Hobby Master Archive

Hobby Master 1/32 PREMIUM COLLECTION Air Power Series HA0303 Grumman F6F-3 “Hellcat” White 17 of VF-27, Lt Richard E. Stambook USS Princeton, Oct 1944

Features Folding wings Rotating metal propeller Sliding canopy Interchangeable undercarriage Rolling wheels Removable center-line fuel tank 2 Bombs under fuselage, one on each side of fuel tank 6 Rockets, 3 under each wing Realistic looking pilot Dimensions Length - 12.4 in (315.5 mm) Open Wingspan - 16 in (410 mm) Width When Wings Folded - 6.6 in (168.8 mm) Height - 4.43 in (112.5 mm) Height To Top Of Folded Wings - 4.6 in (116.5 mm)

Weight - 2.8 lb (1.28 kg)

In 1942-43 the F4U program was bogged down with delays and the USN needed a top notched carrier-based fighter. The Grumman F6F-5 was exactly what they were looking for with the first production model flying in October 1942 and 12,274 Hellcats built by the end of the war. In terms of size, the Hellcat was the second largest single engine fighter of the war, being just slightly smaller than the Republic P-47 “Thunderbolt”.

In 1944 Grumman Hellcat F6F-3 “White 17” belonged to VF-27’s Lt. Richard “Dick” Stambook on board the USS Princeton. Before VF-27; Stambook served with VS-3 flying a Dauntless, VF-3 and VF-6 piloting Wildcats. His best day was June 19, 1944, while flying “White 17” Dick brought down 3 Japanese aircraft. On October 18, 1944 Stambook scored his tenth and final victory, a Kawasaki Ki-45 Nick. Six days later Stambook was lucky to be alive when the USS Princeton was destroyed and he had to swim to safety.

F6F-3 Specifications Total production: F6F-3 (4,403)

Power-plant: 1 x 2000hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 Double Wasp 18-cylinder air cooled radial engine Wingspan: 42 ft. 10 in. (13.1 m) Length: 33 ft., 7 in. (10.2 m) Height: 13 ft., 1 in. (4.0 m) Weight: 9,238 lb. empty Maximum speed: 380 mph at 23,400 ft. Ceiling: 37,300 ft. Climb rate: to 14,000 ft. 6 minutes 42 seconds Range: 945 miles Armament: Six .50-caliber M2 Browning machine guns, 2,000 lb. bomb-load, or six 5-inch rockets