Academy AC12481

Grumman F6F-3/F6F-5 Hellcat gun bay (designed to be used with Academy kits)

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Grumman F6F Hellcat wheels (type B) & paint masks (designed to be used with Academy, Airfix, Cyber-Hobby, Eduard kits, Frog, Hasegawa and Novo kits) [F6F-3 Hellcat F6F-5N F6F-5 Mk.I / Mk.II]

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U.S. Navy & Marine markings, mid to late war period This sheet contains generic decals for most single-engine aircraft operated by the U.S. Navy & Marines from the mid to late war period. A few specific aircraft are included but the aim is to provide a wide range of decals to decorate aircraft not normally represented by kit suppliers or to customise markings based on personal preference or reference. 'Rising Sun' kill markings are also included. 1. Grumman F2A-3 Brewster Buffalo, Cpt. Humburg, Battle of Midway, 1942 2. F4F-4 Wildcat, VMF-121 USMC, Guadalcanal 3. F4F-4 Wildcat, Yorktown 4. SBD-4 Douglas Dauntless, Battle of Midway, 1942 5. Chance Vought Corsair F4U-1 6. Chance Vought Corsair F4U-1A 7. Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat 8. Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, Lt Carl Brown Jnr 1944

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Grumman F6F Hellcat 1. F6F-3 No,17 flown by Lt(jg) Harold E 'Handsome Hal' Vita of VF-9, USS Essex, September, 1943. 2. F6F-3 No.24 flown by Lt(jg) Gene Valencia of VF-9, USS Essex, February, 1944. 3. F6F-3 BuNo.08905 No.7 flown by Cdr Paul D. Buie of VF-16, USS Lexington, March, 1944. 4. F6F-3 No,32 flown by LtJg Alexander Vraciu of VF-16, USS Lexington, 21 June, 1944. 5. F6F-3 BuNo.66171 No.23 flown by LtCdr Sam L. Silber of VF-18, USS Bunker Hill, 11 November, 1943. 7 Kills. 6. F6F-3 No,99 'Sally Darlin' flown by Cdr Joseph C. 'Jumping Joe' Clifton of VF-12, USS Saratoga, 5 November, 1943. 7. F6F-3 BuNo.41405 No.12 flown by Lt N.T. Duberstein of VF-1, USS Yorktown, 3 June, 1944. 8. F6F-5 No,71 flown by Lt Leo B. McCuddin of VF-20, USS Enterprise, October. 1944 5 Kills. 9. F6F-5 BuNo.58468 No,69 flown by LtJg Melvin 'Pritch' Prichard of VF-20, USS Enterprise, 12 October. 1944. 5.25 Kills. 10. F6F-5 BuNo.70149 No.10 flown by LtCdr Roger W. Mehle CO of VF-28, USS Monterey, October, 1944.

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Grumman F6F Hellcat. Even before Pearl Harbor the U.S. Navy realised that it would be hard for its existing fighters, the F2A Buffalo and F4F Wildcat, to deal with Japan's shipboard fighters, especially the A6M Zero. The situation was such that in June 1941 the U.S. Navy placed orders with Grumman 's 'Iron Works' for the F6F Hellcat before the first prototype had even flown. It was the right decision for Grumman 's new fighter, although much larger and heavier than the Zero, proved to be the latter's nemesis, so that the American fighter's better fire-power, sturdiness, range and speed more than matched the Zero's agility. Its entry into service was also timely, for the much- awaited F4U Corsair suffered from a flawed carrier deck capability, so that the Hellcat remained the main carrier fighter of the U.S. Navy throughout the rest of the Second World War and established air superiority in the Pacific. Indeed, in barely two years of war it destroyed no less than 5,271 enemy aircraft of the 6,477 claimed by the U.S. fighters, attaining a fantastic kill-to-loss ratio of 19.1:1, and fully deserving the nickname of 'Ace-Maker'. It certainly was the most important Allied shipboard fighter of that world conflict. The Hellcat was used also by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, during the war, while in the postwar period it saw service with the French Aeronavale, which used them in Indochina, as well as with the Uruguayan Navy, the latter flying them until 1961. [F6F-3 F6F-5 F6F-3N F6F-5N]

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