F6F-5 Hellcat-Naval Ordnance Test Station, 1952 XAAM-N-7 Sidewinder Trials-DONE

AeroplaneDriver · April 13, 2018, 04:24:27 PM

Next build underway thanks to a couple of days off.

Hasegawa F6F-5 Hellcat. OOB except for my first time trying Eduard fabric seatbelts. Must admit I like them!!

Today's progress-the 'pit.

Still not sure on the final paint scheme.

TheChronicOne · April 13, 2018, 07:06:04 PM

Hell yeah, that'll do!!

Old Wombat · April 13, 2018, 07:44:26 PM

1/72th by the look of it. very nicely done for Braille scale!

AeroplaneDriver · April 13, 2018, 08:35:21 PM

1/48 actually. It's my "go to" as the eyes get older. Lol.

The missile Hellcat has my attention. Any backstory?

zenrat · April 13, 2018, 11:19:07 PM

Quote from: AeroplaneDriver on April 13, 2018, 08:35:21 PM
1/48 actually. It's my "go to" as the eyes get older. Lol. ...

So those are 1 inch squares on your cutting mat then?
I think Womby did what I did and assumed they were 1cm.
I feel slightly less inadequate with it being 1/48.

It's still very good work though.

Picture has been saved to be included as "reference" for my next missile armed piston engined fighter.

NARSES2 · April 14, 2018, 02:27:36 AM

Neat work on that pit

Old Wombat · April 14, 2018, 09:10:15 AM

Quote from: zenrat on April 13, 2018, 11:19:07 PM
Quote from: AeroplaneDriver on April 13, 2018, 08:35:21 PM
1/48 actually. It's my "go to" as the eyes get older. Lol. ...

So those are 1 inch squares on your cutting mat then?
I think Womby did what I did and assumed they were 1cm.
I feel slightly less inadequate with it being 1/48.

Got it in one, Fred!

(Phew! No need to find the wife's knitting needles!

)

AeroplaneDriver · April 14, 2018, 05:46:16 PM

I'm taking a little inspiration from Salt6's pic of a missile test Hellcat with this one.

It's going to be a Whiffy white/orange/maybe gray scheme as a Naval Ordnance Test Station Hellcat from the early 50s. It'll be carrying Sidewinder prototype.

AeroplaneDriver · April 14, 2018, 11:37:51 PM

A little splash of color...

Dizzyfugu · April 15, 2018, 12:01:15 AM

The respective gray is FS 36081, just FYI.

TheChronicOne · April 15, 2018, 03:47:43 PM

That is a glorious shade!

AeroplaneDriver · April 15, 2018, 11:03:34 PM

Update for the night...

Decals are mostly on. Prototype Sidewinder is done. I also made a completely fictional missile out of an AS.30 that I may put on it instead of the Sidewinder.

The drop tank will become an instrumentation pod.

This one is barely a WHIF...the Naval Ordnance Test Station was the first Navy test facility at China Lake after WW2. They used a lot of Hellcats, but mostly as target drones. I thought one deserved a little better.

AS.12 · April 16, 2018, 02:41:23 AM

That looks SPLENDID!

You've probably seen this page which has a couple of teaser photos of the first armed test Sidewinder under a Skyraider's wing.

https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/naws-china-lake/

That was September 1953, just slightly too late for a Korean War Sidewinder WHIF.

Caveman · April 16, 2018, 04:41:38 AM

Quote from: AeroplaneDriver on April 15, 2018, 11:03:34 PM
Update for the night...
This one is barely a WHIF...the Naval Ordnance Test Station was the first Navy test facility at China Lake after WW2. They used a lot of Hellcats, but mostly as target drones. I thought one deserved a little better.

I hope that it didn't ever get mistaken for one that *was* a target drone...

Weaver · April 16, 2018, 06:09:45 AM

Nice model!

Odd that this should come up: I've just been contemplating a NOTS project myself: the 'NOTSnik' micro-satellite launcher tested on Skyrays and Phantoms. Ranchoth's Arsenal on Shapeways does one.