Hellcat help (many more questions).

[ausf]

I cracked the box on the Eduard late Hellcat.

Planning the build, you have the option to drill out for bomb racks and the aux fuel tank, but the rocket connection indentations are already there. They aren't holes, just small divots. I really don't want any ordinance under the wing, I'm building this as a CAP fighter and would rather it clean.

Do I need to cut the rocket mounts from the rockets and install or were the mounts themselves something that came off the wing if rockets weren't in use?

 

[moon puppy]

Hellcat help.

Leave it clean, the rocket mounts were not "hard mounts".

 

[ausf]

Hellcat help.

Just what I wanted to hear. Thanks MP!

By the way, their resin wheel is fantastic. I'm trying to figure out how they pulled off the recess so crisply since it appears to be undercut all the way around.

Looks like a good kit.

Any pointers on attaching EZ line to the antenna bases? I'm thinking drill but I'd love to at least set the mid-line anchor leg while the fuse is in half. Paint doesn't stick to EZ line right?

 

[moon puppy]

Hellcat help.

Don't know about the paint, never tried it. I've always used EZ line after the painting is done.

With the WWII era antenna you had insulators that the antenna was run though to keep them from grounding out to the airframe.
Here's what I did on my Hellcat a while back

make two eyelets and put them in a brass tube, paint the tube white, attach one end to the mast and thread the EZLine though the open end. There is a small feeder hole in the port side of the fuselage that the antenna passes though. On 1:1 scale walk arounds you can see a type of insulator there also. I used some more brass tubing and filed it off almost flush with the fuselage.

This is not EZLine, it was something else and has since broken, I should replace it with EZline now.

 

[ausf]

Hellcat help.

Excellent Bob, thanks.

 

[ausf]

Hellcat help.

More questions if you don't mind...

I've got the Vallejo equivalent of the Federal Standard color, it's fairly dark blue. Would I still preshade black in the panel lines?

And do I still lighten in between the lines after the base coat is on?

I remember from years ago, dunking the clear parts in Future was a method. Is that still in practice?

Should I glue the windscreen part in place before painting the whole thing so I can fill seems if needed or do that afterwards?

Install the clear parts with MicroClear or is small amounts of styrene cement okay?

So many questions. :idonno

 

[moon puppy]

Hellcat help.

More questions if you don't mind...

I've got the Vallejo equivalent of the Federal Standard color, it's fairly dark blue. Would I still preshade black in the panel lines?

What scheme you going with? Chuck advised me to use Buff to lighten the blue. I'm more of a post shade fella, guess I'm too heavy handed with those first coats. I suppose it's a personal preference pre or post shade.

And do I still lighten in between the lines after the base coat is on?

Light, dark, guess it's up to you. I've always made the panels that are under stress be the darker shade, lighten the stuff that does not have support. So to me, the panel lines should be darker. Unless you going for a showroom finish.

I remember from years ago, dunking the clear parts in Future was a method. Is that still in practice?

Yes, it does help, I like the AlcladII Aqua Clear also.

Should I glue the windscreen part in place before painting the whole thing so I can fill seems if needed or do that afterwards?

I think the fit there is pretty tight but I do general install the windscreen so the frame matches the rest. Again, a personal preference.

Install the clear parts with MicroClear or is small amounts of styrene cement okay?

So many questions. :idonno

Gator Grip glue is great for windscreens! :drinks You have to be very careful with solvents as you know, fogging. That being said, how often have you looked at real windscreens and see some fogging along the corners and stress locations? :hmmm

 

[ausf]

Thanks again Bob.

I'm going with the solid scheme, completely dk blue, even the LG.

The Eduard directions call for Mr Gunze Navy Blue, which according to my charts, is a not too dark, slightly green tinted blue.

I checked around and it should be Overall Gloss Sea Blue which according to Vallejo is their signal blue 71.091. Though, the FS number for GSB is '042, and the Vallejo color is listed as FS '044. My paint mixer app has the the FS '042 as a mix of two Vallejo colors I have on hand, so I'm sure I'll get it close by one of those.

