Hellcat Mk.I / Mk.II
7078
US NAVY WWII FIGHTER 1:72 SCALE PLASTIC KIT
intro There are few aircraft types that took part in combat during World War Two, that can be described with such one sided outcomes in terms of kill : loss ratio as the Hellcat. Representing the middle of the Grumman Cat lineage, the Hellcat was a unique type right from its beginnings. Success of its older brother, the Wildcat, which carried on its shoulders the bulk of the strain of the Pacific air war in 1942, prompted the US Navy to give Grumman free reign over the independent development of a new fighter. This type was to act as insurance in the event the concept of the F4U Corsair turned out unsuccessful. Grumman designers set forth with the design, with emphasis on ease of manufacture, performance and suitability for carrier ops. On the 30th of June, 1941, as Corsair production was initiating, the Navy signed an order for two prototype XF6F-1s, and a star was born. Original expectations centered around development of the proven F4F Wildcat, which was to be dominated by installation of more powerful engines. As such, this eventually evolved into a new fighter altogether. The US Navy also had accumulated combat experience, and was able to incorporate pilot suggestions into the design. The Hellcat was some 60% heavier than the Wildcat, was more heavily armed, had a more powerful engine, was more heavily armored, carried more fuel and was generally of a more robust construction. The first prototype took to the air on June 26th, 1942, and by January, 1943 equipped the first Navy unit, VF-9, on the deck of the USS Essex. The new type was called Hellcat. The name not only suggested the place to which her enemies would be sent, but was also a play on words. The term in the old west referred to barroom brawlers, and that was what the Navy wanted: a tough fighter with hard fists, that could absorb punishment and had stamina. The Hellcat line didn't result in the most elegant of fighters. It was, after all, over twice as heavy as its main adversary, the Japanese A6M Zero. But elegance certainly doesn't play a pivotal role in terms of the potential survival of the pilot. It was a fighter first and foremost in every sense of the word, designed around the requirements of the pilot to fulfill the combat mission for which it was designed and he was trained. The initial version, F6F-3, was supplanted by the dash five, which modified the canopy, cowl, bombracks and droptanks. The first combat engagement of the enemy occurred on September 1st, 1943, when an Emily was flamed by the half inch guns of two Hellcats. Their advantage over Japanese fighters was well demonstrated on February 16th, 1944, when, in the vicinity of Truk, over 100 fighters were claimed in the air and over 150 on the ground for the loss of four aircraft. Five days later, in the Marianas, a further 160 enemy aircraft were destroyed in the air and on the ground Often one sided combat was documented in the battle for the Philippine Sea that culminated on June 19th, 1944 in the now legendary 'Great Marianas Turkey Shoot', where Hellcat pilots claimed some 350 enemy aircraft destroyed. A further turkey hunt took place between October 12th and 14th, 1944 over Formosa, seeing the destruction, at the hands of Hellcat pilots, of 300 enemy aircraft for the loss of 27. In October, 1944, the Japanese began to escalate night attacks, bringing on a requirement for night fighters to counter them. USAAF P-61s were too far off. Night fighting variants of the Hellcat were introduced in the form of the F6F-3N and F6F-5N, equipped with radar. This new role for the Hellcat first appeared at the end of fall, 1944 during the intensification of kamikaze attacks, that required the interception of unorthodox attacks by aircraft that avoided air to air combat. Other major combat was seen over the Japanese islands over the first half of 1945. Although the Hellcat was progressively replaced by its stablemate F4U Corsair, it served in the combat role up to the end of the war. Under the designation Hellcat F Mk.I and II, several hundred served with the Royal Navy, notably in the Atlantic covering convoys, and also in the Far East. According to statistics, there were 12275 Hellcats of all versions made. For the loss of 270 of these, Hellcat pilots claimed 5156 kills. That accounts for over half of USN and USMC victories. The Hellcat also became the most successful carrier based fighter in the Pacific in under two years of ops. Lumbering, awkward at first glance, lacking in elegance, barroom brawler – wild, tough, a fearless hulk, able to clear a saloon before turning three times…..that was the Hellcat in the skies over the Pacific.
F Hellcat Mk.II JZ935, 1839 Sqn FAA, HMS Indomitable, Sub-Lieutenant T. B. Speak, April 5th, 1945. FOR COMPLETE PROFILE PLEASE REFER KOMPLETNÍ KAMUFLÁŽNÍ SCHÉMA NALEZNETE NA H54 www.eduard.com/info/photos/7078 14
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Carefully read instruction sheet before assembling. When you use glue or paint, do not use near open flame and use in well ventilated room. Keep out of reach of small children. Children must not be allowed to suck any part, or pull vinyl bag over the head. Pøed zapoèetím stavby si peèlivì prostudujte stavební návod. Pøi používání barev a lepidel pracujte v dobøe vìtrané místnosti. Lepidla ani barvy nepoužívejte v blízkosti otevøeného ohnì. Model není urèen malým dìtem, mohlo by dojít k požití drobných dílù.
