Canadian Vickers FV-1 and FV-2 Hellcats

[The Big Gimper]

With the war in the Pacific will probably going into 1946, Aircraft manufacturers were each given a aircraft to see what they can do existing designs and suggest improvements for the next phase of war which will take place next to the Japanese mainland and surrounding islands.

Canada Vickers in Montreal, Quebec, was given the F6F as their subject. The were given the FV designation. They came up with two models:

1. FV-1 Hellcat F Mk III
2. FV-2 Hellcat F Mk IV

The FV-1 was designed to be a combination fast fighter and torpedo bomber. With the war getting  closer to mainland Japan, the torpedo aircraft needed additional speed during the ingress and egress phases of their attack. This A/C was built from a -3 which received and engine upgrade to the PW2800-34W, a 4 bladed propeller borrowed from the F4U-4 Corsair and a bubble canopy. The centerline hard point was modified to carry the MK 13 Torpedo. The two inboard hard points were plumbed to carry either 500-1000 LB bombs or in this load out, fuel tanks for an extended mission. The out board wing points could still carry 5" rockets.  

Note: The FV-1 suffered slight damage during a taxi accident at the Montreal factory. Once it is repaired, a picture will be provided.  

The FV-2 was designed for long range escort and fighter CAP missions. It was a factory built -3 upgraded to what would be designated -7. The airframe received and engine upgrade to the PW2800-32(E) with water-ethenol injected which provided up to 2,850 HP. The centerline fuel was modified to carry distilled water and ethanol. The two inboard hard points could still carry 500 or 1000 LB bombs. The out board wing points could still carry 5" rockets or the recently field deployed AAM-1 air-to-air missile. Fixed Wing tip fuel tanks of 150 Gal capacity were added.

Hold the presses!!! An Allied air-to-air missile in 1945? What gives here. Well the story behind the Allies acquiring the plans for the Ruhrstahl X-4 missile goes like this: An OSS operative whose specialty was archaeology was working in the Carpathian Mountains in early 1945 following the German Army on their quest for occult artifacts. In his travels, he came across a dead civilian hiker wearing brand new clothing, boots and knapsacks. Having an eye for unusual details and well worn clothing, the operative inspected the body and found plans for the X-4 missile. He sent them to Washington where the US built their first AAM, the  AAM-1  By the way, the operative's name was: Col. Henry Walton Jones


Build Notes:
The F6F was a dream built. Good fit, almost no PSR required. The X-4 missiles were a pain thought. The body and fins are separate pieces. Almost a butt fit. 6 pieces including the pylon. The Techmod decals were very thin so did I rip a few. I cheated and did not put on some the black decals which would have been visible on the real paint scheme.


What I used:
Academy F6F-3/5
Hannants Xtracrylix paint  - brush painted
Eduard PE USN Seatbelts
ECSI  Decals No. 48 for FV-1 and Techmod Decals 72035, 1839 SQN for the FV-2
Tip tanks from the Italeri B-26K
Pavla MK 13 Torpedo
X-4 Missiles from the DML Messerschmidt Me 1101











Carl

[Maverick]

Neat build Carl.  Of course, you realise you'll have to do some post-War birds too??? I'm thinking Korea.

Regards,

Mav

[NARSES2]

Really nice, particularly like the missile armament 

[Captain Canada]

Now that's a real beauty, eh ?! Great job. Love the way the tip tanks look, and the missiles sure are a neat touch !

[Pablo1965]

Agreed!

[Weaver]

I like that - nice one!

[sequoiaranger]

Nice job (though I have yet to see a pic of the torpedo version).  I like the tip-tanks.

I made a late-war "fast torpedo bomber" whif myself, a JET (biplane!) for getting in-and-out quickly.

'Course, there were really no worthy torpedo targets late in the war---What few Japanese warships were left were all idled in port from lack of fuel (and had no reason to sortie against ridiculous odds) and could be level-bombed.

But if they did try...your FV's would be waiting!

P.S.--in my "alternate history" fleet scenario, Canada acquires the carrier USS Ranger (CV-4) and re-names it "Ottawa" for the final assault on Japan.