F6F Hellcat

About the F6F Hellcat

Though the Hellcat bore a superficial resemblance to its earlier cousin, the F4F Wildcat, the Hellcat was a completely different aircraft. Its Pratt and Whitney R-2800 put out 2000 hp (the Wildcat's engine put out 1200 hp), and the result was one of the most successful military aircraft of all time, scoring 5200 kills, most of which occurred in the pacific theatre (though 8 kills were recorded during the invasion of southern France).

The Hellcat was already in development by the time of the attack on Pearl Harbour, but subsequent air battles revealed that the need for a replacement for the Wildcat was urgent. The A6M Zero could out turn and out climb the Wildcat. The only advantages the Wildcat had were the ability to absorb more damage, heavier armament and the ability to dive faster. Building on these existing advantages, the engineers at Grumman sought to build an aircraft which would outclass the Zero in every category. Besides the combat capabilities, the Hellcat was also easy to produce and maintain, making it a perfect wartime aircraft.

The first production versions were activated for combat duty in February 1943, and began to see combat in September. The first major engagement was over Rabaul on 11 November 1943, where they joined with F4U Corsairs in a day long dogfight with Zeros, scoring nearly 50 kills. Over Tarawa atoll on 23 November 1943, they scored 30 kills for one loss. From that point on, the Hellcat saw combat in virtually every action in the Pacific theatre, including the Battle of the Phillipine sea, which the pilots nicknamed the 'Great Marianas Turkey Shoot'. The F6F accounted for 75% of aerial kills in the pacific theatre. By the end of the war there were 350 Hellcat aces, though this can be attributed as much to the inexperience of Japanese pilots as to the skill of Hellcat pilots, or the capability of the airframe.

The Hellcat also saw service with the Royal Navy, who recieved over 1200 as part of the lend lease act. The aircraft saw duty against Messerschmidt's and FW-190's in this context and proved itself very capable in that role. After the war the Hellcat saw use by the French Navy who used it in the French-IndoChina war, and the Uruguayan navy used the Hellcat into the 1960's. In the US Navy the Hellcat was replaced by the F8F Bearcat.

About this Model

This model is based on an aircraft from VF-27, operating from the USS Princeton in October 1944 during the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. It was flown by Richard Stambook, who claimed 10 kills in his F6F-3 Hellcat.

Features:
-Fiberglass fuselage
-Fiberglass Cowling
-Fully built up wings and tail covered with Solartex Fabric and airbrushed with a matching finish
-Scale details molded into fiberglass parts, including panel lines and rivets.
-Pre-applied decals, covered with clear coat.
-Functional flaps.
-100% Laser cut wooden parts
- Also includes: wheels, servo trays, engine mount, fuel tank, decals and all hardware.
-Illustrated instruction manual included.

Wing Covering Material: Covering, painted, decals applied and clear coated. The aircraft has a beautiful flat, non-glossy finish. This is superior to glossy covering materials. It is scratch, tear and wrinkle resistant. The covering material is a brand name covering which has a special paint adherant layer. The covering goes on clear, and is then primed and painted, then clearcoated.

SPECS
Length: 1365mm(54”)
Wing span: 1829mm(72”)
Wing area: 64.8 sq.dm(6.99 sq.ft)
Wing loading: 100.3g/sq.dm (32.9oz/sq.ft)
Flying weight: 6.5kg(14.3 lbs)

GEAR REQUIRED TO COMPLETE
Engine : 120-180 4 stroke or 26-30cc petrol
Radio : 6+ channel
Servos : 4 x high torque, 4 x STD servos
retracts and control gear
Prop
Spinner nut
extension leads
Y harness
Receiver Pack
Switch harness
Ignition battery (petrol only)
Ignition cutoff (optional)
Glue
Field equipment

Experience Level : Intermediate/Advanced
Recommended Environment : Bigger airfields
Assembly Time : 20+ hours
Included with kit : All hardware (horns/pushrods/linkages etc). Rivet detail and panel lines make for a great scale subject.

NOTE:- All ESM warbirds are as close to scale as practical, and may require extra nose weight to get the CofG in the right place. We recommend you check CofG location of all aircraft before flying.