cockpit window a dry fit to make shore it would fit when it was time to glue into place. All seem it dry fit well. It was now time to paint.

  Painting:

  I used Model Master enamels and started with a cote of Aluminium paint over the Hellcat followed up with a cote of gloss clear. Its was now time to add some colour The underneath was painted in flat white, with the fuselage painted in Intermediate blue and Sea blue. After the paint had dried I used some medium grade wet rub paper and when to work over the fuselage and wings until the aluminium cote was exposed. The kit was now ready for a cote of gloss paint.

        Click on images below to see larger images
       
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        Click on images below to see larger images
       
        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 09.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 010.jpg   Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 011.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 012.jpg  Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 013.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 014.jpg  

  Decals and Finish

  I used the decal to represent Hellcat F6F-3 of VF-27 onboard USS Princeton 1944. Once the decals were on I covered the kit in another cote of gloss clear followed up with the pastel wash to high light the panel lines. Finishing off with a matt clear to seal in the pastel wash. All that was left was to add the remaining parts such as landing gear, drop tank and cockpit window, however the cockpit window would not fit witch was a real pain in the backside, after some mucking about I got the cockpit windows to fit into place, not as good as I would have liked thought some touch was needed around the windows to try and blend the paint which half worked. That is that the Hellcat was finished. I got the Carrier base from Craig its the Eduard 1/48 U.S. Navy Essex Class Carrier deck 8802.

        Click on images below to see larger images
       
        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 015.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 016.jpg  Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 017.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 018.jpg  Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 019.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 020.jpg  Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 021.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 022.jpg  

  Thanks

  Calum for getting a hold of the Hellcat, you can visit Calum at [email-masked] for a list of kit for sale or drop Calum E-mail.

  Craig from Aeroworks, you can get in contact with Craig at [email-masked] for a list of gear for sale.

  Steve Bamford for all his great work with this web page.

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg here  

  Photos and text © by "Alan Williamson"