This isn't for competition of anything, so it's not too critical, I'd just like to be in the ballpark.

It's also listed under two names, both insignia and signal blue, but it's the same color:

 

[moon puppy]

I've always understood that Insignia Blue and GSB were two different colors. I used the Royal Blue for the base and lightened it with buff.

 

[TomN]

Hey Ausf

I recently glued some "real" glass in some window frames using Formula '560' canopy glue.
Seems easy to find in R/C shops.

It worked great! Dries very clear and you can clean up with water before it dries. Dries quicker
than I thought it would too.

I wouldn't use styrene cement, too risky...

Tom

 

[Jeeves]

As a point of reference Jeff-- I used Vallejo's Model Air Deep Sea Blue on my hover bike-- not sure if my lighting does the color hue justice- but it might help-

I also second Bob on the Gator Grip glue-- great for glass and PE!

 

[ausf]

Thanks Tom, I'll look for it.

Here's the two FS numbers, the first is GSB (35042), second Insignia (35044).

Vallejo claims their Signal Blue (71.091 also listed as Insignia Blue, but not on the paint label) is both GSB and 35044, so something is wrong.

But I have a formula according to my paint mixer to get the 35042 with blend of two other Vallejos.

I guess I'll test both on scrap and see which just looks better to my eye. The first looks like it'd be easier to weather/tint, especially if I'm mixing, the second looks more like the 4FUs from Baa Baa Black Sheep, therefore more realistic since that's been my impression since I was a kid.

This is what Eduard calls for, way off IMO:

 

[ausf]

Thanks Mike.

That looks great by the way, and damn close to the Vallejo Signal Blue.

 

[RichB]

Vallejo Model Color (not Model Air) 70.898 Dark Sea Blue comes up as a match for FS35042.

Cheers,
Rich

 

[moon puppy]

Thanks Tom, I'll look for it.

Here's the two FS numbers, the first is GSB (35042), second Insignia (35044).

Vallejo claims their Signal Blue (71.091 also listed as Insignia Blue, but not on the paint label) is both GSB and 35044, so something is wrong.

But I have a formula according to my paint mixer to get the 35042 with blend of two other Vallejos.

I guess I'll test both on scrap and see which just looks better to my eye. The first looks like it'd be easier to weather/tint, especially if I'm mixing, the second looks more like the 4FUs from Baa Baa Black Sheep, therefore more realistic since that's been my impression since I was a kid.

This is what Eduard calls for, way off IMO:

Yeah Navy Blue is way off. To me GSB has a bit of grey in it don't you think?

I think I was mistaken before, I said that I used Royal Blue, it was Prussian Blue I used on the Corsair. I used the Model Air line for the tricolor camo on the Hellcat.

 

[moon puppy]

Here's the Hellcat

And the Corsair

 

[Skinny_Mike]

Don't know if this will help but here is a shot of my two Eduard Hellcats.

For the F6F-3 I used the Model Master Flat paints, White, Intermediate Blue and Sea Blue. You can see that the insignia blue in the decals is different then the Sea Blue. The F6F-5N used Xtracolor FS15042, Gloss Sea Blue for the finish. I really want to use Vallejo paints but I have found their aircraft paint colors to often just not be close enough. Love them for armor!

Also here is the link to the WIP I did got the F6F-5N that I posted over on ARC. I had problems with the cowling that you may want to take a look at, just in case.

Hellcat Build on ARC

Mike

 

[ausf]

All the builds posted look great gentlemen, I appreciate the help.

Rich, I'll check if I have that MC on the shelf, if not I think I'll mix to match FS '042. It worked out to reasonable ratios with two of the MA (Intermediate Blue and Sea Grey IIRC) on the iModel paint app. We'll see, I'll test.

Mike, thanks for the link. I already blew the cowl, so putty was applied. I did the same with installing the antenna through the fuse before gluing shut, but I did it with a length of EZ line that I ended up breaking since it was stretching and getting caught on everything. It was like a Naval yo yo.

Live and learn.