F6F-5C Hellcat, 1946, Midway

[pyro-manic]

What if the Battle of Midway had gone the other way? What if, instead of being all but wiped out, the Japanese "Kido Butai" had swept the Pacific clear of United States Navy aircraft carriers and pushed on towards Hawaii and America herself? This model depicts an aircraft that might have served had this happened.

The Grumman F6F-5C Hellcat has an upgraded R-2800 engine with water injection, and is armed with four British-made HS.404 20mm cannons. The heavy-hitting Hispanos made short work of Japanese heavy bombers, which were able to absord significant fire from the standard .50 machine guns the USN had used previously. British cannon were used as the American-made equivalent had proved extremely unreliable.

This aircraft wears USN Pacific camouflage, and has the all-white tail and wing leading-edges that were seen on all Allied aircraft in the Pacific from 1943 onwards. These markings were to enable the Americans to clearly distinguish between friend and foe, after a spate of friendly-fire incidents where Allied aircraft were mistaken for Japanese attackers by nervous AA gunners and inexperienced pilots. This particular machine served throughout the Pacific, during the long slog West as the Japanese were slowly pushed back, the industrial might of America eventually reversing their gains by sheer weight of numbers - for every American ship sunk, two more were built, and for every plane shot down, three or more were waiting to take it's place.


F6F-5C Hellcat by pyro-manic, on Flickr

Kit is the 1:72 Italeri job - quite nice, easy to build, though the canopy didn't fit very well. Plastic rod for the guns, otherwise unmodified. Might stick a four-blade prop on it if I can find one though.

Paint is my usual combo of Xtracrylix, Citadel and a bit of Tamiya. Soot/oil stains are done (badly!) with Tamiya weathering powders (which are great). Markings are scrounged from other sources (as I'd given the kit ones away! ) and thanks to Jim (Jaybee) for the stars'n'bars - a big help!

Apologies for the rubbish photo - it's late, and I'm tired. Better pics tomorrow/when I can be bothered.

[rickshaw]

Very nice!  Quite well done.   

[Cliffy B]

KILLER Cat man!!!!!!   

[NARSES2]

Like that a lot Pyro 

My own Alt WW2 scenario has the Japanese winning at Midway and this leads to the Treaty of Halifax which endorses a Pacific First policy. Europe becomes a bit of a stalemate until 45/46 (no nukes in my world  )

[PR19_Kit]

That not only looks good, the backstory is great too!

Well done indeed. 

[Vulcan7]

Cool build & back story 

[tc2324]

Very nice. Love the upgraded guns.

[pyro-manic]

Thanks peeps! I will try and get some better photos tomorrow, weather permitting.

[craigdwpa]

Great what-if!!!! props