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ITALERI & REVELL 1:72 GRUMMAN F6F-3 & F6F-5 HELLCAT
'INBOX DOUBLE Review'

Italeri F6F-3 Hellcat	Revell F6F-5 Hellcat

Reviewer: Johan De Wolf  (rec.models.scale)

A double review this time as the Italeri and Revell kit are basically from the same moulds.  For an aircraft history see Kevin Ronayne's review of the Academy Hellcat.

Mould differences
Both kits come in a "end opening" type of box with Italeri's being decidedly flimsy after removing the plastic wrap. I do wish they would provide sturdier boxes. Italeri has moulded their Hellcat in the familiar soft light grey plastic, while Revell used a slightly harder dark blue plastic. Both kits consist of 3 sprues, one being in clear plastic. Italeri only includes a belly tank as external store. This is correct as only the F6F-5 could carry offensive stores. Revell does not include the belly tank, but instead provides 2 bombs and 6 rockets together with the appropriate pylons. This explains the higher part count for the Revell kit. Italeri includes the two rear windows for the F6F-3 version. 

Panel lines are finely engraved. The only sink marks I came across in these kits are on the inboard flap sections. There is one odd difference between the mouldings. While the Revell kit has fine rib detail on the ailerons and rudders, this same detail is crudely filled in on the Italeri kit, almost as if the mould went into production before it was finished. It will require a lot of careful sanding to clean this up. Another strange thing is that the pictures of a completed kit on the Revell box and in the instructions are of an Italeri moulding with the odd rudder detail and a belly tank. As mentioned before the Revell kit doesn't include a belly tank.

Accuracy
Span is 1mm short, length is 2mm short, but it isn't noticeable so I wouldn't try to correct it. The model captures the bulky lines of the original well.

Construction
The cockpit As usual the cockpit is assembled first. It consist of a tub, an instrument panel, the stick, a seat (with moulded on straps) and a rear bulkhead. In both kits decals are provided for the instrument panel and side consoles. The Italeri ones are 
too big but the instrument panel looks better. The Revell offering has more realistic ones for the side consoles though. It will be easier to fit the instrument panel if the reflector gunsight is cut off. It can be glued on later again. For an F6F-3 the rear-view windows need to be cut out. For the F6F-5 careful sanding is needed because the indent for the windows is visible on the outside. The indents are too large for the windows, they will just fall through. Also the windshield in both kits are for an F6F-5. If you want to build the Italeri kit as an F6F-3 you'll have to find another windshield. Falcon "clear-vax set 11" has the correct canopies for the -3 and the -5. The armoured glass plate (part #26) is included in both kits but its only needed for the F6F-3 of the Italeri kit. The F6F-5 had the armoured glass plate as an integral part of the windshield, hence the difference in windshields between the -3 and the -5.

The wings
After the fuselage is glued together the wing are tackled. It consists of a full span lower half, and left and right top halves. The gear bays are nicely boxed in at the front but at the rear they are left open. I have no idea why it isn't extended all the way to the flap hinge line. The remaining gap will have to be filled with some plasticard strips. The panel with the shell ejector holes is strangely bulged. I cannot find any photographs that support this, so I'll sand this area flat. The flaps are provided as separate parts, but unless you are willing to do a lot of work they can only be fitted in the 'up' position. This kind off defies the reason for moulding them separately. When glued in the up position they fit well. But if you want them dropped you will find they are 1.5mm short in chord, which is very noticeable. Also the guide rails are too short and you'll have to make the actuator/push rods yourself. Parked aircraft always had their flaps up though. So you will only have to do the additional work if you are planing to make an action diorama. The completed wing fits well under the fuselage.

The engine
There are 10 parts for the engine compartment, including the cowling, in the Revell kit. Italeri supplies 4 more to cover the differences between the -3 and -5. The -3 had two extra cowl flaps and a bulge over the exhaust. The -5 had a simpler cowling without these. The two cylinder rows and the reduction gear are separate parts. As the reduction gear is moulded as one piece with the magnetos you are left with a large hole at the top due to mould limitations. It will be difficult to get rid of this very visible hole. A very nice replacement engine can be found in the Aires resin range (early P&W R-2800 #7216). The tip of the prop blades that has to be painted yellow is marked with an engraved line, something you'd expect to see in a sixties vintage kit but not on a modern one.

Other bits and pieces
The main landing gear is quite nice. The leg and actuator rod are a crisp single piece moulding. The actuator rod is a bit to short though resulting in the leg pointing slightly backward instead of forward. The tires miss the characteristic cross thread. The gear covers need to be sanded a little to get the correct shape. The tail gear is a one piece affair and doesn't look very good. The cover is best cut off and replaced by a larger one. The one that is moulded on is too narrow an a bit too short. The 3 holes in the strut are moulded as pips and look very odd. Two tailhooks are provided, one in extended position and one retracted. The Italeri kit has the forward angled radio mast for an F6F-3 while the Revell kit has the straight mast for an F6F-5. The weapons and pylons in the Revell kit are very nice mouldings, as is the drop-tank in the Italeri kit.

Decals
Both kits come with very nice decals. They are well printed and perfectly in register. The red in the British roundels of the Italeri decals is a bit too brownish for my taste.  Revell provides a bit of stencilling on their sheet but Italeri doesn't.

Italeri has options for 3 F6F-3's:

1. A machine of VF-27 in 1944 #17, in 3 tone darkblue, middle blue, and white, with a menacing sharkmouth on the cowl and 10 kill marks below the cockpit.
2. Another 3 tone machine of VF-51 in 1944 #3 with two dice and the name "little joe" on the cowling.
3. A Hellcat Mk.I of Royal Navy 800 SQN registered JV 105 in FAA 3 tone camo.

Revell provides marking for 2 F6F-5's:

1. A Hellcat Mk.II of 898 NAS Royal Navy registered JX995 in dark blue with white identification bands, based at Ceylon in 1945.
2. An F6F-5 of VF-27, #7, in dark blue with a large sharkmouth on the cowl and the name "paper doll". It has 3 kill marks below the cockpit. Based on the USS Princeton 1944.

Conclusion
After seeing the Revell "Jug" and "Butcherbird" kits I had high expectations of these kits.  Frankly I'm a bit disappointed. Although they are not bad kits, they have nothing to offer over the Minicraft kit. And how they can spot the different radio masts of the F6F-3 and -5 but miss the difference in windshield is a mystery to me.

References

• F6F Hellcat in Action, squadron signal #36, by Jim Sullivan.
• Wings of the navy, Janes, by captain Eric Brown.
• F6F Hellcat, TBiU 116, by Wojciech Gawrych.

Related Reviews:-  

• Academy 1/72 F6F-3/5 Hellcat  

• Airfix 1/72 F6F-3/5 Hellcat  

• Airfix 1/72 F6F(-5) Hellcat  

• Hasegawa 1/72 F6F-3/5 Hellcat  

• Hasegawa 1/48 F6F-5 Hellcat 

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