INSTRUCTION SIGNS
INSTR. SYMBOLY
BEND OHNOUT
OPTIONAL VOLBA
SYMETRICAL ASSEMBLY SYMETRICKÁ MONTÁŽ
OPEN HOLE VYVRTAT OTVOR
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INSTRUKTION SINNBILDEN
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REMOVE ODØÍZNOUT
APPLY EDUARD MASK AND PAINT POUŽÍT EDUARDS MASK NABARVIT
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A. Hellcat Mk.I JV132, Lt. Blythe Ritchie, 800 Sqn FAA, HMS Emperor, May 8, 1944 With this aircraft on the noted date, during Operation ‘Hoops’, Lt. Blythe Ritchie of 800 Sqn, gained a kill over an Fw 190 A from JG 5. It was his fifth kill, his first in the cockpit of a Hellcat, and consequently, one of the few kills by the Hellcat over the Luftwaffe. Six days later, during Operation ‘Potluck A’, Ritchie gained another aerial victory flying JV132. He attacked a formation of He 115 floatplanes, and got an individual kill, and one more shared with Lt.Cdr. Stan Ohrr. S tímto strojem dne 8. 5. 1944, bìhem operace „Hoops“, dosáhl sestøelu Fw 190 A od JG 5 pøíslušník 800 Sqn FAA, Lt. Blythe Ritchie. Jednalo se o jeho páté vítìzství v poøadí, první v kokpitu Hellcatu, a zároveò o jedno z mála vítìzství Hellcatu nad stíhacími stroji Luftwaffe. O šest dni pozdìji, bìhem operace „Potluck A“, skóroval Ritchie se strojem JV132 znovu. Zaútoèil na formaci plovákových letounù He 115 a dosáhl dalších dvou sestøelù, jednoho samostatnì a druhého ve spolupráci s Lt Cdr Stanem Ohrrem.
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B. Hellcat Mk.I JV131, 800 Sqn FAA, HMS Emperor, June, 1944 Through mid-May, Hellcats flying off HMS Emperor flew cover for observation flights patrolling for enemy subs, and also flew escort for convoys. In June, they covered the Normandy invasion. In July, 1944, HMS Emperor, along with six other carriers, was relocated to the Mediterranean. Their first duty there was on September 9th, 1944, during Operation ‘Dragoon’ and the invasion of southern France. Operations were conducted in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas through to November. After that, HMS Emperor returned to Newport, for preparations for transfer to the Pacific. V druhé polovinì kvìtna poskytovaly Hellcaty z letadlové lodi HMS Emperor stíhací ochranu hlídkovým letounùm, pátrajícím po nepøátelských ponorkách, a úèastnily se doprovodu konvojù. V èervnu pak její stroje provádìly vzdušné krytí plavidel bìhem vylodìní v Normandii. V èervenci 1944 byla HMS Emperor, spolu se šesti dalšími letadlovými lodìmi, pøevelena do Støedomoøí. První operace, které se zúèastnila, byla 12. 9. 1944 operace „Dragoon“, výsadek spojeneckých jednotek v jižní Francii. Stroje z její paluby pak operovaly v oblasti Støedomoøí a Egejského moøe až do listopadu. Poté se HMS Emperor vrátila do Newportu, aby se pøipravila se na pøesun do Pacifiku. H305 305
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C. Hellcat Mk.I FN430, 1844 Sqn FAA, P/O Hannay, HMS Indomitable, August 24, 1944 The aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable, along with HMS Victorious, was engaged in Pacific operations in the Indian Ocean from July, 1944. Attacks were conducted against Sumatra. Through August, her aircraft took part in Operations ‘Boomerang’ and ‘Banquet’. On August 24, 1944, Operation ‘Banquet’ saw attacks on Palembang and vicinity, including local refineries. These actions saw the participation of aircraft FN430, piloted by P/O Hannay. Further activity that followed in September was concentrated against targets in the Nicobar Islands, and again, against Sumatra. After a short break at the beginning of 1945, aircraft flying off of HMS Indomitable carried on in combat ops up to the end of the war. Letadlová loï HMS Indomitable se spolu s HMS Victorious od èervence 1944 úèastnila operací britské pacifické flotily v Indickém oceánu. Jednalo se o útoky na cíle na Sumatøe. V prùbìhu srpna se stroje z její paluby úèastnily operaci „Boomerang“ a „Banquet“. Operace „Banquet“, což byl útok na Palembang a ropné rafinerie v jeho okolí, se dne 24. 8. 1944 zúèastnil i stroj FN430, jehož pilotem byl toho dne P/O Hannay. Dalši akce, následujicí v záøí, byly zamìøeny proti cílùm na Nikobarských ostrovech a opìt na Sumatøe. S krátkou pøestávkou na zaèátku roku 1945 pokraèovaly stroje z paluby HMS Indomitable v bojových akcích až do konce války. H305 305
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D. Hellcat Mk.II JX814, 1844 Sqn FAA, Sub-Lieutenant W. M. C. Foster, HMS Indomitable, Okinawa, April 12, 1945 Hellcats flying off the deck of HMS Indomitable in the Pacific accumulated a total of forty aerial victories. One aircraft that was a part of the total was JX814, which, on April 12, 1945, was flown by Sub-Lieutenant W. C. M. Foster in combat against a Ki-61, which he subsequently shot down. A short while later, the same fate was met by a Ki-43.These were Foster’s second and third kills. By the end of the battle for Okinawa, he managed a further two victories, and thus became one of the few Hellcat aces in British service. The fate of JX814 was sealed the following day, when, in combat with enemy aircraft and flown by Ch. R. Thurston, the plane was fatally hit by antiaircraft fire from friendly ships.
