Airfix 02087 'Aircraft of the aces' F6F Hellcat 1:72

[Telegraphist]

Decided to go for a classic old kit from Airfix, another aces series build to go with this ace site
Box art.

Decals.






Sprue shot.


Have found out that this kit requires the old, discontinued Humbrol 181 paint so I shall have to go and search for an alternative. I can find a seller on ebay of this Hu181 but he is in Italy and charges £10 for delivery so that is out.
Will edit in pics of the paints and weathering agents that I shall be using later.
Dave.

[Paul]

Good luck Dave, look forward to seeing you start it

[Lee]

Nice one Dave - Look forward to the build

[gosselin2112]

Cool. . . another Pacific theme model.

[Gav0909]

According to the imodelkit app, Midnight Blue (Hu15) seems a good match to the old 181 Sea Blue. They do Sea Blue still, but its very pale for a Pacific Aircraft.

Hope that helps.

[bullgill67]

good luck with your build

michael

[PhildaFish]

I'd try 104 Oxford Blue with a gloss varnish.

[Telegraphist]

I have been spending the last few days trying to work what paints to get, primary enamel but I found out that it would be much easier to go the acrylic road and get the best equivalent, that being Tamiya XF17Sea blue. It gets the paints all sorted, it is the main colouring for the whole machine, just a wee bit black here and a tad gun metal there. Canopy masking will be hardest part, might try to paint it freehand and scrape excess and repeat a few times till I get the desired result or get bored.

My plan of action is to go through each stage as the instructions show, include some pics of instructions stages and my work on that stage. I will only build to out of box standard, no wiring up aerials or longwires/dipoles as yet but maybe in the future. I am playing about with some memory wire that holds its shape once heated and quenched quickly, will keep you all posted on my progress with it at some stage.

I need to still work out what colours to paint the pilot in, if anybody could help out there please it would be great . I am also not sure about interior colours but I am not sure if that matters with the canopy closed and figure included.

I plan to start actual work in the next few days, once I finish off the Opel truck and PaK40 cannon kit first to clear bench space. I only have 3 small parts to glue on then a bit of paint repair, so a few days is over saying things, I would like to say tomorrow but I know myself too well. .
I do have a spare kit in reserve incase any parts escape or go AWOL, or get munched by the carpet inhabitants. no excuses for not getting it done in time now Dave. There is not a lot to it, it lists 65 parts but some of these are alternative parts and not needed to build the model actually depicted, it also has the options for wings folded and wheels down or wheels up and retracted. Not too many decals either so they can be added in a single shift, easing the workload on a lazy mind.

My biggest worry is about the paints, I plan in using my usual primer in grey, not sure if it works with Tamiya paints as I have had issues before with spraying this paint. I have learned not to use any alcohol bases thinners as they dry too quickly for my liking in the airbrush, water is much better, gives enough time to spray the parts before starting to clutter up.
Dave.

[Telegraphist]

Thank you to everyone for giving their ideas about the paint to use, forgot to say so on post above

Got started and painted some small parts, like wheels, guns, and propeller/engine and started on the pilots life vest and boots. Found out the interior green was the inside colour so went for that to paint the interior with.


Still no further forward in working out what to paint the pilot with, I have a few photos of David McCampbell in what looks like a light coloured clothing, but I am not sure what colours they are.
http://www.asisbiz.com/il2/F6F-5/F6F-5- ... II-02.html
Anybody help out please, Hu121 looks best to my colour blind eyes.
I am also not sure about the underwing bombs for this kit too, parts 50 to 57, what colour should they be, they are not listed as alternatives so will include them in this ace fighter representation of this classic Airfix kit.

Might be easier to spray the parts before assembly, then only having small paint repairs to do, will it make masking easier or am I just making life more hard for myself, shall see as i work out what parts are to be sprayed with Tamiya XF17 Sea blue. Would like to get a first coat done today and then another tomorrow then think about getting the glue out.
Wheel inners are also Sea blue, not aluminium or dirty silver, just black outside tyres.
Might as well dig out the compressor, the big question now is what thinners to use with the Tamiya paint, I do have Tamiya make thinners, it would be a good idea to try that first then work out another if needed for any reason like drying while still in the airbrush.
Dave.

[Gav0909]

If you have Tamiya acrylic thinners, use that with the Tamiya paint.

The wheel wells should be the same colour as the interior, which on most American planes was either Interior Green, or sometimes Chromate Green, a very yellow green.

The pilot, if he is a US Navy pilot would possibly be in the US Navy light tan style uniform, but I am not 100% on this.

[Telegraphist]

Sprayed the parts with Tamiya paint, used Tamiya thinners to the ratio of 1ml paint to 1.5ml thinners, it sprayed a treat, dries super fast compared to enamels , me is happy.

