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| F-6F5
(F6F-5) Hellcat, Minsi III, USS Essex, USS Essex, David McCampbell |
Air
Power Series. Finally, a 1/72 Hellcat worthy
of consideration, and (with all due respect to the Matchbox effort
of a few years ago) Hobby Master has created a little masterpiece
that could have no equal, at least in 1/72 scale.
The mould...is
just about perfect. Where the Matchbox mould was a bit clunky, with
a thick tail section and spine running behind the cockpit canopy,
the Hobby Master version has a properly thin empennage and spine.
The overlapping aluminum panels in the tail section are represented
by thin, understated wraparound panel lines. Where the Matchbox mould
included some raised rivets, the Hobby Master has smooth skinning,
and is created in a more "mature" manner—not so exaggerated,
but more understated.
The wings are properly thin, with a perfect angle to the outer dihedral.
The landing gear fits snuggly in both up and down configurations.
The paint...was
applied superbly, being smooth and without flaws or blows. The color
is excellent, being the same color I saw on examples of P2V's and
a Hellcat based at Naha in the mid-1950's (midnight blue, I think,
which has a tinge of cyan or green). The prop is colorful, with all
the tags and tips demanded by the modern collector.
The parts...fit
with few problems. The antenna gave me trouble at first, until I realized
that it was flat on one side to fit the hole in the fuselage. By and
large, I dislike models with little fiddling parts, but attention
to detail and excellent quality control has made the fiddling almost
painless.
The cockpit...is
well equipped with seat, straps, stick, and...A PILOT! What a joy,
for a Hobby Master model! The pilot figure is well painted, but unfortunately
can't be displayed with the canopy in closed position. Hobby Master,
please offer pilot figures for your models, separately packed if you
will, and sold as a sideline. I would love to photograph HM models
in flying mode with gear up, but it looks kind of ridiculous with
nobody flying the thing. The canopy has just the right curve at the
top, something missing in the Matchbox effort
The box...has
an error. The Hellcat is identified as a F-6F5. The correct nomenclature
is F6F-5.
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All in all...a wonderful
bit of modelling; I can't wait to dig into my FAA version; it looks
even more exciting with all that great camouflage color! |
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| Type |
Carrier-based fighter |
| Hobby Master item |
HA1101
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| Distribution |
Unlimited |
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