Hellcaty z paluby HMS Indomitable dosáhly bìhem bojù v Pacifiku celkem 40 vzdušných vítìzství. Jedním ze strojù, které se na tomto skóre podílely, byl i JX814, se kterým 12. 4. 1945 odstartoval Sub-Lieutenant W. C. M. Foster vstøíc nepøátelskému stíhaèi, stroji Ki-61, který vzápìtí sestøelil. Krátce nato se objevil další nepøátelsky letoun, Ki-43, který postihl stejný osud. Šlo o to Fosterovo druhé a tøetí vzdušné vítìzství. Do konce bojù o Okinawu dosáhl ještì dvou dalších a stal se tak jedním z mála es na stroji Hellcat v britském námoøním letectvu. Osud Hellcatu JX814 se naplnil již následující den. Bìhem pronásledování nepøátelského stroje byl spolu se svým pilotem, Ch. R. Thurstonem smrtelnì zasažen protileteckou palbou vlastních lodí. H305 305
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E. Hellcat Mk.II JZ796, 808 Sqn FAA, Sub-Lieutenant Oscar Lorenzo, HMS Khedive and HMS Trincomalee, Ceylon, 1945 Aircraft of 808 Sqn from HMS Khedive were involved in British Pacific Fleet operations in the area of Sumatra and Malaysia and covered the invasion of Rangoon. One of the last actions undertaken was for Operation ‘Balsam’, a series of reconnaissance missions over Malaysia in June, 1945. JZ796 was flown by Argentinean pilot Oscar Lorenzo, and so the cowling of his aircraft carried the image of the popular comic Patoruzu. Stroje 808.squadrony se z paluby letadlové lodì HMS Khedive úèastnily bojových akci britské pacifické flotily v oblasti Sumatry a Malajsie, kde zajišovaly vzdušné krytí pøi obsazování Rangúnu. Mezi poslední akce, které podnikly, byla i operace „Balsam“, série prùzkumných letù nad Malajsii v èervnu 1945. Stroj JZ796 byl pilotován argentinským pilotem Oscarem Lorenzem, a proto nesl na kapotì motoru kresbu oblíbené argentinské komiksové postavièky Patoruzua.
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F. Hellcat Mk.II JZ935, 1839 Sqn FAA, HMS Indomitable, Sub-Lieutenant T. B. Speak, April 5th, 1945. During the course of March, 1945, aircraft flying off the deck of HMS Indomitable took part in Operation ‘Iceberg’, covering the Allied invasion of Okinawa. On April 1st, 1945, the ship was damaged by a kamikaze attack, but was repaired in quick order, and was able to continue operations with combat missions against Formosa (Taiwan). Attacks were also undertaken against the Japanese islands. Hellcat JZ935, flown by Sub Lt. T. B. Speak, was damaged on April 5th, 1945, during landing. Bìhem bøezna 1945 se stroje z paluby HMS Indomitable podílely, v rámci operace „Iceberg“, na vylodìní spojeneckých jednotek na Okinawì. Dne 1.dubna 1945 byla loï poškozena pøi útoku kamikaze. Škody se ovšem podaøilo rychle opravit, a tak mohla loï v následujících dnech pokraèovat v bojových operacích proti cílùm na pobøeží Formosy (Taiwan). Útoèila i na cíle v okolí Japonských ostrovù. Hellcat JZ935, pilotovaný Sub Lt T. B. Speakem, byl 5.dubna 1945 poškozen bìhem pøistáni.
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