Managed to get about 3 coats on all parts, turning over sprue to get undersides, but this dries really quick so no problems there, I forgot just how quick alcohol based paints dry if applied in thin layers. I do not use the air only function of the airbrush, there always manages to be debris with the air when I try it. I sprayed all parts, regardless if needed or not for this build, I feel I should build a fighter only and later on, build the other kit with all the rockets and bombs attached as the inner kid in me is jumping up and down telling me to do.

I work out about 1.4mm for the thickness of the yellow propeller tips to be, not easy to measure it so will roughly guess, not bothered but I want to try and get it all as correct as possible but not enough to get hung up and stop production over things like correct paint etc.
I think that it might be easier to attach the retracted undercarriage to the underside wings before installing wings so as to get a better, flusher, fit.
Might get away just painting the pilot figure with whatever looks closest to the pic colours, no point getting hung up over a figure in a sealed canopy with the surrounds painted.
Not sure if to just attach the underwing bomb fittings but attach no bombs, or to just bung them on as instructions state. I cannot seem to find any pics of the plane with armament showing to see what to add bomb wise to this F6F Hellcat. If it is for a fighter role, then leave it alone with just the wing guns. What do others think, anybody advise please?

Just seen your post as I was posting this Gav, thanks for reply.
Dave.
Dave.

[Telegraphist]

Got the details for interior and wheel centres from here:
http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2 ... _part3.htm
Not sure how accurate it is to this particular F6F, I am not sure but above seem best details I can find so far about it. Still not a lot about the ordinance colours used.

The light tan looks about right, or even colours very similar would do, I need to raid the paint box and see what fits the job. Thanks for posting up Gav , it all helps mate. Not easy to find any info about this, I must be looking in the wrong place or using the wrong terms in the search engine.
Dave.

[Paul]

So much easier and faster using acrylics

[Telegraphist]

So much easier and faster using acrylics

Sure is Paul, you can handle them in a few minutes, apply another coat in the time you reload the airbrush. I am slowly converting over to acrylics as more colours are available in that format. Just I got to get through the enamel stockpile as well, a great excuse to get building and painting, just need to find the uoooomph now to get started.
I find Humbrol acrylics not the best for the airbrush, Tamiya is fine with it, as is Lifecolors paints.

Just been painting the pilot figure in Hu71 acrylic, then Hu62, then Hu33, it dries so quick with a brush and alcohol thinners, can be handled in minutes makes painting them a lot easier that waiting days with the old ways with enamels.

It is finding a good acrylic varnish to use, I have a spray varnish that causes problems, brush varnishes just refuse to spray for some reason from the airbrush, I need to work out the thinners for this.
Dave.

[Bagpiper]

Coming along nicely. Looks like your change to acrylics is working for you too. I have not used enamels since the 1980's and still remember the mess with clean ups, finger prints (because you thought it was dry and it wasn't) the smell, the complaints, etc. etc, etc.

Looking forward to your next installment.

Cheers
Jim

[Telegraphist]

Coming along nicely. Looks like your change to acrylics is working for you too. I have not used enamels since the 1980's and still remember the mess with clean ups, finger prints (because you thought it was dry and it wasn't) the smell, the complaints, etc. etc, etc.

Looking forward to your next installment.

Cheers
Jim

The acrylics do have advantages Jim, like you say, less finger prints cause you thought it was dry enough to hold to look at, it is the waiting time for each coat to dry that puts acrylics ahead for me, I can paint a pilot figure in a day, not a week, but I still have issues at times trying to airbrush them, Humbrol acrylics and my airbrush just do not get along for some reason.
Dave.

[Telegraphist]

Not got as much done as I was hoping for but have got the pilot and other small parts painted, gave a quick dirty wash to the figure, will dry brush off the excess before installing the seat and pilot tomorrow. Was hoping to have that done today but not to be, another case of tomorrow. Think I will try to get the retracted undercarriage installed into the underside wing also, make it easier that trying to do it with fuselage installed.
Dave.

[schweinhund227]

I love Navy Birds.... Keep up the good work !

[Bagpiper]

Not got as much done as I was hoping for but have got the pilot and other small parts painted, gave a quick dirty wash to the figure, will dry brush off the excess before installing the seat and pilot tomorrow. Was hoping to have that done today but not to be, another case of tomorrow. Think I will try to get the retracted undercarriage installed into the underside wing also, make it easier that trying to do it with fuselage installed.
Dave.

No worries mate. I'm slow going too. Work is getting in my way. As long as you're enjoying your build that is all that matter. Looking forward to seeing some updates when you have some time.

Cheers
Jim

[gosselin2112]

Nice build up

Acrylics sure do have a lot of advantages over enamels. Makes model building go a little faster, as you don't have to allow for longer drying times. Environmentally friendly, too. However, I do love how enamels come out of an airbrush. Nice finish.

Russ

[HighestAce]

Are there and update on this build , I was interested in thbis subject. Thanks for any info

HighestAce
Doug Collins
HighestAce@hotmail.com