A follow-on to the very successful F6F-3 was the updated F6F-5. This aircraft looked very much the same as the -3, but could generally be distinguished from the removal of the small 'quarter' window behind the canopy. This was not a given as very early -5s had this window. However, most F6F-5s were painted in the new overall glossy sea blue camo scheme that became standard in 1944. However one telling point is that  just about all -5 Hellcats were originally fitted with rocket stubs for 5'' air to ground rockets.

This particular sheet has three aircraft on it, all of them carrying a nice selection of kill markings. In fact, the only color on the sheet are those kill markings. There is so much white on it, that I could not get a good scan of the sheet so don't keep trying to load the page looking for it!

The first subject is Cdr. David McCampbell's Minsi III. Other than the thin CAG stripe on the tip of the tail, the only other markings are the name and the large scoreboard of Japanese flags on the fuselage side.

Next is the plane of Lt(jg) Hawkins from VF-31 on the USS Cabot in 1944. This plane has the white tail stripe of that air group and the flag scoreboard. I also want to think that there may have been a white stripe on the starboard wing, but research will see if that is true or not.

Finally an F6F-5 that was got kills in the hands of several pilots. This VF-83 Hellcat has the white quartered markings on tail and starboard wing as well as the name 'Death by Destruction' and a skull and crossbones on the forward fuselage.

Any of these schemes will be a nice change from the usual on your next Hellcat project.

Review copy courtesy of . Thanks for your support.
This and other new sheets are currently available at your local hobby shop.

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and quickly by a site that averages thousands of visits a day, please contact me or see other details in the Note to Contributors.